CHAPTER XVI. The King's Declaration of Indulgence-Order of Council to have it read in all Churches-Petition of Archbishop Sancroft, Ken, and five other Bishops against the Order. They are lent to the Tower. HE Bifhop could hardly expect to escape some serious confequences for perfonally preaching fuch a fermon, after the punishment inflicted on the Bishop of London for a lefs offence. The King, however, had already refolved on fome more general, and ftringent measure to teft the obeApril 27. dience of the Clergy. For on the 27th of the fame month he made a fresh "DECLARATION FOR LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE." This State paper is drawn with confiderable skill. It fets out with an intimation that the King was refolved to be obeyed; "Our conduct has been fuch at all times as ought to have perfuaded the world that we are firm and conftant in our refolutions: yet, that eafy people may not be abus'd by the malice of crafty wicked men, we think fit to declare that our intentions. are not changed fince the 4th of April, 1687, when we iffued out our Declaration for liberty of confcience." It ftates that it had been his principal care to fecure the benefits of Indulgence to all his fubjects, who had teftified by multitudes of addreffes their fatisfaction and duty that liberty of conscience would be a public benefit to future ages, and for the general good of the whole kingdom: that offices and employments of the ftate ought to be the reward of services, fidelity and merit, not subject to Oaths and Tests, as must be apparent to all who felt concerned in the encrease of the wealth and power of these kingdoms, which above all others are most capable of improvements, and of commanding the trade of the world: that the late changes both of civil and military officers were for the purpose of establishing the peace and greatness of the country, as all unbiassed men might fee by the condition of the fleet and armies, which fhould be conftantly the fame, and greater, if the fafety and honour of the nation required it that he had been during the three years of his reign the Father of his people, not their oppreffor: and it concludes by urging all to lay aside private animofities and jealoufies, and to choose such members of Parliament as would do their parts for the advantage of the monarchy, promifing to call them together in November next at fartheft. To give the fullest publicity to this Proclamation, and to fhow that he was refolved to carry out the measure, an order of Council was made on the 4th of May 4May, directing the Bishops to have it fent to their refpective Diocefes, and read at the ufual time of Divine Service, on the 20th and 27th of the month, in all churches and chapels in London and Westminster, and ten miles thereabout; and on the 3rd and 10th of June in all other churches and chapels throughout the kingdom. This order appears to have excited more furprise and oppofition than the Declaration itself. Yet it was no unusual exercise of prerogative; for the authority of the Crown to have its Proclamations read from the pulpit appears to have been, and still is, recognized. It had been obeyed several times by Sancroft himself in the late reign;* and appears to be provided for in the Act of Uniformity, prefixed to the Book of Common Prayer. But in this cafe acquiefcence would have given the sanction of the Clergy to an illegality, which the Indulgence clearly was. The Bishops at once perceived, that it was not only levelled against the Church, but was intended to mortify them, and degrade them in the public esteem: their concurrence would make them parties to an act that would be construed into a fanction of the Indulgence, and must have prepared the way to further encroachments. But more than this, and apart from all political confiderations of prudence, and legal fecurity, they thought that to publish during divine service, what they confcientiously believed to be a toleration of error, would be contrary to the interests of religion; to proclaim the lawfulness of fchifm would in their judgment violate the principle of unity: to justify by an episcopal act the setting up of Papal and Prefbyterian worship against the altar of the true Church, would compromise their clear duty.† Archbishop Sancroft, * Kennet, vol. iii. pp. 388, 408, and Echard. D'Oyly's Life of Sancroft, edit. 1840, p.152. When Charles II. published his Declaration (1681) on diffolving the Oxford Parliament, Sancroft in the Council moved that an Order should be added to it, requiring the Clergy to publish it in all the Churches, which was thought to be a dangerous precedent. Burnet's Reign of James II., by Routh, p. 253. Hitherto the Clergy had been diftinguished for their loyalty, hold whose courage and zeal were, on this occafion, equal to the emergency which threatened the Church, was at once difpofed to make a stand. We have a short, clear, and refolute paper of Reafons for not publishing the Declaration," which he probably drew up as an ultimatum for his own conduct, and for the guidance of others. From this he never fwerved. "1. I am not averfe to the reading the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, for want of due tenderness towards Diffenters; in relation to whom I fhall be willing to come to fuch a temper as shall be thought fitt, when that matter comes to be confidered and fettled in Parliament and Convocation. "2. The Declaration being founded on such a Dispensing Power, as may at pleasure set afide all Laws Ecclefiaftical and Civil, appears to me illegal; and did fo in the Parliament both in the year 1662, and in the year 1672, and in the beginning of his Majesty's Reign, and it is a point of such confequence, that I cannot so far make myself a party to it, as the reading of it in the Church in the time of Divine Service will amount to."* ing the doctrine of Non-refistance to be the true teaching of the Church: but obedience at this crifis would be an act of aggreffion against her vital interests. And now it appeared how falutary was the warning which old Bishop Morley, on his death bed, sent to James, when he was Duke of York. He defired Lord Dartmouth to tell him, that "if ever he depended on the doctrine of Non-refiftance, he would find himself deceived; for there were very few of that opinion, though there were not many of the Church of England that thought proper to contradict it in terms; but he was very fure they would in practice." Lord Dartmouth often reminded James of this, but to very little purpose; for all the answer was, that "the Bishop was a very good man, but grown old and timorous.” Burnet's Hift. of his Own Time, Oxford Ed! 1833, vol. ii. p. 440. * Tanner MSS., vol. xxviii. fol. 65. Among the Archbishop's He held many confultations with the Bishops who were near at hand, and several of the most distinguished of the London clergy, in order to ascertain the general feeling. By their advice a circular was fent to the abfent Prelates, inviting them to attend at Lambeth. Ken, having returned to Wells after his duty in London had been performed, received the following letter from the Archbishop: "My Lord, "This is only in my own name, and in the name of fome of our Brethren, now here upon the place, earnestly to defire you, immediately upon the receipt of this letter, to come hither with what convenient speed you can, not taking notice to any that you are fent for. Wishing you a profperous journey, and us all a happy meeting, I remain "Your very loving Brother, "WILLIAM Cantuar.' He came at once to London, where he arrived on the evening of the 17th of May, with his friend Trelawney, of Bristol. On the following morning May 18. (Friday) there was a meeting at Lambeth Palace, when Sancroft found himself furrounded by feven Bishops, They began by invoking the Divine aid papers in the Bodleian we have another memorandum of "The case of reading the Declaration for Liberty of Confcience, briefly stated in four propofitions;" the conclufion of which is, "Therefore the Clergy cannot lawfully obey the Order for their reading the Declaration." Tanner MSS., vol. xxviii. fol. 32. * Tanner MSS., vol. xxviii. fol. 21. ↑ D'Oyly's Life of Sancroft, edit. 1840, p. 156. See also note to |