fent their Grievances, or any other Matters

which Synodus Anglicana fays, they have a Chap. 12. pag Right to offer. For indeed we need challenge 147, &c. no other Rights as belonging to the Inferic ur Clergy, but what may be plainly proved to be their undoubted Rights by plain Matters of Fact as published in that Book. It is a great Misfortune to the Church that our Convocations have been fo long intermitted, that the very manner of holding them fhould be forgotten, which has been the only Caufe of all thefe late Difputes on that Subject.

*

I am unwilling to fufpect that they are kept on foot by defigning Men in order to caufe the Civil Power to think it expedient to interpofe its Authority further than it has ever done heretofore, by Proroguing the Convocation from time to time, not only during the Sitting of the Parliament, but even before or as foon as it has been affembled together with it. Whereas (as my Lord Bishop of Lincoln tells Stare othe us) our late moft Excellent Prince King Wil- Church, p. 520. liam of Glorious Memory, Affembled the Convocations duly with every Parliament: He permitted them to continue to Meet, if they thought. good, to the end, nay, and for the most part long after the end of every Seffions. And yet we know. the Divisions in the Convocation were the fame in his Reign that they have been fince. But it has now been thought expedient to take other Measures, in order (as I humbly conceive) to cool thofe Heats which were kindled in that venerable Body. I can only wish, if it had been thought good by my Superiours, to whofe Wisdom I fubmit, as in Duty i ought to do) that fome more precedented E pedient had been tried, because it is not i poffit

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poffible that this continued Method of Proroguing the Convocation without permitting them to meet at all, may difpofe fome future Prince (who fhali not have that fincere Cordial Affection to our Church, which her prefent Majefty has) to deny the Convocation the liberty of ever meeting any more, and make the Metropolitan himself, with refpect to Ecclefiaftical Synods, as infignificant as the meaneft of the Inferiour Clergy. And God grant that those who have thought it proper to call in the Affiftance of the Supreme Magiftrate to ftrengthen their Claims, may not, either they or their Succeffours in a future Reign fee any ill Confequences of it; when perhaps it may be too late to repent of fuch unhappy Steps.

The Inferiour Clergy had once a Right to give their own Money, which how they came to loofey I cannot fay. It is certain they had Kennet of Ec- it fince the Restoration of King Charles II. * clef. Syn. p. ult. The first time the Parliament Taxed the Clergy was in the latter end of the Year 1664, and it was then declared, That it fhould not be drawn into Example, to the prejudice of the Ancient Rights belonging into the Clergy of this Realm. However the Example has been followed ever fince, to the great prejudice of the Rural Clergy, who now pay all the Taxes that are levied on the Church, whilft the Dignified Clergy, who used to pay an equal fhare with them, pay nothing. Their Lands being let out into fuch Leafes Ibid. p. 299, that their Tennants pay all Taxes. † We are told indeed, that the Clergy was deprived of this Right to give their own Taxes, by Meafures wifely concerted between the Governors of the Church and the leading Members of the House

300.

of

Commons. How wifely the leading Members of the House of Commons acted in this Point, in order to acquire to themselves a New Right which their Ancestors never enjoy'd, I fhall not Difpute: But fure the Governors of the Church, who were concerned in this Matter, did not act fo wifely, to recede from a Right, which their Predeceffors had ever enjoyed, and which they could never hope to be able to refume again, if any ill Confequences fhould follow from it, as I conceive many have, to the prejudice of the Church. There was a time when all the Clergy had the Misfortune to be condemned in a Premunire, but by means of a large fubfidy they obtained their Pardon. But fhould fuch a Cafe happen again, (for the Laws) of Premunire are extended very far, and any falfe ftep of the Clergy may be made fo by Conftruction) we are deprived of the very means to make an Attonement, or to purchase a Pardon as our Predeceffors could do. We could then alfo have prefented our Money and our Gravamina together, and might have hopes that for the Money fake, fome of our Grievances might be redreffed. Now if we have any Grievances, as it is impoffible but fometimes. we may have fome, as well as other Bodies of Men, we know not which way to make our Applications for Redrefs Effectual. Whilft the Clergy gave Money, they were fure not only to be Summoned, but to meet alfo with every Parliament, and to have the Benefit of thofe Privileges which were confined to H. 6. c. them by Statute, and enjoy them as well in Fact as is in Right, even as the Members of Parliament do, with whom, in this refpect they are upon an equal Foot. They were not then Bb z ufed

ufed with greater Contempt than any other Body of Men in the Kingdom, and made to give a flavish Attendance to no other purpose but to make 'em weary of that little Right they have ftill in Convocation. They were not only Summoned and ftrictly required to attend with every Parliament, but Sat alfo and confidered of fuch Business as was proper for them. They were not then called together with Threatnings of more than to be pronounced contumacious if they fhould fail to appear, and when according to their Duty they came together, and had been put to great Expence and Trouble upon that Occafion, then fent home again without being permitted fo much as to fay their Prayers together and to hear a Sermon, with a strict Order to attend again another time, when they might expect the fame Ufage. Infomuch that now Convocations have been fo long intermitted as to their Seffions, (tho' they have been always called for Forms fake) that the very manner of holding them is forgot, which has proved a Bone of Contention, and raised endless Difputes: So that notwithstanding it is faid that the Governours of the Church acted wifely in parting with this Right of the Clergy to give their own Money; yet I think it is evident they acted very foolishly; they have hereby rendred the Convocation fuch an inconfiderable Body of Men, that it is become the Jeft and Scorn of the Nation, and looked upon as an Affembly without any Rights, Powers, or Privileges at all. I know it is pretended that the Clergy are easier Taxed now by the Parliament than they were by themfelves, and I confefs it is fo with relation to the Dignified Clergy, but far otherwife as to

the

the Rural Clergy. It is true, anciently the Clergy generally gave a Tenth when the Laity gave but a Fifteenth. Thus to appearance they paid a third part more than the other, whereas now they are but equal: Yet if the matter were enquired into, it would be found, that according as the Estates of the Temporalty and Spiritualty were then rated a Tenth of the one was but equivalent to a Fifteenth of the other. It is alfo urged, that fince this time the Clergy have been allowed to Vote in County Elections: Yet fhould this be allowed to be their undoubted Right now it is but little, and far from being equivalent to that which they have loft of giving their Money in a Body by themselves, to which no other Privilege can indeed be an Equivalent. And fhould the House of Commons give away their Right to Tax themselves, notwithstanding all the great Privileges they now enjoy, or whatever New Privilege might be granted them inftead of it, they would foon be as inconfiderable and despicable an Affembly as the Lower Clergy are now in Convocation.

However this Misfortune which has rendred the Convocation fo inconfiderable, is by no Means to be charged on the prefent Governours, either of the Church or State. These Rights were disused by the Clergy before they came into any Power: And if they do not think fit to restore the Convocation to the Exercise of them again, Submiffion and Patience is the Duty of the Church in this Cafe, which fhe has now fhewn for above Forty Years without the least attempt to retrieve them: Nor does she seem to have any other regard for her Temporal Privileges than as they may be fubfervient

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