dinances of God with any Benefit, God's Grace and Influence then and now forfaking them: And to join in Communion with them, is not only to lose the Be nefit of the Ordinance; but to join in the Schifm, is to join with those whom they ought to oppofe with all their Might, as the Violaters and grand Enemies of the Unity and Peace of God's Church.

This is the Ground-work of the Pamphlet, and all the rest of the Difcourfe, which, the Author fays, is defign'd chiefly for ordinary Capacities, is fuitable to it. In the Conclufion, he quotes the fecond Canon of the Church of England, and then proceeds to affirm,

That by King, mention'd in this Canon, is to be underfood (according to the undoubted Principles of the Church of England) that Perfon, who is poffefs'd of the Throne according to the Civil Institution of the English Hereditary Monarchy: Whofoever difowns his Authority, &c. by the Canon, incurs the Sentence of Excommunication, ipfo fatto.

If King James II. had a Right, the Révolutionists and Compliers, were excommunicated by this Canon; for in depriving their rightful King, they difown'd his Authority, &c. That he had a Right, and continu'd claiming to his Death, none can deny: Witnefs his perfonal Affertion of his Right in Ireland, his publick Manifefto at the Treaty of Refwick, (wherein he declares to the World, that that Peace was founded upon the Ufurpation of his Kingdom) and other Declarations to the fame Purpofe; and his Son (whofe Right as a Son, is as inconteftable as his Father's) hath often repeated the fame. Now, the Violation of this fecond Canon, by the Revolutionists transferring their Allegiance from their lawful King to an Ufurper, (which is difowning the lawful and rightful King's Authority) renders them, ipfo facto, Excommunicates ; and the Nonjurors, who have faithfully adher'd to the Doctrine and Principles, are the only true Church of England.

The State of the Cafe plainly appearing, it is no Difficulty to find out the guilty Perfons; who must be no other than thofe that violated the Canon, by breaking through their Allegiance, and confequently are in an immediate State of Excommunication; and as fuch they ought to be deem'd and treated by all, tho' no declaratory Sentence be pronounc'd by the proper Judge.

The

The Words of the Canon being pofitive, there is no farther Occafion to inlarge on it. The only Queftion then is, Whether there is fuch Notoriety in our Cafe? And truly, I think, there fcarce ever appear'd in the World a more notorious and manifeft Cafe. The Matter of Fact is evident to all; for who is ignorant of the unnatural Treatment of King James II. from his Children and Subjects? How his Authority was trampled on, defpis'd, and deny'd; and after feveral Attempts to recover his undoubted Right, how he was forc'd to live and die an Exile? Nor is the Cafe in the leaft alter'd now; for they that pertinaciously continu'd and glory'd in their Sin then, do the fame now; which makes the Cafe fo notorious, that these Offenders ought to be treated as Excommunicates, ipfo facto, upon the Authority of the Canon, without waiting for the declaratory Sentence of a Judge.

Let us now confider the State and Condition of an excommunicated Perfon, which is dreadful to any Man; but when it falls to be a Clergyman's Lot, it makes fatal Work. For, 1. It divefts him of the Power of exercising any Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiction; which if he fhould prefume to do, it renders his Acts invalid and null. 2. Excommunication renders a Clergyman, fo long as he continues in that State, incapable of any Ecclefiaftical Benefice or Promotion; and if he affume any, his Inftitution is void. 3. It makes the whole Adminiftration of his minifterial Office ineffe &tual. You can expect no Return of Prayers with him, with whom you ought not to communicate; he cannot authoritatively blefs the People of God, who is himfelf under a Curfe, and excluded from being a Part of them. And here I think all those who have join'd with fuch Clergymen, ought to confider what they have done in communicating with them hitherto, and whether they think they can with Safety continue therein: for in communicating with them as Schifmaticks, they make themselves Schifmaticks; and in communicating with them as Excommunicates, not only all their Labour is loft, but instead of a Bleffing, they get a Curfe

The Witneffes that appear'd against the Prifoner, were two of the King's Messengers, Robert and Bliffington and one illiam Not a Journeyman Frinter. The Meflengers depos'd, that having receiv'd Orders to

take

take Mr. Howel into Cuftody, they went to his Houfe in Bull-head Court in Jewin-Street, where they took him into Cuftody, and fecur'd his Papers, among which were found about a Thousand of the Libels mention'd in the Indictment, part of them ftitch'd, the reft in Sheets, having no Title-Page, or the Name of any Author, Printer, or Publifher; together with the Manufcript Copy of the faid Libel, part of which Mr. Howel tore in pieces before their Faces, but they fecur'd fome part of it; which being produc'd in Court, appear'd to be the original Manufcript from which the faid Libel was printed.

There was likewife found among his Papers the Form of Abfolution and Reception of Converts us'd by the Nonjurors; as likewife an original Inftrument, feal'd on a Label with hard red Wax, the Seal reprefenting a Shepherd with a Sheep upon his Shoulders, and a Crook in his Hand, with this Motto, The good Shep herd. This Inftrument was in Latin, and it appearing by it that he was ordain'd and inftituted into Priefts Orders by the late Dr. Hickes, it was read in Court; and therefore we think fit to give the following Tranflation of it.

