to an act for exhibiting a bill to naturalize the princess Sophia, and the issue of her body. § XLII. These measures being taken, the sixth day of December was appointed for inquiring into those dangers to which the tories affirmed the church was exposed; and the queen attended in person, to hear the debates on this interesting subject. The earl of Rochester compared the expressions in the queen's speech at the beginning of the session to the law enacted in the reign of Charles II. denouncing the penalties of treason against those who should call the king a papist for which reason, he said, he always thought him of that persuasion. He affirmed that the church's danger arose from the act of security in Scotland, the absence of the successor to the crown, and the practice of occasional conformity. He was answered by lord Halifax, who, by way of recrimination, observed that king Charles II. was a Roman catholic, at least his brother declared him a papist after his death: that his brother and successor was a known Roman catholic, yet the church thought herself secure; and those patriots who stood up in its defence were discountenanced and punished: nay, when the successor ascended the throne, and the church was apparently in the most imminent danger, by the high commission court and otherwise, the nation was then indeed generally alarmed; and every body knew who sat in that court, and entered deeply into the measures which were then pursued. Compton, bishop of London, declared that the church was in danger, from profaneness, Irreligion, and the licentiousness of the press. plained, that sermons were preached wherein rebellion was countenanced, and resistance to the higher powers encouraged. He alluded to a sermon preached before the lord mayor, by Mr. Hoadly, now bishop of Winchester. Burnet of Sarum said, the bishop of London was the last man who ought to complain of that sermon; for if the doctrine it contained was not good, he did not know what defence his lordship could make for his appearing in arms at Nottingham. He affirmed the church would be always subject to profaneness and irreligion, but that they were not now so flagrant as they usually had been: he said the society set up for reformation in London, and other cities, had contributed considerably to the suppression of vice: he He com was sure the corporation for propagating the gospeľ had done a great deal towards instructing men in religion, by giving great numbers of books in practical divinity: by erecting libraries in country parishes; by sending many able divines to the foreign plantations, and founding schools to breed up children in the christian knowledge; though to this expense very little had been contributed by those who appeared so wonderfully zealous for the church. The archbishop of York expressed his apprehension of danger from the increase of dissenters: particularly from the many académies they had instituted; he moved, that the judges might be consulted with respect to the laws that were in force against such seminaries, and by what means they might be suppressed. Lord Wharton moved, that the judges might also be consulted about means of suppressing schools and seminaries held by nonjurors; in one of which the sons of a noble lord in that house had been educated. To this sarcasm the archbishop replied, that his sons were indeed taught by Mr. Ellis, a sober, virtuous man; but that when he refused the oath of abjuration, they were immediately withdrawn from his instructions. Lord Wharton proceeded to declare, that he had carefully perused a pamphlet entitled "The Memorial," which was said to contain a demonstration that the church was in danger; but all he could learn was, that the duke of Buckingham, the earls of Rochester and Nottingham, were out of place: that he remembered some of these noblemen sat in the high commission court, and then made no complaint of the church's being in danger. Patrick, bishop of Ely, complained of the heat and passion manifested by the gentlemen belonging to the universities, and of the undutiful behaviour of the clergy towards their bishops. He was seconded by Hough of Lichfield and Coventry, who added, that the inferior clergy calumniated their bishops, as if they were in a plot to destroy the church, and had compounded to be the last of their order. Hooper of Bath and Wells expatiated on the invidious distinction implied in the terms "High Church," and "Low "Church." The duke of Leeds asserted, that the church could not be safe, without an act against occasional conformity. Lord Somers recapitulated all the arguments which had been used on both sides of the question: he declared his own opinion was, that the nation was happy under a wise and just administration: that for men to raisé groundless jealousies at that juncture, could mean no less than an intention to embroil the people at home, and defeat the glorious designs of the allies abroad. The debate being finished, the question was put, Whether the church of England was in danger, and carried in the negative by a great majority: then the house resolved, That the church of England as by law established, which was rescued from the extremest danger by king William III. of glorious memory, is now, by God's blessing, under the happy reign of her majesty, in a most safe and flourishing condition; and that whoever goes about to suggest or insinuate that the church is in danger, under her majesty's administration, is an enemy to the queen, the church, and the kingdom. Next day the commons concurred in this determination, and joined the lords in an address to the queen, communicating this resolution, beseeching her to take effectual, measures for making it public; and also for punishing the authors and spreaders of the seditious and scandalous reports of the church's being in danger. She accordingly issued a proclamation, containing the resolution of the two houses, and offering a reward for discovering the author of the Memorial of the church of England, and for apprehending David Edwards, a professed papist, charged upon oath to be the printer and publisher of that libel. § XLIII. After a short adjournment, a committee of the lower house presented the thanks of the commons to the duke of Marlborough, for his great services performed to her majesty and the nation in the last campaign, and for his prudent negotiation