ENGLAND. 
Tt could not be expected that the favour thus fhewn by 
James to the catholics, would be tamely borne by the 
members of the Englifh church. Among thofe who 
firft came forward on this occafion, was Dr. Sharpe, a 
clergyman of London, who declaimed with great feverity 
again!! thofe who had changed their religion for the fake of 
earthly preferment. This, being fuppofed to refleft upon 
the king, gave great offence at court ; and pofitive orders 
were given to the bifhop of London to fufpend Sharpe, till 
his majefty’s pleafure tliould be further known. The 
bifhop refufed to comply ; and the king refolved to pu- 
niflt him for difobedience. To eft'eft his purpofe, he de¬ 
termined to revive the high-commiffion court, which had 
given the nation fo much difguft in the times of his fa¬ 
ther, and which had been for ever abolifhed by aft of 
parliament. But this was no obftacle to James. An ec- 
clefiaftical commiffion was iffued, by which feven com- 
miffioners were inverted with an unlimited authority over 
the whole church of England. Before this tribunal, the 
bifhop and Sharpe being fummoned, they were both fuf- 
pended. 
Thefe fevere meafures had fufficiently difgufled every 
part of the Britifh empire ; but to complete the work, 
James now fent the earl of Caftlemain ambaffador-extra- 
ordinary to Rome, to exprefs his obedience to the pope, 
and to reconcile his kingdoms to the catholic commu¬ 
nion. This failed not to add to the general difcontent ; 
and the people fuppofed that he could never be fo rafh 
as, contrary to exprefs aft of parliament, to admit of a 
communication with the pope. But what was their fur- 
prife, when tl ey faw the nuncio make his public and fo- 
lemn entry into Windfor : and becaufe the duke of So- 
rnerfet refufed to attend the ceremony, he was difmiffed 
from his employment of one of the lords of the bed¬ 
chamber. The jefuits were now permitted to ereft col¬ 
leges in different parts of the kingdom; they exercifed 
the catholic worfhip in the mod; public manner ; and four 
catholic bilhaps, confecrated in the king’s chapel, were 
fent through the kingdom to exercife their epifcopal 
funftions, under the title of apoftolic vicars. The monks 
appeared at court in the habits of their orders, and a 
great number of priefts and friars arrived in England. 
Every great office the crown had to beftow was gradually 
transferred from the protedants ; Rochefter and Claren¬ 
don, the king’s brothers in law, though they had been 
for ever faithful to his intereds, were, becaufe protedants, 
difmiffed from their employments. Nothing now re¬ 
mained but to open the doors of the church and the uni- 
verfities to the intrudon of the catholics, and this effort 
was foon after begun. 
Father Francis, a Benediftine monk, was recommended 
by the king to the univerfity of Cambridge, for the de¬ 
gree of mafterof arts. But his religion was a ftumbling- 
block which the univerfity could not gel over; and they 
prefented a petition, befeeching the king to recal his 
mandate. Their petition was difregarded, their deputies 
denied a hearing : the vice-chancellor himfelf was fum¬ 
moned to appear before the high-commidion court, and 
deprived of his office ; yet the univerfity perfided, and 
father Francis was refufed. The king, thus foiled, thought 
proper at that time to drop his pretendons ; but he car¬ 
ried on his attempts upon the univerfity of Oxford with 
dill greater vigour. The place of prefident of Magda- 
len-college, one of the riched foundations in Europe, 
being vacant, the king fent a mandate in favour of one 
Farmer, a new convert, and a man of a bad charadter in 
other refpefts. The fellows of the college made very 
fubmiffive applications to the king for recalling his man¬ 
date ; but before they received an anfwer, the day came 
on which, by their ftatutes, they were required to proceed 
to an eleftion. They therefore chofe doftor Hough, a 
man of learning, integrity, and refolution. The king 
was incenfed at their prefumption ; and, in order to pu- 
ni!h them, an inferior ecclefiaftical court was fent down, 
who, finding Farmer a man of fcandalous character, if- 
V01. VI. No. 383. 
