the Clergy to read in all their pulpits a Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, the point was brought to an issue, and those liberties depended upon the event.

In this Declaration James suspended all penal laws on matters of religion, abolished all tests, and declared all his subjects equally capable of employments in his service. If this assumption of authority were admitted, the constitution in Church and State would receive its death-blow. The Government would be made arbitrary, and the establishment papal. Sancroft consulted with the most eminent clergy who were within reach, and sent a circular letter to others, requesting them to come to London with all convenient speed, and not let it be known that they were thus summoned. Among the more distinguished of an inferior rank who assembled were Tillotson, Stillingfleet, and Sherlock. They began with prayer, and they concluded their deliberations by drawing up a petition, beseeching that the King would not insist upon their distributing and reading his Declaration. Their great averseness to it, they said, proceeded neither from any want of duty or obedience to him, the Church of England being both in her principle and constant practice unquestionably loyal; nor from any want of due tenderness to Dissenters, in relation to whom they were willing to come to such a temper as might be thought fit, when that matter should be considered and settled in Parliament and Convocation; but chiefly because that Declaration was founded upon such a dispensing power as had often been declared illegal, and particularly at the beginning of his reign; and was of so great moment to the whole nation, both in Church and State, that they could not in prudence, honour, or conscience, so far make themselves parties to it as the distribution of it, and the solemn publication, even in God's house and the time of Divine service, must amount to in common and reasonable construction. The petition was signed by the Primate, by Lloyd, Bishop of St. Asaph; Turner, of Ely; Lake, of Chichester; Ken, of Bath and Wells; White, of Peterborough; and Trelawney, of Bristol.

Sancroft was in an ill state of health, and, moreover, had been forbidden to appear at court for the displeasure which he had previously given by his firmness. The other six immediately crossed the water to present their petition at Whitehall. The

King had been flattered into a persuasion that they came to represent to him that orders of this kind were usually addressed to their chancellors, not to themselves, meaning thus to shift off the responsibility, and save their credit by a subterfuge, while they yielded the point. Lloyd, however, requested that the President of the Council would peruse the petition, and inform the King of its purport. The President refused to do this, but obtained their immediate admittance into the royal closet, where they delivered it upon their knees. The King took it graciously, and upon glancing at the writing, said, It is my Lord of Canterbury's own hand. But his countenance darkened as he read, and folding up the paper, he said to them, "This is a great surprise to me! These are strange words. I did not expect this from you. This is a standard of rebellion."

They answered that they had adventured their lives for his Majesty, and would lose the last drop of their blood, rather than lift up a finger against him. I tell you, he repeated, this is a standard of rebellion. I never saw such an address. Trelawney knelt a second time, and exclaimed, Rebellion! Sir, I beseech your Majesty do not say so bad a thing of us! your Majesty cannot but remember that you sent me down into Cornwall to quell Monmouth's rebellion, and I am as ready to do what I can to quell another if there were occasion. Ken said he hoped the King would give that liberty to them which he allowed to all mankind; to which White added, Sir, you allow liberty of conscience to all mankind; the reading this Declaratiou is against our conscience. Do you question my dispensing power? said the King. Some of you here have printed and preached for it, when it was for your purpose. The dispensing power was never questioned by the men of the Church of England. To this the Bishop of St. Asaph replied, that it had been declared against by the first Parliament of the late King, and by that which he himself had called: and when James insisted that they should publish his Declaration, and was answered by Bishop Ken in language as dutiful as it was resolute, "We are bound to fear God and honour the King; we desire to do both; we will honour you; we must fear God." "Is this," said the indignant monarch, "what I have deserved, who have supported the Church of England, and will support it? I will remember you

that have signed this paper! I will keep this paper; I will not part with it. I did not expect this from you, especially from some of you. I will be obeyed in publishing my Declaration." To this Ken replied, "God's will be done!" and when the King exclaimed, What is that? he repeated the emphatic words. This memorable scene was terminated by the King's saying, "If I think fit to alter my mind, I will send to you. God hath given me this dispensing power, and I will maintain it. I tell you there are seven thousand men, and of the Church of England too, that have not bowed the knee to Baal." And with that he dismissed them.

