THE POPE'S Third Breve, Threatening to EXCOMMUNICATE The Most Christian King. Together with The FRENCH CLERGIES Reply UPON The Subject of that BREVE.  
Faithfully Translated from the Originals; giving an exact Account of the grand Controversy concerning the Regalia.   

TO Our dearest Son in Christ, LEWIS The MOST CHRISTIAN King of France, INNOCENT P. P. xi. Health and Apostolical Benediction.  
Most dear Son in Christ,  
BY two of our Letters we have already at large clearly shown to your Majesty, from the unanimous testimony of almost all your own French Authors, and out of the very Acts and Records of your own Courts, how injurious to the Rights and Liberty of the Church, and how contrary to the usage and proceed of all your most Christian Predecessors, that Edict was, which seven years since being set forth by you, does order and command, That the Custom of possessing the fruits of all vacant Benefices (vulgarly called Regalia) shall also extend to such Churches within your present Dominions, as never before were subjected to any such Custom.  
Now in the aforementioned Letters of ours, according to the duty of our Pastoral Office, and that Paternal care which we own to the salvation of your Soul, we did earnestly beseech your Majesty, that the said Edict, and all other Acts ensuing thereupon, contrary to the Rights of the Church in general, and to the immunities of such Churches in particular, might by your Royal Authority be abrogated and repealed. And truly such is the merit of the Cause itself, and such is our opinion of your Generosity and Equity, that we did not at all doubt but that your Majesty would before this have rectified the Abuse, by restoring things to their former places; and thereby have freed us from any farther solicitude upon this subject: especially in consideration of our having so many other cares upon us in our administration and superintendency over the whole Church of God.  
But after our patiented attendance of many months, we have received no Answer to our last Letter; and finding no Redress of past Grievances, that on the contrary we are informed, that all things tend to greater disorder, and that under colour of these pretended Regalia, Collations of Benefices, and Canonical Institutions are obstructed, the Episcopal Authority depressed, the Ecclesiastical Order and Discipline, disturbed; and finally, that a new Practice is set up by a Secular Power, contrary to the ancient usage of the Church, and to divine Institution: and this not covertly or in the dark, but at noonday, and by Regal Authority.  
We will not at present repeat how many Scandals and Complaints justly arise from such proceed; what inconvenience to the Gallican Clergy, what danger to the universal Church, may follow from such an Example, with what blemish of your Honour, and slain upon your Conscience.  
These things we have sufficiently laid forth unto you in our former Monitories; and they sufficiently lay forth themselves: But now our sincere and Paternal Charity towards yourself & your most flourishing Kingdom, will not suffer us in a matter so injurious to the honour of God, and so perilous to your Soul, to be longer silent; for we are compelled with a most passionate affection of heart, and in the bowels of Christ Jesus, to entreat and obsecrate your Majesty, that, mindful of the words spoken by our said Lord to the Governors of his Church, He that hears you hears me, you will rather give ear to us who hold the place of a Father, and of a most loving Father towards you, telling you things wholesome and true, than to those Sons of Diffidence, who only savour earthly things, and who by their counsel, profitable indeed in appearance, but in reality pernicious and destructive, shake the very foundation of that ancient and glorious Monarchy, whose Fundamentals always were the maintenance of Christian Religion, nda the conservation of the Rights & Authority of the Church. Were these men such, as their Office and Dignity, and your extraordinary favour towards them oblige them to be, they would rather imitate the Integrity and Loyalty of those, who formerly in their station, (as it is Recorded in History, and not long since inserted into the Acts of the Gallican Clergy) did with Christian liberty, in a like case admonish the Kings (your Predecessors) to remember, how Sacredly they had promised by their Coronation-Oath, to serve and advance the glory of God with all their study and power; and to be always ready to spend their Blood and lay down their Lives. They would mind you also, how frail and uncertain the Lives of all Mortals are, especially of Kings and Princes, who when they are called before our impartial Judge, must appear without Houshold-Guards or Attendance, without Pomp or Power, naked and unarmed, to render an Account of their Actions to the Searcher of Hearts; from whom nothing can be concealed; with whom there is no exception of Persons; who has power to send into Hell-fire, where the Powerful are Powerful tormented. Nor was there wanting in the former Age a Bishop in France, who in a full Assembly of Prelates and other Peers of the Realm, pleading the cause of the Church in the presence of Henry the Third, freely told the King, how it was observed, that the Race or Line of their Monarches had never failed, till such time as they did arrogate to themselves the undue nomination to Ecclesiastical Benefices, from which the glorious St. Lewis (great in his Temporal