nicated any longer a Member of the Church? And w can he then be the Head of it? These are Matters « of no small Importance; no less than whether we « are Members of the Church, or cut off from it. « You are cut off, fays the Pope and the Church of « Rome. No, fays France to them, you yourselves are « cut off. And yet thefe Churches are the fame. And « is there no Judge in this Cafe? Is every Man left « to his private Judgment? pag. 84. 85. " L. Sr, I must beg Leave to put a familiar Queftion to you, tho perhaps fomewhat unmannerly. Pray, Sr, do's your Pulfe beat regularly? For I really fear you ftand more in Need of Phyfick than an Answer. I have already endeavour'd to convince you modeftly that neither France nor I myself are excommunicated by the Bulla Coene: yet you will needs have us all excommunicated by it, even in Spite of the Pope's actually communicating with us. Then (to complete the Farce) we forfooth excommunicate the Pope in our Turn, and for Proof of it you produce the Proceedings of the Parliament of Paris: whereas to the Credit, Sr, of your admirable Skill in Quoting there is not a Word of it in the Piece, you refer me to, as I have fully shew'd, §. 19. And have I not then Reason to fear all is not well with you? For how should you otherwife talk fuch wild Stuff as this: Tou are cut off, fays the Pope and Church of Rome. No fays France to them, you yourselves are cut off. Whereas every Body knows that France and Rome communicate together. But fuppofe the French Advocate had been fo mad as to declare the Pope excommunicated, would any Man in his Senfes take it for granted, that he was therefore really excommunicated? Nay and run Difcant upon it, as if it were an undoubted Fact, and break forth into thefe vehement Interrogatories 5.46. and from whofe Communion is the Pope of Rome excommunicated? Is a Perfon excommunicated any longer a Member of the Church? And can he then be the Head of it? After which you conclude with a serious Air, that thefe are Matters of no Small Importance, and demand very gravely, who is the Fudge in this Cafe? Why, Sr, the Parties on both Sides communicating with each other determine the Queftion; nay every Man in his right Senfes will be furpriz'd at your Asking it. "G. My Lord, how have we been teaz'd with that Question, who shall be Judge? This anfwers » all Objections with you. For begin at what Point of Popery you will, and bring Arguments never fo convincing, we are always ftopped with this Quef» tion, who shall be Judge? And fo you refer all to the Authority of the Church. But when you answer this as to your own Cafe, you will have answer'd » it as to us too. pag. 85. L. Sr, I muft beg your Pardon. For I have already answer'd it as to my own Cafe: and you are as far as ever from anfwering it with Relation to any of your pretended Reformers. However I do not remember I have yet troubled you with the Question, who shall be Judge, in Anfwer to your Objections: But have made a pretty good Shift to stop your Career with other Answers. But let that be as it will, the true Meaning of the Question you speak of is this; viz. Who has a better Title to be the Judge of Controverfies in Religion? The Church of Chrift, or a private Man appealing from her Authority to his own private Judgment? And let me tel you, Sr, the Queftion thus understood fuffices to confound any pretended Reformer of the Church's Faith. But the Cafe is quite otherwife as to the Quef tion in Reference to Excommunications, or Difputes འ 279 about Privileges; as is obvious to the Reflection of any Man, who can diftinguish between Articles of reveal'd Religion, and Facts, that have no Relation to it. G. My Lord, if the Pope be fupreme Head of a L. Sr, that the Pope has the Power of Excommu nicating for a juft Caufe is as certain, as that Kings have Power to punish Rebellions Subjects. But pray, Sr, is it impoffible for me to Judge that my Superiour is mistaken in the Exercife of his Authority over me without Difowning the Lawful Extent of it? Or do I become Superiour to him by Judging myself wrong'd by him? What wretched Stuff is this! I have heard of Subjects that have gone to Law with their Sovereign, and Sentence has been pronounced in favour of them: Yet I never heard the Sovereign has loft his Prerogative or Superiority by it. But, Sr, in the Question we have before us, viz. whether France be excommunicated by the Bulla Cona, we need no other Judge than the Pope himself who has fufficiently decided the Matter. For he knows the Bull has never been received by, nor has any Force in France: and therefore communicates (as I told you before) with the Gallicane Church, as with other Churches; he has his Nuncio refiding at the French Court, 3 $140 He acknowledges their King to be the eldest Son of the Church, and Protector of the holy See. What do you require more? Is not this declaring in Fact, that > the Gallicane Church is not under Excommunication? Is it not declaring, that he Judges their Profeffion of Faith relating to the Supremacy to be Orthodox; without which it is certain he would not communicate with them? » G. My Lord, if the Pope's Excommunication » ftands (without which his Supremacy falls) we may fay who can be faved: All Christian Kings and » Princes that are, or ever were in the World, even thofe of his own Communion, particularly in England as well before the Reformation as fince, are all together curfed and anathematix'd to the Pit of » Hell by the Bulla Cone. And with them all their Bishops, Divines, Parliaments, Fudges, Lawyers, » Clerks, Printers, and Publishers, or any others, who » have any Manner of Way been Aiding, Affifting, » of Confenting, tho tacitly to the Contravention of their » Princes to any Part of this Bull: that is, as I faid » before, almoft every one above the Condition of a » Plowman, are here all damn'd by all the Authority » the Pope has. Therefore have a Care of giving him » too much. For he will take all any Body will give him. pag. 85.86. L. Sr, all this has been answer'd already. I thank you however for the prudent Caution you give me not to be too liberal to the Pope. Tho you have fet me but a very bad Example. For I affure you, Sr, you have given him more than the Roman Catholick Church ever dreamt of, H §. 47. Bellarmin and Gratian explain'd. 6. LTE accepted this from Bellarmin, that if the « Pope should command the Practice of Vice, « and forbid Virtue, the Church were obliged to believe « Vice to be good, and Virtue to be wicked. De Rom. « Pont. L. 4. C. s. " L. But pray, Sr, was not Bellarmin put into Bedlam, when he taught this mad Doctrine? G. Not that I ever heard of. L. Then by the Grace of God we may hope he never taught it. So let us hear out the rest of your Story. G. Nay his own Canon law fays, that if the Pope « were so wicked as to carry with him innumerable People « by Troops as Slaves to Hell to be with him for ever tor- « mented, yet no mortal Man whatsoever must prefume here to reprove his Faults, because he is Fudge of all, « and himself to be Fudg'd by none. Decret. Part. 1. Dift. « 40. Can. Si Papa. So then they must keep their Reproofs, and not endeavour to stop the Career « till they are with him in Hell; and then I prefume « his Supremacy ceases. Behold the Machine of human « Invention, which God never thought of, nor ever once mention'd, of Climbing to Heaven by Sort of Mechanifm upon a Ladder of Popes, Car- « dinals, Councils, &c. And tho we fee them leading us by Troops to Hell, we must give no Obftruc- « tion, because it would break their Machine of be. « ing our Infallible Guides to Heaven. pag. 86. 87. « L. I must beg Leave to advise you, Sr, that when you intend to be very witty, you forget not to speak Sense, as you have unluckily done this Time. For I Nn |