131

propriated to make good the General Fund, and the over- Geo. I. plus monies of the General Fund, fhall be appropriated and 1717. employed for the discharging the principal and intereft of fuch national debts as were incurred before the 25th of December, 1716, in fuch manner as fhall be directed or appointed by any future act of parliament, to be discharged out of the fame, and for none other ufe, intent, or purpose whatfoever.' This claufe conftitutes the Sinking Fund, and fhews of what it confifts, and to what ufes it is appropriated. Though there had been Sinking Funds before this time for the payment of particular debts (b), yet a Sinking Fund, for difcharging the national debt in general, was firft projected and formed in the year 1716, and till that time unheard of.

(b) In most of the funds that were granted for circulating and exchanging Exchequer bills, there was a furplus of the fund itself, computed to be fufficient to cancel and discharge annually fome part of the bills: And, in the Aggregate Fund Act of the first of king George, there was a fum of 270,999 1. 7s. directed to be paid annually towards discharging the Exchequer bills.

In all fhort annuities likewife
granted for thirty two years,
the principal being to be funk
at the end of the term granted,
this may be looked upon as a
Sinking Fund, attending thofe
particular debts. But the first
mention that ever was made in
parliament of a Sinking Fund,
for discharging the national
debt in general was
feffion."

1 2

BOOK

Geo. I. 1717.

A motion in favour of

Dr. Sn pe car ied by

the Tories.

BOOK XXXI. CHA P. II.

A motion in favour of Dr. Snape carried by the Tories. -Proceedings in the convocation against the bishop of Bangor.-Affairs in the north.-The czar's memorial. -Marriage propofed between the pretender and the czar's daughter.--Trial of the earl of Oxford.—The Seffion ends.-Account of the act of grace.-Value of the forfeited eftates in Scotland.-Prince Eugene defeats the Turks near Belgrade.-Great preparations in Spain. Meafures concerted between France and England to reconcile Spain and the emperor.-The earl of Peterborough feized at Bologna.-Difference between the king, and prince.-Third feffion of king George's first parliament.-Debates about the army.-Attempt to lower the gold coins.-Defign against the king's life by James Shepherd. The king accepts the government of the South-Sea company.-Debates in both houses about the mutiny bill.-A bill about the forfeited eftates.-The feffion ends.-Changes in the miniftry.-Great preparations in Spain.-Quadruple alliance.-Sir George Byng fent with a strong fleet to the Mediterranean.His inftructions. He defeats the Spanish flect.-His proceedings after the battle.-Complaints of Spain.

A

S the change in the miniftry had caufed a divifion among the Whigs, fome adhering to thofe that were in, and others to thofe that were out of place, an oppofition was formed by thofe laft in conjunction with the Tories on feveral occafions. This evidently appeared when Sir William Windham (who had been difcharged) moved, that Dr. Snape fhould be appointed to preach on the reftoration of king Charles. The doctor was one of the king's chaplains, and mafter of Eaton-School, but was of High-Church principles, and had lately attacked the bifhop of Bangor. Sir William's motion was feconded by Mr. Shippen, and fupported, not only by feveral Tories, but alfo by all the Whigs, who had lately refigned their employments. Mr. Horace Walpole, who fpoke after Mr. Shippen, faid, That it was

unusual,

1717.

unusual, on fuch occafions, to put the negative on any man, Geo. I. whom a member of that house had thought fit to name; and that Dr. Snape was not only a perfon of merit, and great learning, but had likewife the honour to be one of his majefty's chaplains.' To thefe commendations Mr. Robert Walpole added, That he knew Dr. Snape to be both a very learned, and a very honeft man: That he had not only intrufted him with the education of his own children, but alfo recommended the fons of the duke of Devonshire and lord Townshend to his care; and therefore he could not but think, that he might be trufted with preaching a fermon before that affembly. Mr. Lechmere obferved, That he could not but wonder, that a member, who had been one of the managers against Dr. Sacheverel, fhould now speak in behalf of a divine, who had afferted the fame notions of paffive-obedience and non-refiftance, for which the other had been profecuted; and who had lately attacked a worthy champion of the revolution and Proteftant fucceffion.' Mr. Ailabie answered, That he gave his vote to Dr. Snape, because he looked upon him as a learned and honeft man: And, as for his having written against the bishop of Bangor's fermon, he did not think it a fufficient reafon to put upon him a negative, which would be prejudging of a controverfy, that did not properly belong to their cognifance.' The lord Guernsey spoke with ftill more vehemence in behalf of the doctor, fo that, the motion being thus ftrongly fupported, he was appointed to preach by a majority of one hundred and forty-one against one hundred and thirty-one.

vocation

against the

The controverfy, mentioned in this debate between the Proceedings bishop of Bangor and Dr. Snape, was occafioned in this of the con. manner: Dr. Benjamin Hoadley (the prefent bishop of Winchefter) famous for his fteady adherence at all times to the bishop of principles of the revolution (for which he had been recom- Bangor. mended to the throne by the house of commons, and advanced to the fee of Bangor) had lately published, A Prefervative against the Principles and Practices of the Nonjurors ;' and, foon after *, preached a fermon before the king, Mar. 31. which was printed under the title of, The Nature of the Kingdom of Chrift (c).' To this fermon Dr. Snape published an answer; and, prefently after, the lower house of convocation (as they had before done with regard to Dr. Samuel Clarke's Scripture-Doctrine) entered upon the fubject, both of the bishop of Bangor's fermon, and of his Prefervative. They appointed a committee of fix of their members, (c) The text was, My kingdom is not of this world.'

Geo. I. Dr. Mofs, Dr. Sherlock, Dr. Friend, Dr. Sprat, Dr. Can1717. non, and Dr. Bifs, to examine them, and make their report to the house. The committee fat and drew up a reprefentation, in which both the Preservative and Sermon were cenfured, as tending,

I. To fubvert all government and difcipline in the Church of Chrift, and to reduce his kingdom to a state of anarchy and confufion.' And,

II. To impugn and impeach the regal fupremacy in caufes ecclefiaftical, and the authority of the legislature, to inforce obedience in matters of religion by civil fanctions.'

This charge was fupported by paffages taken out of the Prefervative and fermon (d), and the whole drawn up in the form

(d) The bishop, in the con-
clufion of his anfwer to this re-
prefentation, has confronted the
paffages, on which the charge

The propofitions contained in
thofe paffages of my fermon
and prefervative, which are
made the foundation of the
charge in the representation :

1. Chrift himself is king in
his own kingdom.

2. Chrift is the fole law-giver and fole judge of his fubjects, in all points relating to the favour, or displeasure of Almighty God. In other words,

3. No one of his fubjects is law-giver and judge over others of them, in matters relating to falvation. In other words thus,

4. No men upon earth have a right to make any of their own declarations or decifions to concern and affect the ftate of Chrift's fubjects, with regard to the favour of God.

5. The more close and immediate the regard of men to

against him was founded, with the oppofite doctrines, which must be true, if his are false.

The propofitions contradictory to them: Which, therefore, must be maintained to be true and Christian, by all who condemn the others:

1. Chrift himfelf is not king in his own kingdom.

2. Chrift is not the fole lawgiver and fole judge of his fubjects, in all points relating to the favour, or difpleasure of Almighty God.

3. Some of his fubjects are law-givers and judges over others of them, in matters relating to falvation.

4. There is a right in fome men to make their own declarations and decifions to concern and affect the ftate of Chrift's fubjects, with regard to the favour of God.

5. A close and immediate regard to Chrift himself, is not fo

form of a report, to be laid before the convocation. But Geo. I. the government, out of regard to the intereft of the con- 1717. ftitution