King I would defire all the Bishops of my Kingdom to be under an Oath of Fidelity to another, &c. To deal plainly with you, Sr, if I found by Experience, that Bishops under that Oath were generally more loyal and faithful to their Lawful Sovereigns than fome other Bishops, who take no fuch Oath, I should have no Reafon to be against it. Now I have already shew'd that the Oath of Fidelity, or Canonical Obedience, which Bishops take to the Pope, can never prejudice the just Rights of any Sovereign. For furely Men can render to Cafar what belongs to Cafar at the faine Time that they render to God what belongs to God. And, as to the Bulla Cena, it neither calls the Pope Sovereign Monarch of the World, nor gives him an abfolute and Civil Power over Catholick Crown'd Heads, whom all the World knows to be in Temporals as abfolute in their Dominions, as any Proteftant Prince in Europe. Nay far more abfolute than the Kings of Great Britain, who cannot raise one Farthing of Money, nor impofe any Taxes without the Confent of the People. For this is the great Bulwark of the Liberties and Properties of English Subjects. And why then is it a Difparagement to Catholick Princes not to have the Power of Levying Taxes on the Clergy without their own, or the Pope's Confent, which never was refufed by either in any reafonable Exigency of the State?

Nor do's the Exemption of the Clergy from Secu lar Tribunals even in capital Causes any ways obftru& the Course of Juftice. For when a Clergy-man is first tried before the Ecclefiaftical Tribunal, it is not done to shelter him from Juftice, but to shew a Refpect to the Character, he has dishonour'd. For, if he be found huilty, he is first degraded, and ftrip ped of the Marks of his Dignity: And being thus feculariz'd, as I may call it, and thrown into the

267 Rank of Laymen, he is deliver'd up to the Secular Power to be punish'd as he deferves. So that there is no Danger of the Pope's putting in his Caveat against it, or Intercepting the Course of Justice in any Kingdom whatfoever, tho you will needs make him the Sovereign Monarch of the World.

G. Nay, My Lord, he puts in his Claim for « more, if more can be thought of, as it is worded « in the Bulla Cone Art. 24. All the Rights of the A- « poftolick See, and holy Church of Rome, howsoever and « whenfoever obtain'd, or to be obtain'd, &c. Howsoever « obtain'd: that is, you are not to enquire whether « Right or wrong and whenfoever; that is, you are « not to go back to Antiquity, or the Inftitution, or a look farther than the prefent Poffeffion, which with « him gives Right, when it is for him. And, to be e obtain'd, fecures any new Acquifitions he can « pake, and all future Pretenfions. This is like Swea- « ring to cateras. And now, I think the Plenitude « of his Power is fufficiently guarded. And all this « is included in the Regalia of St Peter, and the « Rights of the Roman Church, to which the Bishops of France, as well as of other Popish Countries are fworn, if they take that Oath fincerely, that « is, according to the known and declared Senfe of " the Impofer. pag. 78. "

L. Sr, it is the first Time in my whole Life I have been inform'd, either that the Word [Rights] fignifies Prerogatives or Poffeffions got Right or Wrong: or that the Pope has ever declared, that when his Intereft is concern'd, Right and Wrong fignify the ame Thing. And, if he never has made fuch a Declaration, a Perfon must be void of Shame and Confcience to tell me, that this is the known and declared Senfe of the Impoler of the Oath in Question.

G. Why, My Lord, what do thefe Words then

mean, How foever, Whenfoever obtain'd, or to be obtain'd?

L. What do they mean, Sr! Why, every Man of common Senfe and Honefty will tell you, that How foever obtain'd fignifies, whether got by Donation, or Bargain, or any just Way whatsoever, whereby a lawful Poffeffion is acquired. And whenfoever obtain'd imports, whether the Title be of a fresh or ancient Date. Because a Title is equally just and valid, whether it was obtain'd Yesterday, or a thousand Years ago. Finally, a Right not yet obtain'd may be obtain'd hereafter; and when it is obtain'd, is as juft as those, whereof we are already in Poffeffion: and they, who wrong the poffeffor in it are as muft guilty of Injuf tice, as if they invaded the Rights of a thousand Years standing.

