Earthquake in this Ifland but did certainly fore-run fome very remarkable Calamity.

All I fhall farther add is this,. The only Refuge this Government has (for. I find they don't think it safe to ftand upon their own Legs,) is to keep up the Confederacy; This in reality will prove a rotten Reed, we may lean upon it, but it will run into our Hands and wound us, but never fupport us, it's grown already feeble and contemptible, and being originally founded in Villainy there's little likelyhood it will profper. By the Experience of former Ages, Confederacies feldom or never performed great Atchievments. Their Religions, Manners, Interefts, being for the most part different and contrary, their Confultations for that very Reafon feldom prove effectual: And Montlur tells us, that two Princes defigning to overcome a third never agree long; and gives you his own Experience, and that of preceeding Times for it. And the most acute and judicious Guicciardine tells us, That Confederacies can never be fo knitted and united, but that fome or other of them will grow remifs, or go off from the rest; and then all is fpoiled. And Comines adds, That if there be not One to over-rule and govern all the rest of the Confederacy, their Designs will be fruftrated, and end in nothing but their own Shame and Weakness, and the Glory and Advantage of the Common Enemy. I might, if I dare take that Litake-that-Li berty, have produced a multitude of Examples of this Nature; but I hope any One's Reflection upon the Inftances of this Age will fave me that Trouble; and therefore will addrefs my felf to thofe of my Countrymen who have had the misfortune to be mifled, that fince they have found all their Expectations deceived, themfelves gull'd out of all thofe real Bleffings of Government they formerly enjoyed, Peace, Plenty, Liberty and Property, and all that could render a People happy, by One whom a Man would be tempted to think could never have been procreated of Human Race, void of all fenfe of Religion, Justice, Honour, and every Qualification that is apt to conciliate Love or Veneration from Mankind; who has really forfieted the Crown by his own Act, having violated the very Inftrument of Government he fubfcribed: One that has been the occafion of fhedding more Chriftian Blood, on both Sides, than was spilt in the ten Perfecutions, and meerly upon a Sham Pretence of Religion to us; that it is their Interest and indifpenfible Duty, if they have any fenfe of Goodnefs remaining, any fear of God before their Eyes, any refpect for Religion, or love for their Souls, any remorfe for the Evil they have done, any Bowels for their own Country, any Charity for the reft of the World, to free thefe Nations of fuch a Plague and Curfe, and if poffible, to redeem all thofe Bleffings which have been fo long with-held from us by his Means, by atoning God Almighty, by doing Juftice to their highly injur'd King and Queen, to themselves, and to all -Europe, and averting thofe difmal Plagues which otherwife e're long will fall upon their Heads: Ŏtherwise let then do what they can, be as obftinate, malicious and revengeful as they please, if they be refolv'd yet to act wickedly, they Shall be confumed, both they and their King.

Dddd 2

ز

The

The History of RESISTANCE, as Practis'd by the Church of England: In which 'Tis proved, from most AUTHENTICK RECORDS, That in every Reign fince the Reformation of Religion, the faid CHURCH bath Aided and Affifted, Juftified and Approved of, fuch Subjects as have Defended themselves against the Oppreffions of their Tyrannical, tho' Natural PRINCES. Written Upon Occafion of Mr. AGATE's SERMON at Exeter on the 30th of January; and in DEFENCE of the Late Revolution, the Prefent Eftablishment, and the Proteftant Succeffion. By JOHN WITHERS. 1710.

(

LUKE XI. 46. Ye lade Men with Burdens grievous to be borne, and ye your felves touch not the Burdens with one of your Fingers.

Quis tulerit Gracchum de Seditione querentem?

The Judgment of the prefent Archbishop of York, concerning this Doctrine, in his Sermon preach'd before the LORDS, on Jan. .30. 1700. p. 20.

S the Laws of the Land are the Meafures of our Active Obedience, fo are also the fame Laws the Measures of our Submiffion; and as we are not bound to obey, but where the Laws and Conftitution require our Obedience, fo neither are we bound to Submit, but as the Laws and Conftitution do require our Submission.

If indeed a Preacher fhould in the Pulpit prefume to give his Judgment about the Management of Publick Affairs, or to lay down Doctrines as from Chrift about the Forms and Models of Kingdoms or Commonwealths, or to adjust the Limits of the Prerogative of the Prince, or of the Liberties of the Subject in our prefent Government: I fay, if a Divine fhould meddle with fuch Matters as thefe in his Sermons, I do not know how he can be excufed from the juft Çenfure of meddling with Things that nothing concern him. This is indeed a Practifing in State Matters; and is Ufurping an Office that belongs to another Profeffion, and to Men of another Character; and I fhould account it every whit as undecent in a Clergyman to take upon him to deal in these Points, as it would be for him to determine Titles of Land in the Pulpit, which are in Difpute in Westminster-Hall Page 6th.

