A LETTER FROM THE Bishop of Rochester, To the Right Honourable The Earl of Dorset and Middlesex, LORD-CHAMBERLAIN OF His MAJESTY'S Household, Concerning his Sitting in the Late Ecclesiastical Commission.  
In the Savoy: Printed by EDW. JONES. MDCLXXXVIII.   

A LETTER From the Bishop of ROCHESTER, To the Right Honourable The Earl of Dorset and Middlesex, etc.  
MY LORD,  
I Think I should be wanting to myself at this time, in my own necessary Vindication, should I forbear any longer, to give my Friends a True Account of my Behaviour in the late Ecclesiastical Commission. Though I profess, what I shall now say, I only intent as a Reasonable Mitigation of the Offence I have given, not entirely to Justify my Sitting in that Court; for which, I acknowledge, I have deservedly incurred the Censure of many Good Men: And I wish I may ever be able to make a sufficient Amends to my Country for it.  
Yet thus much, My Lord, I can justly allege for myself, That the Commission was made, and my Name put into it, altogether without my Knowledge; when I happened to be at Salisbury, holding an Archiepiscopal Visitation with the Bishop of Chichester, and other Commissioners: Where, by God's Blessing, we composed several old Differences and Animosities, and restored Peace and Unity to that Church.  
At my return from thence to London, I found I was appointed to be one in a New Commission: But I could never see a Copy of it, nor did I ever hear its Contents, or know the Powers granted in it, till the time of its being publicly opened at Whitehal; whither I was sent for, on purpose, in haste, that very Morning, from my House in the Country; being just come home from a Confirmation, and from paying my Duty to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Denmark at Tunbridge.  
Upon the first publishing the Commission, I confess, through my Ignorance in the Laws, I had little or no Objection in my Thoughts against the Legality of it; especially when I considered, That having past the Broad Seal, it must needs, according to my apprehension, have been examined and approved by the King's Learned Council in the Law, Men generally esteemed of eminent Skill in their Profession. Besides, I was farther confirmed (though too rashly I grant) in my Error, when I saw two Gentlemen of the Long Robe, Persons of the greatest Place and Authority in Westminster-Hall, joined with us; who, I should have thought, would never have ventured their Fortunes and Reputations, by exercising a Jurisdiction that was Illegal.  
And I believed I had Reason to conclude, That this very Argument might prevail also with some others of the Temporal Lords, that sat among us. Particularly the Earl of Rochester has often assured me, 'twas that which induced him to accept of the Commission; and that he did it, as I myself did, with a purpose of doing as much Good as we were able, and of hindering as much Evil, as we possibly could, in that Unfortunate Juncture of Affairs.  
As for my own Part, I was startled when I perceived my Lord of Canterbury scrupled to be present with us; whose Example, 'tis true, I ought rather to have followed than the greatest Lawyers in all Matters of Conscience. Yet I hope his Grace will excuse me, if I declare, that I did not at first know He made a Matter of Conscience of it. Nor did I understand his Grace took Exception at the Lawfulness of the Commission itself, till after my Lord of London was Cited, and had Appeared, and Answered, and the unjust Sentence was passed against him.  
For it was on the very Day the Commission was opened, immediately, as I remember, after it was read, that my Lord of London was informed against, for not Suspending Dr. Sharp: Which, though it exceedingly surprised me at first, yet observing with what heat the Prosecution was like to be carried on against him, that very Consideration did the more incline me to Sat and Act there, that I might be in some Capacity of doing Right to his Lordship. And whether I did him any Service through the whole Process of his Cause, I leave it to my Lord himself to judge. That I gave my Positive Vote for his Acquittal, Both the Times when his Suspension came in question, I suppose I need not tell the World.  
Having thus, in the beginning of that Court, and the highest Ferment of it, freely discharged my Conscience, by Endeavouring to clear my Lord of London, I must own, I thenceforth unawares took a Resolution, which, how hurtful soever it may now prove to myself, yet I am still apt to believe, did the Church of England no Disservice in the Main. My Design, by continuing longer among them, was to make sure of one Vote at least, and to do my Part, to the utmost of my small Interest and Ability, to lessen the Blow which I feared was coming on the Clergy, since it could not altogether be avoided.  
And I was the more persuaded to take this Course, not only because the Legality or Illegality of the Commission seemed at first rather a Moot-case, than a determined Point either way; divers of the Principal Lawyers, as I was told, being divided in their Opinions concerning it; but also because I saw, some other Persons were ready to fill my Chair there, as soon as it should be empty; Men of whose Principles and Practices I was so well aware, that I knew they wou●d not have the same regard as myself for the Church's Preservation. And perhaps I might add this further for the Extenuation of my Fault, That I was not discouraged by some Grave and Worthy Persons, for this very purpose, to keep in some longer time: But I forbear to name them, that I may not involve any Good Man in my Infelicity.  
However, upon these Motives I Acted, and, in pursuance of this Design, God knows, I Voted, as long as I remained at the Board: Where all my Opinions were so contrary to the Humour of the Court, that I often thought myself to be really in as much Hazard from the Commission itself, by my not Complying, as any of my Brethren could be, that were out of it.  
I Appeal to all that were acquainted with the Transactions there, whether ever I gave my Consent to any Irregular or Arbitrary Sentence; whether I did not constantly and firmly Declare against every Extravagant Decree. I could almost presume to affirm, That I was, as far as in me lay, some way or other, a Common Solicitor, or Advocate for all that were unjustly Prosecuted before them. And I might exemplify this beyond all Contradiction, if I should enumerate every particular Cause, that came under their Cognizance.  
