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XIX. They enjoin obedience and honour to the priest. XX. They forbid the laity to invade the rights and benefits of the clergy, and all kinds of facrilegious acts. XXI. They forbid marrying in Lent, or on other fafts.

XXII. They prohibit the frequenting theatres, and other Gentile customs.

XXIII. They forbid the laity to read the books of heretics.

XXIV. Though they reject the Apocrypha, as being uncanonical; yet they hold fome traditions of equal authority with the fcripture; and greatly venerate the writings of Bafil, Chryfoftom, Damafcene, &c.

XXV. Of all the general councils that have been held in the Catholic church by the Popes at different times, they pay no regard to any after the fixth; and reject the feventh, which was the fecond held at Nice.

XXVI. Their excommunications are often made on very frivolous occafions.

XXVII. They hold juftification by faith and works conjointly.

XXVIII. They deny that the office of fubdeacon is at present an holy order.

XXIX. They have a great number of monks, all of St. Bafil's order; these have their abbots. The patriarch, Metropolian, and bishops, are of this order.

XXX. They have four liturgies or maffes; St. James's, St. Chryfoftom, St. Bafil's, (which they principally esteem) and Gregory the Great, which last is ufed by the Latins, and they celebrate the mafs in the old Greek tongue".

• Notwithstanding from the preceeding articles it appears, that the conftitution and doctrine of the Greek church is in fome refpects modelled more agreeable to fcripture than the church of Rome; yet their extreme fuperftition in the obfervation of their Lents, in the performance of the facraments, their confecrated places, veftments, utenfils, and even the hollowed ground, fhew they come very little behind the church of Rome in fuperftitious ceremonies.

The

The ARTICLES OF FAITH of the FRENCH or GALLICAN CHURCH *.

The French church, by acknowledging the Pope's fupremacy, and by perfevering inflexibly in the principles, and (with very little exception) to the numerous train of fuperftitious ceremonies of that holy mother church, may be confidered as one of her perfectly obedient fons. It is true, the French nation foon perceived, that the Pope's claim was unlimited, and would affect not only the royal prerogative, but the liberty and property of his fubjects; and therefore, in the ele venth century, the French King not only objected to, but refused compliance with fome claims of the Pope relating to the right of conferring benefices. And though this difpute, in the close of the twelfth century, between Boniface VIII. and Philip I. King of France, produced fome dreadful effects, the French never lost fight of their point, but afferted the King's prerogative to what what was called the regale; and in the fifteenth century, when the council of Trent had established the authority of the Pope, in oppofition to the prerogative of the King of France, he ordered his ambaffadors to protest against it; and in the year 1680, when Pope Innocent XI. feemed determined to oppofe his right, there was held a national council of the clergy to regulate this difpute, who confirmed his right of the regale over all the churches of the kingdom. Yet foen after Lewis XIV. to difcover his fuperftitious veneration of the Pope, and his bigotted attachment to the perfecuting spirit of popery, or in complaifance to the Pope, repealed the edict of Nantz, and banished his Proteftant fubjects, or treated them with cruel feverities.

This term is very antient, for we find it in the council of Paris, held in the year 362; by it is understood the body of French Roman Catholics. See p. 118.

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But notwithstanding the acknowledged fupremacy of the Pope in fpirituals, the French church differs in fome refpećts in its conftitution, privileges, liberties, &c. for this church has all along preferved certain antient ights, that he has poffeffed almoft time immemorial, neither are these privileges any grants of Popes, but certain franchifes and immunities derived to her from her first original, and which fhe has taken care never to relinquish.

The following articles point out wherein they confist. I. The King of France has a right to convene fynods, or provincial and national councils.

II. The Pope's legates (à latere) are never admitted into France, unless with the approbation and allowance of the King.

III. The legate of Avignon cannot exercise h ́s commiffion in any of his Majefty's dominions, till after he has obtained the King's leave for that purpofe.

IV. The prelates of the Gallican church, being fummoned by the Pope, cannot depart the realm upon any pretence whatsoever, without the King's permiffion.

V. The Pope has no authority to levy any tax or impofition upon the ecclefiaftical preferments, upon any pretence either of loan, vacancy, annates, tythes, procurations, or otherwife, without the King's order, and the confent of the clergy.

VI. The Pope has no authority to depofe the King, or grant away his dominions to any perfon whomsoever. His holinefs can neither excommunicate the King, nor abfolve any of his fubjects from their allegiance.

VII. The Pope likewife has no authority to excommunicate the King's officers, for the executing and difcharging their refpective offices and functions.

VIII. The Pope has no right to take cognizance, either by himself or his delegates, of any pre-eminences, or privileges, belonging to the crown of France, the

King being not obliged to argue his prerogatives in any court but his own.

IX. Counts Palatine made by the Pope, are not acknowledged as fuch in France.

X. The Pope cannot grant licences to churchmen, the King's fubjects, to bequeathe the iffue of their refpective preferments, contrary to the laws of the King, and customs of the realm.

XI. The Pope cannot grant a difpenfation to enjoy any eftate, or revenues in France, without the King's

confent.

XII. The Pope cannot grant a licence to ecclefiaftics, to alienate church-lands, fituate and lying in France, without the King's confent.

XIII. The King may punish his ecclefiaftical officers for misbehaviour in their refpective charges, notwithftanding the privilege of their orders.

XIV. No perfon has any right to hold any benefice in France, unless he be a native, or is naturalized by the King, or has a difpenfation for that purpofe.

XV. The Pope is not fuperior to an oecumenical, or general council.

XVI. The Gallican church does not receive, without any distinction, all the canons, and all the decretal epiftles, but keeps to that antient collection, called Corpus Canonicum, which Pope Adrian fent to Charlemagne, towards the end of the eighth century, under the pontificate of Nicholas I. the French bifhops likewife declaring it to be the only canon law, wherein their liberty confifts.

XVII. The Pope has no power to dispense with the law of God, the law of Nature, or thefe antient

canons.

XVIII. The regulations of the Apoftolic chamber, or court, are not obligatory on the Gallican church, unless confirmed by the King's edicts.

XIX. If a Frenchman makes application for a benefice, lying in France, his holinefs is obliged to give Vol. I. No. 6.

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him an inftrument, under the feal of his office; and, in cafe of refufal, the parliament of Paris can give orders to the bishop of that diocese to give him inftitution; which inftitution will be of equal validity with the Pope's..

XX. It is only by fufferance that the Pope has what they call a right of collating to benefices in France.

Thefe liberties are efteemed inviolable, and the French Kings, at their coronation, folemnly swear to preferve and maintain them.

As the Gallican church, with respect to the authority of the civil power, is exempt from that abfolute fubjection to the Pope of Rome, which other nations in Europe are under to him, it is no wonder if their government, in church as well as ftate, fomewhat differ; fo that we find the cruelties of the inquifition has not yet had any footing in France; though it muft be owned the French have given too many proofs of a fimilar deportment to the mother-church, by many inftances of cruel perfecutions for confcience fake, as well by fuppreffing the liberty of free enquiry in matters of religion, as by the many fuperftitious rites and ceremonies of her worship. It fhews it is no other than Rome papal. The mafs is folemnized with all the magnificence and ceremony as at Rome, and attendance of perfons of all ranks enjoined under various penalties; the confeffion to priests acknowledged of neceffity to falvation; the proceffion of the hoft through the ftreets of Paris is attended with great formality, and at its approach foreigners as well as natives are required to pay a fuperftitious refpect to it, &c, *

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