UNWIN BROTHERS, PRINTERS.
ADVERTISEMENT.
It will be found that in this Volume I have assigned a large space to the attempt at Comprehension in the year 1689—as it is a subject of present interest, and because the proceedings connected with it have been but inadequately described. An examination of the Bill introduced for the purpose to the House of Lords—a comparison of the Journals of both Houses, whence it appears that another Bill of the same kind was contemporaneously proposed in the House of Commons—the report of the proceedings of the Commissioners in 1689, published by order of the House of Commons in 1854—and a curious Diary preserved in Dr. Williams’ Library—together with other original sources of information, have enabled me to present a fuller, and, I hope, more accurate, account of that important but ineffective transaction than has hitherto appeared. As I believe the Lords’ Bill has never been printed, I have arranged for its insertion in the Appendix.
A large collection of Tracts in Dr. Williams’ Library, besides those in the British Museum and University Libraries—the Tanner MSS. at Oxford—the Strype and other collections belonging to the Sister University—and the Gibson Papers at Lambeth, have also afforded a number of new, if not important, illustrations touching the Nonjurors—the proceedings of Convocation—the Trinitarian controversies—the social life of the Clergy—and the character of the Nonconformist ministers.
I may add that in tracing the origin and progress of Religious Societies during the reign of William III., I have received most valuable assistance from the respected Secretaries of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, who have favoured me with interesting extracts from their earliest records.
My best thanks are also due to the Right Reverend the Bishop of Chester for a copy of the writ summoning Spiritual peers to Parliament. Sir John G. S. Lefevre, Clerk of the Parliaments, to whose usual courtesy I am indebted for a copy of the Comprehension Bill—Mr. Thoms, the Librarian of the House of Lords—the Librarians at Oxford, Cambridge, and Lambeth—the Rev. T. Hunter, librarian of Dr. Williams’ Library—and the Rev. D. Hewitt, of Exeter, have also laid me under obligations which I gratefully acknowledge.
I venture to add, that in this, as in my former volumes, I have endeavoured to maintain an honest impartiality in the estimate of characters and incidents, together with a firm attachment to my own religious and ecclesiastical principles. My aim throughout has been to promote the cause of truth and charity among Christian Englishmen.
CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Early Days of William | [1] |
| Marriage with the Princess Mary | [4] |
| William and Mary in Holland | [5] |
| Preparations for Revolution | [9] |
| Infatuated Conduct of King James | [13] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| William’s Declaration | [27] |
| James gives Audience to the Bishops | [29] |
| William sets Sail | [34] |
| Landing of the Prince | [36] |
| James goes to Salisbury | [43] |
| William’s Popularity | [49] |
| Flight of James to Sheerness | [53] |
| Return of James to London | [56] |
| Arrival of William at St. James’s | [57] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| Character of the Revolution | [61] |
| The Holy Jacobite Club | [68] |
| State of Feeling | [69] |
| Meeting of Convention | [73] |
| Declaration of Right | [78] |
| Arrival of Mary in England | [80] |
| Accession of William and Mary | [81] |
| Appointment of Officers of State | [82] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Oath of Allegiance | [88] |
| Corporation Act | [92] |
| Test Act | [94] |
| Coronation Oath | [97] |
| The Coronation | [99] |
| Comprehension | [101] |
| Toleration | [114] |
| Ecclesiastical Commission | [124] |
| Convocation | [138] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| James in Ireland | [144] |
| Nonjurors: Cartwright—Thomas—Lake | [146] |
| Sancroft—Lloyd—Ken | [147] |
| Turner | [148] |
| Frampton | [149] |
| Hickes—Dodwell | [151] |
| Kettlewell | [152] |
| Whigs and Tories | [156] |
| Irish Campaign | [157] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Battle of the Boyne | [159] |
| Sherlock | [161] |
| Lloyd | [164] |
| Scheme for Restoration of James | [167] |
| Ejectment of Nonjurors | [169] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Nonconformists | [174] |
| Bunyan | [175] |
| Collinges | [176] |
| Flavel | [177] |
| Baxter | [178] |
| Holcroft | [181] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Tillotson as Primate | [186] |
