very acts which he had before endeavoured toAPPEND. stifle in their birth. In this, however, it must be III. acknowledged, that the spirit of party mingled too much of its influence with the dictates of prudence; and that prudence, thus accompanied, was not very consistent with Dr Wake's known principles of equity and moderation. As I was at a loss how to account for this part of the Archbishop's conduct, I addressed myself to a learned and worthy clergyman of the church of England, who gave me the following answer: "Archbishop "Wake's objection to the repeal of the Schism 66 act was founded on this consideration only, that "such a repeal was needless, as no use had been "made, or was likely to be made, of that act. It " is also highly probable, that he would have con"sented without hesitation to rescind it, had no 66 thing farther been endeavoured at the same time. "But, considering what sort of spirit was then "shewn by the Dissenters and others, it ought not "to be a matter of great wonder, if he was afraid, "that from the repeal of the other act (viz. that against occasional conformity), considerable da 66 46 mage might follow to the church, over which he "presided and even supposing his fears to be "excessive, or quite groundless, yet certainly they "were pardonable in a man who had never done, "nor designed to do, any thing disagreeable to the "Dissenters in any other affair, and who, in this, "had the concurrence of some of the greatest and "wisest of the English lords, and of the Earl of "Ilay, among the Scotch, though a professed Presbyterian.' .. However some may judge of this particular incident, I think it will appear from the whole tenour of Archbishop Wake's correspondence and transactions with Christian churches of different denominations, that he was a man of a pacific, gentle, and benevolent spirit, and an enemy to the feuds, APPEND.feuds, animosities, and party-prejudices, which diIII. vide the professors of one holy religion, and by which Christianity is exposed to the assaults of its virulent enemies, and wounded in the house of its pretended friends. To this deserved eulogy, we may add what a learned and worthy divine [i] has said of this eminent prelate, considered as a controversial writer, even," that his accurate and supe"rior knowledge of the nature of the Romish hi"erarchy, and of the constitution of the church of England, furnished him with victorious arms, "both for the subversion of error and the defence "of truth." [i] Dr WILLIAM RICHARDSON, master of Emanuel College in Cambridge, and canon of Lincoln. See his noble edition, and his very elegant and judicious continuation of Bishop GODWIN's Commentarius de Præsulibus Anglia, published in the year 1743, at Cambridge. His words (p. 167.) are: "Nemo uspiam Ecclesiæ Romanæ vel Anglicane statum penitus cog"nitum & exploratum habuit; & proinde in disputandi arenam "prodiit tum ad oppugnandum tum ad propugnandum instruc""" tissimus." 66 AUTHEN AUTHENTIC COPIES of the ORIGINAL LETTERS, APPEND. from which the preceding AccoUNT is drawn. I No. I. A Letter from Archbishop WAKE to Mr BEAUVOIR. Lambeth, Nov. 28. S. V. 1717. AM indebted to you for several kind letters, and some small tracts, which I have had the favour to receive from you. The last, which contains an account of the new edition that is going out of CHRYSOSTOM, I received yesterday. It will, no doubt, be a very valuable edition; but, as they propose to go on with it, I shall hardly live to see it finished. They do not tell us, to whom here we may go for subscriptions: and it is too much trouble to make returns to Paris. They should, for their own advantage, say, where subscriptions, will be taken in London, and where one may call for the several volumes as they come out, and pay for the next that are going on. Among the account of books you were pleased to send me, there is one with a very promising title, Thesaurus Anecdotorum, 5 volumes. I wish I could know what the chief of those anecdotes are; it may be a book very well worth having. I admire they do not disperse some sheets of such works. What they can add to make MORERI's Dictionary so very voluminous, I cannot imagine. I bought it in two exorbitant volumes, and thought it big enough so. While I am writing this, company is come in, so that I am forced to break off; and I can only assure you, that, upon all occasions, you shall find me very sincerely, Reverend Sir, Your faithful friend, N. B. This is the earliest letter in the whole collection: And by VOL. VI. H No. II. III. A letter from Mr BEAUVOIR to Archbishop WAKE. My Lord, Had the honour of your Grace's letter of the 28th ultimo but Sunday last; and therefore could not answer it sooner. A person is to be appointed to receive subscriptions for the new edition of St CHRYSOSTOM, and deliver the copies. Inclosed is an account of the Thesaurus Anecdotorum. Dr DU PIN, with whom I dined last Monday, and with the Syndic of the Sorbonne, and two other doctors, tells me, that what swells MORERI'S Dictionary are several additions, and particularly the families of Great Britain. He hath the chief hand in this new edition. They talked as if the whole kingdom was to appeal to the future general council, &c. They wished for an union with the church of England, as the most effectual means to unite all the western churches. Dr DU PIN desired me to give his duty to your Grace, upon my telling him, that I would send you an arret of the parliament of Paris relating to him, and a small tract of his. I have transmitted them to Mr PREVEREAU, at Mr Secretary ADDISON'S office. No. III. A letter from Archbishop WAKE to Mr BEAUVOIR. I Told you in one of my last letters, how little I expected from the present pretences of an union with us. Since I received the papers you sent me, I am more convinced that I was not mistaken. My task is pretty hard, and I scarce know how to To go any to manage myself in this matter. farther than I have done in it, even as a divine only of the church of England, may meet with censure: and, as Archbishop of Canterbury, I cannot treat with these gentlemen. I do not think my character at all inferior to that of an Archbishop of Paris: on the contrary, without lessening the authority and dignity of the church of England, I must say it is in some respects superior. If the Cardinal were in earnest for such an union, it would not be below him to treat with me himself about it. I should then have a sufficient ground to consult with my brethren, and to ask his Majesty's leave to correspond with him concerning it. But to go on any farther with these gentlemen, will only expose me to the censure of doing what, in my station, ought not to be done without the king's knowledge; and it would be very odd for me to have an authoritative permission to treat with those who have no manner of authority to treat with me. However, I shall venture at some answer or other to both their letters and papers; and so have done with this affair. I cannot tell well what to say to Dr Du PIN: If he thinks we are to take their direction what to retain, and what to give up, he is utterly mistaken. I am a friend to peace, but more to truth. And they may depend upon it, I shall always account our church to stand upon an equal foot with theirs; and that we are no more to receive laws from them, than we desire to impose any upon them. In short, the church of England is free, is orthodox: She has a plenary authority within herself, and has no need to recur to any other church to direct her what to retain, or what to do. Nor will we, otherwise than in a brotherly way, and in a full equality of right and power, ever consent to have any treaty with that of France, H 2 APPEND. |