After my Lord of London was Sentenced, his Lordship knows, I was always upon the Watch to obstruct all farther Proceedings against him. Nay, his Lordship well remembers, I had once obtained to have his Suspension taken off, if he would but have made an ordinary Submission.  
Then I was Zealous for Exeter-College, in their Defence against Father Petre, in a Business of so great Importance, that if the College had been overcome in the Suit, that whole Society must soon have been abandoned to Popery.  
I did my utmost to oppose the Violent Persecution upon the whole University of Cambridge; when the Vicechancellor was suspended his Office, and his Mastership of Magdalen-College, because a Popish Priest, who was one of the Missionaries to pervert the Scholars, was denied a Degree in their Convocation.  
I faithfully Assisted and Served Christ-Church in Oxford, when they were in danger of having new Statutes Imposed upon them, which would Infallibly have laid open that Royal College, to the Ruin of their Good Learning and Religion.  
I absolutely resisted all the Alterations in the Statutes of Sidney-College, and all other Changes and Abrogations of Oaths, that were then made or designed in the Statutes of either University, for the advantage of Popish Priests and Students, and for the freer course of Mandamus' in their Favour.  
I ever gave my Advice for all sorts of Business, to be returned into the common course of Justice; as that all Ecclesiastical Matters should be referred back to the several Bishops from whose Dioceses the Complaints were brought; and that all Informations against Colleges and Hospitals should be recommitted to their proper Visitors.  
I persisted unmoveable in my Dissent from every Vote that passed against Magdalen-College in Oxford; from their very first Citation before that Court, to the cruel incapacitating of the Precedent and Fellows.  
I could mention many other Particulars, wherein I successfully laboured to relieve divers of the inferior and greater Clergy from Oppression; to prevent some from being called before us at all; to preserve others after they were accused by malicious Sycophants and Informers, that swarmed then every where: Some in the Case of Tithes; some for pressing Churchwardens to take Legal Oaths; some for not Reading, some for Preaching against the King's Declaration.  
But there are Two Eminent Instances, which I cannot omit. The one, That when the Bishop of Lincoln was Petitioned against by his Archdeacon, and there was, at that time, Inclination enough in the Court to pursue him to Extremity, yet my Lord Bishop of Peterburgh, by interceding for him with the King, and I with the Commissioners, so effectually wrought, that the Prosecution against him was discountenanced and fell to the Ground.  
The other Instance concerns my Lord of Canterbury; and I am confident his Grace will readily give me this Testimony, That I served him honestly and industriously on some Occasions, wherein he was like to be embroiled with the Commission; which must inevitably have ended in his Grace's Suspension at least, since he was resolved, whenever he should be brought before them, whatever the Pretence had been, to deny the whole Power and Jurisdiction of the Court.  
As for the last Scene transacted there, which was in Order to Censure the whole Clergy, for refusing to Read the Declaration: In that I hope I need say nothing in my Defence, it being publicly known to the whole Nation, how I then demeaned myself; how I broke loose from the Commission in a time, when I was convinced I could do the Church no farther Service there, and when the Popish Party was in the height of their Power and Rage. Then it was that I joined myself again to the Common Interest of the honest Clergy, just when they were on the very Brink of Destruction, before we ever dreamed of this Glorious Deliverance.  
This is certain, that my leaving and defying the Commission at that time, did apparently exasperate the Popish Priests, and the Ringleaders of the Jesuitical Faction against me, to the highest Degree imaginable. Nay, some Worthy Men have made me almost so vain as to fancy, that my bidding the Commission then Farewell in so public and peremptory a Manner, was no inconsiderable Stroke towards the Dissolution of the Commission itself. It is evident, that immediately upon the receipt of my Letter, wherein I renounced them, they Adjourned in Confusion for Six Months, and scarce ever met afterwards.  
Thus far I am sure, my perpetual Behaviour therein, was so much all of a piece, so directly against the Vogue of the Court, and the Counsels of Popery then prevailing; and the Effects of it did so visibly destroy my former Interest with the King, that whereas it is manifest, I was, when the Commission began, in as fair a probability as any Clergyman in England, to receive great Effects of His Majesty's Favour; yet after my Opposing my Lord Bishop of London's Suspension, and my other Votes Conformable to that, I fell by Degrees under His severe Displeasure.  
I might add moreover, that it is very probable, I was at last in more imminent Danger than any of my Brethren; I say, my Lord, than any of my Brethren, the Seven Petitioning Bishops, and my Lord of London only excepted; whose Merits and Sufferings, in Asserting our Laws and Religion, were so conspicuous, and by consequence the Fury of the Papists against them so implacable, that perhaps it would be Presumption in any other Clergyman, much more in Me, to come in Competition with Them for either of those Honours.  
Upon the whole Matter therefore, tho' as to the Legal Part of the Commission, which belonged to Lawyers to judge of, I was mistaken, for Acting in it at all: Yet in the Conscientious Part, which properly concerned me as a Divine, to Act in it honestly and sincerely, according to the best of my Judgement, in that, if I shall not be thought to deserve Thanks, yet I hope I may obtain Pardon from all Men of Candour and Ingenuity.  
My Lord, I know your Lordship's Generosity and Tender Concern for your Friends, whereof I have had so much Experience, will excuse me for troubling you with this my long Confession and Apology, for my share in the Ecclesiastical Commission. I wholly submit it to your Lordship's Prudence and Kindness, to make what use of it you please in my behalf. Only, this I will say, That if I had as good a Cause for you to Plead, as I have in your Lordship a Patron to Defend me, I should not have an Enemy in all England.  
Westminster, Feb. 21, 1688. My Lord, I am Your Lordship's most Faithful, Humble, and Obedient Servant, Tho. Roffen.   
FINIS.