KNow all men by theſe Preſents, That in the Year of our Lord Chriſt 1691. Indiction the 14th, January the 31th, and in the ſecond Year of the Pontificate of our moſt Holy Father in Chriſt, our Lord Pope Alexander the 8th: I, deputed Official, whoſe name is Subſcribed, did ſee and read ſome Letters, ſeal'd with the Seal of the Fiſher, after the manner of the Court of Rome; which ſaid Letters were neither blotted, vitianor interlin'd, and were of the Tenor, following.

ALEXANDER VIII, Pope. For the perpetual Memory of the Thing. Amongſt the manifold Cares of our Paſtoral Office, with which we are perpetually exerciſed; This One, hath a peculiar Influence upon us viz. That we may preſerve and maintain the Rights of the Apoſtolick See, and of the Univerſal Church; and alſo the Privileges of each particular Church, Holy Places, and Eccleſiaſtical Perſons, every where entire and inviolate againſt whatſoever Aſſaults may be made againſt them to their Infringement; and to vindicate them from all injury and damage, according to the Power committed to us by God, by ſuch ways and means as, after due and mature, conſideration, we ſhall judge in the Lord to be agreeable to Juſtice and Reaſon. Since then it hath pleaſed the moſt High; by the inſcrutable Myſtery of his Divine Providence, to raiſe Us, how unworthy ſoever, to the Higheſt Dignity in the Church Militant; Before all other Buſineſſes, which have offered themſelves to our Pontifical Care, Thoſe have moſt ſorely and grievouſly afflicted Us, (in regard of the Bowels of Love which We bear towards our dearly Beloved Son in Chriſt, Lewis the moſt Chriſtian King, and his moſt flouriſhing Kingdom of France,) which have been acted in that Kingdom, either againſt the Rights of the Churches thereof, or againſt the Authority of the Pope of Rome, and of the Univerſal Church. For ſome Venerable Brethren Arch-Biſhops, Biſhops, and other Eccleſiaſtical Perſons of that Kingdom in an Aſſembly of the Gallican Clergy, held at Paris, Anno D. 1682▪ upon the Account of Extending the Right of that which they call the Regalia, over all the Churches of the ſaid Kingdom, to which they gave their Aſſent, have acted things very grievous and bitter to Us; as alſo by publiſhing a Declaration thereupon, concerning Eccleſiaſtical Power, containing Four Propoſitions; and beſides after. That Aſſembly, there followed prejudicial Mandates, Arreſts, Confirmations, Epiſtles, Edicts, and Decrees whatſoever they be, publiſhed by any Perſons, either Eccleſiaſtick or Laick, in any Office or Authority whatſoever; Beſides many things of late years having been any other way acted in that Kingdom, prejudicial to the Apoſtolick See, and the Roman Church or to any other Churches, Monaſteries and Holy Places, their Perſons, Eſtates, Goods and Rights, reſpectively; or any otherways to the Detriment of the Juriſdiction, Immunity and Liberty Eccleſiaſtical. We, whom God hath appointed upon Earth to be the Aſſertor of Eccleſiaſtical Rights, Day and Night in the bitterneſs of our Soul, have had ſerious Thoughts of theſe Things, and lifting up our hands to the Lord with Tears and Groans, have earneſtly prayed him from the bottom of our heart, That he would aſſiſt Us by his powerful Grace, That We might rightfully Execute this difficult part of the Apoſtolical Office, committed to Us. Upon which Conſideration, as alſo that We might give a good Account of our Stewardſhip to the Supreme Judge, and might not be charged with Negligence in the Adminiſtration of our Office, (as far as God of his Goodneſs hath enabled Us) We have hitherto left no Means unattempted, whereby We might cauſe the Authors of ſuch prejudicial Grievances aforeſaid, ſeriouſly to retract what they had done. And to the intent, that We might more effectually, and fully make Proviſion for the Indemnity of the See aforeſaid, of the Univerſal Church, of the Juriſdiction, Immunity and Liberty Eccleſiaſtical of Churches, Monaſteries, and Places of Devotion, and of the foreſaid Perſons therein, for all times to come; having heard the Opinions of many of our Venerable Brethren, Cardinals of the Roman Church, and other Graduates in Theology, who were ſpecially choſen by