The Embassy of Everaard van Weede 45 



and the Test Act. Dykvelt met with the Non-conformists quite 

 conscious of their grievances. He encouraged them by promising 

 not only toleration but also comprehension. 197 Two considera- 

 tions persuaded the majority of these dissenters to join the Op- 

 position. 198 First of all, the cause for which they had left the 

 High Church was that it was still too much like the Catholic. 

 They could not consistently hope for any great benefits from a 

 church which they regarded as Anti-Christ. Secondly, they saw 

 that the feeling of the nation as a whole was against James. As 

 soon as Parliament met, it was certain to reverse his decrees and 

 to set safeguards against Catholic supremacy. They saw that 

 behind James's amiability to them there lay the question of the 

 liberties that had been established by law. In other words, 

 James's apparent sympathy with them involved a breach of the 

 law of the country. 



The position of the Quakers is interesting. The King strove to 

 win them over. William Penn, who was accused of writing the 

 Declaration of Indulgence, 199 did all in his power to gain adherents 

 to the King's policy. 200 In 1686, he had gone on a special em- 

 bassy to the Prince of Orange to persuade him to consent to 

 toleration. 201 He was not successful. In England, his efforts 

 were also without result, except among his immediate followers. 

 The Quakers accepted James's acts with adulation. 202 Dykvelt, in 

 the name of the Prince, promised them full toleration when the 

 Princess came to the throne, and he suggested incorporation with 

 the Anglican Church if both sides could be brought to certain 

 concessions. 203 



197 Foxcroft, Life and Letters of Sir Henry Saville, First Marquis of Halifax t 

 vol. ii, p. 480. 



198 Ransome, History of England, p. 655 ff. 



199 Ellis, The Ellis Correspondence, vol. i, p. 268 ff. 



200 Macaulay, p. 874. 

 201 Bumet, p. 441. 



202 Macaulay, p. 874. For Perm's flattering speech, see London Gazette, May 26, 

 1687. 



203 Mazure, vol. ii, p. 249. 



129 



