My Brethren in Christ Jesus,
I Have had occasion at my first meeting you in this place, and under the Holy Character I now bear, to express my hearty and unfeigned Thanks for your great and unmerited Kindness to me, in Elevating me to that High Office in the Church of God, which the sense of my own unworthiness and unfitness for so great a Burthen, did hinder me from aspiring to. And as I told you at that time, so I must please my self in telling you it again, I shall endeavour to behave my self in this most Holy Station, as none of you shall have reason to repent your Choice.

My Brethren, Unity was always the Characteristick mark, as well as the Bulwark of the True Catholick and Apostolick Church, and discord upon the other hand was always the constant attendant, as well as the bane of the False one. But it seems God for our punishment of late, has divided the Princes and States of the Catholick Church, and united those that have abandon'd the true sheepfold of Christ in the strictest bonds of Friendship. Hence flow our Tears, and here is a Subject that draws the deepest sighs from the bot­tom of our Hearts. Since then the Divine Providence has Elevated me, tho unwor­thy, to the Chair of St. Peter, I think it incumbent on me to use all possible means to Reconcile all the Members of the Holy Church committed to my Apostolick Care. The Hereticks do look upon these sad Divisions which we so justly regrete, as the happiest opportunity they can wish for, to propagate their Heresies, and to incroach upon not only the Religion, but the Civil Interests of the Catholicks, knowing that the surest way of doing it, is to divide us one from another.

In order to sow up these unhappy Breaches, I must commit to your serious and ut­most Consideration, as being Members of the Holy Apostolick Colledge, and the Councel I shall always have recourse to in matters of difficulty, these four Heads, which I desire you may impartially weigh in the Ballance of the Sanctuary, laying aside all particular Interests whatever.

[Page 2] The First Head is the present War with the Turks, in which His Imperial Majesty, and the Most Sercne State of Venice, with their Allies, are Engag'd. In this we are to consider, whether it be more conduceable to the benefit of Christendom, and of the Catholick Church, to continue this War, or to make up a Peace with these Enemies of our Religion, as being content of the Advantages we have already obtain'd over them. If the first be thought fitting, I here promise on my part to give all the Concurrence to it that lyes in my power. And is the second be found more reasonable, then conjoint Measures must be taken among the Allies, that none of them may for their own private advantage, pack up a separate Peace with the Ottomans.

The Second Head which lyes under your Consideration▪ Is the present War betwixt His Imperial Majesty, His Catholick Majesty, and the Most Christian King. I hope there are none in this Assembly, but finds it necessary for the good of the Church, that these Princes, who are all of them the great Supporters of Religion, and true Sons of the Apostolick Church, should be reconcil'd one to another. I confess to do this will require the greatest vigour of mind, and the nearest application possible; and yet there appears no impossibility to effect it. If [...]e these Princes can be brought to Treat upon terms of Accommodati­on; and some Neutral State, such as the Serene State of Venice, or the Great Duke become Mediators for it▪ and if you who are Protectors of these Crowns, concur heartily in the work, I may say there is just ground to expect a good issue.

His Imperial Majesty has always manifested a love to Peace, and to the Repose of Chri­stendom, and at this time, his Interest obliges him to continue these thoughts; consider­ing he is in War with an Enemy upon the other side, of whom he can gain more, than by a War with France. What this Prince gains of the Turks, is properly his own, and is immediately joyn'd to the rest of his Hereditary Countries: But what he should acquire upon the French side, cannot be his, but would accrew to other Princes of the Empire, that lye upon the Rhine. The Catholick King has no other Quarrel against France, but that of the Emperour's, and to retain his own. And the Most Christian King himself, if he were well managed, I doubt not but would yield to reasonable Proposals, for setting things upon the same bottom as they were on, by the Twenty years Truce. And if there be any stop from the affair of the Election of Cologn, there may be some Methods fallen upon to accommodate that business, to the just satisfaction of all parties.

There is a Third Thing which requires your prudent Consideration, and that is the Differences betwixt the Holy See, and the Most Christian King, which has been managed with too much heat already: I have reason to hope that King will give all reasonable deference to what we shall represent to him as necessary to be done, in the Affairs in de­bate about the Franchises, and the Restitution of Avignion, especially that we have here his Extraordinary Ambassador, whom we all know to be a [...]son of great Devotion to the Holy See, and ready to take such Measures as may put an end to their debates.

The last thing which at this time I must recommend to your serious Consideration, and which calls for a zealous concern from all of us, is the Affair of His Majesty of Great Britain. How far the Differences betwixt Catholick Princes has occasion'd that Kings Misfortunes, I need not acquaint you. He is a Prince of our Communion, and devoted to the Holy Chair of St. Peter, and We as the Common Father of the Universal Church, are obliged to see none of our Sons perish for want of assistance.

My Brethren in Christ,
I need not enlarge further on these Heads, as speaking to so Great and Venerable Per­sons, who I doubt not have a great sense of them upon your spirits. In fine, let us and each of us in our Station, do all that in us lyes, to disappoint the Enemies of our Holy Religion in their expectations grounded upon the Differences among Catholick Princes, and let us in these Affairs that lye before us, evince to the world that we prefer the true Interests of the Catholick Apostolick Church before all other Considerations whatever.