XXXIV Inaugural Address. 
and immunities conceded by the Concordat, but ali the an- 
cient Canons adopted by the Gallican Church for its own 
governinent, with all its ancient usages, are recognised ia 
the celebrated declaration of the Church of France, made 
on the 19th of March, 1682, bythe Archbishops, Bishops, 
and Deputies of the Clergy, assembled at Paris, by the King’s 
order, are confirmed by the Royal Edict of the same month, 
and are founded upon two maxims of very great extent, viz: 
That the papal aud all other ecclesiastical power, is purely 
spiritual, and does not extend, directly or indirectly, to any 
thing temporal ;(1) and, that in spiritual concerns, the au- 
thority of the Pope being inferior to that of the Councils, he 
is restrained by the Canons, and cannot, by any new consti- 
tution, infringe them, or set aside any usage or custom of the 
Church of any State, recognised, by the Municipal Law of 
that State, to be valid(2). The Ecclesiastical Law of France, 
therefore, at the period above mentioned, although it re- 
cognised the Papal Canon Law, comprehended the parts, 
only, of that system, which had been received by the Galli- 
can Church, under the sanction of the Sovereign, expressed 
in letters patent, or implied from immemorial usage.—No 
Papal constitution, decree, decretal, epistle, rescript or bull— 
no canon or decree of any Council of the Church G8 cumeni- 
cal, national or provincial, had, at that time, or afterwards, in 
France the effect of Law, until published by the Clergy in their 
respective Dioceses ; and such publication (even of a consti- 
tution relating to an article of faith,) could not be made 
without the Royal authority and permission.(3) Even the 
decrees of the Councils of Trent (admitted to have been le- 
gally conveued,) were not recognised to be Law, their publi- 
A belkb) oe cation 
{1] Pothier, 4to. vol. 6.p. 306. 
(2) Hericourt, Loix Ecclésiastique, introduction, p. 13, vol, 1. p. 112 
—Répert. verbo “ Libertés de lEglise Gallicane.»—Dictr. de Droit 
verbo « Libertés de l’Eglise Gallicane»—La Combe, Recueil de Jurisp. 
Canon. verbo “ Libertés de ’Eglise Gallicane.»—Fleury’s Inst. au Droit 
Canon. vol. 2, p. 220 & seq.—Preuves des Libertés de PEglise Galli- 
cane, by Pithon. 
(3) Hericourt, Loix Ecclesiast. vol. 1. p. 105. col. 2. and vol. 1, p. 
98, and col. 1st. and 2d p. 100, col. ist and p. 105, col. 1. § 2. Dict. Ca- 
non. verbo « Canon.» et Droit Canon. La Combe, Recueil de Jurisp. 
Canon. introd. p.1 & 2. 
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