own Eye? Thou Hypocrite, firft caft out the Beam out of thy own Eye, and then shallt thou See clearly to caft out the More out of thy Brother's Eye. Math. 7. v. 3. 5.

However I defire you not to expect that I shall join iffue with you in your Notion of it, or call the Practice of it Rebellion, Witchcraft, Idolatry, and what not! For I am not fo void of Senfe as not to reflect that I live under the Protection of a Government, which will not perhaps relish fuch harsh Expreffions. I likewife remember that not many Years ago a certain Proteftant Divine was upon the very Brink of utter Ruine for prefuming to preach up the Doctrine of paffive Obedience, and Non-refiftance; and an eminent Member of Parliament, who was one of the Managers against him, ftuck not to fay, that if the Doctrine of paffive Obedience and Non-resistance were maintainable, Queen Ann had no more Title to the Crown of Great Britain than My Lord Mayor's Horse. Nor have I forgot that the bold Author of Hereditary Right, &c. was condemned to eat the Bread of Sorrow and drink the Waters of Tribulation for two whole Years together in the Marshalfee, even whilft the high Church had the Reins of Government in their Hands. Now to deal plainly with you, I have no Ambition to be a Boarder in that Place, and therefore will not meddle with Politicks. But, whoever will but give himfelf Time to reflect upon the Part your Church has had in the Tranfactions of above thirty Years paft, must be furpriz'd to find you fo very sharp upon the Depofing Doctrine, and Practice of a few Papifts, when it was your Business to confider firft, whether all were well guarded at Home. For let me tell you, Sr, this Caution is very neceffary in Difputes: Since without it you only put Stones into the Hands of an Adverfary to throw at you; nor are any privi

5.41. ledg'd to throw the first Stone, but they, who are free from Sin.

Now, Sr, I have shew'd from undeniable Facts, that a Man may be a very good Proteftant, nay a good Church of England-Man, tho he holds the Depofing Power of the People, and believes it, and practises it too. Whether therefore that Doctrine be true or falfe, right or wrong, 'tis certain you cannot condemn thofe amongst Papifts, that hold that Power lodg'd in the Pope without Condemning your own Church in the highest Degree. For it is beyond my Comprehenfion, that Depofing should be Rebellion, Witchcraft, and Idolatry, when it is commanded by the Pope against a Protestant Prince, and have nothing of this foul Afpect, when it is executed by Proteftants against a Popish Prince.

Nay, Sr, you quarrel with us meerly for the Speculative Doctrine of the Pope's depofing Power (for there is no great Danger of it's taking Effect) when at the fame Time the Practice of the People's depofing Power runs violently on the Proteftant Side; as may be clearly proved from the Hiftories of all the Proteftant Countries in Europe. Alas, Sr, the depofing Power of the Pope is but a Fleabite to that of the People: and give me Leave to tell you,

that one At of a British Parliament do's more Execution in the Business of Depofing than twenty Papal Bulls. For the Pope can never depofe without the People, but the People have depofed many a Prince without the Pope. So pray, Sr, let the good old Gentleman live quietly at Rome, and meddle no more with him, till he meddles with you.

§. 42.

The Oath of the Bishops to the Pope is no Prejudice ta their Allegiance.

G.

Y Lord, I must beg your Pardon; I have

Mnot yet done with him. Nor have you faid

Μ

yet

any Thing to what I objected concerning the Oath of Fidelity, which the Bishops of France as well as others take to the Pope.

L. Why should they not? That Oarh is not inconfiftent with their Fidelity to the King.

G. Pray, My Lord, let me ask you, is not an e Oath to be taken in the known and declared Senfe «e of the Impofer, for whofe Security it is taken? « pag. 74. "

L. Well, what then?

G. Then the Question will be, what the Pope « means by the Regalia of St Peter, and all the Rights, « Prerogatives, &c. of the Apoftolick Chaire, as he calls « his own; to which the Bishops are fworn contra « omnem hominem, against all Men in the World? « For it is the Pope, who impofes this Oath, and it « is taken for his Security. Pag. 74. «

L. Very right, Sr. But, if the Pope's Senfe of it be known and declared, as you told me juft now, how can there be any Question about the Meaning of it? I think it very plain, that neither the Impofer nor Taker of the Oath can mean any Thing more, than the just Rights and Prerogatives of the Apoftolick

See.

