Traité du Pouvoir du Magistrat Politique sur les choses sacrées

The author examines the extent and limits of civil authority over religious affairs, asserting that sovereign power can reach matters deemed sacred while maintaining a distinction between political jurisdiction and sacerdotal functions. Organized by topical chapters, the text considers how sacred and secular spheres meet, answers objections to magistral oversight of religion, and prescribes proper modes of intervention: convening councils, legislating on sacred subjects, adjudicating disputes, regulating elections of ministers, and delegating or substituting ecclesiastical duties. Legal reasoning and theological references are combined to delimit when and how the state may regulate religious institutions and practices.