pointed for their Crimes, whether it be Death or Banishment or Confifcation of Goods or Imprisonment.

As for a formal Separation from the Church of England, or that Part of it which fubmitted to the then State of Things, it was never thought of for fome time. The Bishops themfelves and others of the Clergy, came to our Churches, and communicated in the Lord's Supper, with the Priefts of thofe Parishes where they liv'd. When fome hot Men began to look toward a Separation, that great and good Man, Dr. Stillingfleet endeavour'd to crufh the yet unform'd Defign, in a fmall Book call'd the Unreasonableness of a new Separation; to which I don't remember I have ever feen an Anfwer, བས་ and I'm fure Dr. Hickes's Articles are none. But that Oppreffion under which fome of them have lain for a long Time, has at length made fome of them mad. That excellent Archbishop Sancroft never came into their unhappy Mea fures, nor that truly primitive Chriftian Bifhop Ken, of Bath and Wells, and Dr. Floyd the wary Bishop of Norwich congratulated his Refignation of his Epifcopal Chair to the right Reverend Father in God, Dr. Hooper, the prefent excellent Bishop of that See. And indeed, the moft zealous, Friends of the depriv'd Bifhops and their Caufe, (however they might be fcandaliz'd at the Exauctoration of fo many Proteftant Bishops in a Proteftant Nation, and where the Defign of refcuing us from the Dan ger of threatning Popery was the beft Foot upon which the great and fudden Alteration of Affairs then flood, yet) while they ftcod on the depriv'd Bifhops Side, they reasonably hoped

hoped, that when' thofe worthy Bishops were dead, fo that they could no more communicate with them, they who adhered to them, would fubmit to those who were by the Death of the other, become as lawfully Bishops of their Sees, as the other had been at their firft Confecration to them. This was the Hope of fome at least of the Bishops themselves: And to fet the lefs knowing World an Example of what they ought to do, thofe two incomparable Men Mr. Dodwel,and Mr. Nelfon, (Men who, tho' they were but Men, were yet Men of Apoftolical Lives, and for their exemplary Piety and Learning, fcarce to be match'd in all the European World,) thofe with many more return'd into the Bofom of the Church, and tho' they can't fwear, yet they abhor a Schifmatical Separation.

And fuch, in Spite of any thing I have yet feen in their Vindication, I must conclude their Separation to be. I cannot here enter into the full Debate of this Matter: Nor is it my Business to undertake a Defence of the late Revolution: For in fpite of all that Hoadly and others, (Bilhops or inferiour Clergy, or Lay-Men) have troubled weak Heads with on that Account; I cannot fee how any Prince whofoever, let his Right or Title be never fo unquestionable, or liis Perfonal Virtues never fo illuftrious, can ever fit in Peace and Safety on his Throne, where thofe which the Factious Scriblers of onr Age call Revolution Principles prevail. And while I confider the wretched Cowardice and Atheistical Prejudices of fuch as advance them, I can only obferve, that they are,) as their Defenders would fain have them) the perpetual Seed Plots of Seditions, Infur

*

Infurrections and Rebellions, But let the Revolution it felf, and all the Principles tending to it, and every Motion carrying it on, be never fo unjustifiable; let us grant the wort Circumstances of it to have all the Aggravations which thofe unhappy Zealots charge it with (tho we don't really acknowledge them to be true,) Yet with the most impartial Eyes I can look into the Management of thefe Sepa ratifs, I cannot but charge them with one of the moft peftilent Schifms, that ever tore any Member of the Chriftian Catholic Church in Pieces from the Beginning of Chriftianity to thefe Days. Every Body knows, that there have been Rebellions, Abdications, Ufurpati ons in other Kingdoms and Countries as well as any can fay there has been any in ours. But can any Perfon out of the Bowels of Hiftory, furnish us with any Practice of Chriftian Bishops or Presbyters who have acted by fuch Measures as thofe have,who have founded this unhappy Separation.

It is true, we don't find the Roman Empe rors requiring Oaths of the fame Nature with thofe of Allegiance and Supremacy of the Bifhops in their Days: Their very Perfecutors were often fatisfyd that a Chriftian Bifhep both as a Bishop and a Chriftian would, out of Pri ciple, mind the Bufinels of his Spiritual Calling, and that he might do fo the better, that he would follow Peace with all Men, and Holiness, without which none could fee the Lord? They, the Clergy, really took Care that they might not fuffer as evil Doers, and their Hea then Governors could never pick any Quarrel with them, but for their preaching Faith in

Chrift,

Chrift, and bowing to his Name lower than to all the Monarchs in the World; and for their having beaten down Idolatry with all the Spiritual Arms, they were furnish'd with. When the Bishops of Rome, from pretending to the Univerfal Sovereignty of the Church aiming at as great a Power in the State, began in courfe of Time to make all Bishops they could come at, fwear Fidelity to them in Spite of all the previous, Obligations they had to Fidelity to their Natural Princes; it made Secular Princes look about them: And when they found Bishops, their own Subjects, and owing all Homage and Fealty to them, ready on all Occafions to affront and oppofe them in Behalf of a Foreign Power; and consider'd what an Influence the Examples of Men eminent for their Stations, Learning, Gravity and Pi ety, muft neceffarily have upon thofe under their Spiritual Jurifdiction; feveral of them,and among the reft, our own, thought fit to truft no longer to the bare Obligation of the Epif copal Character, but requir'd fome perfonal Security of them, that they would pay juft Fi delity and Allegiance to themselves against all Enemies Spiritual and Temporal whofoever. And this was look'd upon as fo reasonable a Demand, even in Popish Times, that Stephen Gardiner, that bigotted Perfecutor of Proteftants, wrote a well knit Difcourfe in Defence of the King's Authority over all Perfons Spiritual as well as Temporal, to which Edmond Bonner, another of as fiery a Spirit, put a fuitable and pertinent Preface. And fuch Oaths, tho' first impos'd by Princes in Communion with the Church of Rome, have been approv'd

P

of,

of, explain'd, enlarg'd and reinforced by their Proteftant Succeffors to this Day.

Now to say, that fuch Oaths are justly enough impos'd on the lawful Heirs in Hereditary Kingdoms, and not otherwife, is to fay nothing: Whoever gets a Crown by Ufurpation, by Legacy, by the Sword, by Election, by the Refignation of the prefent Prince, or by mutual Compact and Agreement, will, in Spite of all that can be faid to the contrary, believe that they have as much Reason to fecure themfelves and their Governments from any Competitors or Enemies of what Nature foever, as he who has the clearest and the most indif putable Title in the World; and the King in Being may fix fuch Penalties as he thinks fit on fuch Officers Spiritual, Civil or Military, if they refuse to give the Security demanded. Those who cannot digeft fuch Oaths, may lay down their Commiffions, their fecular Preferment, or the Exercife of their Spiritual Powers, and living quietly under fuch an Ejection, may be as good, as deferving, and as happy Men as they were, when under no Reftraint at all; and to fuffer patiently in a good Caufe, is, if any thing poffibly can be, highly meritorious. Thofe Popish Bishops and others of that Clergy, who were turn'd out of their Sees by Edward the VIth, because they would not comply with the Alterations then propos'd in Religion; tho' Proteftants were put in their Places, we don't find that any of thofe depriv'd Bishops ever headed any Infurrection, or rais'd any Rebellion against that Prince, whom yet they concluded to be a Heretick: Nor do we find that they refus'd to pray for the King, VOL. II. Ꮓ

or