caufe I know your Lordship is tenacious of your Loyalty. pag. 69. «

L. Sr, I am obliged to you for your good Opi nion of me, and I hope I shall always deferve it.

сс

G. And now, My Lord, fince the faving of our « Souls is the End for our being in any Church, I « leave your Lordship to Judge whether the People are fafeft in the Communion of Rome, or in the « Church of England as to this Point. pag. 69. «

L. Sr, to prevent all Equivocation in my Answer, the depofing Doctrine may be confider'd either relatively to the Pope alone, or as it regards all Sorts of Perfons indifferently: that is, precifely as it is Juftifiable or Unjuftifiable in the Court of Confcience. If you confider it with Relation to the Pope alone, then the Difpute is not whether Depofing Princes be Lawful or Unlawful, but whether the Power of doing it ought to be acknowledg'd in the Pope: which reduces it to a meer political Controversy, and the Holding or not Holding it makes no more Difference as to the Safety of Salvation than maintaining contrary Opinions about a Point of Law. So that, altho a Protestant Government (which denies the Pope's depofing Power as all Proteftants do) may indeed have a political Advantage over that of a Catholick Kingdom, which allows it; yet the Church on either Side is wholly unconcern'd in the Question thus

ftated.

But I prefume, Sr, our Difpute is not about what is fafeft in Politicks, but what is fafe in Conscience: fince you have pofitively declared the depofing Doctrine to be inconfiftent with Salvation, and contrary to the exprefs Doctrine of St Paul. Nay you have equall'd it with the Crimes of Rebellion, Witchcraft, and Idolatry. Leaft therefore I should mistake your Meaning, give me leave to propofe fome Questions

to you. Is the depofing Doctrine inconfiftent with Salvation, only as it regards the Pope? Again, when St Paul fays, that they who refift Powers shall receive Dam nation to themselves (which is the very Text you have quoted) do's he only speak of Popes? Finally, when you told me that Depofing is the Sin of Rebellion, which is as Witchcraft and Idolatry, did you mean, that it is a Sin of this hainous Nature, only when it is commanded or authoriz'd by the Pope? Pray, Sr, answer me these Questions.

G. My Lord, it is plain my Meaning is, that depofing a Lawful Prince is a moft grievous Sin, let him command or practise it that will.

L. I confefs, Sr, I took this to be your Meaning; because I could not easily comprehend how a Man of your Wisdom should maintain that Depofing is inconfiftent with Salvation, and contrary to the Word of God, nay ftigmatize it with the odious Names of Rebellion, Witchcraft, and Idolatry, unless you regarded it as a moft grievous Sin in it's own Nature, that is, independently of the Character or Religion of the Perfons concern'd in it. So that, whether it be practised by Proteftants or Papifts, by the Pope, or by Proteftant Bishops, the Sin is the fame. For tho (as I have already obferved) there may be very good politick Reafons for Difallowing a depofing Power in a foreign Prince, which perhaps will not hold with equal Force in Relation to the natural Subjects of any Sovereign, yet Reasons of Conscience, fuch as it's being inconfiftent with Salvation, and contrary to the Word of God regard all equally: nor is Rebellion, Witchcraft, and Idolatry any more Lawful in one Perfon than another.

