One of his peculiarities was that, whenever his opinion was not adopted, he fancied that his veracity was questioned.
"This paper not genuine!" he exclaimed, turning over the leaves with his hands.

"Am I not worthy to be believed?
Is my word not to be taken ?" "At all events, sir," said one of the Bishops, "this is not an ecclesiastical matter.

It lies within the sphere of the civil power.
God has entrusted your Majesty with the sword: and it is not for us to invade your functions." Then the Archbishop, with that gentle and temperate malice which inflicts the deepest wounds, declared that he must be excused from setting his hand to any political document.

"I and my brethren, sir," he said, "have already smarted severely for meddling with affairs of state; and we shall be very cautious how we do so again.
We once subscribed a petition of the most harmless kind: we presented it in the most respectful manner; and we found that we had committed a high offence.

We were saved from ruin only by the merciful protection of God.
And, sir, the ground then taken by your Majesty's Attorney and Solicitor was that, out of Parliament, we were private men, and that it was criminal presumption in private men to meddle with politics.