The physician abovementioned was a spy for the papists, and in all respects a profligate abandoned man; and the doctor not knowing how far the secret might have been communicated to him by the old gentleman, was under some difficulty how to proceed any farther; for having already highly provoked the popish party, should he distribute these letters, and they discover, that it was his doing, he might be very certain, they would do their utmost to ruin him. However his zeal for the Protestant religion soon got the better of these apprehensions: determining therefore not to decline any danger, where the interest of that cause was concerned, he undertook this affair, and had the good fortune to carry it through without being discovered. And this was chiefly owing to a contrivance, he made use of in the management of it, which was as follows: having made up about a dozen packets with several of these letters inclosed in each of them, he superscribed them in feigned hands, to as many ministers in the city of Norwich; and sent a person, whom he knew he could trust, to Yarmouth, with directions to disperse them in several wherries, which came up every night from thence to Norwich: and this being faithfully executed, the letters were delivered the next morning as directed. Now as they were sent from Yarmouth, it was generally believed, that they came from Holland; and the doctor, by this device, escaped all suspicion of having any hand in the affair. As to the rest, he sent them by the carriers, who go from Norwich every week, into all parts of the country, so that they were dispersed over the diocese, without its being known, from whose hand they came, till all the danger was over.

At this time there was one of the prebendaries of Norwich strongly inclined to popery, and prepared to give in to all king James' measures in favour of it, especially in publishing the abovementioned declaration in the parish church in the country, of which he was minister. But the two days, on which it was ordered to be read, being the 3d and 10th of June; and that month and July happening to be the two months in which the said prebendary was to keep his residence at the cathedral, he sent to Dr. Prideaux,

desiring him to excuse his coming for the two first weeks in June, and that he would reside for him those two weeks. But Dr. Prideaux being apprised of the reasons, for which he was desirous of being excused his residence those two weeks, sent him back word, that he would by no means comply with his request; that the 3d of June, being Whitsunday, and the 10th of the same month Trinity-Sunday, that year, the service of both those solemn days would fail, unless he came to attend it; and that the consequence of such failure would be the forfeiture of the revenue of his prebend for the whole year; and as Dr. Prideaux was treasurer of the church, he farther assured him, that he would certainly exact it and not pay him one penny. This message immediately brought the prebendary to Norwich; for the consideration of losing his money soon got the better of his zeal for popery: but afterwards he complained with a good deal of regret to those of the same persuasion, that he was not allowed the opportunity of shewing, how ready he was to comply with the king in this particular. This same man, when the new oaths came out, was as forward to swear allegiance to king William and queen Mary, as any one of his order.

After this, followed the trial of the bishops, in which the popish party were worsted. This however did not discourage them from pursuing their designs against the parochial clergy. Therefore out came an order, to all chancellors, commissaries, and archdeacons, to make return of the names of such of the parochial clergy, within their several jurisdictions, as did not read the abovementioned declaration in their respective churches, on the day appointed. This, in the beginning of August, brought most of the chancellors, commissaries, and archdeacons in England, to London, to consult together, what answer they should make to this command: but while this was debating, the news came of great preparations making in Holland, for an invasion upon England; and this put a stop to all further proceedings.

In the beginning of November following, the prince of Orange landed at Torbay in Devonshire, and soon

after king James abdicated the government, and withdrew himself beyond sea; upon which the states of this kingdom having met together in parliament, to consult for the good of the nation, after many solemn debates and mature deliberation, it was resolved, that our deliverer, the prince of Orange, with his consort, should be proclaimed king and queen of these realms, which was done accordingly. Thus were we happily freed from the fear of arbitrary power, and the galling chains of popish superstition; whilst he who had been the tyrant of his country, fled from his people to their enemies, among whom he spent the remainder of his life, the dupe of French politics, the tool of designing priests, odious to his people, and justly contemned by all mankind.

