rable to the

12. 8vo.

From this fome tolerable guess may be made of the value of the rest of the bishops lands, which are those of the province of Canterbury, confifting of that archbifhopric and twenty one bifhoprics.A proposal, fome years fince, by a nameless writer, was made for () The vefting the whole prefent property of the church in State prefe• England and Ireland in the crown, not to enrich or Church, P. add to its power, but as a trustee for the people, who 'fhould be always uppermost in the confideration of all Lond. 1748, true lovers of their country (j).—Is it effentially neceffary,' fays that author, that bishops fhould have three, four, five, fix, seven, eight, nine and ten thousand pounds a year? Is it neceffary that an archbishop should die worth 90,000 l. befides providing very honourably for his family, in confequence of his power and influence? Is it neceffary that one churchman shall enjoy a ftring of benefices, while numbers have none and starve? I am willing to fuppofe epifcopacy to be an effential branch of the chriftian fyftem; and therefore hold the order in all the veneration due to it. But I cannot bring myself to ⚫ think that the Holy Ghost delights more to abide with ⚫ them in coaches and palaces, and in parliament, than if they had abided by the primitive fimple way of living, ⚫ practised and inculcated by the apoftles. I am no less ⚫ willing that our prelates retain their feats in parlia

ment,

diers and officers, entered the house, upbraided

.

ment, if it fhall be thought that they have been always heretofore infpired with the fpirit of truth and righteoufnefs in their legiflative capacity. But admitting, as I do very willingly, that our good lords the bishops add a luftre to the upper houfe, will they fhine the lefs there for being placed more on the level with each other than they are at prefent? The poorest of them can afford clean lawn fleeves in their prefent fituation; and if the two metropolitans fhould be levelled to an annual ftipend of 1500 1. each, and their respective fuffragans to 1000l. I don't fee but they might keep a coach in parliament time, notwithftanding the duty on carriage wheels, provided they refide with their flocks the rest of the year. Is it neceflary that the bishoprics and other churchlivings of Ireland, a cheap and plentiful country, fhould exceed even thofe in England? or, is it neceffary, that, in the north of that kingdom, where 'there are scarce ten protestants of the epifcopal church in a whole parish, many of the incumbents fhould poffefs livings of four, fix, and eight hundred pounds a year? It is no uncommon fight in that country, to fee a parfon preach, I should say, read prayers, preach⚫ing being difufed, to his clerk, and fuch of his own family as had accompanied him from the parfonage houfe in his coach and four. Though the value of livings in that kingdom be well known to our clergy, who are never wanting to themselves in pushing their way thither, where they bask in plenty and eafe, it would feem as if our ftatefmen had acquired none or very little knowledge of the treafure that might be raised there by fale of the prefent poffeffions of the church. To mention but the primacy there, lately conferred on a very young churchman, but, I fuppofe, of diftinguished piety and erudition, it would fell, at twenty years purchase only, for above 200,000l. no con⚫ temptible aid to a bleeding country, obliged to raise above

་

• ten

braided the members, turned the fpeaker

.

.

out

ten millions annually, though already above four-fcore in debt. From this fpecimen may be feen how greatly the trading and induftrious part of the people, that is, the laity, might be eased, if the revenues of the church, tithes and all, were put to fale, and the purchase money applied to the ufes of the public. And, furely, in a time of fuch danger and difficulty as the prefent, no good fubject can warrant oppofing the carrying fo falutary a fcheme into execution. 'Tis probable our open foreign, and native fecret enemies might oppofe fuch a healing fcheme; but except the • French and Spaniards abroad, and our popifh fellowfubjects at home, I cannot perfuade myfelf that it would meet with the leaft oppofition. Our protestant laity would unanimoufly affent to it; and as for the clergy, if their fuffrages were taken collectively, I will answer for it, the majority would be with (*) The me (k). Poffibly this writer would have found him. State, &c. felf mistaken; for, as there are but few of the inferior P. 14. clergy void of hope, founded on their belief of their own merit, of preferment, thefe would not be overfond of the fcheme and as for the dignified ones, they would naturally, one and all, cry out against it, as a breach of the alliance between church and state, which they would fain perfuade us is productive of many happy confequences to fociety. The ignorant laity, for any thing I know to the contrary, might be pleafed with the carrying fuch a fcheme into execution. After this brief detail of the great actions of the parliament at home and abroad, it is not to be admired that they met with the applaufe of the ableft and beft judges. To what the reader will find in the note (NN) it will be proper to add the opinion of the old chancellor Oxenfiern of Sweden, a name of the highest renown for political abilities in the age in which he lived, the fame, whofe affairs we are now treating of. It is mentioned from M. Chanut, both in the appendix to Keyler's Travels,

