Law, indeed, goes so far as to argue that in the light of his principles Hoadly should be a Deist; and there is ground for what, in that age, was a valuable point to make.

The sum total of it all is that for the bishop the outward actions of men alone concern the State; while Law insists that the root of action and the test of fitness is whether men have seen a certain aspect of the truth and grasped it.
The result, to say the least, was calamitous.

In May of 1717, convocation met and the Lower House immediately adopted an unanimous report condemning the "Preservative" and the sermon.

But Hoadly had the government behind him and the convocation was prorogued before further action could be taken.

Snape, Hare, Mosse and Sherlock, all of whom were chaplains royal, and had been drawn into the conflict, were dismissed from their office; and for more than one hundred and thirty-five years convocation was not again summoned.