any authority whatsoever, may be depofed "or murdered by their fubjects, or by any re : perfon whatsoever and I do promise, that "I will not hold, maintain, or abet any such "opinion, or any other opinion, contrary to "what is expreffed in this declaration." This article of the teft requires a peculiar difcuffion as the pope's as the pope's depofing power has caufed fuch confufion in Europe, during the great struggles between the priesthood and empire, and is often an engine employed in par liament, to defeat the good intentions of the members, who, from principles of humanity and zeal for the profperity of the kingdom, endeavour to remove the heavy yoke of penal reftraints. The question is-Whether the depofing power be an article of the Catholic faith? For my heart ftartles and my hand recoils, at the words," murdered by their subjects." As if the principles of any fect of Christians authorized a gloomy ruffian to plunge the dagger in the royal breast. To determine the queftion, let us enquire, firft, Into the doctrine of the church concerning the depofing power: fecondly, Into its origin. Refiftance to princes has been an early charge against the church and from her infancy down to this day, her pastors and doctors have D 2 have repelled the calumny. An imputed doctrine then, yet ftill difclaimed, can never be an article of her faith. It is true that the conceffions of princes to the Apoftolic fee,-an exceffive veneration for the firft paftor of the church,-flattery in fome, -rash zeal in others,-have raised up Bellarmin and some other champions for the depofing power, beyond the Alps. But the deviations of fome individuals fhould be confidered as spots in the fun, or the misconduct of a citizen whofe fault fhould not be charged upon a large community. : The apologifts of the depofing power (now grown obfolete) are few and their doctrine muft either ftand or fall with the evidence or inevidence of their arguments, unfupported by authority, and contradicted by the practice and doctrine of all ages and nations. In the Apostles time, the Jews began to revolt, and fow the feeds of that rebellion which affembled the Roman eagles round their walls, and involved their nation in final destruction: their great pretence was-the feeming impropriety of the subjection of God's chofen people to a heathen dominion: and, as the firft converts sprung from the Jews, the Heathens confounded together Jews and Chriftians, and charged charged them alike with the doctrine of refiftance to fubordination and government. The great St. Paul vindicates the Chriftians, and lays down for a general rule," that every foul "must be subject to higher powers; that there " is no power but from God; and, that those "who refift receive damnation unto them"felves." Should any one reply, that "the "church has more power over Chriftian kings, 66 as by baptifm they become her children," it can be easily answered, that dominion and temporal power are founded in free-will and the laws of nations, but not conferred nor taken away by a spiritual regeneration: and Bellarmin himself is forced to acknowledge, that "the gospel deprives no man of his right and "dominion, but gets him a new right to an “eternal kingdom.” † The apoftolical conftitutions, whether genuine or fpurious, are certainly of an antient date, and give us great infight into the discipline of the primitive times. They command "to fear the king as God's inftitution and ordi"nance. ""The Chriftians worship God only," fays St. Juftin Martyr, "they are "subject to the empercrs in all things elfe." § સર *Romans, xiii. Bellarmin, de Rom. Pontif. Lib. v. c. 3. By "6 By whofe command men are born," says St. Irenæus, " by his commands alfo are CL kings ordained, as fuits the circumstances of "those over whom they are fet: fome for the "amendment and benefit of their fubjects: and "fome for fear and punishment: for reproof "and contempt as the people fhall have de"ferved the juft judgment of God reaching "equally to all." Tertullian, St. Ambrose, St. Auguftin, St. Gregory Nyffen, Optatus Milevitanus, in fine, all the fathers declare," that kings have none above them, but God alone "who made them kings: that God beftows the heavenly felicity on the godly only, but the 66 kingdoms of the earth on both godly and un"godly and that to him alone, the cruel Ma"rius and the gracious Cæfar, Auguftus the "best of princes, Nero one of the worst, Con"ftantine the Chriftian, and Julian the apof"tate are equally indebted for their authority "and power.' If from the fathers you continue the long chain of venerable antiquity through the fucceffive reigns of the Roman pontiffs, you will find the depofing power affumed by few; the pre-eminence of kings, and their dependence on God alone, afferted by the mildeft and most learned, and thofe by far the greatest number. St. Gregory St. Gregory the Great, not only disclaims any temporal power over kings, but even acknowledges himself their subject. The emperor infifts on the publication of a law. The pope writes to him: "I being fubject to your “command, have caused the law to be fent "into several parts, and because the law agrees "not with God omnipotent, I have I have by letter "informed my ferene lord. Wherefore I have "in both done what I ought, obeyed the em<c peror, and not concealed what I thought "for God." Eleutherius, Anaftafius 2, Gelafius, Symmachus, Gregory 2, Leo 4, Nicholas 3, Adrian 1, Nicholas 2, John 8, and Celeftin 3, call the king "God's vicar on earth: " forbid the priest to "ufurp the regal dignity;" and confine the power of the church" to the difpenfation of divine, that of the prince to "the administration of temporal, things." If you confult cardinals, who have heightened the glory of their purple by their learning and piety, you will meet with numerous and steady afferters of regal independence. "I pre fuppofe what is known even to the vulgar," fays cardinal Cufanus, "that the imperial cel"fitude is independent of the facerdotal power, 66 having an immediate dependence on God.** Between the kingdom and priesthood, the |