G. But, My Lord, has he not fufficiently de- « clared what he means by the Oath? Take it in the « Words of the Proceedings of the Parliament of Paris « in the Appendix, pag. 42. where they say that by «

this Decree (of the Bulla Cona) the Popes de» clare themselves Sovereign Monarchs of the World, " pag. 74. 75.

L. Surely, Sr, you are feiz'd with a more than ordinary Diffipation of Mind, to talk thus wildly from the Purpose. Our Difpute is concerning the Oath, which Bishops take to the Pope, and you refer me to Mr Talon's Speech in Parliament interpreting the Bulla Cone according to his own Notion. Is Mr Talon an authentick Interpreter of the Bull? What it is then to the Purpose, if in the Violence of his Heat he tells us, that the Popes by that Decree make themselves Sovereign Monarchs of the World? For my Part I find no fuch Thing in the Bull; nor do I think it can be drawn as a legal Confequence from it.

I add, that Rights and Prerogatives in an Edict fig. nify thofe, that are certain and uncontested. For in the Eye of the Law a disputed Right is not one abfolutely, but at most a probable and reasonable Pretenfion to it. [the Cafe review'd in the Preface.] Whence it follows, that the Oath taken by the Bishops at their Confecration to maintain the Regalia of St Peter can only be understood of the uncontested Rights and Prerogatives of the Apoftolick See; For they fwear to no more that what the Words of the Oath exprefly import; and the Pope himself knows very well, that no Bishop in the World intends to bind himfelf by that Oath to maintain him in any Pretenfons, that are prejudicial either to his Lawful Sovereign, or the ancient Liberties of his own particular Church.

1

G. My Lord this (viz. the Pope's abfolute Sovereignty over Kings and Bishops) is no more than is given at their Coronation as you have it in the Roman Pontifical, where the triple Crown is put » upon the Pope's Head with thefe Words, Receive

this Diadem adorn'd with three Crowns and know your ce felf to be the Father of Princes and Kings, the Gover- « nour of the World, and Vicar upon Earth of our Saviour « Jefus Chrift. pag. 75. «

L. Sr, the Words of the Pontifical are not improper, and exprefs no more, than the Pope's fpiri tual Supremacy over the whole Church, which in Scripture-Language is call'd the Church of all Nations or the whole World; as I have faid before. He is Vi car of Chrift upon Earth, as he is the Succeffor of St Peter, to whom Chrift committed the Care of his whole Flock. He is likewife the spiritual Father of Princes and Kings, and the Governour of the World in Spirituals: because he has a fpiritual Jurifdiction over the whole Church of Christ. Yet all this comes not up to the ridiculous Title of Sovereign Monarch of the World. Becaufe a Sovereign Monarch is properly one, under whom all others in Emploiment are no more than Subftitutes, or Vicars, placeable and difplaceable at Pleasure: Whereas each Bishop governs his refpective Diocefs in his own Right; and, as to all Manner of Epifcopal Functions, has an independent Jurisdiction in it nor can he be deprived without a Canonical Fault.

G. But must not this Governour of the World have Power to dethrone all petty Kings and Princes, «< that are under him? Elfe how can he govern the « World? pag. 75. "

L. Juft as a Bishop can govern his Dioceß without having the Power to abfolve Children from their Duty to their Parents, or take their Estates away from them, or turn them out of Doors.

G. The Popes think, that this their Power of a Depofing Princes is fully recogniz'd to them in the « forefaid Canon of the Lateran Council: and no Pope « has ever yet been brought to disown this Power.p.75. «