G. My Lord, I fee not what all this drives at, or that it is any Answer to what I faid last.

L. Sr, it leads me directly to it. You told me,

that

that fince the Saving of our Souls is the End for our being in any Church, you left me to Judge whether the People are fafeft in the Communion of Rome, or in the Church of England as to the depofing Doctrine. My Judgment then is, that whether Depofing be Lawful or Unlawful (for all are not of your Mind) you can claim no Advantage over us. For if it be Lawful, there can be no Danger of Salvation in a Church that holds it and we are thus far upon equal Terms as to the Point in Question. But if it be Unlawful (which is your Opinion) believe me, Sr, your Church is in a very ill Way, and has no Reafon to chalenge any Advantage over the Church of Rome. Witnes firft the Revolution, in which your Church had the greatest Hand; tho she was afterwards bubbled out of the best Part of the Fruits of it. Witnefs 2dly, the following At paffed by both Houfes of Parliament fome Time after the Revolution. If the King and Queen shall be reconciled to the Church of Rome, er profess the popish Religion, or marry a Papift, then fuch Perfons shall be excluded to inherit the Crown, or have regal Power in the Realm, and the People shall be abfolved of their Allegiance. This Act was affented to not only by the Reprefentatives of the People, but likewife by the Reprefentatives of the Church of EngLand, I mean the Bishops. Now I believe you will be puzled to find any Thing fo clear, so strong, and decifive for the Pope's depofing Power in any Canon of the Church of Rome, as this Act of Parliament is for the depofing Power of the People of England. And therefore I think I shew myself very moderate in Advising you to come to a fair Compofition as to the Point in Question; and not to boast or swagger, as if you had fome fignal Advantage over us.

But let all this be as it will; if after all you will needs maintain, that Depofing is the fame as Rebele Hh

ling, and ftigmatize it with the odious Names of Witchcraft and Idolatry, you may do as you think fitting. But for my Part I am not fond of a Lodging in Newgate, and therefore will give it no fuch Names; which may perhaps offend the Government. This I maintain pofitively, that the Pope's depofing Power is difown'd by far the greatest Number of Roman Catholicks. So that there is no Danger on that Score in the Communion of the Church of Rome. Nay in France, where they are found Catholicks, no Divine dares teach it.

» G. My Lord, my Difpute is with the Church of » Rome. And if the Church of France differs from the » Church of Rome in Matters whereon Salvation depends, they cannot be faid to be one Church,or to have the fame Guides to Heaven. pag. 69.

L. I take you, Sr, to be extremely out in your Cafuiftry in pretending that French and Italian Divines cannot be of the fame Church, because they differ in their Opinions concerning a moral Duty, which only obliges a Man to follow in Practice, what in his Confcience he Judges to be moft reafonable. Is there any thing more common either among Proteftant or Catholick Divines than to be of different Opinions in Deciding Cafes relating to moral Duties? And yet there is not a moral Duty, but Salvation is more or lefs concern'd in it. Yet this Difference makes ho Breach of Communion. And why then will you not vouchsafe to fee, that Italian and French Divines, tho they differ in a moral Queftion, may yet be truly in one Church, and have the fame Guides to Heaven?

§. 41.

G.

BU

The fame Subject continued.

the

Ut, My Lord, the Pope's depofing Power exwhich tended itself even to France: of which you will find frequent Inftances in Hiftory. And even « fo late as the holy League against Henry the 3d. All « the Popes in that Time join'd with the League a- « gainst the King, and fupported the Rebellion by « their Authority. And the Generality of the Bishops and Clergy of France and their Universities took « Part with the League, and juftified it by Principle and in Print. The Book of the juft Abdication of « Henry the 3d King of France was then writ upon the a Foot of the depofing Power, not only of the Pope, is but alfo of the People. pag. 69.70. “

L. Ay Marry, Sr, the depofing Power of the People is fomething for without it, that of the Pope will do but little Execution. But what need of running back as far as the French League for an Inftance I mean not of the Pope's, but of the People's depofing Power? Have we not one of a much fresher date at Home? To wit, the English League, which produced the Revolution. And did not the Generality of the Bishops and Clergy of England, and the two Univerfities take Part in this League? Was it not juftified by Principle, and innumerable Books writ in Defence of it upon the Foot of the depofing Power lodg'd in the People? Now; Sr, you may go on.

G. D'Avila in his Hiftory of the civil Wars « in France tells us a great and folemn Proceffion « was made by Order from the Cardinal Legate to « implore God's Affiftance (for the Succefs of the « League against the King) in which the Prelates, «