cent. per annum, redeemable by parliament. And by this bill the joint furpluffes arifing, as well from the proposed reduction of interest from fix to five per cent. as from the exceffes of the several taxes appropriated to the payment of the interest, were folemnly declared to be folely and unalienably applicable, under the denomination of a SINKING FUND, to the discharge of the principal of the public debt contracted previous to the 25th of December of the preceding year 1716. Had this plan been as fteadily profecuted as it was wifely concerted, the nation would have been foon relieved from her pecuniary difficulties. For, as in consequence of the progreffive redemption of the debt the surpluffes must increase with accelerated rapidity, its internal energy, without strict attention to the regular though complex mode of its operation, is wholly inconceivable. Of this plan of redemption it may with peculiar and Atriking propriety be faid, "Mobilitate viget, virefque acquirit eundo." New vigor to its flight, new pinions, to its wings." The immediate caufe of the feceffion of Mr. Walpole, whofe example was followed by his friends, Mr. Methuen fecretary of state, and Mr. Pulteney fecretary at war, afterwards fo famous and fo formidable as his antagonist, has been already intimated, and was now unreservedly avowed to be his total difapprobation of the continental politics of the court, which he perhaps deemed not merely injurious to the nation, but eventually hazardous to the safety of the minifter who fhould venture publicly to justify or fupport them. For it did not at this time clearly appear how far the complaifance of parliament would in time extend. Nor was it previously very credible that the interests of three powerful kingdoms should be made entirely subfervient, by men chofen to guard and protect them, to the afpiring views of a German electorate. But experience and and obfervation taught this minifter very different and much juster notions of things. Mr. Walpole was fucceeded in the treasury at first by general Stanhope, who finding and ingenuously acknowledging his incompetency for that ftation, foon refigned to the earl of Sunderland, who had long afpired to the poffeffion of it. Under this nobleman Mr. Aiflabie acted as chancellor of the exchequer ; and the celebrated Addison was advanced in the room of Mr. Methuen to the poft of fecretary: but being found effentially deficient in the requifite qualifications of a minister of state, he resigned on the pretence of ill health and the fatigues of office, to Mr. Craggs. And general Stanhope, being created an earl, refumed the feals of the foreign department, leaving Aiflabie and Craggs to conduct the affairs of government in the house of commons; who, though men of good parliamentary talents, were confidered only as fecondary minifters to the great efficient leaders, Sunderland and Stanhope. The earl of Oxford, who had now remained two years in the Tower, was encouraged, by the defection of his most powerful adversary, to petition the house of lords that his imprisonment might not be indefinite; and the houfe appointed an early day for his trial in Westminster hall, for which the most folemn and magnificent preparations were made, earl Cowper prefiding, as on former occafions, in the capacity of lord-high-steward. The articles of the impeachment being read, and fir Joseph Jekyl ftanding up as one of the committee of managers in the name of the houfe of commons of England to make good the first charge, lord Harcourt arofe and observed, that the articles of the impeachment being numerous, and two of them only extending to the charge of high treafon, it was fuperfluous to enter into the investigation of the reft till thefe had been decided upon; for, fuppofing him guilty of all, the utmoft their lordships could inflict, or the earl could fuffer, would amount to no more than a forfeiture of life and eftate." The commons affected to refent resent what they styled an encroachment upon their privileges, and peremptorily refused to proceed in the order prescribed by the lords. The lords, on their part, haughtily refused a free conference on this subject, as demanded by the commons: and on their non-appearance at the subfequent adjournment of the court, the earl was acquitted; not, as was generally believed, without the fecret approbation and concurrence of the crown. The commons, however, presented an address to the king, defiring that he might be excepted out of the intended act of grace; by which they expreffed at once their fenfe of the earl's demerit, and their contempt of their lordships' fentence of acquittal. The act of grace accordingly paffed with this and fome other exceptions: and Oxford, to preserve appearances, was forbidden to present himself at court, but no attempt was at any time made to revive the proceedings against him. By virtue of this act the lords Carnwath, Widrington, and Nairne, with many other perfons of diftinction concerned in the late rebellion, were discharged. Lord Nithifdale