The

The present Bishop of London, and the Clergy of the Cities of London and Westminster, in their Address presented to Her Majesty, August 22. 1710. Say they,

WE thank God, from the Bottom of our Hearts, for the Legal Provifions,

in this regard, made, to fecure us from Popery and Arbitrary Power, which we once, thro' the Divine Affiftance, vigorously and fuccefsfully withfood, when they were breaking in upon our Conftitution; nor fhall we fail to manifeft an equal Zeal against them, whenever, and by what means foever, they shall meditate a Return.

The HISTORY of RESISTANCE, &c.

ISTORIANS tell us, That when the Tongue-ty'd Son of Cræfus Jaw the fatal Sword just ready to be sheath'd in his Father's Bowels, bis Surprize and Indignation raifed fuch an Emotion in his Blood and Spirits, as tore afunder thofe little membraneous Fetters, which held the grand Organ of Speech a Prifoner from his very Birth. I doubt not but every True Englishman will readily confefs Her prefent Majefty to be the Common Mother of her People; when, therefore, fuch Doctrines are divulged from the Pulpit, as will blacken Her Conduct, and weaken Her Title, I need no other Apology to juftify this prefent Elay, in Vindication of them both.

It might have been expected, that Mr. Agate's Splenetick Temper fhould have been fully eased by that Torrent of Gall, which he has poured forth on the Diffenters; and that the Members of his own Church might have obtained a fairer Quarter from him: But fo flagrant is this Gentleman's Zeal, that it burns up every thing which stands in its way. Of this the City had a notable Inftance on the Thirtieth of January laft, when taking for his Text, God's fending his Prophet to a Rebellious Nation; and having a Fling at the HOUSE OF COMMONS, by remarking, That God's Minifters must tell People of their Faults, tho' Fin'd and IMPEACH'D for their Labour: He undertakes to prove this Propofition, That Refiftance to the Higher Powers, upon any Pretence whatsoever, is abfolutely Unlawful. But fuppofe (fays he, in the midít of his Declamation) the Prince should endeavour to overthrow the Constitution, and bring in Popery, may be not be Refifted in fuch a Cafe? Oh No! God forbid! For be that Refifteth, refifteth the Ordinance of God, and shall receive to bimfi if Damnation.

Now, 'tis known to all the World, that the late King JAMES did endeavour to bring in Popery; that in this Attempt he was refifted by the Prince of Orange, with whom concurred our QUEEN, our Nobles and Bifhops, our

Gentry and Clergy, who if this Doctrine be true, are all involved in the Guilt of a Damnable Rebellion. Befides, if the Nation was guilty of a Damning Sin in refifting King JAMES, they are obliged to Repent of it as they value the Salvation of their own Souls. Now, Repentance is the undoing what was done amifs: If I have wronged and cheated my Neighbour, 'tis a vain Thing for me to pretend Repentance, unless I make him Reparation as far as I am able. Mr. Agates's Friends, the Non-jurors, will tell him of a Gentleman on the other fide the Water, who was acknowledged in all the Churches in England to be King JAMES's Son, and that in the moft, folemn Acts of Worship, when Men can never be excufed if they speak what they do not think, And that the Nation can never Repent of refifting King 7 AMES, but by making Satisfaction and Reftitution to-Accordingly the Grand Patrons of Paffive Obedience actually refuse to Recognize Her Majesty's, Title, and referve their Allegiance for the Pretender. 'Tis to promote his Intereft, no doubt, that thefe High Fantaftick Principles have been fo zealously inculcated by the Rebearfer and his Party; and I wish that others may not efpouse them for the fame Reafon.

But let us hear a little more of Mr. Agate's Oratory: If any (fays this Declaimer on the Thirtieth of January) who have been Baptized into our Čhurch, are for the Doctrine of Refiftance, I PRONOUNCE them to be Enemies bath to our Church and Conftitution. And fo made it the main Drift of his Dif courfe to perfuade his Hearers, That none but Albeifts and Deifts, Papifts and Diffenters, ever thought it lawful to refift the Higher Powers upon any Pretence whatsoever.