with her allies. This nobleman was in such credit with the people, that when he proposed a loan of five hundred thousand pounds to the emperor, upon a branch of his revenue in Silesia, the money was advanced immediately by the merchants of London. The kingdom was blessed with plenty: the queen was universally beloved the people in general were zealous for the prosecution of the war: the forces were well paid: the treasury was punctual: and, though a great quantity of coin was exported for the maintenance of the war, the paper currency supplied the deficiency so well, that no murmurs were heard, and the public credit flourished both at home and abroad. All the funds being established, one in particular for two millions and a half by way of annuities for ninety-nine years, at six and a half per cent. and all the bills having received the royal assent, the queen went to the house of peers on the nineteenth day of March, where, having thanked both houses for the repeated instances of their affection which she had received, she prorogued the parliament to the twenty-first day of May following. The new convocation, instead of imitating the union and harmony of parliament, revived the divisions by which the former had been distracted, and the two houses seemed to act with more determined rancour against each other. The upper house having drawn up a warm address of thanks to the queen, for her affectionate care of the church, the lower house refused to concur; nor would they give any reason for their dissent. They prepared another in a different strain, which was rejected by the archbishop. Then they agreed to divers resolutions, asserting their right of having what they offered to the upper house received by his grace and their lordships. In consequence of this dissension the address was dropped, and a stop put to all further communication between the two houses. The dean of Peterborough protested against the irregularities of the lower house, The queen, in a letter to the archbishop, signified her resolution to maintain her supremacy, and the due subordination of presbyters to bishops. She expressed her hope that he and his suffragans would act conformably to her resolution, in which case they might be assured of the conti nuance of her favour and protection: she required him to impart this declaration to the bishops and clergy, and to prorogue the convocation to such time as should appear most convenient. When he communicated this letter to the lower house, the members were not a little confounded; nevertheless they would not comply with the prorogation, but continued to sit, in defiance of her majesty's pleasure. e Among other bills passed during this session, was an act for abridging and reforming some proceedings in the common law and in chancery. f Burnet. Boyer. Lockhart. Quincy. Hist. of Europe. Feuquieres. Tindal. Hist. of the duke of Marlborough. Burchet. Lives of the Admirals. Voltaire. 1 § XLIV. The eyes of Great Britain were now * turned upon a transaction of the utmost consequence to the whole island namely, the treaty for an union of the two kingdoms of England and Scotland. The queen having appointed the commissioners" on both sides, they met on the sixteenth day of April, in the council chamber of the Cockpit near Whitehall, which was the place appointed for the conferences. Their commissions being opened and read by the respective secretaries, and the introductory speeches being pronounced by the lord keeper of England, and the lord chancellor of Scotland, they agreed to certain preliminary articles, importing, that all the proposals should be made in writing: and every point, when agreed, reduced to writing; that no points should be obligatory, till all matters should be adjusted in such a manner as would be proper to be laid before the queen and the two parliaments for their approbation: that a committee should be appointed from each commission, to revise the minutes of what might pass, before they should be inserted in the books by the respective secretaries; and that all the proceedings during the treaty should be kept secret. The Scots were inclined, to a federal union, like that of the United Provinces; but the English * An. 1706. The English commissioners were, Thomas lord archbishop of Canterbury; William Cowper, lord keeper of the great seal; John lord archbishop of York; Sidney lord Godolphin, lord high treasurer of England; Thomas earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, president of the council; John duke of Newcastle, keeper of the privy seal; William duke of Devonshire, steward of the household; Charles duke of Somerset, master of the horse; Charles duke of Bolton, Charles earl of Sunderland, Evelyn earl of Kingston, Charles earl of Carlisle, Edward earl of Oxford, Charles viscount Townshend, Thomas lord Wharton, Ralph lord Grey, John lord Powlet, John lord Somers, Charles lord Halifax, William Cavendish marquis of Hartington, John Manners marquis of Granby; sir Charles Hedges and Robert Harley, principal secretaries of state; John Smith; Henry Boyle, chancellor of the exchequer; sir John Holt, chief justice of the queen's bench; sir Thomas Trevor, chief justice of the common pleas; sir Edward Northey, attorney general; sir Simon Harcourt, solicitor general; sir John Cooke; and Stephen Waller, doctor of laws-The Scottish commissioners were, James earl of Seafield, lord chancellor of Scotland; James duke of Queensberry, lord privy seal; John earl of Mar, and Hugh earl of Loudon, principal secretaries of state; John earl of Sutherland, John carl of Morton, David earl of Wemys, David earl of Leven, John earl of Stair, Archibald earl of Roseberry, David earl of Glasgow, lord Archibald Campbell, Thomas viscount Duplin, lord William Ross, sir Hugh Dalrymple, president of the session; Adam Cockburn, of Ormistoun, lord justice Clerk; sir Robert Dundas, of Arnistoun, Robert Stuart of Tillicultrie, lords of the sessions; Mr. Francis Moutgomery, one of the commissioners of the treaşury; sir David Dalrymple, one of her majesty's solicitors; sir Alexander Ogilvie, receiver general; sir Patrick Johnston, provost of Edinburgh; sir James Smollet, of Bonhill; George Lockhart, of Carnwath; William Morrison, of Prestongrange; Alexander Grant; William Seton, of Pitmidden; John Clerk, of Penny cook; Hugh Montgomery, Daniel Stuart, and Daniel Campbell, |