Us to examine the Decrees of the Doctors in this Buſineſs, They having maturely diſcuſs'd the Point, and laid it all before Us, out of the Deſire, as far as God ſhall enable Us, to Remedy the foreſaid Inconveniences; And alſo calling to mind the Carriage of Pope Innocent the 11th of Happy Memory; who in way of Anſwer to ſome Letters, which the Arch-Biſhops, Biſhops, and other Eccleſiaſtical Perſons aforeſaid wrote to him, to acquaint him with what they had done in that Kingdom; He by his Letters inform of a Breve, dated the 11th of April, 1682. did Condemn, Reſcind and Vacate all that was done in the ſaid Aſſembly, in the Buſineſs of the Regalia, with whatſoever followed thereupon, or what might be hereafter Attempted to that purpoſe: Theſe he declared to be utterly Null and Void. We therefore treading in his Steps, having conſidered what was Acted in the Aſſembly aforeſaid, Anno D. 1682. As well concerning the Extending the Rights of the Regalia, as concerning the Declaration of the Eccleſiaſtical Power of ſuch Acts; as alſo of all and ſingular Mandates, Arreſts, Confirmations, Declarations, Epiſtles, Edicts, Decrees given forth or publiſhed by Authority, either Eccleſiaſtical or Lay: And alſo of all other the Grievances aforeſaid in the ſaid Kingdom Acted and done by whomſoever, or for whatſoever Cauſe, and whatever Manner; as alſo of whatſoever followed thereupon, Having a ſpecial and particular Regard to the Tenor of what was formerly Acted; and thoſe Memoirs being faithfully and ſufficiently Copyed and Expreſſed Word for Word; By our own mere Motion, certain Knowledge and mature Deliberation, out of the Fulneſs of our Apoſtolical Power, all and ſingular Things acted and done in the aforeſaid Aſſembly of the Gallican Clergy, in the Year 1682. as well concerning the Extent of the Right of the Regalia, as concerning the Declaration of their Eccleſiaſtical Power, and the Four Propoſitions contained therein: Together with all and ſingular Mandates, Arreſts, Confirmations, Declarations, Epiſtles, Edicts; Decrees given forth or publiſhed by any Perſons either Eccleſiaſtical or Lay, however Qualified, enjoying any Authority or Power requiring particular Mention; and alſo all other things, how many, or whatſoever, any ways prejudicial to the ſaid Apoſtolick See; and to either the Juriſdiction, Immunity or Eccleſiaſtical Dignity of the Roman Church, or otherwiſe to Churches, Monaſteries and Holy Places aforeſaid; and the Perſons, Eſtates, Goods, Priviledges, Prerogatives and Rights whatſoever belonging to the Perſons therein Reſpectively, which have been Acted in that Kingdom, with all in General, and every thing in particular, whenſoever or howſoever following thereupon, or which may follow thereupon at any time hereafter. We by the Tenour of theſe Preſents, do Declare and Decree, That they are all Null and Void, invalid, and of no Force or Effect; and that they were ſo from the very beginning, are ſo, and for ever will be ſo; And that no Man is bound to obſerve them, or any of them, tho' he hath taken an Oath ſo to do: And that no Man hath had, or hath at preſent any Right Action or Colour of Title of Poſſeſſion, or cauſe of Preſcription for Poſſeſſion, for a long time paſt and immemorial, tho' no Diſturbance or Interruption hath followed, or ſhould follow; And leſs Title can accrue thereby for time to come. Neither have they made, or do they make any right Settlement, but are ſo to be reputed and taken, as if they had been never done nor extant. And yet nevertheleſs to ſhew our abundant Caution, as there is need, tho' by our mere Motion, Knowledge, Deliberation and Plenitude of Power, We Diſown, Abrogate, make Void and Null the Acts and Deeds, and all the Premiſſes aforeſaid, and do Vacate them, as altogether without any Force or Effect; and do Proteſt before God concerning their Nullity, Decreing theſe preſent Letters, and whatſoever is contained in them, to be always Firm and Good, notwithſtanding that ſome having an Intereſt in the Premiſſes, tho' worthy of ſpecial and particular Mention, did not conſent thereto, nor were Called, Cited and Heard; Nor the Cauſes for which theſe Preſents were given forth, were ſufficiently