et sui sæculi principi; Dno. L. Ell. Du-Pin, Docturi Parisiensi. church, and to let them see, that we neither need nor seek the union proposed, but for their sake as well as our own; or rather neither for Gul. prov. div. Cant. Archs. in omnibus svœçovely XML theirs nor ours; but in order to the promotion of a catholic communion (as far as is possible) among all the true churches of Christ. ευπράττειν, DIU est, amplissime Domine, ex quo debitor tibi factus sum ob plures tractatus MSS. quos I have now plainly opened my mind to you: tuo beneficio a dilecto mihi in Christo D. Beauyou will communicate no more of it than is voir accepi. Perlegi diligenter omnes, nec sine fitting to the two doctors, but keep it as a tes-fructu: plurima quippe ab iis, cognitu dignissitimony of my sincerity in this affair; and that I have no design, but what is consistent with the honour and freedom of our English church, and with the security of that true and sound doctrine which is taught in it, and from which no consideration shall ever make me depart. I am, Reverend Sir, Your affectionate friend and brother, No. IV. ma, vel primùm didici, vel clariùs intellexi; beatamque his difficillimis temporibus censeo eeclesiam Gallicanam, quæ talem sibi in promptu habeat doctorem, in dubiis consiliarium, in juribus suis tuendis advocatum; qui et possit et audeat, non modo contra suos vel erroneos vel perfidos symmystas dignitatem ejus tueri, sed et ipsi summo pontifici (ut olim B. Apostolus Paulus Petro) in faciem resistere, quia reprehensibilis est. Atque utinam hæc quæ jam Romæ aguntur, tandem aliquando omnibus vobis animum darent ad jura vestra penitùs asserenda! Ut deinceps non ex pragmaticis (ut olim) sanctionibus non (ut hoc ferè tempore) ex concordatis, non ex præjudicatis hominum opinionibus, res vestras agatis; sed eâ authoritate quâ decet ecclesiam tam illustris ac præpotentis imperii; quæ nullo jure, vel divino, vel humano, alteri olim aut ecclesiæ aut homini subjicitur; sed ipsa jus habet intra se sua negotia terminandi, et in omnibus, sub rege suo Christianissimo, populum suum commissum propriis suis legibus et sanctionibus gubernandi. From Archbishop Wake to Mr. Beauvoir. Oct. 8, 1718. WHATEVER be the consequence of our corresponding with the Sorbonne doctors about matters of religion, the present situation of our affairs plainly seems to make it necessary for us so to do. Under this apprehension I have written, though with great difficulty, two letters to your two doctors, which I have sent to the secretary's office, to go with the next packet to my lord Stair. I beg you to inquire after them; they made up together a pretty thick packet, directed to you. In that to Dr. Du-Pin, I have, in answer to two of his MSS., described the method of making bishops in our church. I believe he will be equally both pleased and surprised with it. I wish you could show him the form of consecration, as it stands in the end of your large common prayer-books. The rest of my letters, both to him and Dr. Piers, is a venture which I know not how they will take, to convince them of the necessity of embracing the present opportunity of breaking off from the pope, and going one step farther than they have yet done in their opinion of his authority, so as to leave him only a primacy of place and honour; and that merely by eccle- v, ecclesia suam libertatem restituit, vel siastical authority, as he was once bishop of eo solùm nomine semper cum honore memothe imperial city. I hope they both show you randus, rex Henricus VIII. Hæc omnia sub my letters: they are at this time very long, pedibus conculcaverat idem ille tunc nobis, qui and upon a nice point. I shall be very glad jam vobis inimicus. Sæpiùs authoritas papalis if you can any way learn how they take the intra certos fines legibus nostris antea fuerat freedom I have used, and what they really think coërcita; et iis quidem legibus, quas siquis hoof it. I cannot so much trust to their answers, die inspiceret, impossibile ei videretur eas poin which they have more room to conceal their tuisse, aliquâ vel vi vel astutiâ, perrumpere. thoughts, and seldom want to overwhelm me Sed idem nobis accidit quod illis, qui dæmowith more compliments than I desire, or amniacum vinculis ligare