of christians, than I lay to their charge the maxims and practices of robbers and pirates. Το prove, that any human inftitution has attained its ne plus ultra of perfection is to produce internal evidence of a radical deficiency or vice in the fyftem; and to prove a con-、 tinued progress in the melioration or improvement of a system is conclusive evidence, that the ground-work of the fuperftructure is in its nature firm and permanent. I have endeavoured to trace and mark the advances, which our conftitution has been gradually making fince its first institution towards the perfection of civil establishment of religion they formerly allowed to the pope, yet it is evident beyond cavil or doubt, that they neither attempted nor intended to invest, nor did they by law inveft the king with a power of collating spiritual jurifdiction; for they expressly direct the bifhop to apply to the archbishop or other bithops for that, which was not in its nature conferable by the laity; for though the law fubjects the archbishop and bishops to the fevereft penalties and forfeitures, if after such election or nomination they refuse to confirm and inveft the perfon elected or nominated, yet it authorizes not the king or any other perfons to confirm and invest, or to grant or collate the real fpiritual jurifdiction, nor does it fay or 1uppofe, that the perfon elected or nominated becomes a real spiritual paftor of Chrift's church without fuch confirmation or inveftiture. When the bishop has been elected or nominated, and confirmed and invested, he then is to fue to the king for his temporalities, which as appendages of the civil establishment of religion were holden by our Roman catholic ancestors, as well as by the nation at this day, to be at the difpofal and under the controul of the ftate, and not of the fupreme or other fpiritual minifters of the church of Chrift; for in the year 1350 (25 Ed. III.) though they then did and for many centuries afterwards, continued to acknowledge the fpiritual fupremacy of the pope, they complained, that he affumed a right to give and grant church benefices to aliens and denizens, as if he had been patron and adwowee of the faid dignities and benefices, as he was not of right by the law of England, 4 liberty; liberty; and in this progrefs do we find the fureft earneft of future improvements, as the exigencies of times and circumftances fhall require them. To the bleffings of our happy constitution do we at this moment owe the exalted fituation we hold amidst surrounding nations envying, diftracted, and diftreft. Who then but an avowed enemy will attempt to force or feduce us from the fure hold of fuch an unparalleled tranfcendency? The continuance alone of the means, by which we have attained the glory can enfure it to our pofterity. Let every true Englishman therefore join in the patriotic wish for the conftitution, ESTO PERPETUA. duty, 479. Allegiance, 477. how performed, 487. and protection mutual, 477. natural, 477.478. right, 442. Alliance between church and ftate, 271. Bracton, when and why he wrote, 308. Anabaptifts, 554. 560. their doctrines, 555- prefumption in favour of opi- Appeals to Rome, 273. 618. Ariftocracy or oligarchy, 148. neceffary for a ftate, 363, 386. Bribery, caution against it, 446. British conftitution defined, 145. 440. Bill of rights, 188. 357. Calvin, John, his feditious doctrines, Canon law, its obligations, 236, 280. Cantons of Switzerland under demo- Capite, tenants in, 434. its liberties known and certain, 234. - 270. eftablishment of religion, 250. law repugnant to the law of incorporations, what, 37. Commons, houfe of, 399. 402.418. their numbers, 402. 441. their rights vested in them un- injured by the violation of the majority concludes the whole, Covenant in Scotland, 574. taken metaphorically for the limitation of the, from the be- Delegation, of all power from the Democracy, what, 44. 148. vain efforts to establish it in 143. Defcent of the crown, 210. Generaliffimo, king of land and fea Gentleman, neceffary in a common- Geneva, antibifilian school of, 540. all power and authority origi Government, contempts against, 496. form of it left to the option of it requires more power to alter an old, than to form a new one, 55. - mixed form of, 150. motives for confidering the na- fociety cannot fubfift without its perfection confifts in the enemy, 77. at the revolution, 201. |