The King was miserably mistaken concerning the principles of the clergy. There were only four in London who read the Declaration, not more than two hundred throughout the whole kingdom and after the King had thus expressed his displeasure, copies of the petition were subscribed by the Bishops of London, Norwich, Gloucester, Salisbury, Winchester, and Exeter. After nine days of perplexity and indecision, James yielding to evil counsellors and his own unhappy bigotry, summoned the seven first subscribers to appear before him in council, and answer to a charge of misdemeanor. They appeared accordingly, acknowledged their subscriptions, and being asked what they meant by the dispensing power being declared illegal in Parliament, replied, the words were so plain that they could use no plainer. It was demanded of them what want of prudence or honour there could be in obeying the King? They replied, "What is against conscience is against prudence, and honour too, especially in persons of our character:" and when they were asked why it was against their conscience, they answered, "Because our consciences oblige us (as far as we are able) to preserve our laws and religion according to the Reformation." Upon other questions they referred to their petition, requested they might be excused from replying to points which might be brought against them, and desired a copy of the charge, and convenient time for advising about and answering it. They were then required to enter into recognisances for appearing in Westminster Hall: this they refused to do, on the ground that it was not usual for members of the House of Peers; declaring, however, that they should be ready to appear and an

swer whenever they were called. Many attempts were made to make them yield upon this point, but they continued firm, in conformity to the legal advice which they had taken, and were in consequence committed to the Tower.

Popular feeling has seldom been more strongly, never more worthily excited, than on this memorable occasion. The news spread immediately through London, and as the Bishops proceeded down the river to their place of confinement, the banks were crowded with spectators, who while they knelt and asked their blessing, prayed themselves for a blessing upon them and their cause. The very soldiers who guarded them, and some even of the officers to whose charge they were committed, knelt in like manner before them, and besought their benediction. They the while, strictly consistent in the meek and magnanimous course of duty which they had chosen, exhorted the people to fear God, honour the King, and maintain their loyalty. In the evening they attended in the Tower chapel; and the second lesson for that service being the chapter wherein the Apostle Paul describes by what trials he approved himself a minister of God, and in the name of the Lord says, "I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation : "the application was felt by the prisoners and by the nation, all feeling it as consolatory, and perhaps not a few regarding it as prophetic.

A leading man among the Dissenters had been one of the chief advisers of this impolitic act. The King's confessor, Father Petre, could not conceal his joy, that an irremediable breach was thus made with the Church of England, and he is said to have expressed his triumph in language worthy of Gardiner or Bonner in the days of their ascendency. Louis XIV. also applauded what he had done, and assured the English Ambassador that he was ready to give the King all manner of assistance. Encouraged thus by evil counsellors, and deluded as much by bigotry, as by a reliance upon the strength of his own government, and the covenanted aid of France, James did not perceive that of all modes of resistance to his designs he had provoked the most dangerous. The persons with whom he had placed himself at issue, were for their character and station the last with

whom he should have chosen to contend; their appeal was to the laws and constitution of the country, and upon a question where the religion of the country was at stake.

On the first day of term the Prelates were brought before the Court of King's Bench, being conveyed as usual by water. They were saluted with acclamations as they went, and with fervent prayers; and in their way from the river-side to Westminster Hall, passed through a lane of people, who kissed their hands and their garments, and begged their blessing. About thirty peers and a considerable number of gentry attended them into court. After some legal objections had been offered and overruled, they pleaded not guilty to the charge of having consulted and conspired to diminish the royal authority, prerogative, and power, and having to that intent unlawfully, maliciously, seditiously, and scandalously composed a false, feigned, pernicious, and seditious libel in manifest contempt of the King and the laws. That day fortnight was fixed for the trial, and they were then admitted to bail upon their own recognisances. The ignorant populace seeing them thus at liberty regarded it as a deliverance, and they celebrated it with public rejoicings. Bonfires were made in the streets, and healths drank to the Seven Champions of the Church, with an enthusiasm which might have taught the King his danger.

St. Peter's day happened to be the time appointed for the trial, and it was supposed that some of James's superstitious advisers had chosen it as a day of good omen, when the influence of the apostle might be expected in behalf of his Roman successors. The counsel for the Prelates availed themselves of all those forms and technicalities which the law of England provides in favour of the accused. They required proof that the signatures to the petition were in their own writing, and that the petition had been presented to the King with their knowledge and consent; a clerk of the Privy Council proved the first, by attesting that they themselves had owned their subscriptions; but upon the latter they must have been acquitted if it had not been recollected in time that the Earl of Sunderland had introduced them to the King, to deliver the obnoxious paper. It was fortunate for them and for England, that these subterfuges were unavailing, that the case was brought to a fair hearing, and