piety and charity, has had on the directors of the University of Oxford. We are extreamly well pleased with the regard they shew to us, and we write to them this day, to assure them of the esteem we have for the Church of England; of our disposition to communicate with them as often as opportunity may offer; of the respect we have for their persons; and of our desire to maintain with them such a correspondence as may conduce to the common good of the Protestant Churches, and to the honour of the Church of England in particular. If these steps on both sides produce any wholesome effect, it will be owing to your Lordship, in whose power it is to make us enter into all the engagements you shall judge proper for the peace of the Churches. Continue, my Lord, your labours in so good a work; heaven will bless your holy intentions. We shall see more and more

the love of peace settled in the flourishing kingdoms of her Britannic Majesty; and that peace will undoubtedly contribute to the advancement of truth and piety; the destruction of vice and error, and the propagation of Christian liberty, oppress'd in many places by Popish tyranny. We pray God, my Lord, to preserve you so long, as that you may see those happy successes and the sequel of the surprizing wonders which her Majesty's glorious reign has produced: for what may not we hope from so happy beginnings, and from events wherein the hand of God is so sensibly to be seen? We beseech you to preserve to us that precious charity you have express'd for us; and on our part we shall never be wanting in any thing which the esteem and respect due to your Lordship exacts.

We remain, my Lord, your most humble and most obedient Servants, the Pastors and Professors of the Church and Academy of Geneva. And for all signed,

ANTHONY LEGAR, Pastor and Moderator.
FABRI, Secretary."

Those gentlemen wrote also a very handsome letter in Latin to the University of Oxford, which begins thus:

Most Noble, most Renowned, most Learned, our much honoured and most dear Brethren in Christ,--The letter by which the most illustrious Prelate Henry Bishop of London was pleased to acquaint_us with your affection for us, was extreamly acceptable to us. For, having been informed you have entertained an ill opinion of us, and that the name of Geneva was become odious among you, he let us know on your part, that those were prejudices and antiquated notions, not yet wholly extinguished; and that what has been published thereupon by some did not concern us; but certain persons, who rejecting the discipline and liturgy of the Church of England, pretend to act by our example. But that most illustrious prelate knew this was a thing wholly remote from our sentiments; and indeed, most dear and much honoured brethren in Christ, we are so far from having a dislike to the Church of England, that we have rather always had a great esteem for her: nor when any of us have been in England have we avoided her congregations and communion. Our ministers, especially Calvin and Beza, hold correspondence by letters with the most eminent prelates of England; and we have never let slip any occasion that has been

offered to shew our esteem of the liturgy and confession of faith; of which divers testimonies are extant."

The University wrote them a very civil and obliging answer, and said, "They had received with joy the letter which the Reverend Father in Christ, the Bishop of London, transmitted to their hands: that 'twas very acceptable to. that University, upon consideration that it came from University men, eminent for piety, learning, and an ardent zeal for the Reform'd Religion: but yet more acceptable, for its being recommended and handed to them by that pious prelate, whom no man outdid either in nourishing and maintaining the Church of England with a fatherly affection, or in a brotherly charity for all foreign churches, join'd by the strictest bond of the purer faith, tho' never so much separated by the distance of places," &c.

As his Lordship was never wanting in his endeavours to promote a good opinion in foreign Protestants concerning the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England, and her moderate sentiments of them; so he could not but be grieved at heart to find the representatives of the Church in convocation assembled, so much at variance amongst themselves, and especially the upper and lower house. Its out of my way to enter upon the particulars of the differences between them, which the Bishop and all good men wished had never been set on foot, but that the ambassadors of peace had been entirely at peace among themselves.

Indeed things calmed by degrees and gave some hopes of a better understanding between the two houses; but the affair of Dr. Henry Sacheverel, which came on apace, allarm'd the Church and nation to a degree beyond expression: his Lordship, as well as many other excellent churchmen and good patriots, rightly judging that the Doctor's cause was that of the Church of England, stickled with all their might in his behalf. He was impeach'd in Parliament and try'd in 1710; of which I shall take no further notice than where I find my Lord of London particularly engaged.

