1687. the Military should. The ingenious (as he was nick-nam'd by way of Irony) Baron Jenner likewife thew'd his Refentment upon this Occalion, by punning on the late Prefident's Name, and faying to him, Sir, you must not think to buff (Hough) us. About which time feveral Officers, then in Town, came into the Room. On Tu‹ffoft. 25. day + the Court being met, Dr. Stafford, one of the Fellows, offer'd a Paper in Anfwer to what was objected the Friday before, that the King's Mandate in Favour of Mr. Farmer implied an Inhibition which their Lordships having perus'd, would not fuffer to be read publickly, but ask'd the Fellows, whether they would fign it? Bidding them do it at their Peril. The Fellows being withdrawn, and not thinking it was neceffary to fign a Plea, which the Commiflioners refus'à to have argued, they return'd the Paper into the Court, fubfcrib'd only by Dr. Fairfax and Dr. Stafford. Their Lordships taking no further Notice of that Paper, the Bithop of Chefter ask'd the Fellows whether they would inftall the Bishop of Oxon Prefident, or affift at the inftalling of him? To this they anfwer'd, as before, that as they could not do it without deliberate Perjury,fo it was not in their Power to do it. Thereupon Mr. Wiggins, Chaplain to the Bishop of Oxford, impower'd as a Proxy, to be inftall'd Prefident for his Lord, (then contin'd to his Chamber by fome Indifpofition) was put into the Prefident's Stall by the Bifhop of Chester, none of the Fellows being prefent but Mr. Charnock, and took the Oaths which the Statutes enjoin the Prefident at his Admiffion, and the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy. Then their Lordships conducted him to the Prefident's Lodgings; where knocking three times, and the Door not being open'd, a Smith was fent for to force it open, and Mr. Wiggins took Poffeffion of the Lodgings. Immediately after the Bishop of Chefter ask'd the Fellows whether they would obey the Bishop of Oxon, as now inftall'd Prefident, by virtue of the King's Mandate? Dr. Fairfax anfwer'd, he neither could nor would obey him, having already a lawful and ftatutable Prefident; others others * comply'd with His Majefties Pleasure, and 1687. others again defir'd time to confider on fo weightywn a Question; which was granted, the Bishop of Che-* Dr. Thofter bidding them go and confult about it among mas Smith, themfelves. In the Afternoon this Anfwer was and Mr. Charnock. given in by the Society, (except Dr. Fairfax): That whereas His Majesty had been pleas'd, by His Royal Authority, to cause the Bishop of Oxon to be inftall'd Prefident, they did fubmit as far as was lawful and agreeable to the Statutes of the Colledge, and no Way prejudicial to the Right and Title of Dr. Hough. This Anfwer was accepted, except the laft Claufe, which the Lord Chief Justice, and Baron Jenner declar'd, as Judges, to be infignificant, fince nothing they could do, could any way invalidate Dr. Hough's Title, but left them ftill at Liberty to be Witheffes for him, or to be any other way ferviceable to him in the Recovery of his Right; and upon this Affurance, the Society was prevail'd with to leave out the laft Claufe. Dr. Fairfax perfifting in his former Answer, receiv'd Sentence of Expulfion, against which he protefted as null, unjuft and unlawful. This Proteftation was over-ruled by the Commiffioners, and a Coру of the Sentence denied, tho' moft earnestly defir'd at the Inftance of Dr. Hedges, and Mr. ViceChancellor, Two Days after. Their Lordships thinking they had gain'd their Point, declar'd, that they were well fatisfied with the Anfwer the Society had given them; and tho' before they had laid a Libel to their Charge, yet that Night they declar'd they had met with nothing but Civility, and that they should receive the fame from them that they had fhewn themselves Men of excellent Tempers, and that they would reprefent it faithfully Above to their Advantage, and immediately difpatch'd an Exprefs to Court with an Account of their Proceedings. On Wednesday Morning the + Oct. 26. Fellows having been order'd the Day before to bring in their Answer to the following Queftions. 1. What Gifts and Provifions they bad for the Entertainment of Strangers? 2. What was the Value of them? 3. How they were applied? 