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827  KEN  (Thomas,  42>id  Bp.  of  Bath  and  Wells  ; 
 (leprivcd)jAFEOi,hyA  LAYMAN  [JoiIN  LavICOUNT 
 Anderdox],  first  edition,  tvith  steel  portrait, 
 and  music  of  the  Three  Hymns,  Svo.  cl,  itiicut,  7s 
 
 W.  Pickering,  1851 
 
 '  Giving  all  important  facts  and  many  letters  ;  an  admirable 
 bingrapliy  '.—  iniliam  Hunt,  pr. 
 
 The  biograplier  was  an  early  Tractarian  layman  who  lived  till 
 1S74,  who  combined,  with  Izaak  Walton,  devoutness  with  a 
 love  of  li.shing,  and  is  better  known  for  his  '  River  Dove'.      " 
 
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 FROM   THE  LIBRARY  OF 
 
 REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON.  D.  D. 
 
 BEQUEATHED   BY  HIM   TO 
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THE     LIFE     OF 
 
 BISHOP     KEN 
 
By  the  fame  Author^ 
 THE    RIVER    DOVE. 
 
 With  fome  Quiet  Thoughts  on  the  Happy  Pra6lice  of 
 Angling  :  foolfcap  8vo.,  75. 
 
'\^ 
 
 ^?Q:r^_^'>-r-   'hr'^rjA     ^^ 
 
 T  prin^by  Zoff^iu: 
 
 .;tnng,Deca850. 
 
i^T^C 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^v  of-pSJJ; 
 
 SEP  P4  193 
 
 THE    LIFE    OF^. 
 
 i2£/r,«L  %\%^ 
 
 ^y 
 
 THOMAS     KEN 
 
 BISHOP  OF  BATH  AND  WELLS 
 
 BY    A    LAYMAN 
 
 ^V>K  Vs^-VvCou.'o't' A^cievcion 
 
 LONDON 
 
 WILLIAM   PICKERING 
 
 1851 
 
PUBLISHED  FOR  THE  BENEFIT  OF  SCHOOLS  IN 
 LEICESTER. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Chapter  I. 
 
 Page 
 
 IRTH  —  Parentage  —  Brother  in  law  to  Izaak 
 Walton — Entered  at  Winchefter  College.  Wil- 
 liam of  Wykeham — Founder  of  St.  Mary  Col- 
 leges at  Winton  and  Oxford  .  .  .  i 
 
 Ch.'vpter  II. — William  of  Wykeham  —  Founds  his  two  Col- 
 leges of  St.  Mary  at  Winchefter  and  Oxford  —  Ken  at 
 Winchefter 8 
 
 Chapter  III.  —  Ken  removes  to  Oxford  —  The  ftate  of  the 
 Univerfity  under  the  Commonwealth  —  His  College  life 
 ■ — The  Reftoration  .         •.         .  .  .  .  .17 
 
 Chapter  IV. — Ken  appointed  to  the  Living  of  Little  Eafton 
 —  refigns  the  cure  —  Made  Chaplain  to  Bifhop  Morley 
 Fellow  of  Winchefter  College — Redtor  of  Brightftone — 
 Prebendary  of  Winchefter  —  Refigns  Brightftone  —  Ap- 
 pointed to  Eaft  Woodhay  .  .  .  .  •       3  • 
 
 Chapter  V.  —  Ken  refigns  the  Reftory  of  Woodhay.  His 
 charafter  as  a  Country  Parfon.  Mr.  Izaac  Milles  of 
 Highclere  —  Character  of  Bifliop  Morley  —  Ken's  duties 
 at  Winchefter  .......        44. 
 
 Chapter  VI.  —  Ken's  Manual  of  Prayers  for  Winchefter 
 fcholars — His  Morning,  Evening,  and  Midnight  Hymns 
 The  Original  Melody  of  the  Hymns  —  The  Court  of 
 Charles  II.  at  Winchefter  .  .  .  .  .61 
 
 Chapter  VII.  —  Ken  makes  the  Tour  of  Italy  with  Ifaak 
 Walton's  Son  —  At  Rome  in  the  year  of  Jubilee  —  Re- 
 turns home  —  His  attachment  to  the  Church  of  England        79 
 
vi  Contents, 
 
 Page 
 
 Chapter  VIII Early  life  of  William  Prince  of  Orange  — 
 
 Delivers  Holland  from  the  power  of  Louis  XIV.  His 
 Marriage  to  the  Princefs  Mary — Ken  appointed  Chap- 
 lain at  the  Hague  —  His  faithfulnefs  in  the  difcharge  of 
 his  office  .         .         .  .  .  .  .  .91 
 
 Chapter  IX.  —  Ken  returns  from  the  Hague  —  appointed 
 Chaplain  to  the  King  —  His  Funeral  Sermon  on  Lady 
 Margaret  Maynard — The  Court  of  Charles  II.  at  Win- 
 chefter  —  Ken  refufes  the  ufe  of  his  Prebendal  houfe  to 
 Nell  Gwin     .  .  .  .  .  .         .  .109 
 
 Chapter  X.  —  Ken  appointed  Chaplain  of  the  Fleet  on  the 
 expedition  to  Tangier — Voyage  —  The  vicious  govern- 
 ment of  Tangier — Corrupt  ftate  of  the  Navy        .  .      120 
 
 Chapter  XI.  —  Ken  returns  to  England  —  Death  of  Ifaak 
 Walton  ;  and  of  Bifliop  Morley — Ken  appointed  to  the 
 Bifhopric  of  Bath  and  Wells — Attends  the  death  bed  of 
 Charles  II 135 
 
 Chapter  XII. — Acceffion  of  James  II.  —  Early  Meafures  of 
 the  King  for  the  eftablifhment  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
 Religion  —  Ken's  firft  vifit  to  Wells  —  The  Palace  at 
 Wells  —  His  Sermon  at  Whitehall  on  the  charafter  of 
 Daniel — Coronation  of  James    .  .  .  .  .162 
 
 Chapter   XIII.  —  The  Duke   of  Monmouth :    his  life  and 
 
 charafter — invades  England        .  .  .  .  .175 
 
 Chapter  XIV. — The  Duke  of  Monmouth  lands  in  the  Weft 
 of  England  —  Defeated  in  the  Battle  of  Sedgemoor — • 
 Cruelties  of  Lord  Feverfham,  and  Colonel  Kirke  — 
 Ken's  appeal  to  the  King  on  behalf  oi  the  prifoners  — 
 Monmouth  condemned  to  death  — ■  Ken  attends  him  on 
 the  fcafFold 186 
 
 Chapter  XV. — Ken's  "Expofition  of  the  Church  Catechifm" 
 —  "  Direftions  for  Prayer  " —  "  Prayers  for  the  ufe  of 
 perfons  who  come  to  the  Baths "  —  Perfecution  of  the 
 French  Huguenots  —  Ken's  charitable  difpofition  —  His 
 zeal  in  the  Pailoral  office  ......      207 
 
Contents.  vii 
 
 Page 
 
 Chapter  XVI.  —  Meafures  of  James  II.  for  eftabliftiing  Ro- 
 manifm — Ken's  Paftoral  Letter  to  his  Clergy — His  Ser- 
 mon at  Whdtehall,  upholding  the  Church  of  England  — 
 His  boldnefs,  and  eloquence  as  a  Preacher — The  King's 
 Declaration  of  Indulgence  .  .  .  .  .225 
 
 Chapter  XVII.  —  Ken's  Sermon  in  the  Abbey  Church  of 
 Bath  —  The  King  touches  for  the  Evil  in  the  Abbey  — 
 Ken's  condu(fl;  on  the  occallon  —  His  letters  to  Archbi- 
 fhop  Sancroft  .......      242 
 
 Chapter  XVIII.  —  The  King  perfeveres  in  his  meafures  for 
 the  eftablifliment  of  Romanifm — Ken's  fermon  at  White- 
 hall, for  which  he  is  reproved  by  James — His  firm  reply     258 
 
 Chapter  XIX The  King's  Declaration  of  Indulgence  — 
 
 Order  of  Council  to  have  it  read  in  all  Churches  — 
 Petition  of  Archbifhop  Sancroft,  Ken,  and  five  other 
 Bilhops  againft  the  Order.    They  are  fent  to  the  Tower     274 
 
 Chapter  XX.  —  Birth  of  a  Prince  of  Wales  —  The  Bifliops 
 are  releafed  from  the  Tower — Their  trial  for  a  Seditious 
 Libel,  and  Acquittal  —  The  Joy  of  the  People  —  The 
 Bilhops  encourage  their  flocks  to  remain  firm  to  the 
 Church  of  England  .  .  .  .  .         .292 
 
 Chapter  XXI. — Invafion  of  England  by  the  Prince  of  Orange 
 — Meafures  of  the  King  to  oppofe  him — Ken,  and  other 
 Bifhops  advife  James  to  call  a  Parliament  —  He  refufes  : 
 the  defertion  of  his  officers  :  he  withdraws  to  France  — 
 William  calls  a  Convention  Parliament        .  .  .309 
 
 Chapter  XXII.  —  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        .  .  .332 
 
 Chapter  XXV. — Ken,  and  other  Bifhops,  refufe  to  take  the 
 Oath  of  Allegiance  to  William  and  Mary  —  Aft  of  Par- 
 liament for  their  fufpenfion  and  deprival.  Queftion  of 
 PafTive  Obedience.  Ken's  confiftent  Conduft.  The 
 Non-juring  Bifliops  publifh  a  Vindication  of  themfelves.      347 
 
viii  Contents. 
 
