opposing this _Unigenitus_, and wrote his book _De Antiqua Ecclesiae
disciplina_ in order to defend the Gallican Church from the tyranny of the
Bishop of Rome. In this work he carefully distinguishes the universal
Catholic Church from the Roman Church, and shows that the power of the
Papacy was not founded on any warrant of Holy Scripture, nor on the
judgments of the Fathers. He allows that the power of keys was given to
St. Peter, but not to one man individually, but to the whole Church
represented by him. The authority of the Pope extends not beyond certain
fixed boundaries, and the temporal and civil power claimed by the Papacy
is not conjoined to the spiritual power, and ought to be separated from
it. This plain speaking did not commend itself to the occupier of the
Papal throne, nor to his tool Louis XIV., who deprived Dupin of his
professorship and banished him to Chatelleraut. Dupin's last years were
occupied with a correspondence with Archbishop Wake of Canterbury, who was
endeavouring to devise a plan for the reunion of the Churches of France
and England. Unhappily the supporters of the National Church of France
were overpowered by the Ultramontane party; otherwise it might have been
possible to carry out this project dear to the hearts of all who long for
the unity of Christendom. Dupin died A.D. 1719.

A companion in misfortune was Noel Alexandre, a French ecclesiastical
historian who lived at the same period and shared Dupin's views with
regard to the supremacy of the Pope. His work is entitled _Natalis
Alexandri Historia Ecclesiastica Veteris et Novi Testamenti, cum
Dissertationibus historico-chronologicis et criticis (Parisiis, Dezallier,
1669, seu 1714, 8 tom en 7 vol. in-fol.)_. The results of his researches
were not very favourable to the Court of Rome. The Inquisition examined
and condemned the work. Its author was excommunicated by Innocent XI. in
1684. This sentence was subsequently removed, as we find our author
Provincial of the Dominican Order in 1706; but having subscribed his name