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As you thought the anecdote concerning Julian curious, I fancied that the perusal of a Letter from the french Translator which I have inclosed would not be unacceptable to you. You will find that, by accident, I laid the foundation of Mr. de Silhouette's fortune who was the late Controller of the finances. The Duke de Noailles brought him into the Family of the late late [sic] Duke of Orleans where he succeed[ed] d'Argenson.[35]

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Your observations on the several passages in Julian are very just.

It is very certain that the Minister's just jealo[u]sy of the King's, & his Favorite's bias towards Popery disgusted James as much as their licence in their Pulpets, which they seem to have made a necessary part of their Discipline.

Nothing can be juster in [deletion] it selfe, or of more importance for the State to espouse, than your Opinion, that the Lords of Session should not interpose in a matter merely spiritual, concerning Discipline, with civil censures. The natural support of Church Discipline are church-censures such as excommunication unattended with Civil consequences. But this demand of the Assembly is the natural issue of a ∧national∧ Church, claiming independency on the State: a claim never at rest, till it has gained a supremacy. And indeed, for the sake of the general Society, it ought to be allowed in one, or in the other body; since an imperium in imperio (which is the condition of two independent bodys) brings on inevitable destruction to the public peace. [deletion] And indeed, this demand of the Assembly, under the name of a Petition, looks towards Sovereignty. The Church of Rome first began their Usurpation under the simple claim of independency on the State. This occasioned a great and long struggle; in which the Church, at last, came off victorious. But when they had gained this point, that, of Sovereignty was speedily & easily compassed.

The State, to prevent that confusion which two independent powers must eternally occasion, gave up the Superiority to the Church for peace sake.— The State as Protector of the National Church, has a right (in the prosecution of civil Justice) to call occasionally on the Church's aid for the inforcement of Conscience: Hence the custom (and a good one, in my opinion, it is) in the Parliament of Paris in strong presumptions of hidden fraud ∧in civil matters∧ to apply for the ArchBishop's mandate to enjoin all under pain of excommunication who have any knowlege of the affair in question, to reveal their knowlege to the Magistrate. But, for the Church, in spiritual matters, such as ecclesiastical Discipline to require the aid of the State by civil censures is I think presumptuous in the request & dangerous in the compliance. I make no doubt but our horrid Writ de Heretico comburendo took its begin[n]ing from as modest a request to have the aid of civil Authority to constrain witnesses to depose in spiritual matters. For it is an easy step from the Church's making the Civil Magistrate its Coadjutor to make him its Executioner. On the whole, Sir, I think, your opinion thus publicly delivered in your judicial capacity does you infinite honour. You do me a great deal too much, in asking mine, in a matter of which you are so great a master.

I have the honour to be, Worthy Sir,
Your most faithfull & obliged
humble Servant
W. Gloucester

P.S. You guessed shrewdly of him who threatened an answer to Julian here. It was one Nichols, who was convicted of stealing books, & narrowly escaped

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the Gallows.[36] He calls himselfe a Dr of Physic; is yet alive, and has not left off his old trade, tho' he has taken up a worse, of political pamphleteering.