Y the Tenor of thefe Prefents, we George Hickes, by divine Permiffion, Suffragan Bishop of Thetford, make known to all Men; That our beloved in Chrift, Laurence Howel, Mafter of Arts, being recommended to us by fufficient Teftimonials of his Probity of Life, and Integrity of Manners, laudably quality'd by his Knowledge in the facred Writings, and by his Learning, and approv'd by our Examiner, we the faid Bithop, adminiftring the holy Offices in our Oratory in the Parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, in the County of Middlefex, have admitted and promoted him to the holy Order of Priesthood, and then and there have inftituted and ordain'd him, according to the Manner and Custom of the Church of England, in this Behalf wholesomely appointed and provided. In Witness whereof we have caus'd our Epifcopal Seal to be affix'd to these Presents, the 2d of October, in the Year of our Lord 1712, and in the 18th of our Confecration.

Then Noaft, the Journeyman Printer, being fworn, depos'd, That Mr. Howel us'd to attend the Prefs, and correct the Libel mention'd in the Indictment while it was printing. This being the Subftance of the Evidence that was given against the Prifoner, Mr. Kettle by, who was of Counfel for him, did not indeed in the leaft go about to juftify any of the feditious OF fcandalous. Paffages contain'd in the Libel, but only argu'd in Behalf of his Client, that its being found in the Prifoner's Cuftody, was not fuch a fufficient Proof as the Law requires to convict him of the Publication of it. But the Court were of a contrary Opinion; and the Proof being full against him, the Jury found him guilty of the Indictment.

Two Days after his Tryal, he receiv'd Sentence on that Verdict, as follows, viz. To pay 500l. Fine to the King; to be three Years in Prifon without Bail; to find four Sureties of 500l. each, and himself to be: bound in roool, for his Good Behaviour during Life; and to be twice whipp'd: Upon which he afk'd, If they would whip a Clergyman? The Court anfwer'd, That they paid no. Deference to his Cloth, because he was a Difgrace to it, and had no Right to wear it: Befides, that they did not look upon him as a Clergyman, in that he had produc'd no Proof of his Ordination, but from Dr. Hickes, under the Denomination of the Bishop of Thetford, which was illegal, and not according to the Conftitution of this Kingdom, which knows no fuch Bishop. Then the Court obferving, that he receiv'd his Sentence with an Air of Haughtinefs, behaving himself contemptuoufly to them, order'd him to be degraded, and ftript of the Gown he had no legal Right to wear, by the Hands of the common Executioner; who accordingly pull'd off his Gown as he ftood at the Bar, in fuch a Manner as thew'd him to be a Hangman.

Having thus perform'd our Promife in our last Regifter, of giving an Account of thefe two Tryals, we will now proceed with our Domeftick Affairs, beginning with a Continuation of

The Proceedings of the Parliament of Great Britain,

N the 4th of March the Houfe of Commons being met according to their laft Adjournment, they sejected the Petition of divers of the Inhabitants of Leominster, in the County of Hereford, complaining of

an

an undue Election for the faid Borough. After which M. Plumtree prefented to the House, a Report from the Commiflioners appointed to take, examine, and ftate the Debts due to the Army: Then, in a Grand Committee on the Supply, it was unanimoufly refolv'd; ift, That 10000 Men be allow'd for the SeaService for the Year 1717, beginning from the 1ft of January 1716. 2dly. That four Pounds per Man per Month be allow'd for Maintaining the faid 10000 Men for thirteen Months, including the Ordnance for SeaService, which amounts to the Sum of 520000l. 3dly. That 2267991. 5s. 3 d. be granted for the Ordinary of the Navy for the Year 1717, including the half Pay. After this it was mov'd, to take into Confideration the Eftimates relating to the Land-Forces; upon which, fome of the Members endeavour'd to get that Affair put off to another Day, by moving that Mr. Farrer, the Chair-man, fhould leave the Chair. They alledg'd, That the late Rebellion being happily fupprefs'd, and the Swedish Confpiracy feasonably difcover'd, there was Reafon to hope, that the Counties of England would foon be eas'd of the grievous Burther of quartering Soldiers; but if it appear'd, that the King of Sweden perfifted in his Defign to invade Great Britain, they would all readily give their Votes for keeping the prefent Forces on Foot. Others, on the contrary, urg'd the Neceffity of taking fpeedy and vigorous Refolutions in Relation to the Army; and after a Debate that lafted near two Hours, the Queftion being put, That the Chair-man leave the Chair, it was carry'd in the Negative, by a Majority of 222 Voices against 57. Then it was refolv'd, without dividing, That the Sum of 9599431. 15. 10 d. be granted to his Majefty for maintaining Guards, Garrifons, and other his Majefty's Land-Forces in Great Britain, Ferfey, and Guernsey, for the Year 1717.

March 5. Mr. Ab prefented to the House, An Eftimate of the Charges of the Office of Ordnance for the Year 1717, for Land-Service; and feveral Petitions, about undue Elections, having been read, and referr'd to the Grand Committee, Mr. Bladen mov'd, and it was accordingly order'd, That Leave be given to bring in a Bill for continuing the Liberty of exporting Irib Linen-Cloth to the Britif Plantations. Sir Charles Turner prefented to the Houfe, An Eftimate of the Debts of his Majefty's Navy, as it ftood on the zift

of

L