had previously effected his efcape; the earl of Derwentwater and lord viscount Kenmuir only fuffering the utmost rigor of the law. In the course of this year, 1718, the attention of the public was excited in a most uncommon degree by a fermon preached before the king at the chapel-royal, and published at his exprefs command, by Dr. Benjamin Hoadley, lord bishop of Bangor, "On the nature of the kingdom of CHRIST." As the foundation of this memorable discourse, the bishop felected the famous declaration of Chrift to Pilate, the Roman procurator; "MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD." And the direct and undisguised object of it was, to prove that the kingdom of Christ, and the fanctions by which it is fupported were of a nature wholly intellectual and spiritual-that the CHURCH, taking the term in its utmost latitude of fignification, did not, and could not poffefs the lighteft degree of AUTHORITY under : under any commiffion, or pretended commission, derived from him that the church of England, and all other national churches, were merely civil or human inftitutions, established for the purposes of diffufing and perpetuating the knowledge and belief of christianity; which contained a fyftem of truths, not in their nature differing from other truths, excepting by their fuperior weight and importance; and which were to be inculcated in a manner analogous to other truths, demanding only, from their more interesting import, proportionably higher degrees of care, attention, and affiduity in the promulgation of them.” It is fcarcely to be imagined in thefe times, with what degree of furious and malignant rancor these plain, fimple, and rational principles were attacked by the zealots and champions of the church. On the meeting of the convocation, a committee was appointed to examine this famous publication; and a representation was quickly drawn up, in which a most heavy cenfure was paffed upon it, as tending to fubvert all government and difcipline in the church of Christ, to reduce his kingdom to a state of anarchy and confufion, to impugn and impeach the royal fupremacy in matters ecclefiaftical, and the authority of the legiflature to enforce obedience in matters of religion by civil fanctions. A fudden ftop however was put to these difgraceful proceedings, by a royal prorogation; and from this period the convocation has never been convened but as a mere matter of form, and for the purpose of being again prorogued. Perhaps, however, in these more enlightened times, this affembly might be again permitted to refume its deliberative and legislative powers, with advantage to the community-and in no other affembly could propofitions of ecclefiaftical reform originate with so much effect or propriety. The controverfy which thus commenced, was carried on for several years with great ability ⚫ and animation on the part of the bishop, aided by various excellent pens, though oppofed by men whofe learning and and talents gave an artificial luftre to bigotry and absurdity. No controverfy, however, upon the whole, ever more fully and completely answered the purpose intended by it. The obfcurity in which this fubject had been long involved, was diffipated. The public mind was enlightened and convinced. CHURCH AUTHORITY, the chimæra vomiting flames, was destroyed; and the name of HOADLEY will be tranfmitted from generation to generation, with increase of honor, of esteem, and grateful veneration. It would be injustice alfo to deny to the king himself his share of praise for countenancing and supporting opinions fo oppofite to those which have usually conftituted a part of the policy of princes; and which reflect equal credit upon his understanding and integrity. As a far more important proof, however, of the liberal and benignant dispofition of this monarch, earl Stanhope, his favorite and confidential minifter, prefented to the house of lords, December 1718, a bill for the repeal of the occafional conformity and fchifm acts, paffed under the late administration; and likewife fuch clauses of the teft and corporation acts as operated to the exclufion of proteftant diffenters from civil offices. The latter part of the bill had an unexpected and formidable obftacle to encounter in the oppofition of the lord Cowper, who joined the tory lords in founding the alarm of DANGER to the CHURCH, should the diffenters be admitted to the common rights and privileges of citizens in the ftate. Dr. Wake, archbishop of Canterbury, a prelate eminent for learning and general respectability of character, but who, fince his elevation to the primacy, feemed to have loft fight in a great measure of those principles to which he owed his advancement, employed upon this occasion some arguments against the diffenters, which were confidered by his former friends as not a little extraordinary. He affirmed, "That the acts this bill proposed to repeal were the main bulwarks of the English church; and though he had all imaginable tenderness for well-meaning and conscientious diffenters, |