be remembered to the everlasting honour of the London divines, that in those dangerous times they writ and published the beft collection of arguments against popery, that ever appeared in the world. At the revolution the body of the clergy joined heartily in the common caufe (except a few, whose sufferings perhaps have atoned for their mistakes) like men who are content to go about for avoiding a gulph or a precipice, but come into the old ftrait road again, as foon as they can. But another temper had now begun to prevail : for, as in the reign of king Charles the first feveral well-meaning people were ready to join in reforming fome abuses, while others, who had deeper defigns, were still calling out for a thorough reformation, which ended at laft in the ruin of the kingdom: fo, after the late king's coming to the throne, there was a restless cry from men of the fame principles for a thorough revolution; which, as fome were carrying it on, must have ended in the deftruction of the monarchy and church. What a violent humour hath run ever fince against the clergy, and from what corner corner spread and fomented, is, I believe, manifeft to all men. It looked like a fet quarrel against chriftianity; and, if we call to mind feveral of the leaders, it must in a great measure have been actually fo. Nothing was more common in writing and conversation, than to hear that reverend body charged in grofs with what was utterly inconfiftent; defpifed for their poverty, hated for their riches; reproached with avarice, and taxed with luxury; accused for promoting arbitrary power, and for refifting the prerogative; cenfured for their pride, and fcorned for their meanness of fpirit. The representatives of the lower clergy were railed at for difputing the power of the bifhops by the known abhorrers of epifcopacy; and abused for doing nothing in the convocations by those very men, who helped to bind up their hands. The vice, the folly, the ignorance of every single man, were laid upon the character: their jurifdiction, cenfures, and discipline trampled under foot; yet mighty complaints against their exceffive power: the men of wit employed to turn the priesthood itself into ridicule: in short, groan groaning every where under the weight of poverty, oppreffion, contempt, and obloquy. A fair return for the time and money spent in their education to fit them for the fervice of the altar; and a fair encouragement for worthy men to come into the church! However, it may be fome comfort for perfons of that holy function, that their divine founder, as well as his harbinger, met with the like reception: John came neither eating nor drinking, and they fay he hath a devil; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they fay, behold a glutton and a wine-bibber, etc. In this deplorable state of the clergy, nothing but the hand of providence, working by its glorious inftrument the QUEEN, could have been able to turn the people's hearts fo furprisingly in their favour. This princess, deftined for the safety of Europe, and a bleffing to her fubjects, began her reign with a noble benefaction to the church; and it was hoped the nation would have followed fuch an example; which nothing could have prevented, but. the falfe politicks of a fett of men, who form their maxims upon thofe of every tottering commonwealth, which is always ftruggling for life, fubfifting by expedients, and often at the mercy of any powerful neighbour. These men take it into their imagination, that trade can never flourish, unless the country becomes a common receptacle for all nations, re ligions, and languages; a fyftem only proper for fmall popular states, but altogether unworthy and below the dignity of an imperial crown; which with us is beft upheld by a monarchy in poffeffion of its juft prerogative, a fenate of nobles and of commons, and a clergy established in its due rights with a fuitable maintenance by law. But these men come with the fpirit of hop-keepers to frame rules for the adminiftration of kingdoms; or, as if they thought the whole art of government confifted in the importation of nutmegs, and the curing of herrings. Such an inland as ours can afford enough to fupport the majefty of a crown, the honour of a nobility, and the dignity of a magiftracy: we can encourage arts and sciences, maintain our bishops and clergy, and fuffer our gentry to live in a decent, hospitable manner ; yet yet ftill there will remain hands fufficient for trade and manufactures, which do always indeed deserve the best encouragement, but not to a degree of fending every living foul into the warehoufe or the workshop. This pedantry of republican politicks hath done infinite mifchief among us. To this we owe thofe noble schemes of treating christianity as a fyftem of fpeculative opinions, which no man fhould be bound to believe; of making the being, and the worship of God, a creature of the ftate; in confequence of thefe, that the teachers of religion ought to hold their maintenance at pleafure, or live by the alms and charitable collection of the people, and be equally encouraged of all opinions; that they fhould be prescribed what to teach by thofe, who are to learn from them; and upon default have a staff and a pair of fhoes left at their door: with many other projects of equal piety, wifdom, and good nature. But, God be thanked, they and their schemes are vanifhed, and their places fhall know them no more. When I think of that |