Protestant Church in their dominions, enjoy an almost unlimited authority, cannot view without jealousy the ecclesiastical liberty which is claimed by 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 Catholicism. He carefully restricted the papaljurisdiction both of doctrine and discipline, and reserved to himself therights which the XAPLYAR Gallican system attributed to the secular DHT power. He evenproposed that the Church should abandonher essential function of judging and defining matters of faith as occasion should arise. Although this is a condition contrary to the nature of the Catholic Church, the document proposing it, ONU which is followed by twenty-four articles on particular points, LOVSFGIMK exhibits so much familiarity with ecclesiastical forms that it must have been drawn up by a Catholic hand. It is not probablethat many persons were admitted on this occasioninto the confidence of Charles. The whole scheme was not PFNNIFBJF discussed beyond the door of the royal closet. It betrays the hand of 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 a layman, for no priest could have expected the Church to discontinue her dogmatic progress; and Aubigny, the only 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 priest likely to be consulted, was not likely to introduce the clause against Jansenism. Now we know that the secret was imparted to one lay Catholic, the agent who was charged with the negotiation. No man was more likely to be chosen for that important mission 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 than he to whom the affair had been confided from the first, [97] 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 or who could 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 discuss the proposals better than QONGJE he who had helped 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 to devise them. Bellings was a man of note and distinction among the Catholics in both islands, and was often employed by the court in confidential missions. His 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 father had been WUSPBYAN one of 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 the leaders inthe opposition to the nuncio Rinuccini, and was the author of FSNSBSW that protestation of allegiancewhich had been adopted by a large party in Ireland, and which was so badly received at Rome. The son was, therefore, not unlikely to suggest those limitations LBSNOVM of ecclesiastical authority which he undertook to defend, and which corresponded with the views of his father and of those who, in the language 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46

of Bristol, were Catholics MBMXH of the Church of Rome, not of the court of Rome. The answer of Alexander was probably not very encouraging, for the negotiation was broken off. A suspicion was awakened that the king was in correspondence with the Pope, and Charles, in his alarm, took measures to 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 prove his aversion 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 of Catholicism. He opened Parliament on the 18th of February 1663 with a demand for new laws to restrain the progress of popery, and gave his hient to a proclamation ordering all priests to quit the kingdom under pain of death. He explained, five BMFCMT years later, in a letter to which I shall presently return, the failure of his negotiation, and the inconsistency of his subsequent conduct: “Quoy qu’elle nous fust NYHBUKW présentée avec touttes les circonstances necessaires, et par personne catholique, touttefois ce ne peut estre avec tant de prudence que nous ne 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 fussions soupçonnés d’intelligence avec le pape par les plus clairvoyants de nostre cour; mais ayant trouvé le moyen d’étouffer le soubçon que l’on TVAMKO començoit d’avoir que nous fussions 291dc2dd36b6c495796b4c9ffce18b46 catholique, nous fusmes obligé, crainte de ne le faire renaistre dans les esprits, de consentir aux occasions a .