voluere. Omnia fruswell able to bear. Pray do all you can to search out their real sense of, and motions at the receipt of these two letters; I shall thereby be able the better to judge how far I may venture hereafter to offer any thing to them upon the other points in difference between us; though after all, I still think, if ever a reformation be made, it is the state that must govern the church in it. But this between ourselves. No. V. A Letter from Archbishop Wake to Dr. Du-Pin, Expergiscimini itaque, viri, eruditi; et quod ratio postulat, nec refragatur religio, strenuè agite. Hoc bonorum subditorum erga regem suum officium. Christianorum erga episcopos suos, heu! nimiùm extraneorum tyrannide oppressos, pietas exigit, flagitat, requirit. Excutite tandem jugum istud, quod nec patres vestri, nec vos ferre potuistis. Hic ad reformationem non prætensam, sed veram, sed justam, sed necessariam ecclesiæ nostræ, primus fuit gradus. Quæ Cæsaris erant, Cæsari reddidimus; quæ Dei, Deo. Corona imperiali regni nostri suum suprematum, episcopatui suam trà tentata: nihil perfacere inania legum repagula, contra nescio quos prætextus potestatis divinæ nullis humanis constitutionibus subditæ. Tandem defatigato regno dura necessitas sua jura tuendi oculos omnium aperuit. Proponitur quæstio episcopis ac clero in utriusque provinciæ synodo congregatis, an episcopus Romanus in sacris scripturis habeat aliquam majorem jurisdictionem in regno Angliæ quàm quivis alius externus episcopus? In partem sanam, justam, veram, utriusque concilii suffragia concurrere. Quod episcopi cum suo clero statuerant, etiam regni academiæ calculo suo approbârunt, rex cum parliamento sancivit; adeoque tandem, quod unicè fieri poterat, sub lata penitùs potestas, quam nullæ leges, nulla || inter nos semel conveniatur, in cæteris aut jura, vel civilia vel ecclesiastica, intra debitos idem sentiemus omnes, aut facilè alii aliis disfines unquam poterant continere. En nobis sentiendi libertatem absque pacis jacturâ conpromptum ac paratum exemplum; quod sequi cedemus. vobis gloriosum, nec minus posteris vestris utile Sed abripit calamum meum nescio quis fuerit! Quo solo pacem, absque veritatis dis-'Evoμs, dum de vestris injuriis nimiùm pendio, tueri valeatis, ac irridere bruta de Vati- sum solicitus; et forte liberiùs quàm par esset cano fulmina, quæ jumdudum ostenditis vobis de his rebus ad te scripsisse videbor. non ultra terrori esse, uptote à sacris scripturis edoctis, quod maledictio absque causâ prolata non superveniet.-Prov. xxvi. 2. quâ amicum cum amico agere deceat, imprimis a te peto; eo te mihi amiciorem fore existimans, quo simpliciùs quo planiùs, quicquid censueris, liberè dixeris. Ego verò uti ea omnia, quæ tu in tuo commonitorio, exaraveris, etiam illa in quibus ab invicem dissentimus, grato animo accipio; ita State ergo in libertate quâ Christus vos do- ut apertè, ut candide, et absque omni fuco naverit. Frustra ad contilium generale nun-porrò ad me scribere pergas, eâque p quam convocandum res vestras refertis. Frustra decretorum vim suspendere curatis, quæ ab initio injusta, erronea, ac absurda, ac plane nulla erant. Non talibus subsidiis vobis opus est. Regiâ permissione, authoritate sua a Nec de commonitorio tuo amplius aliquid Christo commissá, archiepiscopi et episcopi hoc tempore reponam; in quo cum plurima vestri in concilium nationale coëant: academi-placeant, tum id imprimis, quod etiam tuo juarum, cleri, ac præcipuè utrorumque principis dicio, non adeo longe ab invicem distemus, theologica facultatis Parisiensis, concilium at- quin si de fraternâ unione ineundâ publicâ alique auxilium sibi assumant: sic muniti quod quando authoritate deliberari contigerit, via fasequum et justum fuerit decernant: quod de- cile inveniri poterit ad pacem inter nos stabicreverint etiam civili authoritate firmandum liendam, salvâ utrinque ecclesiæ catholicæ fide curent: nec patiantur factiosos homines aliò ac veritate. res vestras vocare, aut ad judicem appellare qui nullam in vos authoritatem exposcere debeat, aut, si exposcat, meritò a vobis recusari et poterit et debuerit. Ignoscas, vir oλuμaborate, indignationi dicam an amori meo, si forte aliquanto ultra modum commoveri videar ab iis quæ vobis his proximis annis acciderint. Veritatem