 Page 
 
 Chapter  XXVI. — Ken  is  deprived  of  his  Bifhopric — Makes 
 a  public  aflertion  in  Wells  Cathedral  of  his  canonical 
 right,  and  retires  —  His  Poverty  —  Lord  Weymouth 
 affords  him  an  afylum  at  Long  Leat    .  .  .  .386 
 
 Chapter  XXVIL — Ken  refufes  to  concur  with  Bancroft  and 
 other  Non-jurors,  in  extreme  meafures  —  His  moderate 
 views  and  conduft  —  Difapproves  of  clandeftine  confe- 
 crations  to  perpetuate  the  Schifm  —  Attends  the  fervices 
 of  the  Church  .......      399 
 
 Chapter  XXVIII.  —  Ken's  humane  difpofition  —  Circular 
 letter  of  the  deprived  Bifliops,  recommending  a  charita- 
 ble fund  for  the  relief  of  the  Non-juring  Clergy  —  Cha- 
 rafter  and  Death  of  Kettlewell  —  Ken  fummoned  before 
 the  Privy  Council,  and  releafed  .  .  .  .421 
 
 Chapter  XXIX.  —  Death  of  James  IL  —  Death  of  William 
 in.  ;  his  charafter — Acceffion  of  Queen  Anne — Bifhop 
 Kidder  killed  in  the  Palace  at  Wells  during  the  great 
 Storm — Anne  offers  to  reftore  Ken  to  Bath  and  Wells : 
 he  declines :  perfuades  Dr.  Hooper  to  accept  his  Bi- 
 fhopric,  and  refigns  .  .  .  .  .  .436 
 
 Chapter  XXX.  —  Ken  cenfured  by  many  of  the  Non-jurors 
 for  his  refignation  of  the  Bifhopric  —  Difference  between 
 himfelf  and  Lloyd — Queen  Anne  grants  him  a  penfion  .     451 
 
 Chapter  XXXI.  —  Refemblance  of  Ken,  in  fome  particulars 
 of  his  life,  to  St.  Gregory  of  Nazianzum.  Ken's  Poems 
 —  Death  of  Frampton,  Bifhop  of  Gloucefler :  his  Cha- 
 radler     .........      467 
 
 Chapter  XXXII.  — Ken  furvives  all  the  other  deprived  Bi- 
 fhops  —  Controverfy  among  the  Non-jurors.  Ken  re- 
 commends all  to  conform  to  the  Church.  Hickes  and 
 others  refufe    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .485 
 
 Chapter  XXXIII.  — Ken's  laft  Sicknefs,— Death— and  Bu- 
 rial.     Conclufion     .......     497 
 
 Appendix      .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .511 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 P.  43,  for  ''anxious  aftivity,"  read  "  anxiety." 
 60,  for  "  of  both,"  read  "  or  both." 
 64,  for  "met,"  read  "meet." 
 93,  for  "  fo  far  the,"  read  "  fo  far  from  the." 
 
 135,  for  "town  of  Winchefter,"  read  "towers  of  Winchefter." 
 
 144,  for  "  fpirit  of  the  prayer,"  read  "  fpirit  of  prayer." 
 
 146,  dele  note  "Appendix  C." 
 
 166,  for  "within  ramparts,"  read  "within  the  ramparts." 
 
 171,  for  "  commands,"  read  "command." 
 
 194,  for  "reduced,"  read  "  feduced." 
 
 307,  for  "whilft  they,"  read  "  whilft  the  Bifhops." 
 
 387,  for  "give  it  plain  words,"  read  "give  it  in  plain  words." 
 
 467,  for  "  Nazianzen,"  read  *'  Nazianzum." 
 
 479,  for  "acquieffe,"  read  "acquiefce." 
 
 491,  for  "  Nicasa,"  read  "Nicea." 
 
Life  of  Thomas  Ken. 
 
 CHAPTER  I. 
 
 Birth  —  Parentage  —  Brother  in  law  to  Izaak  Walton  —  En- 
 tered at  JFincheJler  College.  William  of  JVykeham  — 
 Founder  of  St.  Mary  Colleges  at  Winton  and  Oxford. 
 
 HE  birth-place  of  Thomas  Ken  was 
 Little  Berkhampftead  in  I-Iertford- 
 fhire  ;  a  retired  village  that  even 
 yet  retains  fomething  of  a  primitive 
 repofe.  Here  he  received  the  grace 
 of  Regeneration  and  the  Sign  of 
 the  Crofs,  "  in  token  that  he  fhould  continue  Chrift's 
 faithful  foldier  and  fervant  unto  his  life's  end."  \\\ 
 one  of  his  poems  he  vividly  exprefTes  his  defire  to 
 fulfil  the  vows  made  for  him  at  the  Font : 
 
 "  Chriftians,  who  Chrift's  anointed  are. 
 
 In  His  celeftial  unftion  fhare ; 
 
 The  Spirit,  templing  in  their  hearts. 
 
 His  all-fufficient  aid  imparts. 
 
 O  may  I,  with  a  faith  unfeign'd, 
 
 Preferve  my  Chriftian  name  unftain'd  : 
 
 To  copy  Chrift  O  may  I  ftrive. 
 
 From  Whom  I  that  dear  name  derive  ; 
 
 And  die,  when  death  fhall  me  arreft, 
 
 A  Chriftian,  with  Chrift's  unftion  bleft." 
 
2  ^^f^  <?/' Thomas  Ken,        [1637 
 
 He  was  born  In  July  1637  —  ^  period  of  our  hif- 
 tory  when  irreligion  and  laxity  of  morals  were  under- 
 mining the  focial  virtues  of  England.  The  diftradion 
 of  civil  feuds  already  prepared  her  decline  among 
 nations:  and  this  year  1637  is  memorable  for  events 
 which  led,  not  remotely,  to  the  overthrow  of  the 
 Stuarts.  The  accomplishments  and  virtues  of  Charles 
 I.  would  have  dignified  the  ftation  of  an  Englifh  no- 
 bleman, but  were  unequal  to  fuftain  him  amid  the 
 perils  which  from  the  firft  furrounded  his  throne.  He 
 found  the  royal  prerogative  "  affailed  by  a  tempeft 
 of  contending  and  reftlefs  faiilions,  and  the  Church 
 beleaguered  by  two  great  enemies,  aflaulted  openly 
 by  the  Papifts  on  the  one  fide,  and  undermined  by 
 the  Puritans  on  the  other."*  Seditious  plots  againfl: 
 kingly  government  foreboded  the  coming  fl:orm.  The 
 difcontent  of  feparatifts,  finding  fault  with  the  fervices 
 and  difcipline  of  the  Church,  was  but  a  prelude  to 
 the  hypocrify  and  profanenefs  which  afterwards  filled 
 the  land  with  violence. 
 
 The  King  was  wanting  in  many  of  the  qualities,  by 
 which  alone  he  could  arreft  the  Impetuous  movement 
 towards  liberty  (fo  called)  In  Church  and  State.  His 
 undecided  chara6ler  and  ftrong  predlledllons  prompted 
 him  to  follow  the  alternate  and  often  conflI6ling 
 counfels  of  Laud,  Strafford,  Buckingham,  and  his 
 Roman  Catholic  Queen. 
 
 In  this  year  1637  he  made  an  Ill-advifed  attempt 
 without  authority  of  Convocation  or  Parliament,  to 
 
 *  Archbifhop  Laud's  Diary. 
 
i6j7]       Bijldop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  3 
 
 force  upon  Scotland  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church  of 
 England,  which  to  Prefbyterians  was  no  lefs  obnoxious 
 than  the  ritual  of  Rome.  This  gave  occafion  to  the 
 Scottifh  Covenant.  Afterwards,  in  an  evil  hour,  he 
 was  induced  to  fandtion  a  law  for  abolifhing  Epifco- 
 pacy  in  that  country,  which  was  one  of  the  greateft 
 errors  of  his  reign,  and  the  groundwork  of  after  pro- 
 ceedings deftrudtive  to  the  well  being  of  the  Church. 
 
