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Show ( 4 ) tife was originally printed at Parmi and de ... dicated to the Chancellor of France ; and our TranOatioB, whic'h is a very good one, dedicated to the prefent Duke of Shrewsbury, no fenfible Perfon can fuppofe any Antimonarchical or Republican Principles in fucb a Book. My other Autl1or l need but name to compleat bis Character, Dr. Robinfon, the late Plenipotentiary in the North: His Abilities and In· tegrity are fuf!iciently known to every body ; but that which will weigh moll: on this occafion, is, his being a Genuine Son of the Church of E11g/mld, and one of thofe Divines whom her Majejly has advanc'd to a Bijhoprick, {ince fhe had it at heart to incourage none but Perfom of fucb Principles. This will give his Evidence an irrefijlible .A14tbority with fome People, who might have little regard to that of fame others in the fame great Pofr, and of no fmall figure in the World. And, laftly, t at the Clergy may fee they are us'd with the ptmo!l: Cancour, I will chiefly make ufe of the Papijl, in relating any thing that happen'd 1before the Reformation, and of the Protejlant for what happcn'd fince. I !halt be oblig'd fometimes to mention Puf· fendorf, an Hi!l:orian of undoubted Credit. Having thus given an Account of my Authors, let us come to what I propos'd: One would naturally have expected that this Doctrine of the King's being accountable to none but God, which we fee the Clergy contend for with fo much Violence, would have been efta-ktilo! ut.ofblilh'd at a time when the Bifhops and the Priejls Sweden,. had more Power and greater Riches than the t§· 2' King, and all the Eftates of the Nation; but inftead of that~ f~ys my French Author, the Bifhop~ ( 5 ) Bifhops made fo good ufe of the Infulence they had over the People, that they obtain'd Pag. 5; ieverat Privileges, which did very confidera-l} ly d)l1Jinilh both the Revenue and Authority of the Prmcc, They exacted wha~ Conditions they pleas'd .of the King, before they would own him to be their Sovereign : Thefe Pre-lates grew fo proud of their Riches and of the number of their yarrals, that they begaq by degrees to a a hke fo many little Sovereigns : They were frill at the head of 0111 F~{lions and Intrigues : They join'd openly wtth the Danes, and long'J to fee their Coun-try under the Dominion of foreign Princes P.zs, ' 6' who, during their necerrary Abfence left th; Clergy in poffeflion of all the Marks 1of Sove. retgnty, and even, of a large !hare of the Royal Authority. So far were they from de-claring the KinJ[ to be acc?untable to none but God, that as foon as the King and People lhew'~ the leaf!: Inclination to diminifh their exorbttant Power, they began to call the Kin Pa 2 to account thcm[el~es, and_tooppofe him open': g. 4' ly. They affirm d the Ktng was a Heretick and endeavour'd to perfuade the People fay~ Mon[ieur Vertat, that the lnvafion of 'their temporal Efl:ates was only made ufe of as a Cloke to cover mor~ p;rnicious . ~efigns, and tha~ the Blow was atm d at Rehgwn it felf. or tn our Language, That the Church was ;~ Danger .. _For it has been the confl:ant Pratt ice of ambttto_us Ecclefiafl:icks of all Perfualions, and at_all ttmes, as well as in thefe our days to fl:nve to put a Nation into the violent,eft flames w_ith this warm Topick of Religion at. fuc~ ttm~ as they t_hought their private Af~ fairS 111 fm!) kno!'l'mg yerr yiell, tha! the m1ghty |