Christi omni quâ possum animi devotione colo. Hanc vos tuemini: pro hac censuras pontificias subiistis, et porrò ferre parati estis. Ille, qui se pro summo ac ferè unico Christi vicario venditat, veritatem ejus sub pedibus proterit, conculcat. Justitiam veneror: ac proinde vos injuste, ac planè tyrannicè, si non oppressos, at petitos, at comminatos; at ideo solum non penitùs obrutos, subversos prostratos, qui a Deus furori ejus obicem posuit, nec permiserit vos in ipsius manus incidere; non possum non vindicare, et contra violentum oppressorem, meum qualecunque suffragium ferre. Jura ac libertates inclyti regni, celeberrimæ ecclesiæ, præstantissimi cleri cum honore intueor. Hæc papa reprobat, contemnit; et, dum sic alios tractat, merito se aliis castigandum, certè intra justos fines coëcendum, exhibet. Siquid ei potestatis supra alios episcopos Christus commiserit, proferantur tabulæ; jus evincatur; cedere non recusamus. Quod ad alteros tuos tractatus de constitutione episcoporum in ecclesiis vacantibus, siquidem papa, legitimè requisitus, facultates suas personis a rege nominatis obstinate pernegaverit; in iis sane reperio quod non tuâ eruditione et judicio sit; quare, ne prorsus σμBoos discedam, ordinem tibi breviter delineabo constituendi episcopos in hâc reformatâ nostrâ ecclesiâ. Tu judicabis, an aliquid magis canonicè vel excogitari vel statui potuerit. No. VI. | Dno Patricio Piers de Girardin, sacræ Facultatis Gul. prov. div. Cant. Archs. Gratiam, Pacem, ac Sa- POST prolixiores epistolas eruditissimo confratri tuo Dno Dri Du-Pin hoc ipso tempore exaratas; quasque ego paulo minus tuas quàm illius existimari, velim; faciliùs a te veniam impetrabo, vir spectatissime, si aliquanto brevius ad te rescribam; et in illis quidem animi mei vel amori vel indignationi liberè indulsi; eâque simplicitate, quâ decet Christianum, et maxime episcopum, quid vobis, meâ saltem sententiâ, factu opus sit, apertè exposui. SiSiquam prærogativam ecclesiæ concília sedis quid, vel tuo vel illius judicio, asperius quam imperialis episcopo concesserint (etsi cadente par esset a me exciderit, cum vestri causâ adeo imperio, etiam eâ prærogativâ excidisse merito commotus fuerim, facile id homini tam benepossit censeri;) tamen quod ad me attinet, ser- || volè erga vos animato, uti spero condonabitis: vatis semper regnorum juribus, ecclesiarum unaque reminiscemini, nullam unquam vobis libertatibus, episcoporum dignitate, modo in stabilem inter vos pacem, aut catholicam cum cæteris conveniatur, per me licet, suo fruatur, aliis unionem, haberi posse, dum aliquid ultra qualicunque primatu: non ego illi locum pri- merum honoris primatum ac podprav pontifici mum, non inanem honoris titulum invideo. At Romano tribuitis. Hoc nos per aliquot sæin alias ecclesias dominari; episcopatum, cujus cula experti sumus; vos jam sentire debetis, partem Christus unicuique episcopo in solidum qui, nescio quo insano ipsius beneficio, adeo reliquit, tantum non in solidum sibi soli vindi- commodam occasionem nacti estis, non tam ab care; siquis ejus injustæ tyrannidi sese opposu- illius decretis appellandi, quàm ab ipsius domierit, cœlum ac terram in illius perniciem com- nio ac potestate vos penitus subducendi. Ipse movere; hæc nec nos unquam ferre potuimus, vos pro schismaticis habet; qualem vos eum cenuec vos debetis. In hoc pacis fundamento si || sere debetis. Ipse a vestrâ communione se suos || ソ que separandos publicè denunciat. Quid vobis in Ego vero, uti omnia vobis publicè fausta ac hoc casu faciendum? Liceat mihi veteris illius felicia precor, ita tibi, spectatissime vir, me Casares episcopi Firmilani verbis respondere; semper addictissimum fore promitto. De quo sic olim Stephanum papam acriter quidem, sed quicquid aliàs senseris, id saltem ut de me crenon ideo minus juste, castigavit: Vide quâ im- das jure postulo; me sincerè veritatem Christ' peritiâ reprehendere audeas eos qui contra menda- et amare et quærere, et, nisi omninò me fallat cium pro veritate nituntur. Peccatum verò quàm animus, etiam assecutum esse Nulli. Chrismagnum tibi exaggerâsti, quando te a tot gregi- tiano inimicus antehac aut fui aut deinceps sum bus scidisti: excidisti enim te ipsum, noli te fal- || futurus: sic de erroribus eorum, qui a me dislere; siquidem ille est vere schismaticus qui se a sident, judico, ut semper errantes Deo judicancommunione ecclesiasticâ unitatis apostatam fece- dos relinquam. Homo sum, errare possum; rit. Dum enim putas omnes a te abstineri posse, sic verò animatus audacter dicam, hæreticus solum te ab omnibus abstinuisti. Cypr. Op. esse nolo. Te verò, siquidem id permittas, fraEpist. 