ought to fecure him from those Thunders, in regard of his Functions, yet His Holiness would not fo much as hear or own him in that Quality, whatever Addreffes he has caus'd to be made for that purpose, and that in fine, the very Rules of the Canon Law requires that Perfons of fo eminent a Dignity, as is that of his, fhould be pointed out by Name in Bulls of that Nature, before they can incur the Penalties they utter.

But that the Pope in a Matter purely Temporal, as are thefe Franchifes of the Kings Ambaffadors, having made ufe of the Spiritual Arms, which he is only entrusted withal for the Conduct and Edification ofthe Church,and having conftituted himself Judge in his own Caufe, the Excommunication which his Holinefs's Cardinal Vicar declares to have been incurr'd, is fo null, that there is no occafion for any Proceedings to annihilate it, and thofe that are therein comprehended, ought not to receive Abfolution, though it were even offered them at their own Homes.

And indeed the faid King's Attorney General does with all the French expect from his Majefty's fingle Power the Reparation which thefe Proceedings challenge, and the Confervation of those Franchises which only depend on the Judgment of God, as all the Rights of this Crown, and which can admit of no Diminution but fuch as the King's Moderation and Juftice may give them.

But

But as not any thing can contribute more to leffen in the Minds of Shallow Perfons and Libertins the Veneration which People ought to have for the Power of the Church, than the ill ufe which its Minilters may make of it; the King's faid Attorney General declares, that he is appealing, as indeed he appeals by the prefent A&t from the abufive ufe that is made of it in' the faid Bull and Ordonance, not to our Holy Father Pope Innocent the 11th better informed, fo as has been practifed in refpect of fome of his Predeceffors; when that they had true Ideas of their Power, that their Years allowed them to act of themselves; their might be hopes that in time they might be brought to know the Juftice and Truth of the Complaints that were brought before them; and that neither the Preventions in favour of their Country, nor the Partialities of those they honoured with their Truft, did not prevail over the Obligations which the Quality of Common Father of all Chriftians does impofe.

Protefting to carry on this his faid Appeal upon this Grievance, and upon the others, which he reserves to reprefent to the first General Council that fhall be held, as the Tribunal truly Sovereign and Infallible of the Church,to which its vifible Head must submit, as well as its other Members; and therein to further among other things a Regulation that fhall prevent the Employing fo Holy an Authority in Ufes fo far from thofe for which it was confided in the Church in the Perfon of St. Peter; S 2

this

this may make the Pope be mindful, that God having feparated the two Powers of the Priefthood, and of Empire, His Holinefs cannot make ufe of the Authority of the first for the Rights that depend on the fecond; that according to Temporal Laws he ought to poffefs thofe large Territories which his Predeceffors have received from the Liberality of Temporal Princes, and particularly from that of our Kings, and that in fhort, he would confider upon a Truth which a great Arch-bishop in France wrote to one of his Predeceffors; that a Prelate that excommunicates aChriftian contraty to the Rules, and for Rights of a Kingdom of the Earth, may, in fuch an Occafion well lofe the Power of binding and unbinding which his Character gives him; but that he cannot deprive of eternal Life, him to whom he does this Injuftice. if his Sins do not render him unworthy of the Mercy of God. Of which the faid Attorney General has required of us as an Act. Done in the Court, in the Prefence of the Kings Council. on the 22d. day of January, in the Year 1688.

Monfeignor Sin. Not.

Printed at Paris by Francis Muquets, the King and his Parliaments chief Printer, Street le Harp, 1688. With His Majeflies Privilege.

1

FINIS.

Cleri Gallicani De Ecclefiaftica Poteftate Declaratio. A. D. 1682.

The Declaration of the Gallican Clergy, concerning the Ecclefiaftical Power in the Tear 1682./

I. That God gave to St. Peter and his Succeffors Vicars of Christ, and to the Church her Self the Power of Spiritual things pertaining to Eternal Life, but not of

Matters. For the Lord faid My Kingdom is not of this World, And again, Render unto Cafar the things that are Cafar's, and unto God the things that are God's. And therefore that of the Apoftle must ftand, Let every Soul be subject to the

I. Beato Petro, ejufque fuccefforibus Chrifti vicariis, ipfique Ecclefiæ rerum Spiritualium, & ad Eternam falutem pertinentium Civil and Temporal non autem Civilium ac Temporalium a Deo traditam Poteftatem, dicente Domino, Regnum meum non eft de boc Mundo. Et Iterum, Reddite qua funt Cafaris Cafari, & qua funt Dei Deo, ac proinde ftare Apoftolicum illud, Omnis anima Potestati- Higher--Powers, for bus fublimioribus fubdita fit. Non est enim Potestas nifi à Deo. Qua autem funt, à Deo ordi- whofoever nata funt. Itaque qui Refifteth the Power, Potestati Refistit, Dei Refifteth the Ordiordinationi Refiftit. Rc- nance of God. There ges ergo et Principes fore Kings and Princes in Temporalibus nulli are not fubject, in TemEcclefiaftica Poteftati porals, to any EcclefiaDei ordinatione fubjici, itical Power, by the Or

ther is no Power but of God, the Powers that be are Ordained of God; therefore

neque

neque Autoritate Cla- dinance of God,neither can vium Ecclefiæ directe they, by Authority of the vel indirecte Deponi, Keys of the Church, Diaut illorum fubditos rectly or Indirectly, be eximi a Fide, atque O- Depos'd, or their Subbedientia, ac præftito jects Abfolv'd from their Fidelitatis Sacramento Faith and Obedience, and folvi poffe, Eamque fen- Oath of Allegiance which tentiam Publicæ Tran- they have taken. quillitati neceffariam, And this is to be firmnec minus Ecclefie ly Retain'd, as Neceffa quam Imperio utilem, ry to the Publick Peace, ut verbo Dei, Patrum and not lefs Ofeful to the traditioni,et Sanctorum Church than to theState, Exemplis confonam as being Confonant to the omnino retinendam.

Word of God, the Tradition of the Fathers, and Practice of the Saints.

II. Sic autem ineffe II. But that the full Apoftolicæ fedi, ac Pe- Power of SpiritualThings tri fuccefforibus Chrifti is fo in the Apoftolical vicariis rerum Spiritu- See, and the Succeffors alium plenam Potefta- of Peter, the Vicars of tem, ut fimul valeant Chrift, that the Decrees atque immota confi- of the Holy and Oecuftant Sancta Oecume. menical Council of nice fynodi Conftanti- Conftance, concerning enfis a fede Apoftolica the Authority of Genecomprobata, ipforum- ral Councils, which are que Romanorum Pontificum, ac totius Ecclefiæ ufu confirmata, arque ab Ecclefia Gal

contain'd in the 4th and 5th Seffions, Approved by the Apoftolical See, and Confirmed by the ufe Licana,