The articles of the French Church (1682).
1.  Beatro Petro eiusque successoribus Christi vicariis ipsique Ecclesiae rerum spiritualium et ad aeternam salutem pertinentium, non autem civilium ac temporalium a Deo traditam potestatem, dicente Domino: "Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo" (Io. 18:36), et iterum "Reddite ergo, quae sunt Caesaris, Caesari, et quae sunt Dei, Deo" (Lc. 20:25), ac proinde stare Apostolicum illud: "Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit; non est enim potestas nisi a Deo; quae autem sunt, a Deo ordinatae sunt; itaque qui potestati resistit, Dei ordinationi resistit" (Rom. 13:1 ff). Reges ergo et principes in temporalibus nulli ecclesiasticae potestati Dei ordinatione subici, neque auctoritate clavium Ecclesiae directe vel indirecte deponi, aut illorum subditos eximi a fide atque obœdientia, ac praestito fidelitatis sacramento solvi posse: eamque sententiam publicae tranquillitate necessariam, nec minus Ecclesiae quam Imperio utilem, ut verbo Dei, Patrum traditioni et Sanctorum exemplis consonam, omnino retinendam.

 

 

2.  Sic inesse Apostolicae Sedi ac Petri successoribus, Christi vicariis, rerum spirtualium plenam potestatem, ut simul valeant atque immota consistant sanctae oecumenicae Synodi Constantiensis a Sede Apostolica comprobata ipsorumque Romanorum Pontificum ac totius Ecclesiae usu confirmata atque ab ecclesia Gallicana perpetua religione custodita decreta de auctoritate Conciliorum generalium, quae sessione quarta et quinta continentur, nec probari a Gallicana ecclesia, qui eorum decretorum, quasi dubiae sint auctoritatis ac minus approbata, robur infringant aut ad solum schismatis tempus Concilii dicta detorqueant.

3.  Hinc apostolicae potestatis usum moderandum per canones Spiritu Dei conditos et totius mundi reverentia consecratos; valere etiam regulas, mores et instituta a regno et ecclesia Gallicana recepta, patrumque terminos manere inconcussos, atque id pertinere ad amplitudinem Apostolicae Sedis, ut statuta et consuetudines tantae Sedis et ecclesiarum consensione firmatae propriam stabilitatem obtineant.

4.  In fidei quoque quaestionibus praecipuas Summi Pontificis esse partes, eiusque decreta ad omnes et singulas ecclesias pertinere, nec tamen irreformabile esse iudicium nisi Ecclesiae consensus accesserit.

 1. God gave power over spiritual matters and things pertaining to eternal salvation to the Blessed Peter and his successors, the vicars of Christ, but not power over civil and temporal affairs, saying "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36) and elsewhere "Give unto Caesar therefore, the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." (Luke 20:25), and the Apostle [Paul] stated "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power except from God, and the powers that be are ordained of God; and whoever resists the power, resists the ordinance of God" (Romans 13:1 ff). Therefore, kings and princes are not, by God's command, subject to any ecclesiastical power in temporal matters; nor can they be deposed, directly or indirectly, by the authority of the church; nor can their subjects be dispensed from obedience, nor absolved from their oath of allegiance:  and this view, which is necessary to public peace, and no less beneficial to the church than to the state, is altogether to be maintained as in accordance with the word of God, the tradition of the Church Fathers and the examples of the saints.

 

2.  Full power in spiritual matters lies with the Apostolic See and the successors of Peter, the vicars of Christ. At the same time, the decrees concerning the authority of General Councils, (made by the holy ecumenical Council of Constance in its fourth and fifth sessions) remain valid and unaltered, having been approved by the Apostolic See, and confirmed by the usage of the popes and the whole church, and piously and perpetually guarded by the French Church. Nor does the French Church endorse those who undermine the force of these decrees as of doubtful authority or lacking approval, or distort the words of the Council as though they applied only to a time of schism.

3.  So the use of the apostolic power is to be moderated by the canons established by the Holy Spirit and hallowed by the respect of the whole world. The rules, customs and constitutions observed in the state and church of France are also valid and the limits established by our ancestors should remain immovable. Moreover, it enhances the greatness of the Apostolic See that laws and customs established by the joint consent of the pope and the particular churches should be preserved entire.

4.  Furthermore, in questions of faith the Pope plays the principal part and his decrees apply to all the churches singly and jointly; nonetheless, his judgment is not unalterable unless the church gives its consent.

Alexander VIII's condemnation
Omnia et singula, quae tam quoad extensionem iuris regaliae, quam quoad declarationem de potestate ecclesiastica ac quattuor in ea contentas propositiones in supradictis comitiis cleri Gallicani a. 1682 habitis acta et gesta fuerunt, cum omnibus et singulis mandatis, arrestis, confirmationibus, declarationibus, epistolis, edictis et decretis a quibusvis personis sive ecclesiasticis sive laicis, quomodolibet qualificatis, quavis auctoritate et potestate, …. ipso iure nulla, irrita, invalida, inania, viribusque et effectu penitus et omnino vacua ab ipso initio fuisse et esse ac perpetuo fore, neminemque ad illorum seu cuislibet eorum, etiamsi iuramento vallata sint, observantiam teneri … tenore praesentium declaramus. We declare that anything and everything made and done in the aforementioned council of the French clergy of 1682, relating both to the extending of regalian rights and to the declaration of ecclesiastical power and to the four propositions that were contained in that declaration, along with all and every mandate, order, confirmation, declaration, letter, edict and decree of any persons whether ecclesiastical or lay, in whatsoever way qualified, by whatever authority or power … should be held null and void, useless, invalid, meaningless, without force or effect, and entirely and altogether ineffectual from their very beginning and perpetually, and that nobody should be held to the observance of these propositions or of any part of them, even if they have sworn to uphold them.