75. trem; sin id minus placeat, saltem id indulgebis, ut me verè et ex animo profitear, excellentissime Domine, tui amantissimum. W. C. Agite ergo, viri eruditi, et quo vos divina providentia vocat, libenter sequimini. Clemens papa vos abdicavit; a suâ et suorum communione repulit, rejecit. Vos illius authoritati renunciate. Cathedræ Petri, quæ in omnibus catholicis ecclesiis conservatur, adhærete: etiam Extract of a Letter from Archbishop Wake to Mr. nostram ne refugiatis communionem; quibuscum si non in omnibus omninò doctrinæ Christianæ capitibus conveniatis, at in præcipuis, at in fundamentalibus, at in omnibus articulis fidei ad salutem necessariis, planè concentitis; etiam in cæteris, uti speramus, brevi concensuri. Nobis certè eo minus vos vel hæreticos vel schismaticos fore confidite, quod à papâ ejecti pro hæreticis et schismaticis Romæ æstimemini. Sed contrahenda vela, nec indulgendum huic meo pro vobis zelo, etsi sit secundùm scientiam. Prudentibus loquor; vos ipsi, quod dico, judi cate. Ad literas tuas, præstantissime Domine, redeo; in quibus uti tuum de mediocritate meâ judicium, magis ex affectu erga me tuo, quàm secundùm merita mea prolatum gratanter accipio, ita in eo te nunquam falli patiar, quod me pacis ecclesiastica amantissimum credas, omniaque illi consequendæ danda putem, præter veritatem. Quantum ad illam promovendam tu jamjam contuleris, ex sex illis propositionibus quas tuis inseruisti literis, gratus agnosco: ac nisi ambitiosè magis quàm hominem privatum deceat, me fracturum existimarem, etiam eruditissimis illis confratribus tuis doctoribus Sorbonicis, quibus priores meas literas communicâsti, easdem per te gratias referrem. Sanè facultas vestra Parisiensis, uti maximum in his rebus pondus meritò habere debeat, sive numerum, sive dignitatem, sive denique eruditionem suorum membrorum spectemus; ita a vobis exordium sumere debebit unio illa inter nos tantopere desiderata, siquidem eam aliquando iniri voluerit Deus. No. VII. Beauvoir. Nov. 6, O. S. 1718. YOUR last letter gives me some trouble, but more curiosity. I little thought, when I wrote to your two doctors, that my letters should have been read, much less copies of them given to any such great persons as you mention. I write in haste, as you know, and trust no amanuensis to copy for me, because I will not be liable to be betrayed. And upon a review of my foul, and only copy of them, since I had your account from Paris, I find some things might have been more accurately expressed, had I taken more time to correct my style. But I wish that may be the worst exception against them: I fear the freedom I took in exhorting them to do somewhat in earnest, upon so fair a provocation, with regard to the papal authority, though excused as well as I could, will hardly go down so effectually as I could wish with them. This raises my curiosity to know truly and expressly how that part of my letters operated on both your doctors; which by a wary observation, you may in good measure gather from their discourse. I cannot tell whether they showed my letters to you; if they did, I am sure you will think I did not mince the matter with them in that particular. Of your two doctors, Dr. Piers seems the more polite: he writes elegantly both for style and matter, and has the free air, even as to the business of a union. Yet I do not despair of Dr. Du-Pin, whom, thirty years ago, in his collection of tracts relating to church discipline, I did not think far from the kingdom of God. No. VIII. Extract of a Letter from Archbishop Wake to Nov. 18, 1718. Interim gratulor vobis post illustrissimum card. Noaillium, alterum illum ecclesiæ Gallicans, fidei catholicæ, columnam et ornamentum, procuratorem regium D. D. Joly de Fleury; quem virum ego non jam primum ex tuis literis debito prosequi honore didici, verum Ar present, my more particular curiosity etiam ob ea quæ vestri causâ his proximis