RAY. 33 



master of Emanuel College ; but Ray was the only 

 person of his own college who suffered this depriva- 

 tion. One of Ray's biographers writes : — " The 

 reader must not suppose that he, or perhaps 

 any other person in this illustrious catalogue, 

 was in the least degree deficient in attachment 

 to the doctrine or discipline of the Church of 

 England, or that they had taken the oath, called 

 the Solemn League and Covenant, which Ray 

 certainly had neither taken nor even approved. 

 They were required to swear to the infamous pro- 

 position that the said oath was not binding to 

 those who had taken it, and on this ground they 

 conscientiously gave up their preferment." It is 

 curious to read the apology made for Ray, to Dr. 

 Derham on this subject, by a Mr. Brokesby, " that 

 he was at that time absent from his college, where 

 he might have met with satisfaction to his scruples, 

 and was among some zealous nonconformists who 

 too much influenced him by the addition of new 

 scruples. And Vv^e may also ascribe somewhat to 

 the prejudice of education in unhappy times." By 

 this it appears that the " scruples " of nonconform- 

 ists were most favourable to the sanctity of an 

 oath, and that the " unhappy times " alluded to 

 were more advantageous to principle than the 

 golden days of Charles II., whose ministers doubt- 

 less valued the obedience far more than the honesty 

 of any man ; nor was this taste by any means 

 peculiar to them or their profligate master. 



Mr. Ray (or, as he wrote his name for a while 

 I. D 