 In  the  fame  year,  having  refolved  to  govern  without 
 Parliament,  he  had  recourfe  to  violent  expedients  for 
 his  revenue.  The  trial  of  John  Hampden,  for  refufing 
 to  pay  the  tax  of  Ship-money,  heightened  the  difcon- 
 tents  of  his  Englifh  fubjec^ls,  and  led  to  the  forfeiture 
 of  his  crown  and  life.  Neither  the  growing  phrenzy 
 of  republicans  and  fedtaries,  who  brought  the  Earl  of 
 Strafford  to  the  block,  nor  the  cruel  and  unjuft  execu- 
 tion of  Archbifhop  Laud,  convinced  the  King,  until 
 too  late,  of  the  fatal  extremes  to  which  the  nation 
 might  be  impelled, — even  "  the  guilt  of  fhedding  his 
 own  facred  and  innocent  blood."* 
 
 Thus  Ken  was  nurtured  in  an  age  that  prepared 
 men  of  loyal  and  reverential  minds  for  a  refolute  de- 
 fence of  the  Church  and  of  Monarchy.  His  fpirit  was 
 difciplined  to  fuffer  all  things  for  confcience'  fake, 
 efpecially  in  maintaining  the  purity  of  religion.  He 
 had  learned  to  hold  an  even  balance  between  alle- 
 giance to  the  Crown,  and  unfhaken  fidelity  to  the 
 Church.  Amid  all  diftradions  he  had  one  fure 
 anchor  of  the  foul,  one  fixed  point  on  which  faith 
 
 *  Form  of  prayer  for  the  30th  of  January. 
 
4  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         \y^^^ 
 
 might  reft, — the  convidion  that  God's  law  is  juft,  and 
 that  it  is  unchangeable. 
 
 His  father,  Mr.  Thomas  Ken,  of  Furnival's  Inn, 
 an  attorney  in  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  was  of 
 an  ancient  Somerfetfhire  family.  By  his  mother, 
 Martha  Chalkhill,  he  derived  immediate  defcent  from 
 the  Poet,  John  Chalkhill,  of  whom  it  is  recorded  that 
 "  he  was  in  his  time  a  man  generally  known,  and  as 
 well  beloved ;  for  he  was  humble  and  obliging  in  his 
 behaviour  ;  a  gentleman,  a  fcholar,  very  innocent  and 
 prudent ;  indeed  his  whole  life  was  ufeful,  quiet  and 
 virtuous."*  Thefe  qualities,  and  his  poetic  genius, 
 endeared  him  to  the  illuftrious  Edmund  Spenfer. 
 
 Ken's  mother  died  before  he  had  yet  attained  his 
 fifth  year,  or  could  know  the  full  depth  of  fuch  a 
 bereavement.  But  this  almoft  irreparable  lofs  was 
 in  fome  meafure  fupplied  to  him  in  his  fifter  Ann, 
 who  was  then  about  thirty  years  of  age.  She  was  "  a 
 woman  of  remarkable  prudence  and  of  the  primitive 
 piety:  her  great  and  general  knowledge  was  adorned 
 with  true  humility,  and  bleft  with  much  Chriftian 
 meeknefs."  This  was  the  praife  given  to  Ann  Ken 
 by  one  of  the  greateft  lovers  of  truth  in  that  or 
 any  other  age,  —  Izaak  Walton,  "  honeft  Izaak,"  as 
 he  was  familiarly  termed  by  Dr.  King,  Bifhop  of 
 Chichefter.  His  well  known  "  Complete  Angler, 
 or  Contemplative  Man's  Recreation,"  although  un- 
 pretending in  its  fubjedl,  fo  abounds  in  pathos,  and 
 in  Chriftian  reverence,  as  to  place  him  high  on  the 
 lift  of  our  moral  writers.     For  harmony  of  language, 
 
 *  Preface  to  Thealma  and  Clearchus. 
 
164.6]       Bipoop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  5 
 
 frefhnefs  of  rural  fcenery,  and  truth  of  nature,  many 
 pafTages  of  this  book  have  all  the  charm  of  poetry. 
 
 The  character  he  has  drawn  of  a  true  Angler  is  fo 
 merry-hearted,  yet  fo  innocent,  fo  fimple,  yet  fo  con- 
 verfant  in  polite  learning,  fo  loyal  and  brave,  that  he 
 is  an  example  of  a  Chriftian  Gentleman.  It  is  equally 
 certain  that  few  works  in  our  language  breathe  a  more 
 devout  and  temperate  fpirit,  than  his  lives  of  Dr. 
 Donne,  Sir  Henry  Wootton,  Richard  Hooker,  George 
 Herbert,  and  Bifhop  Sanderfon. 
 
 The  union  of  Izaak  Walton  and  Ann  Ken  in  1646, 
 gave  to  Thomas  Ken,  at  nine  years  of  age,  the  right 
 to  call  him  his  elder  brother  Izaak.  Guided  by  his 
 precepts  through  the  paths  of  early  life,  he  was  trained 
 up  in  Chriftian  love,  to  bear  with  the  infirmities  of 
 others,  to  inform  their  judgements,  and  win  them  to 
 the  love  of  Chrift.  The  value  of  this  alliance  was 
 enhanced  to  Ken  in  1651,  when  he  was  not  yet  four- 
 teen years  of  age,  by  the  death  of  his  father  ;  an 
 event  that  impofed  on  Walton  the  fole  refponfibility 
 of  a  parental  watchfulnefs  over  the  young  orphan. 
 His  faithful  difcharge  of  this  duty  found  its  reward, 
 when  Ken  became,  in  his  turn,  the  inftrudlor  of  Wal- 
 ton's fon,  afterwards  a  Prebendary  of  Salifbury  Ca- 
 thedral. 
 
 It  does  not  appear  that  Walton  imparted  to  Ken 
 a  portion  of  his  love  for  angling,  or  perfuaded  him 
 to  follow  in  this  the  examples  of  Dean  Nowell,  and 
 George  Herbert,  with  other  "  ornaments  of  the  art." 
 Certain  it  is,  however,  that  he  inftilled  into  his 
 opening  mind  fuch  exalted  views  of  the  privilege 
 and  dignity  of  Holy  Orders  that,  refolving  to  forego 
 
6  Liife  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1651 
 
 all  fecular  purfuits,  to  follow  the  painful  footfteps  of 
 the  Apoftles  St.  Peter  and  St.  John,  he  became  a 
 patient  and  hopeful  "  fifher  of  men." 
 
 It  is  doubtful  at  what  period,  or  where,  he  firft 
 entered  on  his  courfe  of  "  grammar  learning:"  few 
 memorials  have  been  preferred  of  thofe  early  years, 
 when  lafting  impreffions  for  good  or  evil  are  ftamped 
 on  our  pliable  nature.  The  fpiritual  graces  that  fhone 
 forth  in  him  through  life,  might  alone  afTure  us  that 
 he  was  from  a  child,  like  young  Timothy,  trained  up 
 in  prayer  and  ftudy  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  This  is 
 confirmed  by  a  paiTage  of  _  his  own  poems,  which 
 fhows  an  affedlionate  and  thankful  heart  for  fo  great 
 a  bleffmg : 
 
 "  E'er  lince  I  hung  upon  my  mother's  breaft. 
 Thy  love,  my  God,  has  me  fuftain'd  and  bleft : 
 My  virtuous  parents,  tender  of  their  child. 
 My  education  pious,  careful,  mild  : 
 My  teachers  zealous  to  well-form  my  mind. 
 My  faithful  friends,  my  benefaftors  kind,"  &c. 
 
 Doubtlefs  he  was  early  initiated  in  the  Catechifm  of 
 our  Church  :  and  no  fooner  was  he  confecrated  to  the 
 office  of  Bifhop,  than  he  compofed  his  "  Expofition 
 on  the  Church  Catechifm,  or  Practice  of  Divine 
 Love  ;"  which,  had  he  never  written  anything  befide, 
 would  juftly  entitle  him  to  our  grateful  memory. 
 
 At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  was  placed  at  Winchefter 
 fchool.  Here  he  went  through  the  ordeal,  which  fo 
 often  determines  the  moral  character  of  after-life.  In 
 their  paffage  to  manhood,  boys  of  a  public  fchool  are 
 either  raifed  in  the  fcale  of  refponfible  beings,  trained 
 to  a  higher  nature,  and  moulded  to  a  refolute  and  free- 
 
1 6  5 1  ]       Bifldop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  7 
 
 hearted  obedience  to  the  divine  will; — or,  lofing 
 their  home-reverence  for  holy  things,  they  become 
 indifferent,  bold  in  difobedience,  negledlful  of  prayer, 'IaZ-^vh '""'^ 
 openly  profane;  till  at  length,  fallen  from  their  inno- 
 cence, they  undergo  the  deep  fearing  of  confcious  fin. 
 How  great,  then,  is  the  refponfibility  of  mafters  and 
 tutors  in  our  public  fchools,  to  whom  is  confided  the 
 training  of  Englifh  divines,  nobles,  ftatefmen,  and  in- 
 fluential members  of  the  middle  clafs  !  It  is  not  too 
 much  to  fay  that  the  future  interests  of  the  Church 
 and  State  are,  in  fome  fort,  confided  to  their  care. 
 If  animated  with  a  fimple  and  holy  ambition,  great 
 indeed  is  their  privilege,  and  their  reward  ! 
 
Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1651 
 
 CHAPTER  II. 
 