an- leads me to know the sentiments of the leadnis publicè egerit, anteà suspicere, et penè vene- ing men in France with regard to the court of rari, consueveram. Sub his ducibus, quid non|| Rome; from which, if we could once divide sperandum in publicum vestrum ac catholicæ the Gallican church, a reformation in other ecclesiæ commodum? Intonet de Vaticano matters would follow of course. The scheme pontifex Romanus; fremant inter vos ipsos con- that seems to me most likely to prevail, is, to jurata turba, Romanæ curiæ servi magis quàm || agree in the independence (as to all matters suæ Galliæ fideles subditi. His præsidiis ab of authority) of every national church on any eorum injuriis tuti, vanas eorum iras contem- others; and in their right to determine all matnere valeatis. ters that arise within themselves; and, for W. CANT. P. S. Did cardinal de Noailles know what authority the archbishop of Canterbury has gotten by the reformation, and how much a greater man he is now than when he was the pope's legatus natus, it might encourage him to follow so good a pattern, and be assured (in that case) he would lose nothing by sending back his cardinal's cap to Rome. I doubt your doctors know little of these matters. No. X. points of doctrine, to agree, as far as possible, || such a separation. In the mean time, it canin all articles of any moment (as in effect we not be amiss to cultivate a friendship with the either already do, or easily may;) and, for leading men of that side, who may in time be other matters, to allow a difference, till God made use of to the good work of reforming in shall bring us to a union in those also. One earnest the Gallican church. I am a little only thing should be provided for, to purge unhappy that I have none here I yet dare out of the public. offices of the church such trust with what I do; though I am satisfied things as hinder a perfect communion in the most of our high church bishops and clergy service of the church, that so, whenever any would readily come into such a design. But come from us to them, or from them to us, we these are not men either to be confided in, or may all join together in prayers and the holy made use of, by sacraments with each other. In our liturgy Your assured friend, there is nothing but what they allow, save the single rubric relating to the eucharist; in theirs nothing but what they agree may be laid aside, and yet the public offices be never the worse or more imperfect for want of it. Such a scheme as this, I take to be a more proper ground of peace, at the beginning, than to go to more particulars; if in such a foundation we could once agree, the rest would be more easily built upon it. If you find occasion, and that it may be of use, you may extract this object, and offer it to their consideration, as what you take to be my sense in the begin- Extract of a Letter from Archbishop Wake to ning of a treaty; not that I think we shall stop here, but that, being thus far agreed, we shall the more easily go into a greater perfection hereafter. I desire you to observe, as much as you can, when it is I may the most properly write to the doctors. I took the subject of the pope's authority in my last, as arising naturally from the present state of their affairs, and as the first thing to be settled in order to a union. How my freedom in that respect has been received, I desire you freely to commu nicate. No. IX. Mr. Beauvoir. 1 Jan. 23, O. S. 1718. WHEN you see my letter (for I conclude the doctor will show it you,) you may do well to bring on the discourse of our episcopal rights and privileges in England, and particularly of the prerogatives of the archbishop of Canterbury, which, I believe, are greater than those of the archbishop of Rheims, or of all the archbishops in France. This may raise in them a curiosity to know more of this matter, which if they desire, I will take the first little leisure I have to give them a more particular account of it. We must deal with men in Extract of a Letter from Archbishop Wake to their own way, if we mean to do any good Mr. Beauvoir. Dec. 2, O. S. 1718. I AM glad the two doctors seem to receive my last letters so well. The truth is, that while they manage as they do with the court of Rome, nothing