Bishop of Ely, by the Minister of that Parish in Cambridge, where, by his Lordship's Favour, I enjoy'd a Catechetick Lectureship, that in my Explication of the Church-Catechifm I did affert Things that were contrary to the Doctrines of the Church; and also that when I once read Prayers for him, I omitted the third and fourth Petitions of the Litany, or the Invocation of the Holy Ghoft, and of the Trinity. Thefe Accufations I confefs'd to be true; and was very ready to juftify and fupport my Opinions and Practices as to those Matters. Accordingly, when my Diocefan appointed a Time for hearing the Accufation and my Defence, I appear'd at the Time and Place appointed: But my Accufer not appearing there at the fame Time; tho' he afterwards came, as I was told, when the Bishop was gone, as well as my felf; this Accufation, in a manner, came to nothing. Some Time after this I was told by a Friend that there was a direct Design against me by fome of the Univerfity, and that there had accordingly been the Form of a Grace, (as we call it,) drawn up and carried to the Reverend Dr. Covel, Mafter of Christ's-College, our then Vicechancellor, in order to my Degradation or Expulfion; at leaft fo far as lay in the Power of the Senate of the Univerfity to do either of them. All which proved to be true: tho' I perceiv'd no publick Hearing was defign'd to be allow'd me; nor could I ever obtain a fight of that Grace which was intended against me. And indeed the Steps taken were fo unjustifyable, and the Vicechancellor, with the reft of the Caput Senatus, and fuch others as knew the fairnefs of my Procedure all along, appear'd fo unwilling to go into them, that this was foon dropt; tho' not without fome remaining Threats and Contrivances against me one way way or other which yet the good Providence of God has hitherto deliver'd me from; and I affuredly hope and truft will ftill deliver me. I fay nothing of the Rudeness offer'd, and Imputation intended to be laid upon me at Dr. Clark's remarkable Act in the Divinity-Schools; because the unfair Procedure on the one fide, and the prudent Caution on the other, did fo wholly prevent any Difgrace to me thereby, that after the Heats, which were then excited, were a little over, and the Univerfity began to confider better of it, all fuch Attempts turned rather to my Advantage. But what Endeavours were elfewhere us'd against me, and how far they fucceeded, will fully appear from the two following Letters which I wrote to the Lord Bishop of Ely, about the fame Time that the foregoing Particulars happen'd: which I fhall therefore here tranfcribe. My LORD, I Camb. Sept. 29. 1709' Receiv'd by Mr. L. and Mr. P. aMeffage from your Lordship concerning my quitting that Lecture which I have hitherto by your Lordfhip's Favour enjoy'd; tho' with the Affurance of the private Continuance of the fame Allowance to me. I own this laft Offer, which your Lordship was alfo pleas'd to make me at London, to be an Instance of your Lordship's great Regard and Kindness to me and my Family; and I do heartily thank your Lordfhip for it: Nay, I own the Acceptance of this Propofal would be both for my own private Eafe and Advantage at prefent; and, if other ill Confequences could be prevented, for my Satisfaction alfo, fo far as it tended to your Lordship's own Eafe, and the preventing fome Clamors which are to your Di fturbance. fturbance. But when I confider what will be the unavoidable Confequence of fuch a Procedure; and how it will still the more imbitter vaft Numbers of the Laity against the Clergy, when they fee those of the moft Freedom and Temper among them go into the way of Difcouragement and Suppreffion of the fairest and honefteft Enquiries into the Truths of our Religi on, and thereby plainly encourage those who aim to carry Things farther, and to proceed to direct Violence and Perfecution against me; and that for no other Caufe but because I dare to examine and openly declare thofe Sacred Truths of Chrift which the Antichriftian Church has fo long fupprefs'd: When, I fay, I confider thefe and the like Confequences of this Propofal, I must own I cannot poffibly give my Confent to it. I know very well that your Lordship does not need my Confent to this or to a worfe Propofal. 'Tis in your own Breaft to take the Allowance away, as well as to forbid me to officiate, And I affure your Lordfhip I am prepar'd for the worft, both in this, and any the like Cafe: being fully refolv'd to hazard not only my Eftate, but, by God's Affiftance, my Life in this Caufe: which, on a full Examination, I am entirely fatisfy'd is the Cause of Chrift, and of his Sacred Truths reveal'd to Mankind. However, I am almoft tempted to wonder that your Lordfhip is moved by fome. idle Clamors, when your Lordship may perceive that those that make them are fo little af fur'd of the Truth of the contrary Doctrines, that they industrioufly avoid both any Conference about them, and the perufal of my Papers concerning them. May your Lordship please either to perufe my Papers your felf: or if your other Affairs will not permit that, to recom mend mend them to fome Number of Learned and Fair Perfons for their Examination and Opinion, before you proceed to any Thing like a Punishment on any fuch Account. This feems fo near to ftrict Juftice, that I may almoft claim it at your Lordship's Hands; efpecially fince I am well affur'd your Lordship does not design to go to the Rigor of that with me. But upon this Occafion give me leave, My Lord, to infift on what I formerly propos'd, and have hinted already, viz. That your Lordfhip will please fo far to Countenance Truth and Honefty, as to recommend the Examination of my Papers to the University, and to intimate your Defire, that fome fuch fair Method may be taken, before any harfher Methods are thought of. My Papers are ready for them, and of Confequence fufficient to perfuade to fuch a Method. And to encourage them to hope for all poffible fairness on my fide, I do here, under my Hand, promife your Lordship, that if the Examiners can produce a Tenth Part of fo many Original Texts and Teftimonies for the Doctrines now current, as I do against them, I will burn my Papers, and the Church of Chrift fhall be no farther troubled with them. But if this cannot be done, I hope your Lordfhip will confider well e're you difcourage and difcountenance fuch plain Truths of Chriftianity. I am, with all due Gratitude and Submiffion, Your Lordship's obliged, WILL. WHISTON. The The Second Letter, which was wrote a Month afterward, was in thefe Words. My LORD, Camb. Octob. 27. 1709. Perceive that your Lordship is much difturb'd with Complaints, and made uneafy with regard to that Lecture at St. Clements, which I have hitherto enjoy'd by your Lordships Favour. It has certainly been all along in your Lordship's Power to have taken away both the Liberty and the Salary of my officiating there: Altho' your Lordships Regard to me, as well as to my Family, on Account of the Relation I have formerly born to your Lordship,has hitherto prevented any fuch harfher Procedure. I muft profefs here before your Lordship that the Doctrines I have taught in thofe Lectures, as well as declared elsewhere, are no other than fuch as, on a full Examination, I am fatisfy'd are the Sacred Truths of Christianity reveal'd to Mankind. So that 'tis impoffible for me to renounce or conceal them, without being condemn'd by my own Confcience of Hypocrify and Prevarication in the moft Sacred Concerns poffible. Nor therefore could I formerly confent to your Lordship's kind Propofal of continuing the Salary, if I was willing to drop the Lecture; because I then understood it to be intended in fuch Circumftances as carried too great an Appearance of Difcouragement to thefe Truths I had there declar'd; and a kind of Publick Difcountenance to thofe free and honeft Enquiries whereby alone the true Genuine and Primitive Faith, and Worship, and Difcipline can be recover'd among us. The fear of thofe Confequences is now in good Measure over, by your Lordship's more open continuance of my former Salary, |