 William  of  Wykeham  —  Founds  his  two  Colleges  of  St.  Mary 
 at  TVincheJler  and  Oxford — Ken  at  Winchejler. 
 
 HE  ancient  and  famed  fchool  of  Win- 
 chefter  was  founded  by  William  of 
 Wykeham,  a  Prelate  whofe  noble  reli- 
 gious charity,  confecrated  all  his  wealth 
 to  munificent  works  for  the  honour  of  God.  Witnefs 
 his  two  Colleges  of  St.  Mary,  at  Winchefter,  and 
 Oxford,  wholly  defigned  and  endowed  by  himfelf  for 
 the  perpetual  maintenance  of  poor  fcholars,  to  be  in- 
 ftrud;ed  in  theology  and  fcholallic  learning  ;  whereby 
 the  Church  might  inherit  a  fucceflion  of  holy  men  to 
 adminifter  the  folemn  rites  of  religion. 
 
 It  pleafed  God  in  the  reign  of  Edward  III.  to  raife 
 Wykeham  from  a  humble  ftatlon  to  be  the  chief  ruler 
 of  the  King's  councils.  As  Pharaoh  appointed  Jofeph 
 to  prefide  over  all  the  land  of  Egypt,  "  becaufe  he  was 
 difcreet  and  wife,"  fo  for  his  excellent  qualities  did 
 Edward  commit  the  higheft  offices  of  the  ftate  to  the 
 hands  of  Wykeham.  "  Everytliing  was  done  by  him, 
 and  nothing  was  done  without  him."*  He  has  left  us 
 a  ffiining  example  of  watchfulnefs  and  fidelity  both  in 
 ecclefiafl:ical    and    fecular    rule.      Entrufted  with  ten 
 
 *  FroilTart,  vol.  i.  ch.  249.     Ed.  1574. 
 
1 651]      Bijh  op  of  Bath  and  Wells,  9 
 
 talents,  he  accounted  himfelf  but  a  fteward  of  God's 
 bounties,  employing  them  all  in  His  holy  fervice. 
 He  repaired  and  beautified  the  Churches  throughout 
 his  Diocefe, — enlarged  and  richly  endowed  the  Hofpital 
 of  St.  Crofs,  and  other  charitable  foundations,  —  re- 
 formed the  rules  and  condudl  of  religious  orders,  and 
 made  contending  Bifhops  to  be  of  one  mind. 
 
 The  crowning  testimony  of  his  zeal  was  the  reftora- 
 tion  of  Winchester  Cathedral ;  a  work  feemingly  be- 
 yond the  powers  of  one  man  to  accomplifh.  What  a 
 wife  heart,  what  holy  fervour,  and  fteadfaft  energetic 
 faith  muft  have  fuftained  him  in  completing  fuch  a 
 monument  of  grandeur  and  fkill  !  Here  through  all 
 the  vicifTitudes  of  doftrine  and  difcipline  God  has  been 
 worshipped  :  one  generation  after  another  has  liftened 
 to  the  perfuafive  teaching  of  Bifhops  and  Paftors  : 
 Choirs  of  angels  have  united  in  the  Allelujahs,  re- 
 founding  through  the  vaulted  roofs  and  groinings  of 
 this  glorious  fhrine.  Who  can  eftimate  the  rich  ble/T- 
 ings  bequeathed  to  England  by  the  pious  founders  of 
 our  ancient  Cathedrals  }  Our  greatnefs  as  a  nation  is 
 infeparable  from  the  dignity  and  holinefs  of  the 
 Church,  which  amid  all  troubles  has  been  the  Palla- 
 dium of  the  monarchy,  and  thereby  of  Britifh  freedom. 
 
 Where  now  in  this  reluftant  age  fhall  we  find  one 
 great-hearted  man  to  lay  even  the  firft  ftone  of  fuch  a 
 temple,  in  faith  that  future  fervants  would  be  raifed 
 up  to  carry  on  the  work  ?  Vaft  heaps  of  wealth,  un- 
 told revenues,  lofty  palaces,  multiply  through  the 
 land,  while  our  Parilh  Churches,  even  within  the  do- 
 mains of  the  great  and  noble,  fall  to  decay.  God 
 has  poured  into  our  lap  the  treafures  of  the  world; 
 
lo  -^{/^  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1651 
 
 but  alas !  our  hearts  lie  in  our  coffers,  and  cannot 
 wing  their  way  to  the  bright  inheritance  of  a  truer 
 wealth  above.  One  by  one  the  poffeffors,  rich  in 
 all  but  faith,  are  fummoned  to  their  reckoning,  and 
 drop  into  oblivion:  but  where  are  the  recording  angels 
 to  bear  to  Heaven  the  regiftry  of  their  deeds  of  felf- 
 denying  love  ?  Not  the  very  crumbs  from  their  fulnefs, 
 not  fo  much  as  a  poor  legacy,  for  ever-enduring  works 
 of  Chriftian  charity  ! 
 
 Chrift's  Name  has  been  on  our  lips  four  centuries 
 and  a  half  fince  Wykeham  was  called  to  his  reward : — 
 And  all  things  are  ftill  wanting  to  the  efficiency  of 
 the  Church  ;  Bifhops  and  their  Suffragans,  Cathedrals 
 and  Churches,  Colleges  and  training-fchools,  Paftors 
 and  teachers,  to  bear  the  meffage  of  glad  tidings  to  our 
 untaught  multitudes  at  home  and  abroad.  It  were 
 well  for  us  if  but  a  tythe  of  a  tythe  of  one  year's  mil- 
 lions, fpent  in  luxury,  vain  fplendour,  and  felf-indul- 
 gence,  were  given  to  fatisfy  thefe  crying  needs. 
 
 In  founding  his  College  of  St.  Mary  Winton, 
 Wykeham  did  not  leave  the  objedls  of  his  munificence 
 to  the  uncertain  judgment  or  principles  of  after-times. 
 He  knew  that,  without  a  code  of  fixed  rules,  bafed  on 
 the  fupreme  love  of  God,  his  plan  would  want  the 
 elements  of  lafting  fuccefs.  He  therefore  beftowed  the 
 greatefl:  pains  in  framing  ftatutes  for  Winchefter, 
 in  every  department  of  fchool  difcipline  ;  —  for  the 
 eledlion  and  removal  of  the  fcholars,  for  regulating 
 their  drefs,  ftudies,  dormitories,  games  and  punifhments, 
 for  their  comfort  in  ficknefs,  their  provifion  in  health, 
 — even  the  times  of  opening  and  fliutting  the  gates. 
 
1651]      Bijljop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  1 1 
 
 He  diredled  how  they  fhall  fit  at  dinner,  how  during 
 the  meal  one  of  the  fcholars  fhall  read  aloud  a  portion 
 of  the  Bible,  or  other  holy  book,  "  quern  in  filentio 
 epulantes  audiant^  et  diligenter  aujcultent ; "  and  how, 
 after  faying  grace,  they  fhall  go  quietly  out  of  hall, 
 except  on  high  feftivals  in  winter,  when  they  may 
 remain  to  enjoy  themfelves  over  the  fire,  in  finging,  or 
 reading  poems  and  hifiiories,  or  in  other  recreations, 
 "  qi{<:e  Clericalem  Jiatum  condecorant.'" 
 
 Above  all,  he  provides  for  their  daily  attendance  in 
 Chapel,  where  they  are  commanded  to  join  reverently 
 in  the  appointed  fervices,  and  in  the  obfervance  of 
 the  Church  feftivals,  chanting  of  pfalms,  &c.  ''  So 
 much  care  is  taken,"  fays  Ken,  "  to  make  the 
 youths  good  Chriftians,  as  well  as  good  fcholars,  and 
 they  go  fo  frequently  to  prayers,  every  day  in  the 
 Chapel,  and  in  the  fchool,  finging  hymns  and  pfalms 
 to  God  fo  frequently  in  their  chamber,  and  in  the 
 Chapel,  and  in  the  Hall,  that  they  are  in  a  manner 
 brought  up  in  a  perpetuity  of  prayer."* 
 
 Thefe  ftatutes  were  fo  highly  efteemed  that  Henry 
 VI.  adopted  them,  almoft  word  for  word,  when,  a  cen- 
 tury afterwards,  he  founded  his  no  lefs  illuftrious  Col- 
 leges of  Eton,  and  King's  College,  Cambridge.  In 
 one  particular  at  leaft,  Winchefter  and  Eton  have 
 unhappily  deviated  from  their  Founders'  ftatutes,  to 
 the  Church's  manlfeft  lofs.  It  is  quite  clear  that  the 
 feventy  poor  fcholars  in  each  were  to  be  exclufively 
 youths  defigned  for  holy  orders.    Our  prefent  fpiritual 
 
 *  Ken's  Manual  of  Prayers  for  the  ufe  of  the  Scholars  of  Win- 
 chefter Colledge,  2nd  Edition,  1675,  p.  13. 
 
12  Life  ^t/' Thomas  Ken,         [165 1 
 
 needs  at  home  and  in  the  colonies  furely  demand  that 
 the  original  defign  fhould  be  carried  out. 
 
