ADVERTISEMENT.
The object of my former volumes upon the Ecclesiastical History of England was to state facts and to draw conclusions, without seeking to gratify any particular party, and by such a method to promote the cause of Christian truth and charity. Acknowledgments of success to some extent, expressed by public critics, and by private friends, holding very different ecclesiastical opinions, encourage me to proceed in my arduous but agreeable task; and I now venture to lay before the public another instalment of my work.
To account for its appearance so soon after its predecessor, it is but fair to my readers and myself to state, that it became the dream and desire of my life, a quarter of a century ago, to write an Ecclesiastical History of my own country; and that, ever since, my reading and my reflections have been directed very much into this channel. For many years past, I have been engaged in studying the affairs of the Church from the Commonwealth to the Revolution; and therefore, whatever may be the imperfections of these volumes, they are not, at any rate, a hasty compilation, but the result of long and laborious research.
It may be well to indicate the sources from which my materials are drawn.
The printed Journals of the Lords and Commons,—the Parliamentary History of England,—Cardwell's Synodalia,—Thurloe's State Papers,—and other similar collections, which did not exist in the days of Kennet, Collier, and Neal,—supply, together with Burnet's and Baxter's contemporary accounts, the backbone of the following narrative. Journals, diaries, and biographies of the period, with newspapers and tracts, of which extraordinarily rich collections are found in the British Museum and in Dr. Williams' Library, have helped to clothe the skeleton. But the sources of illustration, upon which I rest some slight claim to originality, are found in certain unpublished MSS. which it has been my privilege to examine and employ.
I. Amongst these the first place belongs to the Collection of Papers in the Record Office. Besides the assistance furnished by the published calendars of Mrs. Green, extending from 1660 to 1667, I have been favoured with the use of that lady's unpublished notes down to the close of 1669; these helps have greatly facilitated my inquiries into the history of the first decade embraced within these volumes. From that period to the Revolution, I have been left with no other clue than the Office catalogue of the books and bundles chronologically arranged; and all the documents which I could find bearing on domestic affairs—and they amount to many hundreds—I have carefully examined. Although those which relate to ecclesiastical matters are by no means so numerous as those which relate to political, commercial, and other subjects, they are of very great value to the Church historian. They may be classified as follows:—
As to the Established Church—
i. Note-book of Sir Joseph Williamson.
ii. Applications for preferments, and correspondence relating to them.
iii. Private letters alluding in various ways to Church affairs.
As to Nonconformists—
i. Informations against them, which are very numerous.
ii. A spy-book, containing many curious particulars of suspected persons.
iii. Correspondence containing a great number of incidental allusions to the condition of Nonconformity.
The details are generally of a minute description, and would very extensively serve the purpose of biographers and local historians; but they are not without considerable value for a purpose like mine, as my foot-notes will testify.
Amongst the new historical illustrations thus afforded, are those connected with the ecclesiastical aspects of the general election of 1661, with the rumoured plots of that and succeeding years, plots in which Nonconformists were accused of being involved,—the conduct of Nonconformists under their persecutions,—and the fabrication of letters with the view of involving Nonconformists in trouble—of which one striking example occurs in relation to William Baffin, and, as appears very probable, another referring to certain London ministers. There are also notices of the Indulgence of 1672, and of the case of Colledge, the Protestant Joiner, as he was called. It is apparent how much the antipathies of the two religious parties of that day were augmented by political considerations; and from the documents are also obtained many interesting and amusing glimpses of private social life.
II. Next to the State Papers, I may mention a collection of fragmentary remains in the Archives of Parliament, connected with the passing of the Act of Uniformity,—and especially the Book of Common Prayer attached to the Act (described in my Appendix), prefixed to which is an Analysis of the alterations made in the formularies. Accurate copies of these papers have been furnished for my use by the kindness of Sir Denis Le Marchant.
III. The well-known MS. Collections in the British Museum and at Lambeth. They have yielded items of information I believe not published before—particularly the returns made to Episcopal inquiries as preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library.
IV. The MSS. in the University Library of Cambridge. I have found amongst these some papers which have been of service, especially in relation to the reign of James II.; one of them, giving an account of the opening of Parliament, I have printed in my Appendix.
V. The Morice and other MSS. in Dr. Williams' Library. This collection forms a quarry hitherto imperfectly worked. There are three folio volumes, entitled, Entering Books, or Historical Register, extending over the period between 1676-91. These I have found of great service in throwing light upon Nonconformist opinions of public events, in supplying the current rumours of the day, and in recording pieces of information relating to minor matters illustrative of those times. And here I may add, not only with regard to this and other diaries, but also with reference to letters and notes amongst the State Papers, that I have relied on them only for such purposes as are now indicated, and that I do not rest my belief of any important historical events simply upon evidence of this description.
