it, if it have any truth in it, more pithily, and thoroughly." In summe thereof," concludes the archpriest," the pope's power ought not to be. "extended beyond the power of the kingdom of "heaven, and of the censures of the church, pro

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perly so called. He hath no authority in tem

poralls, either directly or indirectly, to depose

kings, &c.-by what name, or title soever, the "said power is called ;-whether he putteth it in "practice, in order to spiritual things, or whether "the end he aimeth at, by such his proceedings, "with any king or prince, be spiritual, or super"natural; that is, be pretended to be undertaken "for the good of the church, and promoting of

christianity; the same, in his judgment, being "neither apostolical, nor agreeing to the practice "of the most worthy bishops of Rome, in the pri"mitive church, and for a long time after; nor "available in truth to the catholic church; but "rather hurtful, and great hindrance thereto."

He then, "truly, and sincerely, from the bottom "of his heart, declares, in his conscience, before "God, and the world, that king James, his so

vereign lord, is jure divino, and by the positive "laws of this realm, lawful, and rightful, king of "this realm; and of all other his maiestie's do"minions and countries, both de facto, and de "jure; and that it was not lawful, either for his "majesty's subjects to have withstood him; nor

ever could it be lawful for them, now that he is "their king, to rise up against him, or seek, by

any ways or means, to hurt him, either in his

"health, or in his regal estate, altho' he, (the

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king), denieth the pope's supremacy in causes "ecclesiastical, and seeketh to suppress all those, "that dissent from him, in those points of religion, "which he embraceth; and tho' likewise they, his "said subjects, being either catholics, or protest“ants, had sufficient number, forces, and ability,

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so to do, without any scandal to the catholic

cause, and without any danger to themselves, "either in their goods, or lives."

6. It might have been expected, that this full, and explicit, answer would have closed the inquiry. The commissioners, indeed, said, that the archpriest had very well discharged his duty. Still, they involved the interrogation to a higher power,— to the highest, perhaps, to which the inquiry could be carried. "It is possible," they said, "that the pope may define the deposing power to be a "matter of faith; then," they observed, “ it must "be acknowledged by popish catholics, that his "holiness may depose kings, and deale with their

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subjects, as is aforesaid ;—and thus his majesty, "and all other christian princes, as their occasions "fall out, must still rest unassured of the loyalty "of their subjects, and of their own safeties ;-It "is therefore," they add, "necessary, that the "archpriest should clear this poynt.”

To this question, the archpriest replied,-That "he was perfectly assured, that the pope would not "make such a determination; and that he could "not make it ;" He cannot," said the archpriest, "determine it to be lawful, under any pretence

whatever, for a man to commit adultery with his "neighbour's wife; no more can he determine it "to be lawful, under any pretence whatsoever, for "any of his majesty's subjects to bear arms against "him ;-both of them, being against the moral law "of God, which the gospel doth, in no one point, prejudice.-Nor, as he cannot, by any pretence “whatsoever, make a son to be no son, during the "life of his father ; -no more can he make the "born subject of any king, not to be his subject, "so long as the king liveth."

7. Cardinal Allen's Admonition to the nobility of England,—noticed in a former part of this work, -being mentioned. The archpriest declared, that "he could not chuse but confess, from all his heart, "that he did dislike, and disavow, all the arguments, published in that book, which had any

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tendency to persuade the queene's subjects to "take part with the forces of the king of Spain; "because she was deposed by the pope's sentence; "and in some other respects therein mentioned; " and likewise all the persuasions, and resolutions, "which were sent into Ireland from Salamanca, "or from any place else, tending to the same 66 purpose.

8. Several passages from the works of cardinal Allen, and of doctor Stapleton, being then read by the commissioners to the archpriest:

"Alas! alas!" he cried, "what mean you to "increase my sorrow? I have said enough before "to show you, how much I do detest these kind "of positions, as being infected, if not with a

canker, at least with untruths. How glad should "I have been, if these kinds of positions, now

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charged on me, had been left to Buchanan, and "such of his followers, as have run that race."He expressed his humble desire, that “he might "be no further troubled with these uncatholic, "and bloody, novelties ;" and therein he had his desire.

CHAP. XXVIII.

ULTERIOR OCCURRENCES RESPECTING THE PROTESTATION OF ALLEGIANCE.

AFTER some further observations, and replies, the examination closed. As it appeared to the writer, to contain much interesting matter; and the copies of it are extremely rare, he thought an account of its most remarkable passages would be acceptable to the reader; and probably the reader will be of opinion, that the archpriest's statements and answers were expressed with great precisión; and do credit to him, as a sound divine, a loyal subject, and an honest man.-Soon after his examination, the archpriest addressed a second letter to the English catholics, repeating his approbation of the oath, recommending them to take it; and advising them not to be deterred from doing so, by the briefs of the pope. He received a second letter from Bellarmine, under the title of Apologia con

tra Præfationem Monitorum Jacobi regis. The cardinal published also a reply to his majesty's præmonition.

It appears, that the briefs of Paul the fifth withheld the general body of English catholics from taking the oath prescribed by James, and induced some, who had taken it, to retract, as far as it was in their power, their signatures to it. The adversaries of the catholics availed themselves of this circumstance to inflame the popular prejudices; and demanded, that the laws against popery should be carried into execution, with increased severity. The weak prince obeyed the call; and the miseries of the catholics were greatly aggravated. We shall close the history of the oath, with an account, I. Of a petition of eight priests confined in Newgate to Paul the fifth, for an explanation of his briefs respecting it: II. Of the opinion of several doctors of Sorbonne, in favour of the lawfulness of the oath; and of Bossuet's sentiments upon it: III. Mention will then be made of the final division of opinion of the roman-catholics respecting it: IV. And of the complete rejection, in the Declaration of the Gallican clergy in 1682, of the pope's deposing power.

XXVIII. 1.

The Petition of eight Priests confined in Newgate, to Paul the fifth, for an explanation of the Briefs.

In this afflicting situation, eight priests, imprisoned in Newgate, presented a petition to the pope,