 On  the  30th  of  January,  165^,  Ken,  now  thirteen 
 years  of  age,  entered  on  the  probationary  life  of  a  Win- 
 chefter  fcholar.*  Here  his  condud  was  an  example 
 to  others  :  his  talents  and  acquirements  paved  the  way 
 for  his  advancement,  in  due  time,  from  Wykeham's 
 fchool  to  his  College  at  Oxford.  The  feeds  were  now 
 fown  of  a  holy  obedience  to  the  difcipline  of  religion, 
 afterwards  to  be  perfe6led  in  the  rich  fruits  of  his  ma- 
 turer  age. 
 
 Here  "he  contra6ted  a  clofely  cemented  friendihip,"t 
 that  ceafed  only  with  their  lives,  with  "  Francis  Turner, 
 afterwards  Bifhop  of  Ely,  a  moft  truly  pious  prelate." 
 The  attachment  betv\^een  thefe  youthful  Winchefter 
 fcholars  was  no  lefs  fervent  than  the  love  between 
 David  and  Jonathan,  "  whofe  fouls  were  knit  together." 
 This  mutual  love  deepened,  in  after-life,  into  a  yet 
 more  ftedfaft  friendship :  both  had  been  poor  fcholars, 
 both  were  chofen  to  the  highell:  offices  in  the  Church ; 
 both  difplayed  an  apoftolic  fortitude  as  Confeflbrs  for 
 
 *  His  admiffion  is  thus  recorded  in  the  College-Books ;  "  Thomas 
 Ken,  de  Berkha?npjiead,  in  Com.  Hertford,  annorum  1 3  ad  Fef- 
 tu7!i  Michaelis  1650,  admijjus  eft  Januar.  30,  1650.  (Anfwering 
 to  our  January  30th,  165 1.)  The  College  election  was  in  thofe 
 days  held  at  Michaelmas :  each  boy  was  then  reckoned  to  be  of  the 
 age  which  he  had  attained  at  his  lall  preceding  birth-day.  Ken, 
 therefore,  born  in  July  1637,  was  13  by  the  College  calculation  at 
 Michaelmas  1650.  His  vacancy  then  fell  4  months  after,  and  he 
 was  admitted  as  a  fcholar  in  January,  1657-. 
 
 f  Hawkins's  "  Short  Account  of  the  Life  of  the  Right  Reverend 
 Father  in  God,  Thomas  Ken,  D.  D.  fometime  Ld.  Bp.  of  Bath  and 
 Wells."     8vo.  171  3,  p.  2. 
 
1 65 1]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  1 3 
 
 the  primitive  faith,  when  the  unlawful  commands 
 of  a  tyrant  were  to  be  oppofed;  yet,  immoveable  in 
 their  loyalty,  were  content  to  fuffer  poverty  and  de- 
 prival  for  their  ftedfaft  allegiance  in  his  reverfes  and 
 exile. 
 
 The  College  was  at  this  time  under  the  wardenfhip 
 of  Dr.  John  Harris,  a  noted  Grecian,  and  formerly 
 Greek  ProfefTor  of  the  Unlverfity  of  Oxford,  "  which 
 office  he  executed  with  great  honour  and  credit."*  But 
 being  tainted  with  the  fchifmatical  principles  of  the 
 age,  he  fided  with  the  Prefbyterlans  agalnft  the  Church, 
 and  fet  himfelf  in  the  ranks  of  the  difaffefted  to  oppofe 
 the  King.  He  took  the  Covenant  and  other  oaths, 
 and  was  one  of  the  Weftminfter  Affembly  of  Divines, 
 appointed  by  Parliament  In  1643,  under  pretence  of 
 fettling  religion  and  Church  Government,  but  really 
 for  the  purpofe  of  conforming  the  Church  of  England 
 to  Prefbytery.  The  Book  of  Common  Prayer  and 
 the  Creed,  even  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  the  Ten 
 Commandments,  were  declared  to  be  ufelefs.  Then 
 followed  the  New  Catechifm,  and  the  Confeffion  of 
 Faith,  fet  forth  in  the  DIre6tory,  and  all  their  confe- 
 quences,  fo  fatal  to  the  peace  and  happinefs  of  the 
 nation  —  a  warning  to  after-ages  of  the  defolating  ef- 
 feds  of  fchlfm  on  the  heart  and  confclence. 
 
 It  is  not  likely  the  Warden  of  Winchefter  fhould 
 often.  If  ever,  have  found  time  to  be  prefent  In  the 
 AfTembly  at  London :  his  eledion  Is  by  no  means 
 conclufive  that  he  attended  their  meetings.  Several 
 pious  Bifhops  and  Divines  of  the  Church  were  ap- 
 
 *  Wood's  Athens  Oxonienfes,  vol.  ii.  p.  225. 
 
14  L^fe  of  Thoma^s  Ken,         [1651 
 
 pointed,  but  refufed  to  a6l, — as  Archbifhop  Ufber, 
 Bifbop  Prideaux,  Dr.  Morley,  Hammond,  Sanderfon, 
 and  others.  It  is  certain  that  Harris  entered  into 
 controverfy  with  Dr.  William  TwiiTe,  the  Prolocutor 
 of  the  Aflembly.  He  was  "  fo  noted  a  Preacher  that 
 Sir  Henry  Savile  (who  was  himfelf  ilyled  the  ma- 
 gazine of  all  learning)  ufed  often  to  fay  he  was  fecond 
 only  to  St.  Chryfoftom*"  the  golden  mouthed  father, 
 whofe  orations,  even  in  his  youth,  were  fo  full  of  fweet- 
 nefs  and  glowing  fervour,  that  his  mafter  Libanius  took 
 a  pride  in  reciting  them  to  the  moft  diftinguifhed  rhe- 
 toricians of  Antioch.  To  Warden  Harris  therefore, 
 we  may  in  fome  meafure  afcribe  Ken's  perfuafive  and 
 powerful  eloquence,  for  which  he  afterwards  became  fo 
 remarkable. 
 
 He  was  five  years  in  his  progrefs  through  the  feve- 
 ral  claffes :  each  ftep,  as  it  brought  him  nearer  to  the 
 rank  of  Praspoftor,  gave  him  greater  privileges,  and  a 
 fuller  enjoyment  of  the  fports  and  paftimes  that  ex- 
 pand and  knit  the  youthful  frame  into  manly  vigour. 
 We  cannot  doubt  that  as  a  Junior  he  obferved  the 
 ancient  ftatute  '■'■  prafe^is  obtemperato^''  as  a  Praepoftor 
 that  of  "  legitime  imperato^'  and,  as  both,  that  of 
 *'  uterque  a  mendaciis^  ojientationibus,  Jurgiis,  pugnis, 
 et  furtis  ahfiinetoy  Certainly,  the  love  of  God  ap- 
 pears to  have  been  an  early  inftindl  of  his  mind,  and 
 was  afterwards  heightened  to  an  evangelical  piety,  as 
 may  be  gathered  from  all  his  writings.  Even  his 
 familiar  letters  begin  and  end  with  fome  expreffion  of 
 holy  zeal; — as  "  All  Glory  to  God," — "  God  keep 
 
 *  Wood's  Ath.  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  224. 
 
1656]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  15 
 
 us  in  His  reverential  fear  and  love;"  or  "  God  keep 
 us  refigned  to  His  will,  and  mindful  of  eternity,"  &c. 
 In  all  his  writings  and  prayers  his  heart  is  evidently 
 exalted  with  an  ardent  piety,  which  muft  have  grown 
 with  his  growth,  until  it  formed  an  eflential  part  of 
 his  nature. 
 
 Here,  training  up  for  the  contefts  and  fufferings  of 
 maturer  age,  under  the  ftridl  control  of  Wykeham's 
 difcipline.  Ken  and  his  friend  Francis  Turner  pafTed 
 through  Winchefter  fchool.  At  length  in  1655  their 
 mutual  pleafures  were  interrupted  by  Turner's  removal 
 to  New  College,  Oxford.  We  may  imagine  the 
 anxiety  of  his  companion  to  follow  him.  But  his 
 younger  age  gave  him  another  year  to  wait,  increaf- 
 ing  in  wifdom,  and  in  the  ornaments  of  "  a  towardly 
 difpofition,"*  until  1656.  "  His  parts,  application, 
 and  behaviour  were  well  employed  and  obferved."t 
 
 He  was  now  at  the  head  of  the  fchool,  and  on  the 
 verge  of  being  fuperannuated,  having  nearly  com- 
 pleted eighteen  years  of  age.  Eledlion  Tuefdayljl  ap- 
 proached: the  Examiners  from  Oxford  §  were  to  be 
 welcomed  at  the  College  gate,  according  to  ancient 
 cuftom,  by  a  Latin  fpeech.  Ken  was  probably  head 
 Praepoftor,  and  appointed  to  the  tafk.  Then  followed 
 the  examination  of  the  candidates  for  New  College : 
 moments  of  fearful  intereft,  to  himfelf  and  his  ex- 
 pedling  friends.      It  was  a  joyful  announcement  when 
 
 *  Wood's  Ath.  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  989. 
 
 f  Hawkins'  Life  of  Ken,  p.  2. 
 