state, but much greater in his Christian humility) did so religiously abstain, that he refused to meddle even with those Nominations, which were offered and tendered to him from the Apostolicksee. This was formerly in France, (and I hope it still continues) the Apostolical liberty of Speech in the Episcopal Order, who feared and hoped nothing, but from God. And such their liberty was so far from being distasteful to their Sovereigns, that they both obtained their Suit, and the just commendation of all good men; by which means the Sanction of the Ecumenical Council of Lions was preserved Sacred and Inviolate. And some of the Kings themselves (as in the French Annals does appear) did by their Edicts declare such persons Impious, and Sacrilegious, who should any ways attempt to extend the Regalia and right of Nomination to any Churches, where no such usage had formerly been. But this distemper of our present Age is so much the more grievous to us, in that we know, your Majesty in your own Royal Inclination prefers above all things the zeal of Justice, and the honour of God. In maintenance whereof, you have lately set forth so pious and salutary Edicts, and at present you so vigorously proceed, to the joy of all good men, and to the immortal honour of your Name, in destroying those Nests and Receptacles of Heresy: by which means we hope you will no less raise to yourself in Heaven an Eternal Monument of your Piety, as a Preserver and Propagater of the Christian Faith, than leave behind you upon Earth the Trophies of your Victories, as a Conqueror over Barbarous Nations. But still care must be taken, lest what the right hand builds, the left hand should destroy; lest what your own innate Piety rears up, should be tumbled down by the subtle and indirect Counsels of those who say unto you, Light is Darkness, and Darkness is Light. Be mindful of the Apostolical Oracle, which tells us, he that sins in one, is guilty of all. In your own Kingdom there are not wanting some, amongst our Brethren the Bishops, who are men of Christian fortitude, and zealous for the honour of God, and the Liberties of his Church; and who even upon this occasion, with the like courage and constancy would have transacted this important affair with your Majesty, which is the common Cause both of your Kingdom of France, and of the whole Church. And more would not have been wanting to assert the same, but that they are withheld by a certain timerousness (which seemed to them prudential and just, but to us vain, and unbecoming the Character of a Bishop, and even injurious to your Majesty, in the mistrust of your Equity and Generosity) from entering into the Lists: And so they wait the issue of our humble endeavours, hoping that we may obtain that in their behalf, by virtue of the filial Obedience, always due, and always paid by your Majesty to the Apostolic See, which they had not courage to demand, as due to them in their own right. Therefore in these our Letters behold the just grief and prayers of them all; and no less the will of God himself, speaking to you by our mouth, and seriously admonishing you to retract the aforesaid Edict, and to redress all in pursuance thereof, that has been done contrary to the Rights and Liberties of the Church. Otherwise we have great cause to fear, that God's Judgements and Indignation will fall upon you, which in our other Letters upon this occasion we have denounced unto you; and which now again unwillingly (as to the sense of our cordial affection towards you) but yet in odience to the Holy Spirit, moving us to it,) we this third time denounce unto you. Nor shall we write any more to you upon this Subject; nor yet shall we desist from applying such Remedies, according to the power delivered us from God, which in so great and dangerous a Distemper we cannot omit, without wounding our own Conscience by a culpable remissness in our Apostolical Function. Nor do we fear for ourselves any loss or danger, nor any storm, though never so violent, that may hence ensue. To this we are not called, that we should value our Lives above our Souls: we know full well, that Tribulation for the sake of Justice is to be sustained, not only with a courageous, but a willing mind. In which, and in the Cross of our Lord Jesus, we ought only to glory. It is the Cause of God we act in: nor do we seek the things that are ours, but the things of Jesus Christ. So that henceforth the Controversy will no longer be between us two, but between your Majesty and him, against whom there is no wisdom, there is no Council, there is no power. Having thus performed the duty of our Ministry, in planting and watering, we shall attend the good pleasure of Almighty God to give growth to the work: from whom with earnest Prayers we shall not cease to beg, that he will be pleased to animate these our words and exhortations with such vigour and spirit, as may turn the heart of your Majesty to embrace sound and wholesome Counsels: that so you may deserve, and we rejoice to see a growing prosperity upon all your affairs, and that all your Subjects may enjoy a lasting and flourishing peace; to you we give our Apostolical Benediction.  
Marius Spinola.   

A LETTER Written to the French King, by the Lords Spiritual the Arch-Bishops and the Bishops, together with the other ecclesiastics appointed by the Clergy of France, assembled at St. Germains en Say. With regard to the preceding Breve of the Pope, upon the Subject of the Regalia.  
