Particularly, the Clergy of that Diocese, and the University of Oxford, who were chiefly concerned in the Confequences of Your Promotion, received the firft Accounts of it with the greatest Satisfaction, and were in Pain while the Event was fufpended---A Sufpenfe which, we may prefume, defigned to do Honour to Your LORDSHIP, and to justify the Wisdom of Her Majesty's Choice; fince it tended to fhew how impatiently You were expected, and desired, by Those who were to be under Your Infpection and Authority. Among all the Learned Bodies, whofe Hopes and Fears were then in greatest Agitation, None was more (or with more Reason) folicitous than that House, which had the Honour of Educating Your LORDSHIP, and inftilling into Your Mind those those Principles, which whoever hath once imbibed, feldom forfakes; and whofoever forfakes not, muft immoveably adhere to the true Interefts of the Church, and Monarchy. Whilft that fruitful Parent thus trains up her Children, She is fecure of Protection and Favour from Your LORDSHIP, or from Whoever elfe He be, that hath not been with-held from doing Good to her, in Evil Days, by malicious and groundless Clamours. Under Your and Their Shadow She hath refted at Noon, when the Heat was most intense and fcorching. She hath flourished hitherto, and will, I doubt not, ftill continue to flourish, though Her Enemies be Many and Mighty, and daily shoot out their Arrows against her, even bitter Words. She looks upon your LORDSHIP'S Advancement, as a fure Token, Token, that Divine Providence is ftill propitious to Her; and, encouraged by this Profpect, She is ready to take up her Parable, and fay: Jofeph is a fruitful Bough, even a fruitful Bough by a Well, whofe Branches run over the Wall. The Archers have forely grieved him, and fhot at him, and hated him: but his Bow abode in Strength, and the Arms of his Hands were made Strong by the Hands of the mighty God of Jacob: from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Ifrael. In the Names of Thefe, and of all Other the true Friends and Sons of the Church, permit me, My LORD, to congratulate Your Acceffion to a See, which will afford You fuch a Sphere of Action as You were made to fill; which will furnish You with many welcome Opportunities of doing Good, of VOL. I. b reward rewarding Merit, of cherishing Piety and Virtue, of encouraging Perfons, diftinguished by their Learning, their undaunted Affertion of Divine Truths, and undiffembled Zeal for our admirable Conftitution in Church and State; which will, in fhort, enable You to carry on all thofe Excellent Defigns, to which Your Upright and Bountiful Heart is religiously inclined. What may We not promise ourfelves from the Influence of your LORDSHIP'S Conduct in fo Eminent a Station? from Your known. Courage and Fervency in the Cause of God, and his Church? from the Greatness of Your Mind, the Goodnefs of Your Intentions, and the Soundness of Your Principles? from that Habitual Love of Worthy Deeds, which you contracted fo early, and have by long Practice confirmed? and from your Experience of the Succefs that hath attended You in all You have fuffered, or done for the Public? By Your LORDSHIP's Means, and within the Circle of your Power, we doubt not but to fee all proper Steps taken towards reviving decayed Difcipline; and reftoring Church Cenfures to their due Force and Credit; towards detecting and defeating Clandeftine Simoniacal Contracts; towards fecuring the Rights and Revenues of the Clergy from Encroachments, refcuing their Perfons and facred Function from Contempt, and freeing Religion itfelf from the Infults now made upon it by Blafphemous Tongues, and Pens, with equal Boldness and Impunity. Thefe, MY LORD, are the Expectations with which the best Men |