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259 the Apoftolick See, or not. If not, the Bull cannot hurt them. If they do, why should they not be punish'd for their Injustice? Has not the Church, and her Supreme Paftor as just a Title to the Immunities and Rights, that have been granted them by the Canons of Councils, and the Liberality of Chriftian Princes and Emperors, as the People has to Liberty and Property, or any Secular Prince to the Prerogatives of his Crown? Or is the Church and Clergy fo defpicable a Part of the Universe that they muft be treated like Banditi's, and any Man shall be mitted to invade their Rights impune? Kings are arm'd with Secular Power to do themfelves juftice; if they be wrong'd by any other King. But when the Church or her common Father is wrong'd by any Prince, they have nothing, but Spiritual Arms to defend themfelves. And therefore the Pope do's but act within his proper Sphere, when he uses the Spiritual Sword, I mean, the Power of Excommunicating, which God has undoubtedly put into his Hands, to punish the Invaders of his own, or the Church's Rights together with their Accomplices and Abettors, let them be as numerous as they please.

However where are thofe vaft Numbers of ex communicated Offenders? Who are the Kings, Archbishops, and Bishops, that violate, depreß, or restrain the Ecclefiaftical Liberties, or undoubted Rights of the Apoftolical Chair? I know not where to find them in Europe. Nor have we any News of them from the Spanish Plantations in America. I hope then by the Grace of God, there may be a good reasonable Number above the Condition of a Plowman, who as they never tranfgrefs'd against the Bull, never incurr'd the Penalty of it. So that you will be obliged to make fome Amendments and Deductions in your Bill; before I shall give my Affent to it.

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» G. At least, My Lord, you plainly fee the Pope » affuming a temporal or civil Power over all Emperors, Kings, and Princes; limiting them by the sth Article as to the Raifing Taxes upon their own Subjects without his exprefs Licence, and Exempting all Ecclefiafticks from being tax'd by them Art. 18. or being under their Power either in Civil or Criminal Caufes, as by Art. 19. tho it were Treafon, Murder, c. For which noble Principle Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury was canoniz'd for Maintaining the Liberties of the holy Church. pag. 77.

L. Sr, had Thomas Cranmer had the Honefty and Courage to maintain the Liberties of the holy Church, as his Predeceffor Thomas Becket did, the English Clergy would not be fo overaw'd by the fecular Power, as they now are. But Thomas Cranmer had fomething nearer to his Heart, than his holy Spouse the Church, whom he bafely betray'd to the Cruelty and Avarice of an arbitrary Prince. And the Memory of the one will always be as contemptible and odious, as that of the other is venerable in God's Church.

However I never read that Thomas Becket (as you call him) was ever guilty of Murder or Treafon. For he neither stirr'd up the People against his Sovereign, nor levied Troops against him, nor call'd in Forces from abroad, nor met him arm'd in the Field. But Tears and Prayers were all the Armis, he ufed against his violent Perfecutor, because he was the Lord's Anointed. He truly practised the Doctrine of paffive Obedience and Non-resistance; not indeed by a bafe and wicked Complyance, but by a patient Suffering of Perfecution, Banishment, and Death for Juftice-fake. For this, and the Holiness of his Life attested by undeniable Miracles he was canoniz'd by the Church; and Chrift himself has canoniz'd all fuch. Mat.s..10.

G. I perceive, My Lord, I have warm'd your zeal, But what do you fay to the three Articles of Impeachment against the Bulla Cana?·

L. Sr, the first is a Miftake, and the two latter are frivolous. 'Tis a Miftake, nay a Thing unheard of, that Sovereign Princes are limited by that Bull as to their Railing Taxes upon their Lay-fubjects. Neither has the Papal Sentence, you refer to, any Relation to Sovereigns, but only to inferiour Princes, who without Leave from their refpective Mafters opprefs'd their Subjects with unjuft Taxes. So that the Pope's pretended Tyranny, you complain of in this Point, is a real Vindication of the People's Liberties, and the Rights of Sovereigns.

But as to the Exemption of the Clergy from Taxes, and Secular Tribunals, these two Privileges of the Church are as ancient as the firft Chriftian Em perors. So that when St Thomas of Canterbury (if I may call him fo without Offence) stood up for the Privileges of the Church against the Encroachments of Henry the 2d, he only maintain'd what he had found establish'd before him. And let me tell you, Sr, 'tis no Dishonour to the Memory of a good Shepherd to leave his Flock in as good a Condition as he found it.

G. But, My Lord, I leave it now to yourself, «e whether, if you were a King, you would defire all « the Bishops of your Kingdom to be under an Oath « of Fidelity to another, who pretended an absolute and civil Power over you with Authority to depofe you, as he has done to feveral of your Predecef- «< fors, and would by no Means be brought to dif- « claim fuch a Power, but on the contrary made a « fresh Claim of it every Year, and of his being the « Sovereign Monarch of the World? pag. 77. "

L. You say, you leave it to me, whether if I were a

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 Reason 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 juft Rights of any Sovereign. For fúrely Men can render to Cafar what belongs to Cafar at the fame Time that they render to God what belongs to God. And, as to the Bulla Cona, 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 raife 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 reasonable Exigency of the State ?

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Nor do's the Exemption of the Clergy from SecuLar Tribunals even in capital Causes any ways ftru&t the Courfe 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 trip, ped of the Marks of his Dignity: And being thus fecularid, as I may call it, and thrown into the

164 Rank of Laymen, he is deliver'd up to the Secular Power to be punish'd as he deserves. So that there is no Danger of the Pope's putting in his Caveat against it, or Intercepting the Courfe of Juftice in any Kingdom whatsoever, 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 Coena 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. Howfoever obtain'd: that is, you are not to enquire whether «s. 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 a him gives Right, when it is for him. And, to be obtain'd, fecures any new Acquifitions he can ce make, and all future Pretenfions. This is like Swea, co ring to cæteras, 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 firft 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 fame Thing. And, if he never has made fuch a Declaration, a Perfon must be void of Shame and Conscience to tell me, that this is the known and declared Senfe of the Imposer of the Oath in Question.

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