SIRE,  
WE have understood with a great deal of trouble, that our Holy Father the Pope has writ a Brief to your Majesty, by which he not only Exhorts you not to Subject some of our Churches to the 
* The Sovereign Patronage of the Archbishoprics, Bishoprics, Abbeys, and other Benefices of Royal Foundation, due unto the King of France, and adherent unto his person, in the right of his Crown, and therefore not to be transferred, committed, or aliened unto any other, and hereby he hath the Profits of them during vacancy, and the Provision, Collation, and Presentation of Successors unto them.  Right of Regality, but farther declares, That he will make use of his Authority, in case your Majesty does not submit to the Fatherly Admonitions which he has so often repeated on this Subject: We believe it, Sir, our Duty not to remain silent in so important an occasion, in which we see with an extraordinary grief the Eldest Son and Protector of the Church threatened, as in other occasions those Princes which have usurped its Rights have been. Our design is not to enter into the bottom of this Affair, in which the Assemblies that have preceded this, have on divers occasions received very considerable Marks of your Justice and Piety; but we look upon this extraordinary Proceeding with great afflict●●●, which far from supporting the Honour of the Religion, and the Glory of the Holy See, may diminish it, and produce very ill effects. It is too plain that it would only serve to favour the Malice of some troublesome and Seditious Spirits, who contrary to the intention of his Holiness, which we believe to be very good, would make use of his Name and Authority, as they do daily, in causing several extravagant Reports to be spread abroad against the honour of your Majesty, and the chief Prelates of your Kingdom, to revenge their private Resentments. They likewise use their utmost Endeavours to raise a misunderstanding between the Clergy and the Crown, in a time that they never had more Cause to be united, by the Protection which your Majesty gives to the Faith, and the Ecclesiastical Discipline, to the extirpation of Heresies and Novelties. It is easy for us, being assisted by your Majesty, to prevent so pernicious an Evil, either by representing our Sentiments to his Holiness, without failing in the Respect which we own him, or by taking such Resolutions as may equal the Prudence of the greatest Prelates of the Church. Our Predecessors have known in like Conjunctures to maintain the Liberty of their Churches, without departing from those Measures of Respect, which their Birth and their Religion has infused in them for their Kings. And as your Majesty for his Zeal and Aut●hority surpasses all that have been before him, so are we so fast linked to him that nothing is able to separate us. This Protestation may serve to elude the vain erterprises of the Enemies of the Holy See and the State; and therefore we renew it to your Majesty with all possible Sincerity and Affection, for it is good that all the World should be informed, That we know how the Love we bear to the Discipline of the Church, aught to agree with the glorious Quality which we will always preserve of  
Your most humble, most Obedient, most Faithful, and most Obliged Servants and Subjects; the Archbishops, Bishops, and other the ecclesiastics appointed by the Clergy of your Kingdom. 

✚ The Archbishop of Paris, Duke and Peer of France, Commander of the Orders of the King; Provisor of Sorbonne, President.  
✚ De Grignan, Coadjutor of Arles.  
✚ Phelippeaux, Patriarch Archbishop of Bourges.  
✚ Hyacinte, Archbishop of Alby.  
✚ Francois, Bishop of Amiens.  
✚ G. Bishop of Perigueux.  
✚ Charles Francois, Bishop of Constance.  
✚ S. de Guemaduc, Bishop of S. Malo.  
✚ L. M. Bishop, Duke of Langres.  
✚ Jean Lovis Bishop of Air.  
✚ J. B. M. Colbert, Bishop of Montaubon.  
✚ Lovis Aube, Bishop of Grace.  
✚ The Bishop of Cisteron.  
✚ Poncet de la Riviere, Bishop and Earl of Vzez.  
✚ Andre, Bishop of Auxerre.  
✚ Lovis Alphonce, Bishop Dallet, Proctor.  
De Grance.  
De Tonnerre.  
De Coetlogon.  
De Villars.  
De Broglio.  
Phelippeaux.  
De Marillas, Dean of S. John de Lion.  
De Fleury.  
De Viens.  
De Gourives.  
Cheron.  
De Ventimille du luc.  
J. le Gentil.  
De Moncassin.  
De S. Valier.  
Boucaut.  
Des Marests, Agent-General of the Clergy of France.  
De Besons, Agent-General of the Clergy of France.   By our Lords of the General Assembly. From S. Germain's en Say, this 10th of July, 1680.  
The Abbot de Grignan, nominated by the King to the Bishopric of Eureux, Secretary.  
FINIS.