APPEND. France. And therefore, if they mean to deal II. with us, they must lay down this for the foundation, that we are to deal with one another upon equal terms. If, consistently with our own establishment, we can agree upon a closer union with one another, well: If not, we are as much, and upon as good grounds, a free independent church, as they are. And, for myself, as Archbishop of Canterbury, I have more power, larger privileges, and a greater authority, than any of their archbishops: From which, by the grace of God, I will not depart, no not for the sake of an union with them.

You see, Sir, what my sense of this matter is; and may perhaps think that I have a little altered my mind since this affair was first set on foot. As to my desire of peace and union with all other Christian churches, I am still the same: But with the doctor's Commonitorium I shall never comply. The matter must be put into another method; and whatever they think, they must alter some of their doctrines, and practices too, or a union with them can never be effected. Of this, as soon as I have a little more leisure, I shall write my mind as inoffensively as I can to them, but yet freely too.

If any thing is to come of this matter, it will be the shortest method I can take of accomplishing it, to put them in the right way. If nothing. (as I believe nothing will be done in it), 'tis good to leave them under a plain knowledge of what we think of ourselves and our 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 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.

III.

I have now plainly opened my mind to you: APPEND. you will communicate no more of it than is fitting to the two doctors, but keep it as a testimony 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,

W. CANT.

No. IV.

From Archbishop WAKE to Mr BEAUVOIR.

WHA

Oct. 8. 1718.

7HATEVER 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 pacquet, to my Lord STAIR. I beg you to inquire after them: they make up together a pretty thick pacquet, 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 shew 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

III.

APPEND. 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 ecclesiastical authority, as he was once bishop of the Imperial City. I hope they both shew you my letters: they are this time very long, and upon a nice point. I shall be very glad if you can any way learn how they take the freedom I have used, and what they really think of it. I cannot so much trust to their answers, in which they have more room to conceal their thoughts, and seldom want to overwhelm me with more compliments than I desire, or am well 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, dated October 1. 1718.

Spectatissimo Viro, eruditorum sua gentis, si non et sui sæculi principi; Dno L. Ell. Du Pin Doctori Parisiensi.

Gul. prov. div. Cant. Arch. in omnibus evQgorev svægárlav.

DIEL

IEU est, amplissime Domine, ex quo debitor tibi factus sum ob plures tractatus MSS. quos tuo beneficio a dilecto mihi in Christo D.Beauvoir accepi. Perlegi diligentèr omnes, nec sine fructu: plurima

III.

plurima quippe ab iis cognitu dignissima, vel pri- APPEND. mum didici, vel clariùs intellexi: beatamque his difficillimis temporibus censeo Ecclesiam 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. Atqe 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 ea authoritate qua 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.

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. Coronæ Imperialia Regni nostri suum suprematum, Episcopatui suam, Ecclesiæ suam libertatem restituit, vel eo solùm nomine semper cum honore memorandus, Rex Henricus VIII. Hæc omnia sub pedibus conculcaverat idem ille tunc nobis,

APPEND. qui jam vobis inimicus. Sæpiùs authoritas PaIII. palis intra certos fines legibus nostris antea fuerat coërcita; et iis quidem legibus, quas siquis hodie inspiceret, impossibile ei videretur eas potuisse aliquâ vel vi vel astutiâ, perrumpere.

Sed idem nobis accidit quod illis, qui dæmoniacum vinculis ligare voluere. Omnia frustrà tentata: nihil perfecere inania legum repagula, contra nescio quos prætextus potestatis divinæ nullis humanis constitutionibus subditæ. Tandem defatigato regno dura ncessitas 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 quâm quivis alius externus Episcopus? In partem sanam, justam, veram utriusque concilii suffragia concurrêre. Quod Episcopi cum suo Clero statuerat, etiam Regni Academiæ calculo suo approbarunt, Rex cum Parliamento sancivit adeòque tandem, quod unicè fieri poterat, sublata penitùs potestas, quam nullæ leges, nulla jura, vel Civilia vel Ecclesiastica, intrà debitos fines unquam poterant continere. En nobis promptum ac paratum exemplum; quod sequi vobis gloriosum, nec minus posteris vestris utile fuerit! Quo solo pacem, absque veritatis dispendio, tueri valeatis; ac irridere bruta de Vaticano fulmina; quæ jamdudum ostenditis vobis non ultra terrori esse, utpote a Sacris Scripturis edoctis, quod maledictio absque causa prolata non superveniet. Prov. xxvi. 2.

State ergo in libertate quà Christus vos donaverit: Frustra ad Concilium generale nunquam 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. Regia permissione, Authoritate sua a Christo commissa,

Archiepiscopi