"and that they might depend upon it, that he would "do all he had promised, and all he could do for "the fervice of the Church of England; and he "wished them to confider this as a new affurance "that he would improve all occafions and op portunities for its fervice." By this time the difpofitions of the lower house were fully ascertained, and a great majority gave unequivocal evidence that they were against allowing any alterations or amendments in the liturgy, which was the next fubject to be considered:* And as the prefident and his brethren of the epifcopal bench thought that it would anfwer no valuable purpose to communicate any propofals to them on that head, the convocation was adjourned from the 13th of December to the 24th of January, after it had fat ten days without advancing one step in the business for which its members were called together. It was at laft diffolved with the Parliament.t "There was at this time," fays Bishop Burnet, "but a small number of bifhops in the upper house "of convocation, and they had not their metropo"litan with them, fo they had not strength and "authority to fet things forward; therefore they "advised the King to fuffer the feffion to be dif "In what a contemptible light," obferves Dr. Furneaux, "does that majority in convocation appear, who would not fo much as hear what was prepared for their confideration, by Such cele"brated divines, the glory of the English church, acting under a royal commiffion." Letters to Blackstone, p. 83, note. + Calamy, vol. i. p. 461-464; Birch's Life of Tillotson, P. 202-207. "continued: and feeing they were in no difpofition "to enter upon business, they were kept from doing "mifchief by prorogations for the course of ten "years. This was in reality a favour to them. For "ever fince the year 1662 the convocation had "indeed continued to fit, but to do no business: fo "that they were kept at no fmall charge in town, "but only to meet and read a latin liturgy; and "confequently, it was an eafe to be freed from fuch "an attendance for no purpose. But the ill recep"tion the clergy gave the King's meffage raised a great clamour against them, fince all the promises "made in King James Ild's time were now fo "entirely forgotten."* By the difagreement between the two houses of convocation, on the business of the royal commiffion, was laid the foundation of the differences that after. wards rofe to a great height, fubfifted through many years, and broke out, on different occafions, to the injury of religion, while they brought on the clergy cenfure and contempt. In the inftance before us, the pacific wishes of the king were thwarted, his liberal attempts proved abortive, an opportunity of conciliating, at least many of the diffenters, and of improving the worship and devotional fervices of the Church of England, was loft: and a defign, of which Archbishop Wake, when he was bishop of Lincoln, declared in the House of Lords, he was "perfuaded "it would have been for the intereft and peace Burnet, vol. iv. p. 47-48. of "the Church and State, had it been accomplished,"* has not to this day been refumed. The unfuccefsfulness of the propofals for a comprehenfion was afcribed, in part, to the Prefbyterians. At the time when these conciliatory measures were depending, facred orders, agreeable to the Prefbyterian form, were given to fifty young ftudents: and Mr. Baxter was charged with reflecting on the Church of England, in a book which he then published.§ It should be confeffed, that these inftances of conduct, if they be fairly ftated, were not feasonable and cautious; and might displease, if not exafperate, those who were unfriendly to the fcheme of a comprehenfion. But the fact was, that a jealoufy and diftruft, not to be conquered, had taken hold of the inferior clergy and the adherents to James II. who wished and hoped that the proposed alterations would pafs, that they might be furnished with objections against the new models of worship, and with grounds for making a fchifm in the Church, in th warmth and precipitancy of their tempers, raised fuch a clamour against them, as prevented their being adopted. It was thought dangerous even by the friends of the alterations to make any change, at this juncture, that might give pretence to those who did not own the exifting government to declare themselves adherents to the old church as well as the old king. * Hints, p. 28. Life of Bishop Compton, p. 57. Burnet, vol. iv. p. 48. Calamy, vol. i. p. 464. F In a word, great was the collifion of parties at that time, and delicate and intricate was the state of affairs both in church and ftate. "It appeared in 66 many visible instances," fays Bishop Burnet," that our wounds were then too tender to be either "handled or healed; fo that it was thought fit to "let the matter sleep, and to give no new occafion "to heat and animofity. But at the fame time to keep the clergy ftill ready upon call, if there "fhould be any occafion for them during the feffions "of Parliament; yet not to charge them with a "needlefs attendance, when the public occafions 66 put them under fo many taxes: it being alfo ob"ferved, that in a hot time all unneceffary affemblies "are to be avoided; for if they have no business "one way, they commonly make it another."* Thus terminated the feventh attempt to reform the Church of England, by confulting the fcruples and objections of those who were diffatisfied with many things in its services. The first was the Hampton-Court conference, in the reign of James I. Bishop Ufher's scheme for the reduction of epifcopacy was a fecond measure of this kind, in the time of Charles I. After the restoration of Charles II, propofals for a comprehenfion were four times. brought forward. This under William III. was the feventh. Ever fince the affair has laid dormant. These designs have always proceeded on a principle not to be admitted by one who understands the rights of confcience and the nature of Christian liberty; As quoted in Calamy, vol. i. p. 465. Had this principle is the doctrine of impofition. these attempts been fuccefsful, they could have had a temporary effect only: for as the Scriptures are more critically and judicioufly ftudied; as the minds of men by improvements in fcience and knowledge are expanded; as free enquiry investigates and discovers existing corruptions in the profeffion of Christianity; and as human creeds and established forms of religion are examined by sound reason, and brought to the facred standard of divine revelation; new grounds of diffatisfaction with the received forms and credenda have arifen; new reafons of diffent have prefented themselves to a reflecting mind; and errors in faith and worship, which had lain concealed for ages, or had been under the fanction of time received and tenaciously retained as undifputed truths, have come to light. This has been the fact; and experience fhews, that as the human mind exerts its powers in free, impartial enquiry, and becomes enlightened, it gains vigour and refolution to avow its convictions, and to act up to them. The alterations which would fatisfy the limited views of one age, do by no means come up to the more difcerning penetration and the more enlarged ideas of a fubfequent period. When the matter is confidered in this light, we have less reason to regret that these paft attempts to conciliate and unite the different religious parties proved abortive. We may, however, with pleasure reflect that they were not wholly in vain. They awakened attention; they caft light on the questions difcuffed; they discovered characters; |