Chapter I: Front Matter

ECCLESIASTICAL

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

ECCLESIASTICAL

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

=The Church of the Revolution.=

BY

JOHN STOUGHTON, D.D.

=London:=
HODDER AND STOUGHTON,
27 & 31, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.

MDCCCLXXIV.

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