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History of the Nonjurors.

was lawful. He was violent in his opposition to Dissenters; to occasional Conformists; and to all the Whigs. The House of Commons resolved to prosecute him for his two sermons, one at the assizes at Derby in August, the other at St. Paul's on the 5th of November 1709, intitled "Perils among False Brethren." The Commons attended in Westminster Hall as his accusers. He read his own defence, after which the Lords entered into a very warm debate on the subject. The proceedings continued three weeks, the Queen being present in secret every day. Her sedan, as she proceeded to the Hall, was surrounded by the mob, who cried, "God bless your Majesty and the Church. We hope your Majesty is for Dr. Sacheverell." There was a wide difference of opinion among the Lords. None of them actually defended non-resistance; but Hooper, Bishop of Bath and Wells, thought, that resistance was only allowable in extraordinary cases. He contended, however, that the maxim should not be put forth, as the people were too ready to resist: that the Revolution could not be boasted of, or made a precedent: that a mantle should be cast over it; that it should rather be called a vacancy: that those who examined it too nicely were not its best friends: and that at a period, when resistance was openly justified, there appeared to be a necessity for preaching non-resistance. The Duke of Leeds said, that, prior to the Revolution, he never expected that the crown would have been settled upon the Prince: that the Prince had often told him he had no such design: that a distinction should be made between resistance and a revolution: and that the attempt, had it not succeeded, would undoubtedly have been a rebellion. Trimmel, Bishop of Norwich, spoke of Sacheverell's presumption in publishing a