prerogative, a senate of nobles and of commons, and a clergy established in its due rights, with a suitable maintenance by law.* But these men come, with the spirit of shopkeepers, to frame rules for the administration of kingdoms; or, as if they thought the whole art of government consisted in the importation of nutmegs, and the curing of herrings. Such an island as ours can afford enough to support the majesty of a crown, the honour of a nobility, and the dignity of a magistracy; we can encourage arts and sciences, maintain our bishops and clergy, and suffer our gentry to live in a decent hospitable manner; yet still there will remain hands sufficient for trade and manufactures, which do always indeed deserve the best encouragement, but not to a degree of sending every living soul into the warehouse or the workshop.

This pedantry of republican politics has done infinite mischief among us. To this we owe those noble schemes of treating Christianity as a system of speculative opinions, which no man should be bound to believe; of making the being and the worship of God a creature of the state; in consequence of these, that the teachers of religion ought to hold their maintenance at pleasure, or live by the alms and charitable collection of the people, and be equally encouraged of all opinions; that they should be prescribed what to teach, by those who are to learn from them; and, upon default, have a staff and a pair of shoes left at their door,† with many other projects of equal piety, wisdom, and good nature.

*

Something being allowed for the ardour of dispute, enough remains in this position that is highly censurable.

This is said to have been the mode in which the governors of a Dutch province were wont to give intimation to those who

But, God be thanked, they and their schemes are vanished, and their places shall know them no more. When I think of that inundation of atheism, infidelity, profaneness, and licentiousness, which was likely to overwhelm us, from what mouths and hearts it first proceeded, and how the people joined with the queen's endeavours to divert this flood, I cannot but reflect on that remarkable passage in the Revelation, where "the serpent with seven heads* cast out of his mouth water after the woman, like a flood, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood: but the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood, which the dragon had cast out of his mouth." For the queen having changed her ministry suitable to her own wisdom and the wishes of her subjects, and having called a free parliament, and at the same time summoned the convocation by her royal writ, as in all times had been accustomed; and, soon after their meeting, sent a most gracious letter to the archbishop of Canterbury, to be communicated to the bishops and clergy of his province, taking notice of "the loose and profane principles, which had been openly scattered and propagated among her subjects; that the consultations of the clergy were particularly requisite to repress and prevent such daring attempts, for which her subjects from all parts of the kingdom have shown their just abhorrence; she hopes the endeavours of the clergy in this respect will not be unsuccessful; and, for her part, is ready to give them all fit en

intermeddled with state affairs, that they would do wisely to with draw themselves from the state.

* Meaning the seven heads of the opposition, called in No. 25. a Heptarchy.

couragement to proceed in the dispatch of such business as properly belongs to them, and to grant them powers requisite to carry on so good a work:" in conclusion, earnestly recommending to them to avoid disputes; and determining to do all that in her lies to compose and extinguish them."

66

It is to be hoped, that this last part of her majesty's letter will be the first she will please to execute; for, it seems, this very letter created the first dispute, the fact whereof is thus related:-The Upper House, having formed an address to the queen before they received her majesty's letter, sent both address and letter together to the Lower House, with a message, excusing their not mentioning the letter in the address; because this was formed before the other was received. The Lower House returned them, with a desire that an address might be formed with a due regard and acknowledgments for the letter. After some difficulties, the same address was sent down again, with a clause inserted, making some short mention of the said letter. This the Lower House did not think sufficient, and sent it back again with the same request; whereupon the archbishop, after a short consultation with some of his brethren, immediately adjourned the convocation for a month; and no address at all was sent to the queen.

*

* During the reign of King William III. the Convocation was regularly summoned to meet at the same time with the parliament; but was as regularly prorogued without being allowed an opportunity to proceed to business. In 1709, the Lower House of Convocation refused to submit to prorogation, claiming a privilege to continue sitting as long as the parliament. In 1710, the ministry, who had come in by the cry that the church was in danger, expected not a little support from the Convocation, especially from the Lower House, which was under the management

I understand not ecclesiastical affairs well enough to comment upon this matter; but it seems to me, that all methods of doing service to the church and kingdom, by means of a convocation, may be at any time eluded, if there be no remedy against such an incident. And, if this proceeding be agreeable to the institution, spiritual assemblies must needs be strangely contrived, very different from any lay senate yet known in the world. Surely, from the nature of such a synod, it must be a very unhappy circumstance, when the majority of the bishops draws one way, and that of the lower clergy another. The latter, I think, are not at this time suspected for any principle bordering upon those professed by enemies to episcopacy; and if they happen to differ from the greater part of the present set of bishops, I doubt it will call some things to mind, that may turn the scale of general favour on the inferior clergy's side; who, with a profound duty to her majesty, are perfectly pleased with the present turn of affairs. Besides, curious people will be apt to inquire into the dates of some promotions; to call to mind what designs were then upon the an-, vil, and thence make malicious deductions. Perhaps they will observe the manner of voting on the bishops' bench, and compare it with what shall pass in the upper house of convocation. There is, however, one comfort, that, under the present dispositions of the kingdom, a dislike to the proceed

of Atterbury. In the Upper House, the low church tenets predominated, owing to the influence of Tennison, the primate, and of such other prelates as had been promoted while the Whigs were in power. Hence various disputes took place betwixt the houses; nor were they able to agree upon the terms of a representation to the queen in answer to her letter.

ings of any of their lordships, even to the number of a majority, will be purely personal, and not turned to the disadvantage of the order. And for my part, as I am a true lover of the church, I would rather find the inclinations of the people favourable to episcopacy in general, than see a majority of prelates cried up by those, who are known enemies to the character. Nor, indeed, has anything given me more offence for several years past, than to observe how some of that bench have been caressed by certain persons, and others of them openly celebrated by the infamous pens of atheists, republicans, and fanatics.

Time and mortality can only remedy these inconveniences in the church, which are not to be cured, like those in the state, by a change of ministry. If we may guess the temper of a convocation from the choice of a prolocutor, as it is usual to do that of a house of commons by the speaker, we may expect great things from that reverend body, who have done themselves much reputation, by pitching upon a gentleman of so much piety, wit, and learning, for that office, and one who is so thoroughly versed in those parts of knowledge, which are proper for it.* I am sorry that the three Latin speeches, delivered upon presenting the prolocutor, were not made public; they might perhaps have given us some light into the disposition of each House; and, besides, one of them is said to be so peculiar in the style and matter, as might have made up in entertainment what it wanted in instruction.†

Atterbury, afterwards bishop of Rochester.

He probably alludes to that made by Dr Tennison, archbishop of Canterbury; a dull and heavy, though very worthy man. He was a keen adherent of the Whig party.