he can make a subscription in a peculiar sense, Chap. XLI. but he would always rather not have to use the 1723-1741. sophistry or make the subscription. Hence there was plenty of material for any agitator against confessions to make use of, and the dangerous movement which, in fact, took place under his immediate successors in the Primacy, may well make us esteem the somewhat cold and dry orthodoxy of Archbishop Potter as of essential service to the Church.

CHAPTER XLII.

Chap. XLII. Proceedings of Convocation-Jacobitism among the clergy1741-1772. Herring, Archbishop of York-Translated to CanterburyButler at Durham-The Durham charge-Francis Blackburne -The Serious Inquiry-The calumny on Butler-The Free and Candid Disquisitions-Negotiations for a comprehensionArchdeacon Blackburne's avowal of his objections to the Church-Bishop Clayton's Essay on Spirit-George HorneThe Hutchinsonians-The Scriptural school-The Warburtonians-Warburton's View of Bolingbroke's writingsChange in the character of the attacks upon religion-The writers in defence of Christianity-Hume's Essay on MiraclesThe good Bishop Wilson-Grievous state of the Church at this period Nonresidence of bishops-Want of orthodoxyNegligence of deans and chapters-Nonresidence defended on principle-Archbishop Secker-The question of bishops for America--Violent opposition to it-A great danger to the Church-The movement against subscription to the Thirtynine Articles - The Confessional-Archbishop CornwallisProposals for an application to Parliament-Meeting at the Feathers Tavern-Petition drawn up and circulated-Expectations of the petitioners-They prove fallacious-Debate in Parliament on the anti-subscription petition-Mr. Burke's speech-The petition rejected.

Proceedings

of Convocation.

N the accession of Potter to the Primacy, a general opinion seems to have prevailed that the action of Convocation would be revived.* A rumour of the same sort had been prevalent at the beginning

of the reign of George II., when it was found that *Lathbury's History of Convocation, p. 465.

"the inferior clergy had returned to a sense of Chap. XLII. their duty, were willing to be prorogued by the 1741-1772. archbishop, to concur in the address, to have their Prolocutor confirmed."* But no license for business came. At the meeting of the two Houses to vote the address, the bishops made a declaration as to the power of the archbishop to prorogue, and the Archdeacon of Lincoln brought forward certain gravamina in the Lower House, which he was ordered to put into writing for the next meeting of Convocation. It does not appear that any meeting for discussion again took place till the year 1741, when the new Parliament met, which overthrew the administration of Sir Robert Walpole. At this time the Convocation assembled, the Primate delivered a Concio Synodalis, in which an eloquent tribute is paid to the merits of Dr. Waterland, who had been chosen Prolocutor in 1732, and Archdeacon Reynolds produced a paper containing his propositions on the points which he had before introduced. His views which were of a Latitudinarian order, were not acceptable to the majority of the Lower House. Dr. Chapman, Dean of Winchester, spoke strongly against them, declaring that they were a libel on the Constitution, and the House on his motion voted that they should not be received. The next trace of any life in the Jacobitism Synod of the Church, is in the year 1755, when among the clergy.

* Archdeacon Reynolds's Historical Essay, p. 206. †The state of the Ecclesiastical Courts. Clandestine Marriages. Qualifications for Orders. Titles and Salaries of Curates.— Reynolds's Essay, p. 207.

Reynolds's Historical Essay, p. 241.

Chap. XLII. there was some discussion occasioned by the publi1741-1772. cation of Lord Bolingbroke's Works, and an address

to the Crown was agreed upon, calling for the suppression of atheistical and blasphemous writings.* Again, in 1761, at the beginning of the new reign, when the formal meeting of Convocation took place, and an address was voted to the King, Archbishop Secker had prepared an Oratio Synodalis, which he was too ill to deliver, but which is to be found in his works. In this he declares his opinion, that those who desire the restoration of Synodal action, and the revival of discipline,

parum vident quid ferant tempora, quove loco simus." The Deists and Infidels, the Romanists and Dissenters would, said the Primate, strive to set all things in confusion, many monstrous and wild opinions would be brought forward; if the Synod did little, all men would deride their inactivity; if it did much, all men would fear their restlessness and love of change. Upon these grounds he concludes that no license for business was desirable.t

Indeed, whatever may have been the case at a later date, it is probable that in 1741 a license to transact business might have been as fruitless in results as it had been on previous occasions. The clergy were still divided by strong political animosities. The Latitudinarians cried up the House of Hanover, the High Churchmen affected a tender regard for the exiled Stuarts. These divisions

* Tindal's Continuation, ix., 530.
† Secker's Works, v., 508, sq.

imported a bitterness and ferocity into their contro- Chap. XLII. versial discussions, which increased the strength of 1741-1772. theological antipathies. But the attachment of the High Church clergy to the Stuarts was more a sentiment than a practical matter. When, in 1745, the young Charles Edward at the head of his gallant Highlanders, came sweeping through astonished England, and penetrated as far as Derby, the clergy were no more forward than the rest of his nominal English adherents to join his enterprise.* The solid advantages of a quiet Government with no greater grievance than neglect, proved stronger inducements to them to remain quiet than the sentimental loyalty which still magnified hereditary right, and the annoyance at the favour shown to Latitudinarian bishops, did to excite them to dangerous action. As the Highlanders advanced through England, the prevailing sentiment was one of indifference.† It seemed as if the people did not take much interest in the question as to whether King George or King James was to be their ruler. The clergy so far shared the popular sentiment as not to be willing to show any decided earnestness in the matter. It was safer to wait for the result, and to express their zeal afterwards in carefully worded addresses.

There were, however, some exceptions to this Herring,

cautious temper. The University of Oxford was Archbishop

strongly demonstrative in favour of the Stuart

* Tindal's Continuation, ix., 204. Lord Mahon's History of England, iii., 268, 271, iv., 8, &c.

Lord Mahon's History, iii., 271.

of York.