This, Sr, is the true, natural, and obvious Senfe of the 24th Article of the Bull. And therefore you are bound to retract your injurious Comment upon it; unless you will die guilty of Slander in Reprefenting the Pope as a profligate Vilain for Impofing a wicked Oath, and all the Catholick Bishops in the World as perjured Wretches for taking it.

S. 44.

Some Touches of the Gentleman's Politicks.

6. M take that Oath but with a very ill Will.

Y Lord, I fufpect the Bishops of France

For it would certainly have been taken away, if that Model of Government, which was once propofed by the Parliament of Paris had gone on. » And it had » gone on, but for the Succefs of that Confederacy » form'd by Innocent the XI. against the King of France to reestablish his Supremacy there. p. 78.79.

L. Do

L. Do you fay, Sr, to reestablish his Supremacy there? Pray, when was it loft? Has not the Pope always communicated with the Kings and Church of France? And did you not tell me a while ago, that the Church of Rome by her Principles cannot communicate with any, who will not own her Supremacy? Pray, fave this from a Contradiction, if

you can.

G. You interrupted me, My Lord; for I was « going to tell you, that in Order to this Confede- « racy the Pope fent a Nuncio to our late King James to invite him to be the Head of it. But he, who « had learnt no other than French Popery, abfolutely « refused, and oppofed the Encroachments of the « Pope's Supremacy: as appears plainly by his Con- «< currence with Mr Barillon the French Embassador « then refiding with him to cause the Proceedings of ce the Parliament of Paris against the Pope's Supremacy « hereunto annex'd to be tranflated into English, and « printed at London An. 1688. which was the laft of « his Reigning here. pag. 79. «

L. Surely, Sr, you study to make Mistakes. Else how can you tell me, that the Proceedings of the Parliament of Paris deny the Pope's Supremacy? When every Body, that has but Eyes to read, can difprove you. They oppofe indeed the Pope's Infallibility, and Power over the Temporality of Princes, but in plain and exprefs Terms acknowledge his Supremacy in Spirituals, as I have already shew'd §. 19. And if you will but do this, and profess the fame French Popery, as King James did, I affure you, Sr, there will be an End of all Disputes betwixt us.

G. However, My Lord, the Pope was not con- « tent with it, and had this for his Excufe, that he « could not have otherwife carried on his Confede- « racy than by Concerting the Depofition of King James: who would not have agree'd to the firft of

"the Articles fworn at the Hague by the Princes, » Allies, and Confederates in February 1691. and prin»ted here at the fame Time. Viz. That no Peace be » made with Lewis XIV. till he has made Reparation to » the holy See for whatsoever he has acted against it; and » till he annul and make void all those infamous Proceedings against the holy Father Innocent XI. These are »the Proceedings of the Parliament of Paris here an» nex'd. And in the Treaty of King William with Spain bearing Date Dec. 31. An. 1690. it is ftipu"lated Art. 4. That all Things in the Ecclefiaftiks (in » France) should be restored as in their former State. » Now, if King James would not come into these Things, was there not fufficient Reason for the Pope to exercife his Depofing Power against him in » the beft Manner he could? And, if he had fuch » Power from God, then King James had no Injury » to complain of as done to him; being depofed by » his Lawful Superiour. King Jame's Fate was certainly very hard. He was abdicated in England be» cause he was a Papist: and the Pope wrought his Depofition, because he was too much a Proteftant. » pag. 79.80.

L. I perceive, Sr, you are moft deeply read in Politicks, and will needs have it, that Pope Innocent XI. wrought the Depofition of King James: for which you quote two Articles agree'd to, as you tell me, by the Confederates at the Hague, and printed in London. Now every Thing is not an infallible Truth, that is printed in London; and the abovefaid Articles appear very extraordinary, because it follows from them, that King William was a more Realous Papift even than King James himself; which I have fome Difficulty to believe. But let that pafs, and take it now for granted, that the Articles were genuine, where do you find that the Pope had a Part