 X  Between  the  7th  day  of  July  and  the  ift  of  Oftober. 
 
 §  The  Warden  and  two  Fellows  of  New  College. 
 
1 6  Life  (?/' Thomas  Ken,  V'^^S^ 
 
 he  was  declared  to  be  on  the  roll  of  the  eleded  :  but, 
 as  there  was  no  prefent  vacancy  at  New  College,  he 
 entered  himfelf  as  a  ftudent  at  Hart  Hall,  in  Oxford, 
 in  hopes  of  a  vacancy  within  the  enfuing  year  : — fail- 
 ing which,  his  chance  was  gone  without  recovery. 
 
 They  who  have  been  brought  up  at  a  public  fchool 
 can  teftify  how  they  love  to  recognize  the  names  of 
 their  diftinguifhed  men,  engraved  —  or  as  it  were  en- 
 fhrined, — on  the  old  wainfcotings  and  walls.  Ken's 
 name  fheds  a  bright  ray  on  the  venerable  cloifters  of 
 Winchefter.  "  THO.  KEN,  1656,"  cut  into  the  ftone 
 buttrefs  of  the  fouth-eaft  corner,  ftill  remains  a  che- 
 rifhed  memorial  to  Wykehamifts  of  the  good  Bifhop. 
 And  near  to  this,  within  the  fame  cloifter,  and  of  the 
 fame  date.  Dr.  Moberly  has  lately  difcovered  the  name 
 of  Francis  Turner,  as  if  they  knew  not  how  to  be  fe- 
 parated  even  in  thefe  early  records. 
 
1656]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  JVells.  1 7 
 
 CHAPTER  III. 
 
 Ken  removes  to  Oxford —  The  Jiate  of  the  Univerftty  under  the 
 Commonwealth — His  College  life — The  Rejloration. 
 
 lOULD  that  we  were  able  to  give  an  ex- 
 a6l  account  of  our  young  fcholar's  jour- 
 ney, as  he  trudged  from  Winchefter  to 
 /'^  thofe  longed-for  fpires  of  Oxford.  The 
 happy  pilgrimage  was  probably  made  on  foot,  with 
 his  walking  ftaff;  for  it  was  not  like  a  poor  fcholar  of 
 that  day  to  ride  his  horfe,  and  there  were  no  ftage 
 coaches  between  Winchefter  and  Oxford.  In  this  he 
 would  follow  the  example  of  young  Richard  Hooker, 
 when  he  took  his  journey  on  foot  from  Corpus  ChriftI 
 College  to  fee  his  mother  at  Exeter.  Pafting  by 
 Salifbury,  Hooker  paid  a  vifit  to  his  loving  patron, 
 old  Bilhop  Jewel,  who  lent  him  his  own  "  walking 
 ftaff,  with  which  he  profefled  he  had  travelled  through 
 many  parts  of  Germany ; " — and  gave  him  "  ten  groats 
 to  bear  his  charges  to  Exeter,"  and  promifed  "  if  he 
 brought  It  back  to  him,  he  would  give  him  ten  groats 
 more  to  carry  him  on  foot  to  the  College  :  and  fo  God 
 blefs  you,  good  Richard."* 
 
 In  like  manner,  and  with  equal  fimplicity,  we  may 
 fuppofe  Ken  to  have  travelled  on,  till  he  fet  himfelf 
 
 *  Walton's  Life  of  Richard  Hooker. 
 C 
 
1 8  Life  (p/' Thomas  Ken,         [1656 
 
 down  to  reft  within  fight  of  Oxford,*  and  the  found  of 
 Chrift-church  bells.  Perhaps  fome  reader  may  have 
 felt  the  fame  thrilling  emotions  which  ftirred  within 
 him,  when  for  the  firft  time  he  caught  a  glimpfe  of 
 thofe  towers,  rifing  from  the  groves  and  meadows. 
 Whilft  he  looked  out  on  the  fcene,  he  might  indulge 
 himfelf  in  anticipating  the  pleafures  of  a  College  life. 
 
 But  Oxford  was  no  longer  the  happy  abode  of 
 religion,  learning,  and  peace.  Her  fchools,  colleges, 
 and  halls,  beautiful  in  their  order,  hallowed  by  centu- 
 ries of  pious  brotherhood  and  fcholaftic  wifdom,  had 
 for  nearly  twelve  years  been  the  fcene  of  republican 
 diforders :  many  hundreds  of  the  moft  eminent  men 
 had  been  thruft  out  by  the  Parliamentary  Vifitors,  to 
 make  room  for  fchifmatics.  Fanaticifm  and  felfifh- 
 nefs  had  uprooted  religion,  and  feized  the  munificent 
 endowments,  defigned  to  tranfmit  learning  and  piety 
 to  the  moft  diftant  ages.  A  holy  charm  feems  to  hang 
 over  St.  Mary's  in  the  diftance, — how  ftill  and  beau- 
 tiful !  But  Ken  little  knew  the  diforder  that  reigned 
 within.  The  rightfully  appointed  Preachers, — the 
 Mafters  and  Fellows  and  Profeflbrs,  had  long  been 
 under  perfecution  as  "  fcandalous  minifters,  faucy 
 Jacks,  brazen-faced  fellows." f  St.  Mary's  pulpit 
 was  ftill  profaned  by  the  Seven  Puritan  Minifters,  fent 
 down  by  Parliament  to  preach  the  loyal  fcholars  into 
 a  new  obedience.  All  ecclefiaftical  difcipline  and  re- 
 ligious ceremonies  had  been  denounced  as  "  a  heap 
 of  atheiftica)  Roman  rubbifti."     The  altar  and  ftained 
 
 *  On  Hinckfey  Hill,  near  Bagley  Wood. 
 f  Anthony  Wood. 
 
1656]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  19 
 
 windows  were  commanded  to  be  broken,  the  chancel 
 levelled,  organ  and  furplices  abolifhed,  and  the  Book 
 of  Common  Prayer  forbidden  in  Church  or  private 
 families,  on  pain  of  imprifonment,  and  all  for  liberty 
 of  conjcience  I 
 
 Cromwell,  the  Arch-rebel  and  Regicide,  was  Chan- 
 cellor. Dr.  John  Owen,  "  Oliver's  Ahithophel,  the 
 Prince,  the  Oracle,  the  metropolitan  of  Independency," 
 filled  the  office  of  Vice-Chancellor.  Having  folemnly 
 promifed  obedience  to  the  Bifhop,  his  Diocefan,  and 
 taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  fidelity  to  his  King,* 
 he  turned  with  the  tide  of  Rebellion,  preached  againft 
 all  Epifcopal  authority,  and  applauded  the  murder  of 
 Charles  as  juft  and  righteous.  On  taking  his  feat  as 
 Vice-Chancellor  he  had  fworn  to  obferve  the  ftatutes 
 and  maintain  the  privileges  of  the  Univerfity  :  yet  he 
 endeavoured  to  put  down  all  habits  and  formalities, 
 and  "  fo  undervalued  his  office  as  to  go  in  quirpOy 
 like  a  young  fcholar,  with  powdered  hair,  fnake-bone 
 band  firings,  with  very  large  tafiels,  a  large  (tt  of 
 ribbons  pointed  at  his  knees,  and  Spanifh  leather 
 boots,  with  large  lawn  tops,  and  his  hat  moflly  cock'd."f 
 He  was  "  fo  great  an  enemy  to  the  Lord's  Prayer  (yet 
 ordained  to  Holy  Orders !)  that  when  fome  preachers 
 concluded  their  own  with  it,  (which  was  very  feldom 
 done  by  any,  efpecially  the  Prefbyterians  and  Inde- 
 pendents, becaufe  it  was  looked  upon,  forfooth,  as 
 formal  and  prelatical  to  do  fo)  he  would  with  great 
 fneering  and  fcorn  turn  afide,  or  fit  down,  and  put  on 
 
 *  Wood's  Athenje  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  737. 
 f  Ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.  738. 
 
20  ^^f^  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1656 
 
 his  hat."*  One  of  the  Pro6tors  was  "  Hierome  Zanchy, 
 a  boifterous  fellow  at  cudgelling,  foot-ball  playing,  and 
 indeed  more  fit  in  all  refpedls  to  be  a  rude  foldier  than 
 a  fcholar,  or  man  of  polite  parts.  In  the  beginning  of 
 the  Rebellion  he  threw  off  his  gown,  and  took  up 
 arms  for  the  Parliament,  and  foon  after  became  a  Cap- 
 tain, a  Prefbyterian,  an  Independent,  and  I  know  not 
 
 what."t 
 
 It  was  no  wonder,  therefore,  if  republican  Profef- 
 fors,  Mafters,  Principals,  and  Fellows  were  thruft 
 upon  the  reludant  Univeriity,  now  fuddenly  bereft 
 of  her  moft  perfecfb  patterns  of  holinefs,  and  fureft 
 guides  in  found  learning,  becaufe  they  demurred  to 
 the  Covenant,  and  negative  Oath,  and  the  Engage- 
 ment to  the  Commonwealth  without  King  or  Houfe 
 of  Lords. 
 