4. And where H 4 1687 was the Place of Entertainment? They made it appear very fatisfactorily, that one Year with another they gave alinoit 100 . in Charity Money over and above what by their Statutes they were oblig'd to give. Upon which their Lordships expatiated upon their generous Bounty and Liberality, faying, the Complaint on this Account was groundlefs, and that it would induce His Majeity to entertain better Thoughts of them in all other Qt. 27. Matters. On Thurfday the Fellows having prefented to the Commitioners a Lift of Leafes, which had been renewed for Two Years lat pali, Mr.Charnock the new Convert.ask'd their Lordships whether thefe Leafes flood good, which had been feal'd fince Dr. Hough's Election? The Lord Chief Juftice anfwer'd, Yes, for Corporations always freak "by their Seals. Then their Lordships perufed the Colledge Regifters; and finding nothing in them to object againit, they were return'd, and the tof. 28. Court adjourn'd. On Friday † Morning the Commiffioners acquainted the Fellows they had reprefented them fairly to the King but that His Majetty éxpected fome farther Submiflion, which they adSubmiffion vis'd them to make, by acknowledging their Cont mit impos'd by to His Sacred Majelty in Perfon,and to be Letters, That the Court they should promife to behave themfelies loyally for the future; That they should own the Proceedings and Legality of the Court, implore His Majesties Pardon, and lay themselves at his Feet; And that they should declare their entire Submiffion to the Bishop of Oxon, The Fellows as their Prefident. The Fellows anfwer'd in Reasons writing, That they had endeavour'd in all their Altiwhy they ons, to exprefs their Duty to His Majelty; and being refufe to Tign it. confcious to themfelves, that in the whole Conduct of the Business before their Lordships, they had done nothing but what their Oaths and Statutes bad indifpenfably obliged them to, they could not make any Declaration, whereby they acknowledged that they had done any thing amifs, having acted according to the Principles of Loyalty and Obedience, fo far as they could without doing Violence to their Confciences, or Prejudice to their Rights, (one of which they conceived the Electing a Prefident to be) from which they were Sworn upon the Fellows ། Sworn upon no account to depart. Upon the perufal 1687. . ·1687. at last in their Ruin; That their Society had been lag exercifed in the Methods of Quarrelling, had alwr been troubled with factious Spirits, and telly Mr. neers ever fince the Reftauration of the late Km. That they had encourag'd Quarrels among themf.lo. Quarrels between themselves and Prefident; Quarris. at length, between themselves and Viitor. That o thefe fteps, from Quarrelling with the Prefident an Vifitor, they had at last advanc'd to the highest pitc of Infolence, to Quarrel with their Prince, and Aff bis Sacred Majesty. Then he endeavour'd to make them fenfible of their irregular Conduct, and heinous Offences, from their firtt Difobeying the King's Mandate, to that Day; he told them, urg'd the Obfervances of their Statutes, of which tha had not been fo conftant Obfervers when their ow Humour prompted them to a Difpenfation; Witness, faid he, that of being ferved per Mafculos, by which great Scandals have come to this Society by Reafst of Batards. His Majesty, added he, was extream. ly amaz'd that his Clemency hould be defpis'd; but yet, to your Comforts be it spoken, bis Patience and Goodness extend as far as your Provocations can: But if you still perfifi in your Obstinacy, thofe that are too Tall to Stand, and too Stubborn to Bend, defert to be Broken. And now, I think, I have said enough to let you know, that the Fig-leaves you have fo arti ficially stitch'd together, are not fufficient to cover your Nakedness. I wish to God you had the fame Ten dernefs for your Concern, as His Majestics Commi fioners have for you. But if you till perfift to oppofe the Royal Power of the King, we who are come to Vindicate the Right and Honour of his Majtly, reJolve to difcharge our Confciences, and Duties to Ged and the King, without any Refpect of Popularity; that's but the Paradife of Fools, and Scorn of Wife Men; and therefore, as for us, we have no more Regard to People's Diflike, than what they Dream. By Reason therefore of your late Hypocritical Submiffion, the Com miffioners have thought fit to draw up an Inftrument, to which, if you shall immediately Subfcribe, before you leave the Room, we shall leave you to His Ma jefties Pardon: And this we expect from you all, ex ceps |