Every thing being left in great confusion on the king's flight, the mob rose in many places, and created great disorders all over the nation. At first, they began with rifling the houses of papists and such as were reckoned to be popishly affected; till at last, any body was accounted so, in whose house plunder was to be had; and these disorders raged no where more than at Norwich. The mob there, having plundered several houses in the city, at last made an appointment to do the same by some houses, within the precinct of the cathedral, which they had marked out for that purpose. But Dr. Prideaux having timely notice of their design, ordered the gates of the close to be shut up; and the inhabitants arming themselves for their defence, repulsed the rabble, who attacked them, to the number of five hundred men, and made them desist from their enterprise: upon which somebody crying out, 'to the bull,' they all went to the bull, which was a tavern kept by a papist in the city, and having plundered and gutted this house, finished their expedition. The next night every body following the doctor's example, armed themselves, and stood upon their defence all over the city, and this soon put an end to these disorders.

About this time, Dr. Battely, having resigned his archdeaconry of Suffolk, on being promoted to that of Canterbury; Dr. Prideaux was on the 21st of Decem

ber, 1688, collated to it, by Dr. William Lloyd, then bishop of Norwich.

On the 13th of February, 1688-9, the prince and princess of Orange were proclaimed king and queen of England: upon which it was thought proper, that instead of the former oaths of allegiance and supremacy, two new oaths should be framed, which were enjoined to be taken by all persons, who were in any office or place, civil, military, or ecclesiastical in the kingdom. By the first of these, allegiance was sworn to the new king and queen; by the second the papal and all other foreign jurisdictions are renounced; and by the statute, which enjoins the taking these oaths, it is enacted, not only that all such, as shall from that time be preferred to any ecclesiastical dignity or benefice, but that all others, then in actual possession of any such, should take the said oaths before the 1st of August following, on the penalty of suspension for six months following; and that at the end of the said six months, if they still persisted not to take the said oaths, they were ipso facto to be deprived. This created great trouble and disturbance to the church; for archbishop Sancroft and six others of the bishops, refusing to take them, as thinking them inconsistent with the oaths they had taken to king James, fell under the penalty of the law, were first suspended, and afterwards deprived; and several others of the clergy following their example, were in like manner outed of their benefices: and these being for the most part men of conscience and integrity, the church suffered a great loss, in being deprived of their service. Many of them indeed afterwards indulged themselves in such a humour of peevishness, discontent, and uncharitable aversion, to all others who were not of the same opinion with themselves, as was by no means consistent with a true christian temper: and this was the occasion of a schism, that is not yet quite ended. Dr. Prideaux, though he was of a different opinion from these men himself, and thought, that the new oaths might very safely be taken, and took them accordingly, and acted up to them faithfully, all the rest of his life; yet looking upon those, who refused them, as honest men, who sacrificed their

interests to their consciences, always treated them with kindness and respect.

In the May following, A. D. 1689, he made his first visitation of his archdeaconry of Suffolk; and the new oaths and the lawfulness of them being then the general subject of debate, especially among the clergy, his chief business in this visitation was, to give the best satisfaction he could to those who had any doubts about them; in which he had such success, that though there were not above three hundred parishes in that archdeaconry, there were no more than three ministers in all that jurisdiction, who stood out, and refused to take them.

On the 1st of August this year, all who refused the said oaths, being suspended, and that suspension followed with deprivation of such, as persisted in their refu sal, on the 1st of February following; the diocese of Norwich lost their worthy bishop, Dr. William Lloyd, who not being satisfied of the lawfulness of the said oaths, persisted in the refusal of them, and choosing rather to sacrifice his interest, than violate his conscience, was by virtue of the statute abovementioned, deprived of his bishoprick.

The winter following, A. D. 1689, a convocation being called, and authorized to act by a royal commission, Dr. Prideaux attended it as archdeacon of Suffolk. The business, which they were called to, was, "To treat, consult, and agree, of and upon, such points, matters, and things, as should be proposed to them, concerning alterations and amendments of the liturgy, and canons, and ordinances, and constitutions, for the reformation of ecclesiastical courts, for the removal of scandalous ministers, for the reformation of manners, either in ministers or people, and for the examination of such persons, as deserve to be admitted into holy orders; and all other points, causes, and matters, as should be thought necessary and expedient for advanc ing the honour and service of Almighty God, the good of the church, and the government thereof."

Thus was the intention of their meeting expressed in the commission; and in order to prepare matters, which were to be laid before them, on all these heads,