bus perplexam, primus infiftit: Nullus erat quem tutò fequeretur itineris dux, nulla quæ greffus dirigerent præeuntium veftigia; quin ille fuis ingenii luminibus fretus, & flagrandi veritatis indagandæ ftudio accenfus, eam tandem utcunque abditam & reclufam integumentis fuis evolvit; rebus obfcuris lucem, ambiguis fidem, inornatis nitorem attulit : Antiquam Ecclefia faciem, reducto quafi velo, omnibus contemplandam pariter ac fufpiciendam ante ora atque oculos pofuit; expreffam ejus imaginem jufta lineamentorum figuratione conformatam, aptis coloribus depictam, in hujufce Viri fcriptis læti confpicimus; quanto majori lætitiâ fimul & veneratione matronam ipfam, quafi à mortuis revivifcentem, fpirantem demum & loquentem coram intuebimur. Nullo Hunc rerum novandarum ftudio, nullâ privatim læfum injuriâ, nullâ præmii fpe aductum, nullâ re aliâ commotum nifi communi? Ecclefiæ utilitate, arduum hoc opus fufcepiffe, fi non ipfi fæpe id & folenniter affeveranti fidem adhiberem, Virum mihi ob officiorum conjunctionem valdè dilectum, ob spectatam integritatem perquam honoratum gravi injuriâ afficerem: fi eam opinionem quæ animo meo penitùs infedit, quamque non ex inani conjecturâ temerè arripui, fed ex intimiori confuetudine experiundo fufcepi aliorum animis inferere non ftuderem, nec benevoli, nec fidi, nec honesti viri officio defungerer. Nunquam illum in tam longo opere lapfum effe, unquam erraffe, nullum fervente calamo verbum emififfe, quod non reftinctis animi incendis revocare vellet, fi dicerem, plena invidiâ foret oratio, & nulli magis quàm ipfi molefta: Si non fæpe lapfum, non graviter deceptum, non fponte alios in errorem traxiffe dixero; fi plurima in ifti, paginis enitere, quæ fummam laudem merentur, merentur, perpauca effe quæ excufatione indigeant, plane nulla quibus homines benevoli haud facilè ignofcant, fidenter afferam, dicam quod & ego fentio, & nifi præ nimiâ amicitiâ invitus fallar, mecum fentiunt omnes æqui rerum æftimatores. Sit igitur veniæ, fit laudi, fit gratitudini locus; fi quid fortè afperius, fi quid ardentius, fi quid liberius effuderit, lector paulò humanior id non odio, non livori, non arrogantiæ tribuet; fed aut ingegio fuapte naturâ aliquantulum præfervido, aut fortaffe iracundiæ in milite pro aris focifque acriter dimicante, in filio ab injuriâ & vi matrem fuam eripiente facilè ignofcendæ. Quòd fi plures in illius fcriptis effulgent virtutes, fi res tractaverit cognitu difficiles, utiles, jucundas; fi eas validiffimis argumentis firmaverit, fi puro ac dilucido fermone in ipfis Legentium animis infcripferit, eruditioni apud eruditos, eloquentiæ apud difertos fuus conftet honos. Si Synodorum privilegia ac libertates haud fine aliquo fortunæ fuæ difcrimine conftanter afferuit, fi publicæ utilitati rem privatam posthabuit, jurium Ecclefiafticorum vindici aliqua faltem ab Ecclefiafticis rependatur gratia: Hanc aptiffimam laborum fuorum mercedem reportet Vir in agendis rebus acer & induftrius, ut fpatiofior ei aperiatur campus, ubi in inftaurandâ, in promovendâ, in ftabilienda Ecclefiæ pace ingenium fuum ac vires exerat. Quo audientium plaufu apud Populum, apud Magiftratum, apud Clerum, apud Senatores, apud Aulicos è roftris frequentem concionatus eft: quâ facundiâ & MARIE in coelum jam receptæ aures fæpe demulfit, & Sororis divinâ gratiâ adhuc fuperftitis & diu (ita faxit Deus) fuperfuturæ animum gravi ac recenti dolore ferè oppreffum recreavit: quâ dignitate Concionatoris, Canonici, Archidiaconi, Decani munia Officiis & locis dif B juncta, diu fuftinuit! eadem circumftantium approbatione, eâdem eloquentiâ, iifdem virtutibus Prolocutoriam hanc Cathedram aliquanter perornet, aliam atque altiori honoris gradu pofitam (nifi vana auguror) aliquando ornaturus. Quicquid certè Ecclefiæ Anglicane