out of the chair (ww), and put an end, for the prefent, to the fupream authority of

the

vels, and in Bafnage's Annals of the United Provinces. Oxenstiern indeed blamed the extream barbarity com⚫mitted on the person of the late King of England, but commended and admired almoft every part of the plan of that great defign which the parliament had formed.' Bajnage adds, that he faid, it had been conducted with diftinguished prudence, and that those who then governed in England, acted upon fuch • principles of policy as were founded in truth and ex•perience Such readers as are unprejudiced, will not, after this, think, I am perfuaded, that Mr. Hume has done juftice to the parliament in the following character: Thefe men, fays he, had not that large thought, nor comprehenfive views, which might qualify them for acting the part of legiflators: selfish aims and bigotry chiefly engroffed their attention. They carried their rigid aufterity fo far as to enact laws, declaring fornication, after the first act, to be felony, without benefit of clergy (2). Is this a likenefs? Let facts determine.Undoubtedly their Ludlow, vol. law, with refpect to fornication, was much too rigid. ii. p. 453 But, from a fingle inftance, to take a character, is and the quo- hardly allowable. To be able to fee only one difaWarburton greeable object amongst feveral more fair and equally in the note obvious, argues, indeed, to use this gentleman's own (xx). expreffions, no large thought or comprehensive views.

(7) Hiftory

of Great

Britain, vol.

ii. p. 32. Compare this with

tation from

-If ever men were qualified for acting the part of legiflators, these were they. And whoever will excel as fuch, muft copy after them in the main of their conduct.

(ww) Cromwell entered the house, and put a period, for a time, to the commonwealth.] Many republicks,' fays an excellent writer, have, with length of time,

See Ifaiah Puffendorf's Obfervations on the Refolution of the laft Swedish diet, &c. in the Appendix to Keyfler's Travels, vol. iv. p. 51. and Bafnage's Annals of the United-Provinces, vol, i. p. 243.

‹ fallen

the commonwealth of England. It is not

to

• fallen back into defpotick governments. This feems < to be a calamity that inevitably happens to every free government fooner or later. And, indeed, how can it perpetually refift every thing that faps and fupplants? How can it always check the ambition of those great men whom it produces, and harbours in its bofom? How can it always watch against the, dark and fecret practices and machinations of its neighbours, or against the corruption of its own mem⚫bers, while intereft prevails in the world over every other motive? How fhould it expect always to come off with fuccefs in the wars it must needs undertake • and fupport for its fecurity? or prevent thofe dangerous conjunctures, thofe critical and decifive moments, when its liberty is at stake, or those unforeseen acci'dents that animate and favour the wicked and audacious? If any armies are commanded by timid and unfkilful generals, it falls a prey to any enemies; if they are headed by bold and fuccefsful commanders, thefe will be as dangerous in times of peace, as they were useful and beneficial during the war. There are few, if any republicks, but have rifen from the abyfs of tyranny to freedom, and from thence have funk again into the dregs of fervitude. The fame Athenians, who, in the times of Demofthenes, provoked and infulted Philip of Macedon, crouched to Alexander. The Romans, who abhorred royalty, and • expelled their kings, fuffered, fome ages after, the moft horrible oppreffion and cruelties from their emperors. And the fame Englishmen who rebelled against, • imprisoned, and beheaded Charles I. fubmiffively bore (m) Antithe galling yoke of a protector (m).' I have already Machiavel, obferved that the victory at Worcester, fo fatal to the P97. 8vo. affairs of Charles II. probably infpired Cromwell with the ambition of lording it over his masters, and seizing the fovereignty. Flufhed with fuccefs the brave and ambitious afpire higher and higher, and dare adventure

on

Lond. 1741.