VI. A curious Diary, kept at the time of the Restoration, for the loan of which some years ago I was indebted to Mrs. Green, who copied it from the original in the Middleshill Collection. I have called it the Worcester MSS. The diarist was Henry Townshend, Esquire, of Elmley Lovet, Worcestershire, who lies buried in the church of that parish; and the nature of his impressions of what went on around him may be inferred from his epitaph.
VII. A document relative to the death of Charles II., being one of the valuable collection of papers entrusted to the Record Commission for examination. This document solves the curious enigma which puzzled Lord Macaulay. For a copy of it I am indebted to the kindness of Sir Thomas Duffus Hardy, who takes an important part in the Commission.
VIII. A MS. History of the Congregational Churches of Suffolk, by the Rev. Thomas Harmer, Author of Observations on Scripture; a MS. History of the Congregational Church at Yarmouth, drawn up from the Church Book by my late friend Mr. Joseph Davey; and other old Church Records which I have been permitted to inspect, as will appear from the foot-notes to these volumes.
IX. MS. Volumes and Papers in the Archives of Canterbury. For the inspection and use of these I am indebted to the kindness and assistance of the Dean and of Canon Robertson.
X. Subscription Book, amongst the records of Chichester Cathedral, which has been examined by Canon Swainson, who has furnished me with the results inserted in the Appendix. To him my best thanks are due; nor can I omit to record my acknowledgments to the Dean of Chichester also, for all his kind and friendly attention.
With these various materials before me, I have entered much more fully than previous historians have done into several subjects—especially the re-establishment of the Episcopal Church by the Act of Uniformity. In our time, when the question of Establishments has been so earnestly and so practically taken up, as to work out already the greatest ecclesiastical change since 1662, surely a full account of what was accomplished in that memorable year, with its immediate results,—results far from having spent their influence,—must be reckoned amongst the most desirable portions of history. It is remarkable that no State Churchman has ever gone at large into this subject, supplying the defects of Neal, and correcting the inaccuracies of Clarendon and Burnet. Whilst I have attempted to supply the acknowledged desideratum from my own point of view, it has been my aim, in these as in former volumes, to make my readers acquainted not only with prominent transactions, but with the social and private religious life of the period, the personal piety which existed in different communions, and the identity of that spiritual life which then deeply struck its roots, as it ever does, under varied forms of doctrinal belief, of Christian worship, and of ecclesiastical government.
I have also attempted to redeem my promise to furnish a sketch of the theological opinions entertained in England between the commencement of the Civil Wars and the fall of James II. It would have been easier and more attractive to indulge in broad generalizations on the subject, and to work out my own theological conclusions, through the medium of historical reflection and argument; but I have preferred the more useful and trustworthy, as well as the more humble and laborious method of analyzing and describing the publications of the period in connection with the authors, and thus indicating some of the extraneous influences which have wrought upon the minds of eminent thinkers. Of course I have been compelled to limit myself to those writers who are best known and most significant, and therefore the student will perhaps miss in my account some favourite or expected name. But imperfect as the review will be found, enough will appear to indicate strong resemblances between currents of opinion then and now; and in this respect, the true apprehension of the present will be materially assisted by a knowledge of the past.
As in the course of my researches I have detected in authors of the highest reputation a number of minute inaccuracies, and some important errors, I cannot hope to have escaped such evils myself, and I shall be very thankful to candid critics for kindly pointing them out.
About one half of this volume covers ground traversed by me in Church and State two hundred years ago, published in 1862: but it will be found, that with the exception of a few sentences here and there, the account now published is quite new. Facts before passed over are here described at length, whilst certain trivial details are omitted; my views on some points have undergone a little modification, and the entire narrative has been rearranged; but the spirit which I sought at the beginning I have endeavoured to retain throughout.
It would be ungrateful not to add, that for facilities in research, and for direct literary aid, I am indebted to many friends. Besides special obligations which I have acknowledged in the foot-notes and Appendix, I beg to acknowledge the kindness of Mr. Thoms, Sub-Librarian to the House of Lords—Mr. Aldis Wright, Librarian of Trinity College, Cambridge—Mr. Bullen, of the British Museum—and Mr. Hunter, keeper of Dr. Williams' Library.
Nor can I omit to mention again, my fellow-workers at home, especially one whose assiduity and care in helping me to correct the press, deserve the highest praise.
Two literary friends who took much interest in this work,—the Rev. Joseph Aspland and Mr. John Bruce, F.S.A.,—are now, alas, beyond the reach of my thanks.
Should my life be spared, I hope in another volume to bring the Ecclesiastical History down to the Revolution. A history of the eighteenth century lies amongst the visions of the future.