utile aut gloriofum fuerit, id omne nobis fpondet hodiernus rerum ftatus: Populi ftudium, Principum virorum fervor, Optimæ Reginæ pietas, arctiffima inter Ordines Civiles atque Ecclefiafticos concordia. Fuit femper inter inferiora Regni & Ecclefiæ Concilia affinitatis conjunétio, et qualis inter forores effe folet, cum diverfitate aliquâ non parva fimilitudo: at propior iis jam abhinc intercedit cognatio, dum duobus hifce cætibus duo præerunt viri in eâdem Æde; fæcundâ optimarum artium parente pariter innutriti, fub eodem beatæ memoriæ Anteftiti fimul educti, iifdem principiis penitùs imbuti, uterque fide in Principem, in Patriam, in Ecclefiam exploratâ, ftabili, inconcuffà: uterque magna de fe pollicitus, majora præftiturus: alter Reipublicæ, alter Ecclefiæ optimè apud nos conftitutæ & feliciter attemperatæ propugnator ftrenuus: Dignus fanè ille, quem Senatus Reginæ addictiffimus fibi præficeret, quem Regina civium amantiffima autoritate fuâ confirmaret: nec indignus hic, quem Clerus Epifcopali Ordini firmiter obftrictus deditufque, Vobis, PATRES, commendet, quem Vos, Patres maximè colendi, pro tenerrima in Clerum affectu calculis veftris comproberis. Dr. Dr. SMALRIDGE's SPEECH TO THE Upper-Houfe of Convocation.* THE CLERGY, Moft Reverend Father, t have in the ufual Manner, with all Fidelity, discharged the Duty You injoined them, the Choice of a Man of Learning and Eloquence out of their own Body, fit to undertaké, and equal to execute the Office of their PROLOCUTOR, and they do this Day recommend to you, Venerable Fathers, by my Mouth, this excellent Perfon, t already by his great Merits to the Church fufficiently recommended to Our, to Your, and the general Efteem of all good Men; a Perfon endowed with fuch Talents, that he deferves all Manner of Praife; fo high in Fame and Reputation, that he ftands in need of none; a Perfon fo exactly fuiting the Plan and Character which our Ancestors laid down for a PROLOCUTOR, that *This Verfton was made by Dr. Sewell, and approv'd by Dr. Smalridge. Addreffing Himself to Archbiftop Teunion he he may well feem felected from among Us to this high Dignity, not so much by our VOTES, as by the Ancient Rules of CONVOCATIONS. For if a Store of exquifite Learning can be of any Affiftance in the Discharge of this Office, who can discharge it with greater Applause to himself, or more Advantage to Us, than One who is well acquainted with all Parts of Literature, long and fuccessfully exercised in most Arts and Studies, moft accomplished and perfect in thofe Sciences which admit of the greatest Perfection? If lastly, it is a peculiar Part of the Character of a Complete PROLOCUTOR, to exprefs by his fingle Tongue the Sentiments of many Eloquent Men, we have an Orator of fo finished an Elegance, that You, Fathers, need not fear that his Unskilfulness fhould diminish the Dignity of your Anfwers; and we may juftly hope, that his Eloquence will add a confiderable Weight and Advantage to Our Petitions. If Good-will has an Influence in reconciling Refentments, Authority a great Force in moderating Difputes, whom could we rather wifh to be a Judge in our Debates, than one whofe gentle Difpofition renders him fo popular, that he may justly hope by the Sweetness of his Temper to allure all who have any Share of Goodness or Humanity, to the Study of Peace and Unity; one, whofe Gravity is fo free from Arrogance, that fhould any Commotions happen to arife among us, the very Dignity of his Prefence muft immediately fupprefs them? Little therefore, moft Sacred Fathers, had the Clergy anfwered your Expectations, had they placed this weighty Burden on any weaker Shoulders; and at the fame Time they had proved themfelves ungrateful, and forgetful of the greatest Benefits, had they not willingly of fered |