of what they before inculcated: And notwithstanding all their fpecious Pretences are no other than as the Vipers in our Conftitution; for which Reafon no Eye can be too watchful, or Law too strict, that shall be made against them, fince it is much safer Dealing with an open Enemy than a Hypocrite. Thofe few among them, whofe Confciences are truly fcrupulous, ought in all Reafon to enjoy the Benefit of her Majefty's moft gracious Indulgence, but for the Body of them, the Church of England fhould guide themselves by this unerring Maxim, That in having once treacherously undermined and fubverted the establish'd Government of this Kingdom, the Blame juftly lies against them; but if we permit them to play the fame Game over again, the Sin is moft certainly at our own Door: And if it fhall be thought proper in this Seffion to deprive them of what they always had Recourse to, fome Years paft, as an Afylum for whatever Villainies they have tranfacted (by reviving the Occafional Bill) no Arguments can be more fitly made Ufe of than the foregoing ones, brought by themselves against the Independents.

Thus does it plainly appear how prejudicial to the Nation, as well as fatal to themselves, it has ever been, when the Clergy have pretended to interfere in the Political Adminiftration, that being a Province into which they have not the least Bufinefs to inquire; and nothing would be more highly refented by them, than if the Parliament fhould undertake the Management and Regulation of their Ecclefiaftical Canons and Conftitutions; but at the fame Time nothing is more reasonable than this would be, for if they will not keep within their own Sphere, but be continually dictating to that great Affembly what Laws they shall make and what not, by the fame Rule they ought from thence to be limited what Doctrines are most proper for them to preach.

As all Mankind must agree that Archbishop Laud was the greatest Divine in the Age he lived, at the fame Time they muft acknowledge him the worst Politician; which Error drew as many Inconveniencies upon the Church, as Abbot's not being fufficiently qualified for fo great a Poft as he fill'd; more especially in fucceeding a Perfon of Dr. Bancroft's Abilities, and whofe Death the Hifto rian declares could never be enough lamented. He understood the Church 'excellently, and had almoft rescued it out of the Hands of the Calvinian Party, and very much fubdued the unruly Spirit of Nonconformists, countenanced Men of the greateft Parts in Learning, and difpofed the Clergy to a more folid • Course of Study, than they had been accuftom'd to, and if he had lived, would have quickly extinguifh'd all that Fire in England which had been kindled at Geneva; and that Infection would easily have been kept out, which could not afterwards be fo easily expell'd.'

Such are the Men who will be had in everlasting Remembrance, and whofe Memories will ever fmell fweet in the Noftrils of Pofterity. And as an equal Parallel to Archbishop Bancroft, I think I may fafely name that perfect Model of Apoftolical Piety, the late learned, and never to be enough lamented Bishop Beveridge, who to thofe Souls committed to his Charge was continually, with the most Brotherly Affection, preaching, rebuking, and exhorting them to attain Y y 2

Clarendon, vol. I. p. 88.

that

that Crown of Glory laid up for the Righteous. Herein confifts the true Office and Authority of the Priesthood; and the following of his Example is what I most earnestly recommend to the whole Body of our Clergy, and that laying afide all other Difputes than what affect the fundamental Principles and Doctrines of the Chriftian Religion, they fhould, in their paftoral Care, be continually watching. over, and directing their Flocks to follow the Lamb whither foever he goeth. Then with him fhall they enter into the Joy of their Lord, be made Partakers of immortal Glory, and fhine as Stars in the Firmament!

These are the Patterns highly worthy of Imitation! who invite us to practife the great Duties of Brotherly Love and Charity, far fuperior to the Treatment we now give one another, by ftigmatizing ourselves with Appellations equally as falfe as odious; and as my Lord Clarendon has very juftly observed in Archbishop Laud's Character, that the Calvinian Faction in his Time made use of that fenfelefs Appellation, of traducing every well-meaning Perfon with the Name of Papist, who exprefld a more than ordinary Zeal for the Church of England; fo equally heinous is it on our Side, to afperfe thofe who are call'd Low-ChurchMen as being directly in the Prefbyterian Intereft, when nothing is more certain than that they have not only the leaft Tendency to, but on the contrary have the justest Abhorrence of any fuch Principles.