produced, verified, or any ways juſtified; or for any other Cauſe whatſoever, Colour, Pretence, and Head, even in the cloſe Body of the Law, at no time upon the Account of Surreptitiouſneſs, Stealth or Nullity, or Invalidity, or Miſtake of our Intention, or the Conſent of thoſe who have an Intereſt, or pretend to have an Intereſt, or any other defect whatſoever, tho' great, unthought of, or which could never be thought of, or from any other Head, drawn from Law, Fact, Statute, Cuſtom or Priviledge; notwithſtanding all which, theſe Preſents ought not be Queſtioned, Impugned, Invalidated, Retracted, called into controverſy, or be reduced to terms of Law; but are, and are to be, valid and efficacious for ever; and ought to have and obtain their full and entire effect, and be inviolably obſerved by all and every one to whom it belongs, or at any time hereafter ſhall belong. Thus and no otherwiſe, in all and ſingular the Premiſes, all ordinary Judges whatſoever, the Auditors of Cauſes of the Apoſtolick Chamber, the Cardinals of the Sacred Roman Church, even the Legats de Latere, and the Nuncio's of the foreſaid Apoſtolick See, or any other whatſoever, enjoying or which may hereafter enjoy any Eminent Place or Dignity, are to judge and determine, We taking away from them, and from every one of them all Power and Authority to judge, declare, and interpret any otherways; and if any one ſhall attempt, either knowingly or ignorantly, to judge otherwiſe of theſe Preſents; by any Authority whatſoever, we declare it to be Null and Void; notwithſtanding the premiſes, the Apoſtolick Conſtitutions and Ordinances made in General or Provincial Councils, and Synods either General or Special; and, as far as need is, our Rule and the Rule of the Apoſtolick Chamber of not abridging any Man's Right; as alſo the Imperial and Municipal Laws, and alſo all Statutes, ſtrengthned by Oath, Apoſtolick Confirmation, or any other Eſtabliſhment, or Cuſtom even time out of mind, as alſo Privileges, Indulgences, Conceſſions, granted by Letters Apoſtolick to any Places or Perſons, tho' Crowned Heads, or eminent for any other Dignity, either Eccleſiaſtical or Civil, or qualified any other way, or requiring Special Nominations under whatſoever Tenor or Forms of Word, and with what Derogatory Clauſes whatſoever and other more efficacious and unuſual Clauſes and Decrees, even like to Thoſe made by our mere Motion, certain Knowledge, and Fulneſs of Power, tho' Conſiſtorially or any otherways, Granted, Publiſhed, Made, oftentimes iterated, and at divers Seaſons approved, confirmed, and renewed, to the Contrary; concerning all and every of which, tho' for their ſufficient derogation a ſpecial, expreſs and particular mention ought to be made of them and their Contents, Word for Word, and not in general Clauſes importing the ſame thing; or if any other Expreſſion were to be made, or other exquiſite Form to be kept, yet we accounting thoſe Tenors to be fully and ſufficiently expreſſed by theſe Preſents, as if they had been inſerted Word for Word, and judging the Form delivered in them to be obſerved, we do ſpecially and expreſly derogate them, as to the effect of the Premiſſes; and our Will is, that they be derogated, any other thing to the contrary hereof notwithſtanding. Our Pleaſure alſo is, that the ſame Credit is to be given in all Places and in all Nations, both in Judicatories and out of them to the Tranſcripts or Copies of theſe preſent Letters, Subſcribed by the hand of ſome Notary, and Sealed with the Seal of ſome Perſon in Eccleſiaſtical Dignity, as if the Breve it ſelf had been ſhewn, to be Read by them. Given at Rome in St. Marys the Greater, under the Seal of the Fiſher, the 4th Day of Auguſt, 1690. and of our Popedom, the firſt. J. F. Cardinal Alban. In the Place + of the Seal of the Fiſher. Upon which Letters, I, Publick Notary, whoſe name is Subſcribed, have made this preſent publick Inſtrument and Tranſcript, that it might be ſtood to, and firmly believed, both in Courts of Juſtice, and without. Given at Rome, as above, in the preſence alſo of D. John Baptiſta Rigantes, and of Erneſtus Ziglinus, who were called to witneſs the Premiſes, &c.