I have read, that before the Reformation, the Archbishop of Canterbury was called alterius Orbis Papa, the Pope of another World: But that the Curate of St. Mary Arches fhould fet up for a British Pope; that he fhould affume to himself a Power of pronouncing who fhall be efteemed a true Churchman, and who not, this, I confefs, is new, and would furprize me, were not the Humour of the Man pretty well known, and that he is remarkable for nothing more than an uncommon measure of Affurance.

The Defign, therefore, of thefe Hiftorical Collections, is to convince this Part of the World, that the Church of England in former Ages, did not efpouse those Slavish Principles, which Mr. Agate pretends to be its funding Doctrine: And that no more is now faid by Whigs or Diffenters on the Point of Refiftance, than what has been formerly practifed by Bishops and Convocations. To make this Matter clear, I would premife Two or Three Things, which no Reasonable Man can deny me.

First, Men's Actions are the beft Expounders of their Intentions, and their Principles may be best discovered by their Practices.

Secondly, If all Refiftance of Subjects to their Princes be Rebellion, then all fuch as aid and abet fuch Rebels involve themfelves in the fame Guilt. Our Lawyers will tell us, That in Treafon there are no Acceffaries, but all are Principals. We may partake in other Men's Sins, by adminiftring Counsel, "Direction or Affiftance towards them; as the Famous Dr. Sacheverell has

Hale's Fleas of the Crown, p. 215.

• very

very truly determined t. When therefore, our Church gave Aid to fuch as defended themselves against the Oppreffion of their own Princes, this is the fame thing as if they had themfelves refifted. Thefe things premifed, I come to prove the Point proposed by me in these Sheets.

As the Reformation of Religion in the Church of England may be dated from the fhort Reign of King EDWARD the Sixth, fo that the Proteftants of that Age did not look upon Refiftance upon any Pretence whatfoever as abfolutely unlawful, may be demonftrated from the Conduct and Demeanour of thefe very Perfons under his immediate Succeffor Queen MARY. "Tis known to every one who has the leaft Acquaintance with our English Hiftories, how that Young Prince was prevailed upon by the Artifices of the Duke of Northumberland, when in a Languifhing Condition, to nominate the Lady Jane Grey, for his Succeffor to the Crown; a Young Lady of moft incomparable Parts and Virtues, and a zealous Lover of the Reformation; but who, tho' fhe had Royal Blood in her Veins, yet had no Title to the Crown, either by Virtue of Heirship, or any Parliamentary Settlement. That which principally influenced K. Edward to this Act, was the known Bigotry of his Sifter Mary, and her paffionate Devotion to the See of Rome; which made him fear that The would deftroy what he had done, as accordingly it came to pafs. Upon the Death of this Excellent Prince, the Lady Jane was proclaimed in London; but the Generality of the Nation adhered to the Princess Mary, on whom the Succeffion was entail'd by the Eftates of the Realm in Parliament affembled, Whilft the two Rival Queens were contending for a Diadem, Dr. Ridley, at that time Bishop of London, renowned for his Piety and Learning, and above all things for his Conftancy in Martyrdom, and the Generous Teftimony which he bore to his Redeemer's Caufe; this great Man preached a Sermon at St. Paul's Crofs, to advance the Title of Queen Jane. Amongst other things, • He preffed the Inconveniencies which might arife, by receiving Mary for their Queen; prophefying that which after came to pafs, namely, that the would bring in a Foreign Power to reign over this Nation; and that the would fubvert the True Religion, then eftablished by the Laws of this • Realm*. So that this great Prelate was fo far from believing all Refistance to be a Damnable Sin, that he publickly exhorted the People to defend their Religion and Liberties against the Right Heir to the Crown. Nor can it be pretended that he was a Puritanical Bifhop; his Contest with Bishop Hooper, in Defence of the Habits and Ceremonies of the Church will evince the contrary.

Q. Mary had not long been in the peaceable Poffeffion of her Kingdom, before the Promises made to those who drew their Sword in her Quarrel were quite forgotten, and fhe difplay'd the perfidious Cruelty, not fo much of her Nature as her Religion. The Proteftant Bishops were difplaced; the Supremacy of the Pope recognized; and that Structure which her Brother had been fo many Years in raifing, was in a little time razed to the very Ground. Word, the Goals were quickly crowded, and the Roman Vultures, thofe Birds

+ Sermon at Derby, p. 10. page 162.

In one

of Heylin's Hiftory of the Reformation, &c. Edit. 2. jf. 1.