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"friends: James by the Grace of God, king of "Great Britain, France, and Ireland, professor, "maintainer, and defender, of the true, christian,

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catholique, and apostolique faith, professed by the "ancient and primitive church, and sealed with the "blood of so many holy bishops, and other faithful, "crowned with the glory of martyrdom,

"Wisheth everlasting felicity in Christ our "Saviour.

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"To you most sacred and invincible emperour; Το right, high, and mightie kings; right excellent "free princes, and states: My loving brethren, "and cousins :"

"To you, I say, as of right belongeth,-doe I "consecrate and direct this warning of mine, or "rather, preamble to my reprinted apologie for the "oath of allegiance. For the cause is generall, "and concerneth the authoritie, and priviledge, of kings in generall, and all supereminent temporall powers."—

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The præmonition contains nothing, which his majesty had not said in the apology, we shall not, therefore, insert any extract from it.We shall only remark, that, both in the apology, and the præmonition, many pages are filled with learned dis-. cussions on the vials, mentioned in the book of Revelations.

CHAP. XXVII.

THE EXAMINATION OF MR. BLACKWELL, THE ARCHPRIEST, BEFORE HIS MAJESTY'S ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS.

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THE most important document in the history of this controversy, is, "The large examination taken "at Lambeth, according to his majesty's direction, point by point, of Mr. George Blackwell-made "archpriest of England by pope Clement VIII.Upon occasion of an answer of his, without the "privity of the state, to a letter lately sent to him by cardinal Bellarmine, blaming him for taking "the oath of allegiance. Together with the car"dinal's letter, and Mr. Blackwell's letter, to the "romish catholics in England, as well ecclesiastical, "as lay. Imprinted at London, by Robert Barker, printer to the king's most excellent majesty, " 1607."

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The commissioners at this examination were the archbishop of Canterbury, the bishop of London, the bishop of Chichester, Mr. James Montague, Mr. Edward Stanhope, Mr. J. Bennett, Mr. R. Swate, Mr. Richard Neyle, Mr. John King, and Mr. William Ferrand.

It would be difficult to produce an instance of a legal discussion, or even of a literary investigation, in which the inquiry has been conducted with so much method,-in which the point under considera

tion has been so completely cleared of extraneous matter,—or in which, by a regular series of inquiries,-beginning with the most easy, and arising to the most difficult,—a question singularly complicate and delicate, has been so completely brought to a decisive issue.

The examination began, by Mr. Blackwell's propounding, with the leave of the court, -his own system on the spiritual, and temporal, power of the pope. He did this at some length, in perspicuous, and measured language, but, in terms, too general, to satisfy the commissioners. They, therefore, called on him for explanations; and received them from him.

1. He is first asked,-whether, in virtue of the alleged cessions of Henry the second, and of King John, to the popes,-the kingdoms of England, and Ireland; or either of them, were parts of the temporal dominions of the pope ?

To this, the archpriest answers, in the words of Sir Thomas More*, "Rome never could show "such a grant; and, if she could, it were nothing

"worth."

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2. The commissioners then observe, that several canonists, among whom they particularly notice cardinal Baronius,-affirm, that "the pope is as directly lord of the whole world in temporals, as he is head of the universal church in spirituals; " and that he hath directly a sovereign authority, "in respect of such his worldly dominion, over all

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emperors, kings, and princes, to dispose of them, "and their kingdoms, when occasion shall require, "as he hath, in regard of the spiritual supremacie, "over all bishops, and clergymen, to advance and "deprive them, when he thinketh it convenient; "and that they do deserve it."

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The archpriest replies,—that, "in his answer to Bellarmine, he had sworn,-that the bishop of Rome, hath no imperial, or civil power to dispose, at his pleasure, of the king's majesty. That, as he had sworn, so did he then constantly "affirm, that he holdeth the opinion before spoken of, concerning the pope's direct dominion, and supreme authority, over all the world in tempo"rals, to be untrue."

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3. Advancing in the inquiry, the commissioners notice to him,-" another kind of authority "ascribed to the pope, and tending to the same

end,-that, in order to things spiritual, and in"directly, all kings and princes, with their king"doms, and countries, are subordinate to the pope, "in so much as if he see cause, and that kings, "and princes will not be advised by him, he may "not only excommunicate them, but, proceeding

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by degrees, depose them, absolve their subjects "from their oaths of allegiance, and rightfully "command them, if need be, to bear arms against "them."

The archpriest replies, that," the pope's excom"munication can produce no such effect as deposi“tion, eradication, absolution of subjects from their "oath of allegiance; nor any sufficient warrant,

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"either to rebel, or lay violent hands upon the king." He admits, that some canonists have held the affirmative of this proposition:-" but what "private men write, should not," he says, "be imputed to the doctrine of the catholick church, or "to the prejudice of any man, who does not hold it." 4. Diverging somewhat from their strict line of inquiry, the commissioners then cite to the archpriest, passages in the works of several writers," which assert, that the obedience of catholicks at different times to excommunicated princes, was owing, not to their not having a right to resist ; but to their not having the means for successful resistance.

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The truth of the assertions of these authors, the archpriest denies unequivocally. He expresses his wonder, that they were ever made,-observing, that they would, thus, exhibit the apostles, and martyrs, as mere temporizers; and that, in the early writers of the church, there is not a single syllable of such language.

5. The commissioners then return to the indirect temporal power of the pope.

Here, the archpriest cites the very strong and decisive facts and arguments, by which cardinal Bellarmine combats the doctrine of the pope's direct power in temporals. in temporals. He contends, that these apply equally to his alleged indirect temporal power; and concludes by wishing, with all his heart, that either cardinal Bellarmine had not intermeddled with the question of the pope's authority in temporals; or else, that he had been able to handle

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