to teach public schools; and that no such be granted for the future. 5. That Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to desist from the exercise of such a dispensing power, as hath of late been used; and to permit that point to be freely and calmly debated and argued, and finally settled in Parliament. 6. That Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to inhibit the four foreign bishops, who style themselves Vicars Apostolical, from further invading the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, which is by law vested in the bishops of this church. 7. That Your Majesty will be pleased graciously to fill the vacant bishoprics, and other ecclesiastical promotions within your gift, both in England and Ireland, with men of learning and piety; and in particular, (which I must own to be my peculiar boldness, for 'tis done without the privity of my brethren) that you will be graciously pleased forthwith to fill the Archiepiscopal Chair of York (which has so long stood empty, and upon which a whole province depends) with some very worthy person: for which (pardon me, Sir, if I am bold to say) you have now here before you a very fair choice. 8. That Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to supersede all further prosecution of Quo Warranto's against corporations, and to restore to them their ancient charters, privileges, and franchises, as we hear God has put into Your Majesty's heart to do for the City of London, which we intended to have made otherwise one of our principal requests. 9. That if it please Your Majesty, writs may be issued out with convenient speed, for the calling of a free and regular Parliament, in which the church of England may be secured according to the Acts of Uniformity; provision may be made for a due liberty of conscience, and for securing the liberties and properties of all your subjects; and a mutual confidence and good understanding may be established between Your Majesty and all your people. 10. Above all, That Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to permit your bishops to offer you such motives and arguments, as (we trust) may, by God's grace, be effectual to persuade Your Majesty to return to the communion of the Church of England, into whose most Holy Catholic faith you were baptized, and in which you were educated, and to which it is our daily earnest prayer to God, that you may be reunited. (Kennett, ed. cit., vol. III, p. 521.) CHAPTER XXIV "THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION” 180. A Memorial from the Church of England to the Prince of Orange The encroachments of James upon the religious liberties of the people at last made the situation one impossible of continuance. There seemed to be no remedy but the second deposition of a Stuart. In this crisis, the people turned their gaze to the Prince of Orange, the one Protestant who had any claim of succession, though this claim was only by marriage. The clergy were especially solicitous that he should come to the aid of the Protestant faith, and to this end sent him the following earnest appeal for countenance and protection. Your Royal Highness cannot be ignorant that the Protestants of England, who continue true to their religion and government established by law, have been many ways troubled and vexed by restless contrivances and designs of Papists, under pretence of the royal authority, and things required of them unaccountable before God and man: Ecclesiastical benefits and preferments taken from them, without any other reason but the King's pleasure: That they have been summoned and sentenced by ecclesiastical commissioners, contrary to law, deprived of their birth-right in the free choice of their magistrates and representatives; divers corporations dissolved, the legal security of our religion and liberty, established and ratified by King and Parliament, annulled and overthrown by a pretended dispensing power: New and unheard-of maxims have been preached, as if subjects had no right but what depends on the King's will and pleasure; The militia put into the hands of persons not qualified by law, and a popish mercenary army maintained in the kingdom in time of peace, absolutely contrary to the law; the execution of the law against several high crimes and misdemeanors superseded and prohibited: The statutes against correspondence with the court of Rome, papal jurisdiction, |