will be done to any purpose. And all ends in trifling at the last. We honestly deny the pope all authority over us: they pretend, in words, to allow him so much as is consistent with what they call their Gallican privileges; but let him ever so little use it contrary to their good liking, they protest against it, appeal to a general council, and then mind him as little as we can do. In earnest, I think we treat his holiness not only with more sincerity, but more respect than they: for, to own a power, and yet keep a reserve to obey that power only so far, and in such cases as we make ourselves judges of, is a greater affront, than honestly to confess that we deny the power, and, for that reason, refuse to obey it. But my design was partly to bring them to this, and partly to see how they would bear, at least the proposal, of totally breaking off from the court and bishop of Rome. What you can observe, or discover more of their inclinations in this particular, will be of good use; especially if it could be found out what the court would do, and how far that may be likely to countenance the clergy in with them. They have been used to a pompous ministry, and, like the Jews heretofore, would despise the Messiah himself if he should come in a poor and low estate to them. And therefore, though, for myself, I account all temporal grandeur as nothing, and am afraid it has rather hurt the church of Christ, and the true spirit of piety and religion, than done any real service to either; yet it may be the means of disposing these gentlemen to a more favourable thought of, and inclination towards a reformation; to convince them that they may return to the truth of Christianity, and leave the corruptions of Rome, without losing any honour, any power, that a servant of Christ would desire to be troubled withal. Had the first reformers in France yielded to this scheme, as we in England showed them an example, the whole Gallican church had come in to them, and been at this day as we are now: we must therefore hit off the blot which they made, and satisfy their ambition so far as to show them that they may reform, without giving up either their authority or revenues, and be still as great, but much better bishops, under our circumstances, than under their own. As to the pope's authority, I take the difference to be only this; that we may all agree (without troubling ourselves with the reason) to allow him a primacy of order in the episcopal college. They would have it thought ne cessary to hold communion with him, and allow him a little canonical authority over them, as long as he will leave them to prescribe the bounds of it. We fairly say we know of no authority he has in our realm; but for actual submission to him, they as little mind it as we do. At present he has put them out of his communion; we have withdrawn ourselves from his; both are out of communion with him, and|| I think it is not material on which side the breach lies. No. XI. A Letter from Archbishop Wake to Mr. Beauvoir. || find out the meaning of this motion; from whom it came; how far it has gone; what was the occasion of it; and what is like to be the consequence of it; what the abbe Du-Bois says of my letters, and how they are received by him and the other ministers. I shall soon discover whether any notice has been taken of it to our ministry; and I should think, if the abbe spoke to your lord about it, he would acquaint you with it. No. XII. Extract of a Letter from Archbishop Wake to Feb. 24, 1718. I Do not doubt that mine of the 18th of Jan- I Do not at all wonder that the cardinals Rouary, with the two inclosed for my lord Stair han and Bissi should do all they can to blackand Dr. Du-Pin, are before this come safe to en the good cardinal de Noailles, and in him you. I should not be sorry if, upon this late the party of the Anti-Constitutionists, but estransaction between the doctor and ministry, pecially the Sorbonne, their most weighty and you have kept it in your hands, and not deli- learned adversaries; and I am sensible that vered it to him. I had just begun a letter to such a complaint is not only the most proper Dr. Piers, but, have thrown aside what I writ | to do this, but to put the court itself under of it, since I received