CHAPTER XIX.

The confiftent conduct of Ken at the Revolution-Meeting of the Convention Parliament-Declaration, that the Throne was vacant, not approved by Ken and others-The Crown conferred on William and Mary-The Revolution confidered.

HE Hiftory of James II. prefents to us the spectacle of a king facrificing his inherited crown, and all that life had to offer of power, honour, or happiness, to the vain hope of re-establishing Romanism, which had long been rejected by the nation. Mr. Fox imputes to him the love of arbitrary power, as his master paffion: we may rather afcribe his acts to a fincere attachment to his religion, and what he believed the dictates of confcience. The whole hiftory of the world teems with examples of errors, and even crimes, committed under the hollow fanction of a mistaken confcience. The affaffin of Henri Quatre fincerely thought he was ridding the Chriftian world. of a dangerous heretic. The maffacre of St. Bartholomew was perpetrated under the belief that, in promoting the cause of the Roman Catholic religion, it would tend to the glory of God. Oliver Cromwell's confcience, if we are to believe his own affertions, prompted him to bring Charles II. to the block. The religious perfecutions of all fects, in all times,and "man's inhumanity to man," in whatever cause,

have been defended on the fame falfe plea. Confcience has a varying standard in every individual mind,— true, when she prompts us to the exercife of Chriftian love;-but a fubtle betrayer, whenever fhe would justify the acts of an impatient will, or tempt us to follow our own mistaken fympathies. James's conscience was in the keeping of Father Petre, under whofe guidance he would have impofed a Popish yoke on England: he believed that he was acting in accordance with the Divine Will, which he was confcientiously refolved to accomplish by his own means,—and fo forfeited the kingdom for himself and his pofterity.

And now, when all perfons were looking to William, as to the rifing fun, we may take a glance at the conduct of Sancroft, Ken, and the other Bishops, who had already acted fo confpicuous a part in withstanding the arbitrary proceedings of James. They did not confider his departure from the kingdom to be a forfeiture of his conftitutional rights.* They held themselves bound by their oaths to adhere to him.

After the King's flight Sancroft had prefided in the Council of Peers at Guildhall, on the 11th of December, to prevent anarchy and confufion, and had joined in the address inviting William to London. But finding afterwards that, contrary to his former Declaration, the Prince began to afpire to the crown, he had refused to join in the crowd of courtiers who

If the flight of a King, compelled to seek his safety from subjects, appearing against him with an armed force, were a valid abdication, there would be no fecurity for the lineal defcent of the Crown. Then, the escape of Charles II. to France, in 1651, after the battle of Worcefter, was a forfeiture.

hastened to Whitehall to pay their respects to him.* Whatever might have been the errors and faults of James,-his open violation of the laws, and his deliberate resolve to establish Popery,-Sancroft could not be brought to aid in any measure which might endanger the rights of fucceffion.

Therefore, as foon as it was known that the King had gone away the fecond time, he wrote to Ken, Lloyd, and others, requiring their attendance:

"My Lord,

"The great Revolutions, which have of late been here, and yo perplext eftate of affairs, confequent thereupon, have made it not only mine, but the opinion of all our Brethren here, that you should make all convenient haft up hither. Wishing you a profperous journey,

"I remain Y very affect. Brother,

"Lamb H. Dec. 18, 1688."

"W. CANT. †

He

The letter reached Ken within 48 hours of the time he was to hold an Ordination in his cathedral. did not hesitate in deciding which was his paramount duty he proceeded with the appointed work of the Church. Christmas and the following days being holy Festivals, he was not disposed to mix in political turmoils, and wrote the following answer;

"ALL GLORY BE TO GOD.

My very good Lord,

"I received your Grace's letter, which came to my hands late on Thursday night, fo that, had I had no obligation on me to ordain next Sunday, yett it was impoffible for me to have

* D'Oyly's Life of Sancroft, edit. 1840, p. 245.
+ MSS. Letters in Dr. Williams's Collection.

reached the towne before Christmas, but as foone as the weather will permitt I intend, God willing, to wait on you. God of His infinite goodneffe, fend downe a double portion of His Spirit, to reft on your felfe, and on my reverend Brethren, to direct, and support you in this great conjuncture.

Lloyd, of St. Afaph, writes to one of the Bishops (perhaps Turner, of Ely, who was then in London), inviting him to attend at Court, with the Archbishops;

"My Lord,

"The Prince hath appointed us to wait upon him to-morrow after dinner, betwixt two and three of the clock. I defire you to impart this to the two Archbishops and to my Lord of Winchester. I am

"Your Lordship's most faithful

Servant and Brother,

"Tuesday night, 7. of Clock.

"W. ASAPH.+

It would appear, by a draft of a letter in his own hand-writing, that Sancroft wrote to the Prince to explain his reasons for not coming to Whitehall to pay his refpects; -he was "hindered with bodily infirmitys," and "I and my brethren were not fo far fatisfy'd with fome things that have been done fince your Highneffe coming to Windfor."+ Ken was of

*Tanner MSS., vol. xxviii. fol. 299.

+ Ibid. p. 287.

"Draft of Sancroft's Letter to the Prince of Orange.”

"I do therefore present my most humble thanks to your Highness, and declare my full refolution to ferve you in accomplishing the ends of

the fame mind, and therefore never attended at Court.

As foon as he had performed his episcopal duties of the Ordination, which had made him decline the fummons of the Archbishop juft before Christmas, he loft no time afterwards in coming to London, that he might join in defending the interefts of the Church, and of the Crown. He could hardly doubt that, in the perplexed difcuffions, and jarring interests of public men, he would have to oppose the Prince, who was in all probability to be the future King, and with whofe refolute temper he was well acquainted. His duty had once before prompted him to incur William's displeasure and now far deeper interests were at stake, and more serious confequences to himself would follow, if he should venture to thwart him. This caused him no indecifion. His frank fimplicity was one of the main elements of his calmnefs in all emergencies: he had never fhown any difpofition to ingratiate himself with those in power by a compromife of

your Declaration, and I beseech your Highnefs ftill to adhere to the rules you have sett yourself in it, to maintaine our religion and our laws, that we may be able to goe along with you without any breach uppon our oaths and allegiance, and with the fatisfaction of our confciences.

"I have bin fo flow in waiting uppon your Highness, partly because my being hindred with bodily infirmitys, and yet I must also acknowledge it was partly because I and my Brethren were not fo far fatisfyd with fome things that have bin done fince your Highnese coming to Windfor, that I could thinke fitt to approve them, or to feeme fo to doc, as it might have bin understood, if I had come fooner.

"But yet, all this while I have had a grateful fence of our great obligations to your Highnefs, for that heroick undertaking uppon the reafons expresst in your gratious Declaration, and for the Benefitts that wee enjoy, and hope to receive by your meanes."-Tanner MSS., vol. xxviii. p. 319b"