But the attempt failed. The answer was, indeed,
complimentary: it expressed the joy of the pontiff at the perusal of his
letter, and exhorted him to persevere in the inquiry till he should come to
the discovery of the truth; but it disposed of his request, as Urban
had previously disposed of a similar request, by stating that it was
inconsistent with the duty of the pope to spend the treasures of his church
in the support of any but Catholic princes. This answer is dated 29th June,
1647.
NOTE B, p. 136.
1. The ordinances had distinguished two classes of delinquents, the one
religious, the other political. The first comprised all Catholic recusants,
all persons whomsoever, who, having attained the age of twenty-one, should
refuse to abjure upon oath the doctrines peculiar to the Catholic creed.
These were reputed papists, and had been made to forfeit two-thirds of
their real and personal estates, which were seized for the benefit of the
kingdom by the commissioners of sequestration appointed in each particular
county. The second comprehended all persons who were known to have fought
against the parliament, or to have aided the royal party with money, men,
provisions, advice, or information; and of these the whole estates, both
real and personal, had been sequestrated, with the sole exception of
one-fifth allotted for the support of their wives and children, if the
latter were educated in the Protestant religion.
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