Now the House of Peers, upon a question started by the Earl of Nottingham in favour of the Doctor, having resolv'd, that in impeachments they were to proceed according to the law of the land, and the law and usage of Parliament, having found a president for the same in the case of Dr. Manwaring, a debate arose whether a question should be stated, when it was proposed by the Doctor's friends to adjourn the house; then the question was put, whether the House should be adjourn'd, which was resolv'd in the negative. His Lordship hereupon dissented, and so did no less than forty-eight more of the Lords spiritual and temporal.

Then the debate went on, and at last the question being put, that by the law and usage of Parliament in prosecutions upon impeachments for high crimes and misdemeanors, by writing or speaking, the particular words supposed to be criminal, were not necessarily to be expressly specify'd in such impeachments, it was resolv'd in the affirmative. The dissentient Lords here were the Duke of Buckingham, the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of London, the Duke of Hamilton, the Lord Berkley of Stretton, the Earl of Northesk, the Lord Dartmouth, the Earl of Marr, the Lord Haversham, the Lord Bishop

of Rochester, and Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells; for which they gave their reasons at large.

When the main question came to be put, that the Commons had made good their first article of impeachment against Dr. Sacheverel, it was resolv'd in the affirmative, against which several Lords, and among others my Lord Bishop entered this protest; because, by the laws of the land, the laws of Parliament, and the inherent rights of peerage, every peer was to judge for himself both of the fact as well as of the law; and could not be precluded from it by any majority, which indeed must determine the case in respect of the criminal; but never did nor could preclude any Lord from voting the party accused, guilty or not guilty of the fact, as well as of the crime of such fact. The question at length being put and carry'd in the affirmative, whether Dr. Sacheverel was guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors, charged upon him by the impeachment of the House of Commons, several Lords protested against it to the number of thirty-four, of which my Lord Bishop was one, and gave their reasons for it.

The Doctor hereupon was found guilty by sixty-nine against fiftytwo, who were for not guilty, of which last number was the good Bishop and one of the forty-seven who entered his dissent; and being willing to bear his testimony to the last, when the sentence came to be pronounced against the Doctor, his Lordship was one of the thirtytwo that dissented from it.

The tryal of Dr. Sacheverel and other concurring causes having wrought a change in the ministry, and been the occasion of the presenting of multitudes of addresses to her Majesty upon it, his Lordship, at the head of the London and Westminster clergy, show'd all cheerfulness to express their satisfaction upon the happy alterations made; declaring to her Majesty that their hearts had all along accompanied their fellow subjects, the genuine sons of the Church of England, in their dutiful applications to her Majesty from all parts of the kingdom; that they had with great satisfaction observed the zeal which they had express'd in behalf of her royal title and prerogative, and the indignation which they had shewn at the unprecedent attempts lately made to undermine not only our excellent Constitution in Church and State, but all religion and government.

That they were the less eager to lay hold on that occasion of approaching her throne, because they had before freely declar'd themselves on those heads from the pulpit, under the eye of her Majesty and in the face of the whole world.

But that the time was now come, when they could no longer be innocently silent; since the acknowledgment of her Majesty's hereditary title and irresistible authority was openly and boldly represented as a plain declaration in favour of the Pretender.

That they look'd upon the clergy as deeply involved in that malicious calumny, and therefore thought themselves obliged to express their utmost abhorrence of any such disguised and treacherous intention, which their hearts, entirely devoted to her Majesty, were not capable of harbouring, and which they believed none but the avowed or secret friends of the Pretender, would, in order to facilitate their wicked designs, have endeavoured to fasten upon them.

That they had sworn and were stedfastly purposed to pay all duty and allegiance to her Majesty, their rightful and lawful sovereign, whose title to the crown by descent had been affirm'd and recogniz'd by all her liege people in full Parliament. That they knew of no other person who had any claim to their obedience, nor would they ever do any thing, either in or after her Majesty's reign, (should they be so unfortunate as to survive it) which might seem in the least to favour such claims and pretensions.

That their eyes were then fix'd on her Majesty alone, that all their wishes and vows were imploy'd for the length, peace, and prosperity of her reign; and that whenever it should please God for their sins to withdraw so valuable a blessing without any alleviation of hope by issue from her Majesty; they acknowledged the most illustrious House of Hanover as the next heirs in the Protestant line, to have the only right of ascending the throne, and indisputable title to their allegiance.