'Tis now Time to haften to a Conclufion, which I shall do after having made a fhort Application to Dr. Francis Atterbury, who, I understand, is chosen Prolocutor of the Convocation. If that venerable Affembly meets, I hope they will answer the Ends of their Inftitution, and do fomething in reality for the Good of the Church, by not only discountenancing all irreligious Tenets, but punishing the Authors of them: Which will be much more commendable than their former Behaviour, in continually quarrelling one with another, the Lower House alferting their Power and Privilege against the Upper, and by continual Replies and Defences on both Sides fpun out a long ufelefs Controverfy, which, instead of being of the leaft Service to Religion, was wholly destructive of it; of this the Dean of Carlisle knows himself to have been but too guilty. It would, Sir, be the greatest Piece of Service you could do, to perfuade him to apply those extraordinary Talents, with which he is endow'd, to more folid Studies than he has hitherto been accuftom'd; and to convince him, that turning Examiner, and writing Epigrams upon Flavia's Fan, do not at all fuit with the Dignity of the Sacerdotal Function. As to the ungenteel Treatment Mr. Hoadley has lately met with from him, by Slander and Calumny under an Anonymous Covert, Í fħall not take the leaft Notice, Mr. Hoadley being beft able to defend himself; which indeed he has fo well done, that I dare believe there never will be any Reply; but if there fhould, Mr. Dean may depend upon having all his Siftings, Windings, and Evasions, fully laid open and reprefented in their true Light.

To conclude, I will not enter into any Detail of the Doctrines of Paffive Obedience and Non-Refiftance. I am forry to fee our Difputes run fo high upon those Points; it is moft evident, that the Affertors of an Unlimited Obedience are always forced to give Ground; and that the Patrons of Refiftance, by inculcating. their Doctrine with fo great a Vehemency, do a real Mifchief to the Publick, by

creating

creating Uneafineffes in the Minds of the People: For as a late Author has judiciously remark'd, The Impreffion of Self-Prefervation is fo ftrong upon Hu⚫ man Nature, as not only to fupercede all other Provifion, but to render it in⚫ fignificant: 'Tis no Cafe in the Conduct of Human Life, that can be improved ⚫ by any Reasoning, what a Man is to do when he is driven by a Sword to the • Wall,'

Upon the whole, fince Dr. Sacheverell and Mr. Hoadley are the Marks at which all our present Controverfies are level'd, I muft freely declare my Sentiments, that I think the one has rail'd fcurrilously, and the other writ judiciously in Defence of the Church of England.

I shall close all with the excellent Judgment of the + Archbishop of York in these Matters (being entirely of his Opinion) which plainly demonstrates that the Clergy ought not to concern themfelves with political Affairs. As the Laws of the Land are the Measures of our Active Obedience, so are also the • fame Laws the Measures of our Submiffion; and as we are not bound to obey, • but where the Laws and Conftitution require our Obedience, so neither are we • bound to fubmit, but as the Laws and Conftitution do require our Submiffion. If a Preacher in the Pulpit should prefume to give his Judgment about the Management of Publick Affairs, or to lay down Doctrines as from Chrift about the Forms ⚫ and Models of Kingdoms and Commonwealths, or to adjuft the Limits of the • Prerogative of the Prince, or of the Liberties of the Subject in our present Go⚫vernment: I fay, if a Divine should meddle with fuch Matters as these in his Sermons, I do not know how he can be excufed from the just Cenfure of med⚫dling with Things that nothing concern him. This is indeed a practifing in State • Matters; and is ufurping an Office that belongs to another Profession, and to • Men of another Character; and I fhould account it every whit as indecent in a Clergy-Man to take upon him to deal in thefe Points, as it would be for him to determine Titles of Land in the Pulpit, which are in Difpute in Weft• minfter-Hall.

Now, SIR, heartily wifhing that what I have faid may have the defired Effect for which it was fincerely intended, by contributing in fome Measure towards the Healing our prefent Animofities, I fubfcribe myself,

Your moft Obedient,

Humble Servant, &c.

*The Vindication and Advancement of our National Conftitution, &c. p. 19. + Vide his 30th of Jan. Sermon before the Lords, Anno 1700. p. 20.

A

A VINDICATION of the Faults on both Sides, from the Reflections of the Medley, the Specimen-Maker, and a Pamphlet entitled Moft Faults on one Side. With a DISSERTATION on the Nature and Ufe of Money and Paper-Credit in Trade, and the true Value of JointStocks, maintaining the Affertions of the Author, in Relation to those Matters. By the Author of the Faults on both Sides. 1710.

I

Si quid novifti rectius iftis,
Candidus imperti, fi non bis utere mecum.