 In  their  room  fucceeded  "  an  illiterate  rabble  of 
 poor  fcholars.  Pedagogues  from  Belfries,  Curates, 
 and  fometimes  Vicars,  as  alfo  Parliament  foldiers,  ef- 
 pecially  fuch  as  had  lately  been  difbanded.  They  were 
 commonly  called  feekers,  were  great  frequenters  of  the 
 fermons  at  St.  Mary's,  preached  by  the  Seven  Minifters 
 appointed  by  Parliament,  and  other  Prefbyterians  that 
 preached  in  other  Churches  in  Oxford,  and  fometimes 
 frequenters  of  the  Conventicles  of  the  Independents 
 and  Anabaptifts.  The  generality  of  them  had  morti- 
 fied countenances,  puling  voices,  and  eyes  commonly, 
 when  in  difcourfe,  lifted  up,  with  hands  laying  on 
 their  breafts  ;  they  moftly  had  fhort  hair,  which  at 
 this  time  was  called  the  Committee  cut,  and  went  in 
 
 *   Ibid.  p.  739.  f   Wood's  Fafti  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  69. 
 
1656]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  21 
 
 quirpOj  in  a  fhabb'd  condition,  and  looked  rather  like 
 apprentices,  or  antiquated  fchool  boys,  than  academi- 
 cians, or  minifters."*  Not  only  the  heads  of  Houfes, 
 ProfefTors,  Ledurers,  and  other  members  of  the  Uni- 
 verfity,  down  to  the  undergraduates,  but  even  "  the 
 beadles,  college  fervants,  bed- makers,  and  fcrapers  of 
 trenchers  were  thrown  out,  and  banifhed  from  their 
 places." f  Such  were  the  violence  and  tumult,  which 
 to  the  amazement  of  all  good  men,  "  fet  the  whole 
 Church  and  nation  in  a  combuftion,  and  went  far  to 
 render  the  Reformed  religion,  and  all  Protectants, 
 odious  to  all  the  world."  J 
 
 New  College,  in  the  midft  of  this  confufion,  had 
 efpecially  maintained  its  loyal  principles.  The  Warden 
 was  charitable  Dr.  Robert  Pink.  He  needs  no  other 
 praife  than  that  he  appointed  Dr.  Peter  Gunning, 
 Dr.  Ifaac  Barrow,  and  Dr.  Richard  Sherlock  to  be 
 Chaplains  of  his  College.  The  laft  of  thefe,  when 
 ejedted  by  the  Vifitors,  was  compelled  to  accept  the 
 curacy  of  Caffington,  near  Woodftock,  and  out  of  a 
 ftipend  of  £16  a  year  bellowed  the  greater  part  in 
 charity  amongft  the  poor ;  a  man  of  fuch  exemplary 
 holinefs,  that  good  Bifhop  Wilfon  honoured  his  me- 
 mory by  writing  an  account  of  his  life. 
 
 Dr.  Pink  had  fome  time  before  aflembled  all  who 
 were  capable  of  bearing  arms,  and  willing  to  ferve  for 
 the  defence  of  the  King.  The  privileged  men  and 
 fcholars  of  New  College  anfwered  freely  to  the  fum- 
 mons.     They  formed  themfelves  into  a  militia,  bring- 
 
 *  Wood's  Fafti  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  6i.  f  Ibid.  p.  68. 
 
 X  Oxford  Reafons  againft  the  Covenant. 
 
22  ^^f^  ^Thomas  Ken,         {."^^s^ 
 
 ing  with  them  "  fuch  apparel  of  war  as  they  could 
 rout  out  from  the  Colleges  ;  helmets,  back  and  breaft 
 pieces,  pykes,  mufkets,  and  other  appurtenances."* 
 The  Cloifters  and  towers  of  Wykeham,  defigned  by 
 their  founder  for  the  abode  of  peace,  were  converted 
 into  magazines  of  war.f  But  all  in  vain  : — the  battle 
 of  Nafeby  was  fought  and  loft.  Oxford  yielded  with 
 her  garrifon ;  then  followed  all  the  after-violence. 
 New  College  was  not  fpared  in  the  general  tumult : 
 the  members  were  cited  to  appear  before  Cheynell, 
 Prynne,  and  other  Vifitors.  Only  one  of  the  Fellows 
 confented  to  the  oaths  ;  the  others  fcorned  to  fubmit 
 to  their  ufurped  authority.  George  Marfhall,  who 
 had  ferved  as  Chaplain  to  the  rebel  army,  was  obtruded 
 into  the  Warden's  chair.  By  the  22nd  of  April,  1650, 
 eighf  Chaplains,  and  fifty-four  Fellows,  were  thruft  out 
 to  make  room  for  needy  adherents  to  the  new  order  of 
 things. 
 
 This  reign  of  terror  in  Oxford  had  in  great  meafure 
 fubfided  by  the  time  Ken  bent  his  footfteps  to  Hart 
 Hall.  There  was  a  falfe  calm,  faddened  by  the 
 prefence  and  rule  of  fchifmatics.  Great  was  his  forrow, 
 when  in  the  retired  chamber  of  Francis  Turner  he  firft 
 heard  of  the  tauntings  and  feoffs  by  which  holy  ordi- 
 nances were  difhonoured  in  the  higheft  feats  of  au- 
 thority. It  was  a  gloomy  profpeft  for  one  of  his 
 inofFenfive  and  peaceable  temper,  when  the  gover- 
 nors of  focieties,  founded  for  the  teaching  of  a  pure 
 faith,  were  banded  together  to  opprefs  its  adherents. 
 
 But  not  even  thefe  adverfe  influences  could  root  out 
 
 *  Life  of  Ant.  a  Wood,  p.  13.  f  Ibid,  p.  17. 
 
1656]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .  2  3 
 
 the  deep  principles  of  religion  which  had  for  fo  many- 
 centuries  ennobled  Oxford.  And  where,  if  not  within 
 her  precindls,  could  peace  be  found,  when  the  defpo- 
 tifm  of  a  fanatical  military  had  carried  confufion  into 
 every  corner  of  the  land  ?  The  violence  of  man  may 
 feem  for  a  while  to  withftand  God's  providential 
 government.  They  who  love  Him  have  their  trial, 
 —  perhaps  their  chaftifement,  —  in  wrongs  to  be  en- 
 dured. But  all  things  work  out  His  irreverfible  law  ; 
 the  ends  of  His  wifdom  are  ferved  even  by  the  hands 
 of  the  wicked.  He  had  permitted  the  fuccefs  of  ty- 
 rants ;  but  had  not  left  Himfelf  without  witnefles  in 
 Oxford,  even  under  their  mifrule. 
 
 Of  thefe  we  mufl:  content  ourfelves  with  one  exam- 
 ple in  the  great  and  good  Robert  Boyle,  whofe 
 rare  wifdom  and  varied  acquirements  have  perhaps 
 remained  unequalled  by  any  fince  his  time.  In  his  own 
 day  thefe  gained  for  him  fo  great  a  fame,  even  in 
 foreign  countries,  that  no  learned  ftranger  came  to 
 England  but  fought  his  acquaintance.*  He  had  at- 
 tained a  knowledge  of  the  Greek,  Hebrew,  Chaldee, 
 Syriac,  and  other  languages.  He  was  familiar  with 
 all  the  mathematical  fciences ;  yet  fo  lowly  in  fpirit, 
 fo  innocent,  candid,  and  obliging,  that  he  demeaned 
 himfelf  humbly  to  all  men  who  approached  him. 
 This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  fince  his  genius  was 
 fandlified  by  a  Chriftian  fpirit.  "  He  had  fo  great  a 
 reverence  for  the  Deity,  that  the  very  Name  of  GOD 
 was  never  mentioned  by  him  without  a  paufe,  and  a 
 vifible  ftop  in  his  difcourfe,  in  which  Sir  Peter  Pett, 
 
 *  Birch's  Life  of  the  Hon.  Robert  Boyle,  p.  144. 
 