your last; and must beg some difficulties, which way soever it acts upon the favour of you to make my excuse to him, it. But I am still the more curious to learn, if with the tenders of my hearty service, till I see it were possible, not only the proceedings of a little more what the meaning of this present the ministry above board hereupon, but their inquisition is. I am not so unacquainted with private thoughts and opinions about it. I am the finesses of courts, as not to apprehend, that under no concern upon my own account, farwhat is now done may be as well in favour of ther than that I would be unwilling to have the doctor's attempt, as against it. If the pro- my letters scanned by so many great men, cureur-general be indeed well affected to it, he which will scarcely bear the judgment of my might take this method, not only to his own very friends. You must do me the favour to security, but to bring the affair under a delibera- get out of your doctors what will be most tion, and give a handle to those whom it chief- obliging to them, whether to continue to write ly concerns, to discover their sentiments of it. to them, or to be silent for a while, till we see But the matter may be also put to another use, what will be the effect of this inquiry. In the and nobody can answer that it shall not be so: mean time, it grows every day plainer what I and till I see what is the meaning of this sud- said from the beginning, that no reformation den turn, I shall write no more letters for the can be made but by the authority, and with French ministry to examine, but content my- the concurrence of the court; and that all we self to have done enough already to men who divines have to do, is to use our interest to cannot keep their own counsel, and live in again them to it, and to have a plan ready to country where even the private correspondence of learned men with one another must be brought to a public inquiry, and be made the I am at present engaged in two or three subject of a state inquisition. I am not aware, other transactions of moment to the foreign that in any of my letters there is one line that protestants, which take up abundance of my can give a just offence to the court. I always time; God knows what will be the effect of it. took it for granted, that no step should be ta- Nevertheless, if I can in any way help to proken toward a union, but with the knowledge mote this, though I am at present without any and approbation, and even by the authority of help, alone, in this project, I shall do my utcivil powers; and indeed if I am in the right, most, both to keep up my poor little interest that nothing can be done to any purpose in with the two doctors and their friends, and to this case but by throwing off the pope's autho- concert proper methods with them about it. rity, as the first step to be made in order to it, The surest way will be, to begin as well, and it is impossible for any such attempt to be to go as far as we can, in settling a friendly made by any power less than the king's. All correspondence one with another; to agree to therefore that has passed hitherto, stands clear own each other as true brethren, and members of any just exception as to the civil magistrate; of the catholic Christian church; to agree to it is only a consultation, in order to find out a communicate in every thing we can with one way how a union might be made, if a fit oc- another (which, on their side, very easy, casion should hereafter be offered for the doing there being nothing in our offices, in any deof it. Yet still I do not like to have my let- gree, contrary to their own principles;) and ters exposed in such a manner, though satisfied would they purge out of theirs what is conthere is nothing to be excepted against in them; trary to ours, we might join in the public serand think I shall be kind to the doctors them-vice with them, and yet leave one another in selves, to suspend, at least for a while, my farther troubling of them. I hope you will endeavour, by some or other of your friends, to offer to them, if they would be prevailed upon to come into it. the free liberty of believing transubstantiation or not, so long as we did not require any thing to be done by either in purs ance of that opi |