Cannot but acknowledge my great Satisfaction, to obferve that my Endeavours in the abovemention'd Effay have met with fo general an Acceptance; and the more, fince it may be discover'd from fuch a Difpofition in the People to entertain a Difcourfe of that Nature, with a more general Liking than the partial Writings of either Side, that there is not indeed fo great a Bigotry and Adherence to the Factions among us, but that the great Disturbances and Agitations which appear at this Time to be wrought up to a formidable Height through the Nation, will be appeased, and the Angry People on both Sides will return to their Duty, and acquiefce in the Wisdom of their Superiors, when they fhall fee (what good Men confidently hope, whatever lefs confiding Men may fear) that thofe great Men, to whom her Majefty has committed the Conduct of her Affairs, will apply their utmost Care and Diligence to promote the publick Good in every Part of their Administration, and to carry fo even an Hand between the oppofite Parties, as not to gratify the Expectations of the Violent Men on one side, nor to abridge the other of any Rights, Privileges, or Favours which they now enjoy: Nor is it a lefs happy Prefage, that fo popular a Book has paft hitherto without any Thing that bears the Appearance of a fair Answer to it, 'Tis true, indeed, that a Party-Paper call'd the Medley has been meddling with it, and another Gentleman has been pleased to employ himself to find Faults in the Fault Finder.

But the First is, indeed, more a Medler than a Maker; he is not a fair Antagonist, he trafficks all in Quotations without Argument or Conclufion; one knows not what he would be at, the Spirit of his Paper is all High Whig, and yet when I fay what is commendable of the Whigs, and cenfure the Tories, he still cites both with an Air of Dislike; he is a Dab at the Understanding of our Bufinefs and Credit, but I believe I fhall fhew that he knows nothing of the Matter,

when

when I come to speak of those Things to more worthy Inquirers; he is admirable at his fhort Turns of fheer Wit, and has all Manner of Mifreprefentation at Command; in fhort, 'tis worth no ferious Man's while to trace him in his Mazes; he abounds in Stories, and tells them pretty enough to tickle fuch as can't diftinguish in his Allufions to Perfons and Things, between a faint Refemblance in fome Circumftances, and no Manner of Similitude in the original Motives and Confequence of the Action; for the fame Fact may be highly commendable in one, which is wicked in another, according to their different Defign in the End; but general Characters may be made to fit any Body in fome Particulars, and perhaps his Story of Galigai, in the worst Inftances, may be more agreeably applied to another (Quondam) great Favourite-Lady than to the Perfon he means; all People won't hold Pace with him in all his ftrain❜d Applications either of Malice or Flattery: But I am gone out of my Way to touch at these Things, and I must take Care of engaging myfelf too far with a Perfon of this Gentleman's great Accomplishments, for though he mistakes me for fome great Man, yet the World may know him to be a Man of the Belles Lettres, a Wit, a Declaimer, a Mythologift, a Poet, and a learned Hiftorian: I pretend to none of thefe excellent Talents, I fee and acknowlege him to be above my Match, fo I will leave him, and content myself to deal in plain Truths, and undeniable Facts, and treat of fuch Matters as may conduce to the Good of my Country, which yet may be remembred to Pofterity when the Vapours of hot Brains are diffolved into Air. However, at my parting with this Gentleman, I'll presume to entertain my Readers with one Story too, which (barring all) Reflection) may perhaps feem as oppofite as fome of his. 'Tis not full an Hundred Years ago, when a certain grave Divine, who enjoy'd a Benefice in Hertfordfhire, had bred up a Son to the Church; the young Man coming home from the Univerfity had a Mind to fhew his Accomplishments in his Father's Pulpit, but he was fo full of his Scholaftick Conceits, and fcatter'd his flashy Wit at fuch a Rate, that the good old Man, being no longer able to bear him, call'd out aloud, come down Coxcomb, come down; and afcending the Pulpit himself, preached an edifying Sermon to his Parishioners.

I fhall alfo have fomething to fay in Anfwer to the other Author, but I will beg that Gentleman's Patience till I have firft applied myself to give Satisfaction to fome worthy Perfons, Men of Trade and Business, who have in Conversation exprefs'd their Diflike of my Notions concerning Money, Paper-Credit,and Stocks; and if those Gentlemen will bear with me to obferve to them that bufy Men are more apt to form their Judgment of fuch Matters from the immediate Ufe and Convenience which they find thereby, than give themselves Leifure to examine into the true Nature and Effect thereof, I hope I fhall be able to convince them that they may be no lefs deceived in their differing Sentiments now, than most People were formerly in the Opinion that the Denomination of the Species of our Coin ought to have been raised above the old Foot. I fhall endeavour therefore, in the following Differtation, to explain thofe Matters in fuch a Way as may rectify their Judgments, and reform the erroneous and fuperficial Ideas which People have long entertain'd thereof. Let it then be confider'd.

That