he Religious of the
High Church, who have receiv'd his _Private Thoughts_ and his Volumes of
_Sermons_, like _Manna_ from Heaven. And yet possibly never Man had two
more severe Attacks made upon him than he had; one by Bishop
_Stillingfleet_, who in _A Vindication of their Majesties Authority to
fill the Sees of the depriv'd Bishops_, &c. occasion'd by Dr.
_Beveridge_'s Refusal of the Bishoprick of _Bath_ and _Wells_, satirizes
both his _Prudence_ and his _Sincerity_; and another, by an ingenious
Bishop also, who in _A short View of Dr._ Beveridge_'s Writings_, has in a
most refin'd _drolling manner_ represented those Writings as abounding in
most absurd and ridiculous Divinity.

But one of the justest and finest Pieces of _Irony_, and the most timely
and seasonably vented, and that deserves perpetual Remembrance, is,
_Andrews_ the grave Bishop of _Winchester_'s Irony, on _Neal_ the grave
Bishop of _Durham_; of which we have the following Relation in the Poet
_Waller_'s _Life_, prefix'd before his Works: "On the Day of the
Dissolution of the last Parliament of King _James_ the First, Mr.
_Waller_, out of Curiosity or Respect, went to see the King at Dinner;
with whom were Dr. _Andrews_ the Bishop of _Winchester_, and Dr. _Neal_
Bishop of _Durham_, standing behind his Majesty's Chair. There happen'd
something very extraordinary in the Conversation those Prelates had with
the King, on which Mr. _Waller_ did often reflect. His Majesty ask'd the
Bishops, _My Lords, cannot I take my Subjects Money when I want it,
without all this Formality in Parliament?_ The Bishop of _Durham_ readily
answer'd, _God forbid, Sir, but you should; you are the Breath of our
Nostrils_. Whereupon the King turn'd and said to the Bishop of
_Winchester_, _Well, my Lord, what say you? Sir_, replied the Bishop, _I
have no Skill to judge of Parliamentary Cases_. The King answer'd, _No
Put-offs, my Lord; answer me presently. Then, Sir_, said he, _I think it
is lawful for you to take my Brother_ Neal_'s_ _Money, for he offers it_.
Mr. _Waller_ said the Company was pleas'd with this Answer, and the Wit
of it seem'd to affect the King." Which shews the exceeding Aptness and
Usefulness of a good _Irony_; that can convey an Instruction to a vicious,
evil, and tyrannical Prince, highly reflecting on his Conduct, without
drawing on his Resentment.

To these famous Divines I might add the most eminent and renowned
Philosophers of Antiquity, who, either out of