Then they thank'd God from the bottom of their hearts for the legal provisions made, to secure them from Popery and arbitrary power, which they once through the Divine assistance vigorously and successfully withstood, when they were breaking in upon our Constitution: nor should they fail to manifest an equal zeal against them, whenever and by what means soever they should meditate a return.

They were firmly perswaded, that this was the unanimous sense and resolution of the clergy, not only of these cities, but of the whole kingdom; as they doubted not would appear to her Majesty, when ever they had an opportunity of expressing it in convocation.

That in the mean time, they would not cease to bow their knees to God, and most ardently to pray, that he would multiply and increase the successes, with which her wise and just designs had been hitherto attended, and continued to bless her arms and counsels, till they had effectually subdued the restless enemies of their peace both at home and abroad, defeated the menaces of the proud, and the devices of the crafty, and scattered all the people that delighted in war.

When the clergy came to meet in convocation in the beginning of the year 1711, they were over-joy'd to find the Queen's licence brought to them to inpower them to sit and do business, in as ample a manner as ever was granted since the Reformation. It added also to their satisfaction, that the licence, in the absence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, as President and Metropolitan, was directed to the Bishop of London, or in his absence to the Bishop of Bath and Wells, to preside over them. Its none of our business here to meddle with the proceedings of the Convocation, but to observe that the Court, not long after, for what reason I know not, thought fit to grant a new licence wherein his Lordship was also to preside, in case of the absence of the Metropolitan. His Lordship was now grown very infirm, and an unhappy fall he had in his house at Fulham, added a further weight to the infirmities of old age, wreck'd with the gout; till at length nature being not able to hold out any longer, the good old prelate surrendred up his pious soul to him that gave it, on the 7th day of July, at Fulham, in the eighty-first year of his age, having been a Bishop near forty years. His corpse was bury'd with decent solemnity on

Wednesday, the 15th of the same month, in Fulham Church-Yard, according to his own directions in his life-time; he being the ninetysecond bishop from St. Miletus that presided over the See of London.

-Flere et meminisse Juvabit.

Having thus brought this truly orthodox and excellent good man to his silent grave, we cannot leave him there without further remarking, that he was peculiarly called the Protestant Bishop at the time of the Revolution; he being indeed the ornament and security of the Protestant cause: so great was his pastoral care of his flock, that he not only resided always within his diocess, but even it may be said in every part of it; he visited parish by parish, to shew that his clergy should do so from house to house. But his diocess being more extensive than all others, and the foreign plantations subject to his care and inspection, he had a longing to visit them also, and nothing could have hindred him from it, but the tumultuous times he lived in. He was one of the best bred men of his time, courteous, affable, not full of words, but very conversible, and always easy of access; generous and charitable beyond example, and exceeding hospitable to friends and neighbours; besides which he constantly provided for twelve poor people, and for many others accidentally at his gate. He disposed money to every one who could make out he was a proper object of charity. Several ancient people he supported by constant yearly pensions, several children he maintain'd at school at his own charge, besides those educated from children, and brought up to the University, to sea, and trades. He never left what he undertook imperfect and unfinished. As for the church and clergy, he spared no cost and pains to serve them in a more lasting manner. He bought in several advowsons, gave large sums for rebuilding of churches, and greater still for buying in impropriations, and settling them upon poor vicars. He was on this and all other accounts, a man of the largest and most public spirit; he had no little artful, selfish designs, but wished and promoted the welfare of all men, and no body more than himself that of the Protestant interest, which he would gladly have seen more united. He loved to remember what was for any one's advantage; if any offended, he would ever prevent their asking pardon by his haste to give it; and among a thousand instances, its not the least remarkable that in a quarrel between a London minister and his parishioners, the good Bishop being called in, and finding it proved against the Rector that he had spoke vilely and contemptuously of his Diocesan ; he made this christian reply, "I am glad of it, for he has given me an opportunity of setting you a good example in forgiving him."

But though he had the fewest faults himself, he would beg pardon as if he had the most. I shall not say any thing of the strict regularity of his private and public devotions, they are too well known. To conclude therefore, never did such tender and manly passions meet in one breast before, never such fortitude and firmness, mixt with so much meekness and modesty; he was never seen to be affraid or concerned; in the midst of storms, he himself was calm, and so continued in the very article of death, which is so very shocking to human