6gn 
fued a mandate for a new eleftion. The-perfon now re¬ 
commended by the king was doftor Parker, lately created 
bifliop of Oxford, for his willingnefs to embrace the ca¬ 
tholic religion. The fellows refufed to comply with th-ts 
injunftion; which fo incenfed the king, that he went in 
perfon to Oxford, and ordered the fellows to be brought 
before him. lie reproached them with their infolence 
and difobedience in the moil imperious terms ; and com¬ 
manded them to choofe Parker without delay. Anoth.es 
refufal on their fide ferved Hill more to exufperate him ; 
and finding them refolute in the defence of their privi¬ 
leges, he ejefted them all, except two, from their bene¬ 
fices, and Parker was put in poffellion of the place. 
Upon this the college wits filled with catholics ; and 
Charnock, who was one of the two that remained, was 
made vice-prefident. 
Every invalion of the ecclefiafiical and civil privileges 
of the nation only feemed to increafe the king’s ardour 
for more. A frefii declaration for liberty of confcience 
was publifhed, A. D. 1688 ; and it was required that all 
divines fhould read it after fervice in their churches. 
As he thus put it in the power of thoufands torefufe, he 
armed againfi himfelf the whole body of the nation. 
The clergy were known univerfally to difapprove of the 
fufpending power; and they were now refolved to dif- 
obey an order diftated by the mod bigoted motives. 
They were determined to trull: their caufe to the favour 
of the people, and that univerfal jealoufy which pre¬ 
vailed againfi: the encroachments of the crown. The 
firft champions in this fervice were, Lloyde bifhop of St. 
Afaph, Ken of Bath and Wells, Turner of Ely, Lake of 
Chichefter, White of Peterborough, and Trelawney of 
Briftol ; thefe, together with Sancroft the primate, con¬ 
certed an addrefs, in the form of a petition, to the king, 
which, with the warmeft expreftions of zeal and fubmif- 
fion, remonftrated that they could not read his declara¬ 
tion confidently with their confciences, or the refpeft they 
owed the proteftant religion. This modeft addrefs, how¬ 
ever, ferved to inflame the king’s refentment. He re¬ 
ceived their petition with marks of furprife and difplea- 
fure. He faid he did not expeft fuch an addrefs from the■ 
Englifh church, particularly from fome among them, 
and perfifted in their obeying his mandate. The bifhops 
left his prefence under fome apprehenfions from his fury, 
but fectire in the favour of the people, and the re6titude 
of their intentions. 
As the petition was delivered in private, the king fum¬ 
moned the bifhops before the council, and there quel- 
tioned them whether they would acknou ledge it f They 
for fome time declined giving an anfwer ; but being urged 
by the chancellor, they at laft owned the petition. On 
their refufing to give bail, an order was immediately 
drawn for their commitment to the Tower; and the 
crown-lawyers received direftions to profecute them for 
a feditious libel. The twenty-ninth of June was the 
day fixed for their trial. Twenty-nine peers, a great 
number of gentlemen, and an immenfe crowd of people, 
waited upon them to Wcfimrnfter hall. The caufe was 
looked upon as involving the fate of the nation ; and fu¬ 
ture freedom, or future flavery, awaited the decifion. 
The difpute was learnedly managed by the lawyers on 
both fides. Holloway and Powel, two of the judges, 
declared themfelVes in favour of the bilhops. The jury 
withdrew ii\to a chamber, where they palfed the whole 
night, but next morning they returned into court, and 
pronounced the bilhops “Not guilty.” Weftminfter 
hall infiantly rang with loud acclamations, which were 
communicated to the whole extent of the city. They 
even reached the camp at Hounllow, where the king was 
at dinner in lord Feverfham’s tent. His majefty demand¬ 
ing the caufe of thofe rejoicings, and being informed thajt 
it was nothing but the foldiers fhouting-at the delivery of 
the bifhops ;“ Call you that nothing.? (cried he;) buffo 
much the worfe for them.” 
James now ftruck off the judges Powel and Holloway 
8 O from 
