Page:History of the Nonjurors.djvu/282

264 whom the Church has been occasionally afflicted. So far from supporting, Hoadley broached principles, in many of his publications, which tended to weaken and destroy the Church. One work, that on Conformity, must be excepted from this condemnation: but most of his other productions are obnoxious to the very serious charge above mentioned. His "Preservative" was one of the most obnoxious; but his works served to recommend him to the Whig Ministry, and to pave his way to the episcopal bench. In the "Preservative," he defends the exercise of the power of the State in depriving the Nonjuring Bishops and Clergy of their preferments. It is intimated at the commencement, that, at this time, the Nonjurors were particularly active in putting forth their claims. Hoadley thinks, moreover, that too much forbearance had been exercised towards them: yet they had less liberty than Dissenters, who were permitted to assail the Church of England, and to traduce the Nonjurors. It must be evident, when the Nonjurors were scarcely allowed to defend themselves through the press, that any thing but forbearance was manifested by the government. Hoadley's work contained so much of what was unsound, that several of its positions were censured by the Lower House of Convocation.

Some very important works were also published about this time by the Nonjurors. A posthumous work of Hickes's among others made its appearance, a work frequently alluded to by their opponents. This volume was sent forth to the public by some of Hickes's friends. It contains answers to all the arguments, which were urged against them by those who attacked their principles. Prefixed to the work