To the Right Reverend the
Lord Bishop of ROCHESTER,
Dean of WESTMINSTER,
AND OF THE
Most Honourable Order of the BATH.
My Lord,
HE obliging Condescension with which at all times you receive the Applications of Your Clergy, incourages us to address ourselves in this publick manner to Your Lordship, with all the Confidence indeed which so much Goodness can inspire, but with all the Apprehension too, which Men of any tolerable Modesty must be sensible of, who are so well acquainted with the great Defects of their Performance, and the still greater Accuracy of Your Judgment.Your Lordship doubtless is no Stranger to the Merit of our Author, who has, for some Years, made so considerable a Figure in the Common-wealth of Learning. His Reputation is as universal as his Genius; and we, who think we cannot do him too much Honour, believe we cannot pay a greater Compliment to him, than by introducing him into our Country, under the Protection of a Name so generally respected in it, and so likely to procure him an easy Passport.
This generous Office to a Stranger, in himself so deserving, is suitable to Your known Humanity, which among many other Virtues has so agreeably distinguished You, as to make you in every Change of Situation, the same Object of Affection, and create in the different People whom You leave or settle with, the same Regret or Pleasure.
His Majesty is ever indulgent to his good Subjects; but could not more effectually have answered the Wishes of this Diocese, than by placing Your Lordship at the Head of it, from whose Conversation with us, upon a particular Occasion, during the ill Health of your truly Apostolical Predecessor, we conceived such a respectful Opinion of your Episcopal Qualities, and other Accomplishments which we discerned in You, that from that time, upon the Supposition of a vacant See, the common Voice both of Clergy and Laity anticipated his Majesty’s Nomination, and unanimously declared or wished You ours.
What was then passionately desired we now see happily effected; whereupon we congratulate not so much Your Lordship as ourselves, who have so much the Advantage in the Honour of our spiritual Relation to You, and in the many Benefits that may be expected more especially by Your Clergy, from such eminent Talents employed in the common Service of Religion, and their particular Protection.
If Your Lordship is already so much indeared to us, by those Virtues which appeared in the short Intercourse of a few Days, how must our Veneration be increased upon a nearer and more frequent Access to You, when we have the Opportunity to observe You with more Attention, and discover so many more Perfections, which a freer Communication must reveal to us? This we are all confident will be confirmed to us by Experience; but Your Lordship, we hope, will previously give one Test of Your general good Dispositions, by forgiving the Liberty of this Application, and excusing those who cannot suffer themselves to omit such a favourable Occasion, of making the most publick Declarations of their Duty, and professing with the most perfect and intire Respect how much they are,
My Lord,
Your Lordship's most Humble
and most Obedient Servants,
Samuel D'Oyly,
John Colson.