BULL, Papal, an authoritative letter is sued by the Roman pontiff acting in his official capacity as head of the Church, A Papal Brief is also an official letter of the pontiff of a less formal and weighty character, and differs in sundry particulars from the Bull, especially in its seal. The seal of the Bull, from which comes the name of the instrument, is a bulla or globular mass of lead on which is impressed the name of the reigning Pope, also those of Saints Peter and Paul, abbrevi ated, S. Pe, S. Pa. The material of the Bull is parchment, but of the Brief, white paper; and the seal of the Brief is of red wax, stamped with the Fisherman's Ring, which gives the impress of Saint Peter in a boat, fishing. There are other peculiarities in matter and manner distinguishing the Bull from the Brief, but it suffices to note the foregoing. Of Papal Bulls that have played a signal part in history, eccle siastical or civil, especially worthy of mention are the Bull Clericis laicos (1296) of Boniface VIII by which the French clergy were forbid den to pay taxes to King Philip the Fair unless these were approved by the Pope; the Bull Essurge Domine of Leo X against Martin Lu ther (1520) ' • the Bull In Coena Domini against heretics and fautors of heresy, dating from the 15th century, but re-enforced by Pius V in 1571 and ordered to be publicly read in all parish churches yearly on Holy Thursday; the Bull Unigenitus (1713) against quietism and Jansenism; the Bull Dominus ac Redemptor, of Clement XIV, abolishing the Jesuit order (1773), and the Bull Pastor aternus (1870), which defined papal infallibility. The most
complete collection of papal bulls is that by Cosquelines, Barbed and Gaude (28 folio vols., 1739-44 et seq.). There are several general or special collections. Consult Giry, de diplomatique' (Paris 1894).