by dispensing with the penal statute of 25 Car. II. in the case of Sir Edward Hales notwithstanding the

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captain John Pennington, to deliver, which he did, in obedience thereto, a squadron of the naval forces of England, consisting of eight men of war, into the hands and absolute power of the French king; and Charles directed, that in case of disobedience in the English captains to that order, Pennington was to sink them.' These naval forces enabled the Gaulish king to break and suppress the power of the Rochelle protestants: this was an unjustifiable step indeed in Charles' reign: and if to this we add a thousand acts of this said sovereign Lord, which were the cause of all the disagreements, differences and contentions between his majesty and his people, that happened in his reign, and the sources of public calamity, it is certainly most amazing, to see the memory of this prince treated equally, if not superior to the most celebrated martyrs! torrents of tears have I seen pour from the eyes of our mourning theologers on the 30th of January. I remember one time, when Dr. Warren preached the commemoration sermon at St. Margaret's Westminster, that he wept and sobbed so bitterly and calamitously, that he could hardly get out the following concluding words of his fine discourse, the RoyRoyal Ma-Martyr-the-holy Martyr-the-the-blessed Martyr.

Nor can I forget [Dr. Delany] the learned author of The Life of David. This gentleman preached before

true religion, the honour of Almighty God, the safety of the government, and the public good

the late Duke of Devonshire in Christ-Church, on Monday, January 30, 1737, from these words, Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer.-Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.' Prov. ch. 25.

In this fine sermon, the Dr. gave us the picture of a Man as like Charles I. as Phalaris was to the apostle St. John: he then deprecated the murder, which are his own words, and in the most piteous manner, with tears informed us, that " God gave us this prince in his mercy, and took him away in his indignation: A prince," said the doctor, "who was a true lover of his people, compassionate of their errors and misfortunes and religiously tender of their well-being. He equally understood and practised religion in its purity; and he died defending it. King Charles the First of blessed memory!" Here the preacher wept, and then proceeded to abuse the opposers of this royal contender for absolute prerogatives; as absolute as those the eastern or civil law potentates claim; and then, to make and apply observations and inferences to the persons and characters of the present times, he told the Lord-Lieutenant, and the House of Lords, among other admirable things, that

they should remember how the lay lords had consented to deprive the bishops of their seats in parliament, and

and peace of the. nation depend upon this act of 25 Car. II., and Fourthly, That neighbour princes or

rob the spiritual lords of their rights and privileges; which drew down a just judgement upon themselves; for they, the said lay lords, were soon after voted useless have a care then, lay lords, how you act for the future against the spiritual lords. Maintain, for the time to come, a strict and inviolable regard to the rights, privileges, and properties of the spiritual lords."

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This advice, by the way, appeared to me very singular, and I think, on the contrary, that it would be well for our church, if our bishops were obliged to leave the court, the parliament, and their politics, and then spend their lives in labouring in the vineyard of Christ, in their several dioceses. What have priests to do with baronies and acts of state; men that ought above all other men to be content with food and raiment, and to withdraw themselves from the world, that by their continued conversation with God, and attention only to the sacred prescriptions of the gospel, they might appear replenished with that divine power and virtue, which by prayer, and all the exercises of piety and penitence, they had implored; and by their examples and instructions, brighten and inflame the people with the love of God, and improve the good in goodness, and correct and reform the wicked. This would be acting like bishops indeed. The holiness of our prelates lives, and their fervour in teaching mankind the truths of Jesus Christ,

states, may be or are bound by law, to give succours to the subjects of other princes, afflicted for the

would soon advance the cause of their master. They would bring the people to conform to the will of the Lord, and cause the learned to purify the defilements of genius; that pride and vanity, that curiosity and self-love which are incompatible with an accomplished purity of heart. But as to Charles the First, of blessed memory,' certain I am, that whatever Dean Delany may think of him, this prince did really contend for the cardinal maxims of the civil law, and died, not for true religion, as this doctor says, but to advance the civil laws above the constitution and laws of Britain, and thereby acquire an absolute dominion. Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem. It appears from matters of fact, that his pleasure was to be the law. In him was to reside the sole power of imposing taxes on the people. This power, and other powers contrary to the fundamental form of this government; this king of blessed memory assumed and challenged as rights, under the name of his undoubted prerogatives, and grasped the pretence so hard, as never to part with it, till he wanted strength to hold it. THIS IS THE MARTYR!!! His reign was a provoking violation of parliamentary rights, and a cruel oppression of his subjects.

Instead then of the fine laboured reasons offered by Dr. Delany to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to account for the way of Providence in the tragical death of this

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cause of true religion, or oppressed by manifest tyranny. These truths are finely proved in this ex

king, he might have said, That whereas this prince had departed from the known laws of the land to an arbitrary power, and not only the pressures and sufferings of the people, under this method of governing, were innumerable; but the fundamental form and original constitution of Britain, on which the protestant religion and the liberty of Europe depend; was in danger of being subverted, and for ever destroyed, therefore did Providence deliver up this king into the hands of wicked men, who had usurped the administration of affairs; that the mortification in the constitution might be cured by the death of this destroying prince; and the violence of his exit remain a monument in terrorem to all future kings of England; to have a care how they offer to make any altération or change in the original form of government; for violations of the constitution had brought Charles the First to the block. This had been a reasonable account of that sad affair. It is supported by matters of fact.

N. B. The contentions between his Majesty and the house of commons began about the following essential points.

1. The power the king assumed, and challenged as a right, to impose taxes, levy monies, and impose duties on merchandizes, without a previous grant thereof in parliament.