| Sancroft in Retirement | [187] |
| Tenison succeeds Tillotson in the Primacy | [195] |
| Death of Queen Mary | [196] |
| Tenison’s Funeral Sermon | [196] |
| Licensing of the Press | [201] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Ecclesiastical Regulations | [203] |
| Lords Justices | [206] |
| Trinitarian Controversy | [210] |
| Dr. Wallis | [213] |
| Sherlock’s Vindication | [214] |
| South’s Reply | [216] |
| Howe’s Views | [221] |
| William’s Injunctions | [223] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| James II. at St. Germains | [228] |
| Jacobites | [229] |
| Conspiracy against William | [231] |
| Execution of Sir John Friend and Sir William Parkyns | [232] |
| Collier | [232] |
| Sir John Fenwick | [236] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Peace of Ryswick | [242] |
| New Parliament | [243] |
| Bill against Papists | [245] |
| Church Preferments | [247] |
| Duke of Gloucester | [248] |
| Succession Act | [250] |
| Death of James II. | [253] |
| Abjuration Bill | [256] |
| State of Parties | [257] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Letter to a Convocation Man | [261] |
| Dr. Wake’s Reply | [264] |
| Francis Atterbury | [264] |
| Convocation Meets | [270] |
| Lower House resists the Archbishop’s Prorogation | [272] |
| Censures Toland’s Book | [275] |
| Burnet’s Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles | [277] |
| Dissolution of Convocation | [282] |
| White Kennet | [284] |
| New Convocation | [287] |
| Death of the Prolocutor | [293] |
| Death of William III. | [295] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| Bishops—Burnet | [298] |
| Stillingfleet | [299] |
| Patrick | [300] |
| Moore and Cumberland | [303] |
| Fowler and Kidder | [304] |
| Hall—Stratford—Sharpe | [306] |
| Lloyd | [307] |
| Compton | [309] |
| Trelawny | [310] |
| Burnet and Sprat | [311] |
| Crew—Watson | [312] |
| Clergy—Beveridge | [314] |
| Bull, Norris, Burkett | [315] |
| Strype—Wharton | [316] |
| Horneck | [317] |
| Fanaticism—Mason | [317] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Ecclesiastical Discipline | [321] |
| Manner of Worship | [323] |
| Psalmody of the Church | [324] |
| Character of the Clergy | [325] |
| Condition of the Clergy | [328] |
| Clerical Costume | [331] |
| State of Society | [332] |
| Intemperance | [334] |
| Superstition | [335] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| Boyle Lectures | [341] |
| Bentley | [341] |
| Locke’s Reasonableness of Christianity | [344] |
| Essay on the Human Understanding | [346] |
| Leslie—Blount | [349] |
| Toland and Norris | [350] |
| Literary Style | [352] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| Rise of Religious Societies | [354] |
| Young Men’s Associations | [356] |
| Society for Reformation of Manners | [358] |
| Societies Advocated from the Pulpit | [361] |
| Christian Knowledge Society | [364] |
| Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts | [369] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| Circumstances of the Nonjurors | [375] |
| Kettlewell | [377] |
| Dodwell | [380] |
| Hickes | [382] |
| Lee | [383] |
| Nelson | [384] |
| Nonjurors in London | [387] |
| Social Gatherings at Shottesbrook Park | [387] |
| Ken’s Retirement at Longleat | [390] |
| Deaths of Nonjurors— | |
| White | [391] |
| Turner | [392] |
| Samuel Pepys | [393] |
| Political Views of Nonjurors | [395] |
| Religious Spirit | [396] |
| Modes of Worship | [398] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| Nonconformist Places of Worship in London | [400] |
| Nonconformists in Nottingham and Chester | [402] |
| In Northamptonshire | [403] |
| Presbyterians | [404] |
| Ordinations | [405] |
| Edmund Calamy | [408] |
| Seminaries for Dissenters | [413] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
| Presbyterians and Independents | [420] |
| Antinomian Controversy | [422] |
| Richard Davis | [423] |
| Crisp | [424] |
| Daniel Williams | [425] |
| Stephen Lobb | [426] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
| Matthew Henry | [428] |
| Presbyterian Lord Mayors | [429] |
| Daniel De Foe | [431] |
| Manner of Worship | [433] |
| Independents | [436] |
| Ministerial Support | [439] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
| Deaths of Nonconformists— | |
| Philip Henry | [442] |
| Samuel Annesley | [443] |
| Vincent | [444] |
| Bates—Howe | [445] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
| Baptists | [451] |
| Kiffin and Keach | [453] |
| Caffin | [455] |
| Quakers: Fox and Barclay | [456] |
| Penn | [457] |
| Mysticism | [458] |
| Norris | [459] |