well shown in a paper, endorsed by Sancroft, in his own hand writing,

"Audacious attempts of Popish Seducers in London in K. James's Reign."

"Books and pamphlets prejudicial to the Church are fold in every stall, cried by Hawkers about the streets, or commonly as Gazets, thrown or brought into houses, or sent by Penny-Poft bundles: fuch as The Touchstone of the Reformed Gofpel;' 'The Tranflation of the Maffe;' The Papist Misrepresented,' &c.”

"Papifts bring papers into Coffee houses, and plead the Cause out of them, as out of so many Briefs.

"Papists, both of the Layetie and of the Clergy, offer arguments to the Paffengers in Hackney Coaches to Windfor and other places.”*

James proceeded at first with comparative caution in England, where his movements were jealously watched by a more powerful aristocracy, and a more enlightened people. But in Scotland he at once refolved to fet himself above the laws, affuming by his "fovereign authority, prerogative royal, and abfolute power, to fufpend, stop, and disable all laws, statutes, or acts of Parliament," against the Romanists, claiming for them the free exercise of their religion, which by the ftatutes was prohibited. In Ireland his measures had been already taken with yet greater boldness: the

*Tanner MSS., vol. xxvii. fol. 1. The paper contains alfo many other curious particulars of the Jesuits coming, in disguise, to sick perfons under the pretext of administering phyfic; &c. &c.

† “2nd March, 1687. Came out a Proclamation for universal liberty of confcience in Scotland, and dispensation from all tests and laws to the contrary, as alfo capacitating Papifts to be chofen into all offices of trust. The mystery operates." Evelyn's Diary, vol. ii. p. 262.

Titular Bishops had been authorized to hold a general Convention of the Romish Clergy on the 15th of May, 1686. The priests had inftructions from their respective Bishops to give an exact lift of all the men in their parishes, capable of bearing arms; Lord Clarendon, the Lord Lieutenant, was ordered to dispense with the Judges taking the Oath of fupremacy; nineteen Romanifts were fworn in as Privy Counsellors ;-the corporations were filled with them; -all the Proteftant officers and foldiers were difmiffed from the several regiments, and Roman Catholic chaplains appointed; "fo that I doubt not (fays Lord Clarendon on the 6th July, 1686), within a month, or little more, the whole army will be composed, as his Majesty would have it." Thus " 300 officers loft their commiffions, and above 5000 foldiers were sent pilgrimizing, having nothing to trust to but the charity of others, which in those times was very cold, answerable to the feafon of the year, and the climate of the country. "* "Sir Alexander Fitton, a perfon detected of forgery both at Westminster and Chester, and fined by the House of Lords, was brought out of jail, and set over the highest court, as Lord Chancellor of Ireland, to keep the King's confcience, having no other quality to recommend him befides his being a converted Papist, and a renegade to his religion and country."† To complete all, Colonel Talbot, a Papist, a mere soldier of fortune, infolent and unprincipled, was created Earl Tyrconnel, and

* Life of James II., 8vo, 1702, p. 145.

fent over to fuperfede Clarendon as Lord Lieutenant, and to root out every faith but the Romish.

Emboldened by this fuccefs, James made further advances towards the establishment of Popery in England. Five Roman Catholic Lords were admitted to the Privy Council. The Judges were called upon to declare from the bench that the Crown was abfolute, -that the penal laws were powers committed to the King for the execution of justice, but not to bind his authority, or prevent his dispensing with them. This was preparatory to the fame ftep he had taken in Scotland. His great object was the repeal of the Teft and penal acts against the Romanists, that they might be relieved from the declaration against the Pope's fupremacy, on taking any civil or military office. He fent for the principal members of both houses, and received them privately in his closet, endeavouring to perfuade them to acquiefce in his measures.* The chief officers of state who refused compliance were removed:† indeed all perfons of every class, holding fituations under government, who had courage to avow their attachment to the Anglican Church, and refused to comply with his arbitrary measures, were difmiffed from their employments. Popish sheriffs and juftices of the peace,

"Most of the Parliament men were spoken to in his Mjty's closet, and fuch as refused, if in any place or office of truft, civil or military, were put out of their employments. This was a time of great trial, but hardly one of them dissented, which put the Popish interest much backward." Evelyn's Diary, vol. i. p. 636.

"Much discourse," Evelyn says, "that all the White Staff officers, and others should be difmiffed for adhering to their religion." Evelyn's Diary, vol. ii. p. 261.

"So furiously do the Jefuits drive, and even compel Princes to

taken from the lowest of the people, were appointed in the counties, as fit inftruments for his purpose. Roman bishops were publickly confecrated in the King's chapel, and under the title of "Vicars Apoftolical," iffued to the laymen of that communion pastoral letters, which were printed at the royal press. Some time before this, the King had received at Court Count Ferdinand D'Adda, "the first Popish Nuncio that had been in England fince the Reformation; so wonderfully were things changed to the universal jealoufy."

But the measure which, above all others, brought the nation to a full fenfe of his defigns against the English Church, was the appointment of an Ecclefiaftical Court of High Commiffion, with unlimited powers to reform all abuses, contempts, and offences of whatever nature, to cite before them ecclefiaftical perfons of every degree or dignity, and to cenfure, fufpend, or deprive them without appeal; and further to alter the ftatutes of the Universities, and all other corporations, civil and religious. There were seven Commiffioners, of whom three were Prelates; Lord Chancellor Jeffreys, "of nature cruel, and a flave of the Court," was appointed always to prefide. Thus at once was established an authority, more extenfive and arbitrary than the hated Star Chamber, and wielded by the blood-stained hand of one of the most infamous of men.

This Court prohibited the clergy from controverting

violent courses, and deftruction of an excellent government in Church and State." Evelyn's Diary, vol. ii. p. 261.

the doctrines of Rome in their fermons; the King confidering fuch a topic to be a reflection on his perfon and government. He had already iffued an order to the Archbishops to interdict preaching on disputed points. But the clergy could not be reftrained from their duty. Ken, and the other Bishops, who shortly afterwards took so courageous a part in defence of the Church, would probably have been called before this Commiffion, as Compton, Bishop of London, was, and for the fame offence,-(of permitting their clergy to preach against the errors of Popery), had not the exceffive indifcretion of James, urged on by the Jefuits, brought him fo quickly to his ruin. Numerous letters are to be found in the Bodleian Library, expreffive of their refolution to meet this crifis as well as they could, but with conftancy; and they would have followed Compton's example, notwithstanding his fufpenfion, and the threat of deprivation. Sancroft was excluded from Whitehall, for refufing to act as a Commiffioner. He had prepared the form of a protest against the jurisdiction of the Court, in cafe he should receive a fummons:* this he intended to deliver by his Counsel, who was to plead his right of exemption, as Archbishop and Peer. Turner of Ely rather recommended that they should answer perfonally, and make their proteft in open Court. The difference of character in these two champions of the Church was exemplified on this, and many other occafions: both were of a refolved courage and constancy; but Sancroft cautious to a fault, Turner warm

* D'Oyly's Life of Sancroft, vol. i. p. 232.