of Killaloo*, who, fince his coming to Dublin, hath put a new life into that matter. The Confecration of the new Bishop (which was to have been on Sunday laft) is put off, because his Commendam, which hath been new drawn, hath not yet paffed the offices. I am your Lordship's dutiful fervant, FR. ATTERBURY Mr. Thorold is gone to Oxford; fo I can as yet have no account of his fubfcriptions. Ecclefiaftical Synod, to frame Canons, to enforce and reform difcipline, to cenfure Herefy, and to exert that jurifdictoin which belongs to us, in conjunction with your Lordships, as the reprefentative members of a national Church. We have, as we hope, applied for this writ with that modefty and patience that becomes us; and we repeat our thanks to your Lordfhips for your care and endeavours, and wifh for an opportunity of returning our most humble thanks to his Grace the Lord Lieutenant for his generous concern to obtain it a but, fince we have not yet prevailed for the recovery of our rights in a capacity purely ecclefiaftical, we are unwilling to lofe the benefit of thofe which, by your Lordfhips' vigilance, and his Grace the Lord Lieutenant's favour, we are in pof feflion of in a civil capacity; and therefore we moft humbly pray your Lordships to advife us what further methods we ought to pursue, in der to maintain our conftitution, and to make our prefent meeting effectual." 4 * See p. 110. LETTER XLIV. To Bp. TRELAWN Y. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIP, Chelfea, Nov. 8, 1703. WE met in the Lower House this morn ing, about fifteen or fixteen of us, all of one mind. The Archbishop's people had notice of the adjournment till Tuesday next, and fo abfented; and, perhaps, they will leave us to ourselves altogether. The few of us that came were for adjourning im mediately, as foon as prayers were over; and it was as much as ever I could do to prevail with the Prolocutor to name his Affeffors, and to have the orders of the house read over. I take it for granted, therefore, that it is refolved by our own leader that we shall do nothing. The Dean of Gloucester * was not there to-day: he is weak, but pretty chearful. Strange divifions are hatching in the Lower Houfe of Parliament; which will make even the bill against Occafional Conformity move * Dr. Jane. but but flowly there; at least I apprehend fo from the change I find in mens discourse upon that article. Dr. Davenant hath put out a book this day, wherein, they tell me, he declares against that bill very liberally; which is a great furprize to those that confider on what fide he hath written for seven years last past. The Commons houfe is very thin at prefent; so thin, that when I left the town they talked of an adjournment for a week: whether they have done fo, or what they have done, I know not. The Provincial Writ is ftill withheld from the Irish Convocation, and so they have chosen no Prolocutor. The new Bishop did an homage on Sunday, but was not brought into the House of Lords to-day: a cold that he has caught hindered his croffing the water. His commendam for the præcentorship runs, not for three years only, but farther, for fo long as till he hath procured an act of parliament to unite the archdeaconry of St. Afaph *, and a great living in his diocese, to the bishoprick: which act of par *The Archdeaconry, from the time of Bishop Davies 1562-1573, has been regularly holden by the Bishop, by way of Commendam, not by Union. liament, K 3 liament, therefore, it will not be material to him now to folicit; and it is the opinion of his friends, that, if he fhould folicit it, it would not be eafily procured. So that he is likely to hold all the preferments commended to him as long as he holds the bifhoprick. I have had a conference or two, with Archdeacon Drewe, and all is well (at least feems to be well) between us. I fear I fhall have little Convocation news to write to your Lordship this winter, I am your Lordship's ever dutiful and moft faithful fervant, FR. ATTERBURY. I LETTER XLV. To Bp. TRELAWNY. Nov. 20, 1703. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIP, HAVE waited on my Lord Jerfey *, and delivered your Lordship's letter; and he hath left me to provide a fubftitute ; who fhould have been Dr. Smalridge, if his lamenefs, which he took upon a fprain fix weeks ago, would have fuffered him to do the duty; * William carl of Jerfey, at that time Lord Chamberlain of the Houfhold. As Chaplain to the Queen. but he is not yet able to go out of doors; and; not being fecure that he fhall be able to at tend in December*, I must provide another. On Wednesday laft we met in Convocation, and appointed three Committees, two of books and grievances, in order to introduce a third, which was the only one appointed to do any thing; and that third was ordered by the Houfe to draw up an addrefs against next feffion, to be then paffed by the House, and fent to the Lords, defiring juftice in the matter entered on their books against our Prolocutor when the Bishop of Hereford† complained of him. So thofe who reftrain us from doing any thing for our reputation, take care we fhould vindicate theirs, and make them look great in the eyes of the Minifters, when it is found that we are concerned for nothing but their honour, Davenant's book is come out this day, where he talks in a very different manner from what he hath done in all his other writings and is all for moderation' and healing. There is a chapter against the bill about occafional conformity; the argument of which is managed with that weaknefs that usually at Atterbury's month of waiting, |