24  Zy//*^  <?/*  Thomas  Ken,         [1656 
 
 who  knew  him  for  almoft  40  years,  affirms  that  he 
 was  fo  exadt,  that  he  did  not  remember  to  have  ob- 
 ferved  him  once  fail  in  it."  * 
 
 Such  were  his  humble  thoughts  of  himfelf,  and  his 
 refpedl  for  God's  fervice,  that  "  when  he  was  folicited 
 by  the  Earl  of  Clarendon  to  enter  into  Holy  Orders, 
 he  did  not  think  himfelf  worthy  ;  for  he  had  fo  high  a 
 fenfe  of  the  obligations,  importance,  and  difficulty  of 
 the  paftoral  care,  that  he  durft  not  undertake  it :  fo 
 folemnly  and  ferioufly  did  he  judge  of  facred  matters. "f 
 He  flood  alone,  however,  in  this  modeft  opinion  of  his 
 unfitnefs  for  the  Priefthood.  Many  of  his  writings 
 prove  that  he  would  have  been  an  excellent  divine, 
 had  he  been  fo  confecrated.  One  in  particular  raifes 
 the  author  far  above  the  praife  of  that  exalted  philo- 
 fophy,  by  which  he  unfolded  the  myfteries  of  the 
 natural  world.  In  his  treatife  of  "  Seraphic  Love^  or 
 Some  motives  to  the  love  of  God"  he  fhows  how  God 
 is  the  fitteft  Objed  of  our  love,  and  how  He  hath 
 prepared  for  them  that  love  Him  "  an  ocean  of  feli- 
 city, fo  iTiorelefs  and  fo  bottomlefs,  that  all  the  faints 
 and  angels  cannot  exhauft  it." 
 
 Nor  did  he  fatisfy  himfelf  with  thefe  written  tefti- 
 monies  of  having  dedicated  his  heart  to  God.  His 
 whole  life  was  a  pradical  example  how  a  layman  of 
 noble  birth  may  cultivate  the  graces  of  a  faint  in  the 
 midft  of  a  profane  and  reftlefs  world  ;  how  the  higheft 
 reach  of  intellect  can  bow  itfelf  down  in  fimple  faith 
 before  the  unfearchable  myfteries  of  Revelation.  He 
 ihowed  alfo  his  great  zeal  for  religion  by  printing  at 
 
 *   Tbid.  p.  138.  f   Ibid.  p.  60. 
 
1656]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .  2  5 
 
 his  own  expenfe  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  the  Malayan, 
 Irifh,  and  Welfh  tongues ;  by  founding  the  Incorpo- 
 rated Society  for  propagating  the  Gofpel  in  New- 
 England,  and  other  parts  of  America ;  and  by  his 
 endowment  of  eight  fermons  annually  for  ever,  to 
 eftablifh  the  truth  of  the  Chriftian  Religion. 
 
 It  would  be  too  long  to  enumerate  his  unbounded 
 charities :  we  may  leave  the  praife  of  his  beneficence 
 to  Biihop  Sanderfon,  who  dedicated  to  him  his  Cafes 
 of  Confcience,  and  fpeaks  of  him  as  his  patron, 
 illuftrious  not  only  for  his  rank,  but  ftill  more  for  all 
 chriftian  virtues.  This  was  the  well  merited  tribute 
 of  a  grateful  heart :  for  when  Robert  Sanderfon, 
 himfelf  fo  meek  and  merciful,  and  fo  great  a  lover  of 
 his  King,  (after  being  opprefTed,  plundered,  wounded, 
 and  imprifoned  by  the  Parliament  troops)  was  re- 
 duced, with  his  wife  and  children,  to  great  need  and 
 fuffering,  Mr.  Boyle  came  to  his  relief,  and  without  any 
 folicitation  beftowed  upon  him  an  annuity  of  £50;  a 
 generous  and  chriftian  a6l,  honourable  alike  to  both. 
 
 It  is  no  wonder,  if  Mr.  Boyle  ftiould  form  the 
 centre  of  a  little  circle  of  wife  and  good  men,  where- 
 ever  he  might  be ;  and  it  was  a  great  happinefs  for 
 the  Univerfity  that  he  took  up  his  abode  in  Oxford. 
 His  eminent  qualities  gained  him  a  great  refped:  from 
 thofe  in  authority ;  and  he  was  able  in  fome  degree 
 to  afluage  the  confufion  and  tyranny  of  the  Cove- 
 nanters, and  "  rebellious  rout"  who  held  fway  in 
 every  college. 
 
 But  the  heat  of  perfecution  had  now  fomewhat  abated. 
 The  republicans,  having  pofTefled  themfelves  of  all 
 the  good  things  they  could  lay  hands  upon,  left  the 
 
26  Life  (^/^  Thomas  Ken,  [1657 
 
 fcholars  very  much  to  their  own  ways,  fo  long  as 
 they  were  peaceable  and  quiet.  This  fuited  Ken's 
 difpofition  \  and  he  purfued  his  ftudies  amid  the  con- 
 fufion  that  furrounded  him,  not  thinking  it  any  part 
 of  his  duty  to  enter  into  conflids.  He  could  be  filent 
 in  his  own  thoughts,  and  enjoy  the  ferenity  of  a  well- 
 ordered  fpirit.  In  1657,  within  one  year  of  his  ar- 
 rival in  Oxford,  he  was  admitted  at  New  College. 
 Befides  Francis  Turner  and  others,  there  were  two 
 youths  at  Oxford,  of  temper  and  habits  congenial  to 
 his  own,  ftudents  of  Chrift  Church,  with  whom  he 
 now  formed  a  lafting  friendfhip.  One  was  Mr.  Thomas 
 Thynne,  afterwards  "  in  confideration  of  his  great  me- 
 rits created  Vifcount  Weymouth ;  a  perfon  of  ftri6l 
 piety,  honour,  and  integrity,"*  —  virtues  which  con- 
 ferred upon  him  a  higher  claim  to  refpedl  than  his 
 ancient  defcent.  The  other  was  George  Hooper,  of 
 whom  the  celebrated  Dr.  Bufby  declared  he  was 
 "  the  beft  fcholar,  the  fineft  gentleman,  and  would 
 make  the  beft  bifhop,  that  ever  was  educated  at  Weft- 
 mlnfter  fchool."f 
 
 It  does  not  appear  what  degree  of  intimacy  fub- 
 fifted  between  Lord  Weymouth  and  Ken  for  fome 
 years  after  they  left  college ;  the  frequency  of  their 
 intercourfe  was  probably  interrupted  by  the  different 
 fpheres  of  life  they  were  called  to  fill  :  but  "  in  the 
 reverfes  of  Ken's  lot,  and  the  evening  of  his  days, 
 when  he  had  no  home  upon  earth,"  Weymouth  teftified 
 
 *  Collin's  Peerage,  vol.  vi.  p.  266. 
 f  Athenae  Oxonienfes,  vol.  ii.  p.  9 
 
1657]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  27 
 
 the  untiring  fidelity  of  his  attachment  by  affording 
 him  for  twenty  years  an  afylum  at  his  noble  manfion 
 of  Long  Leat,  where  he  clofed  his  eyes.*  Hooper 
 and  Ken  were  thrown  together  in  every  ftage  of  their 
 lives ;  one  a  learned  Grecian  and  oriental  fcholar,  the 
 other  as  diftinguifhed  for  his  fafcinating  eloquence; 
 fervent  devoted  Priefts,  alternately  fucceeding  each 
 other  in  their  preferments,  and  both  more  folicitous 
 for  the  other's  advancement  than  their  own. 
 
 We  can  hardly  doubt  that  all  three  formed  part  of 
 the  refolute  band  in  Oxford,  who  affembled  together 
 for  prayer  in  the  Houfe  of  Thomas  Willis,  clofe  by 
 Merton  College,  when  the  Liturgy  had  been  prohi- 
 bited in  the  Churches  and  Chapels.  Like  the  difciples 
 of  old,  in  their  upper  room,  thefe  truftful  Chriftians 
 "  performed  their  devotions  according  to  the  Book  of 
 Common  Prayer,  none  being  admitted  but  their  confi- 
 dents. There  they  maintained  the  orders  and  rubric  of 
 the  Church  of  England  on  all  Lord's  days.  Holy  days, 
 and  their  Vigils,  and  adminiftered  the  Holy  Commu- 
 nion."'!' This  was  begun  by  that  "  great  undervaluer 
 of  money,"  Dr.  John  Fell,  alfo  the  eloquent  John 
 Dolben,  afterwards  Archbifhop  of  York,  and  other 
 divines  ;  and  was  continued  until  the  Reftoration,  to 
 the  great  comfort  and  fupport  of  the  afflided  Royalifts. 
 To  believe,  to  truft,  and  to  fuffer,  are  privileges  that  can 
 never  be  taken  from  Chrift's  faithful  followers ;  to 
 feek  their  happinefs  in  a  fimple  dedicating  of  them- 
 
 *  Bowles's  Life  of  Ken,  vol.  i.  p.  42. 
 t  Wood's  Ath.  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  795. 
 
28  Life  t?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1657 
 
 felves  to  His  will,  to  abide  His  time  for  eventual  peace, 
 and  to  repofe  on  His  fure  word,  is  to  triumph  in  the 
 midft  of  flander  and  oppreffion. 
 
 Ken  was  a  {kilful  player  on  the  lute ;  and  did  not 
 betake  himfelf  fo  clofely  to  his  ftudies,  but  that  he 
 allowed  himfelf  an  indulgence  in  his  innocent  recreation 
 of  mufic,  for  which  "  he  had  an  excellent  genius.*" 
 The  organs,  and  choral  fervices  had  been  filenced  by 
 the  ufurpers :  but  there  were  many  in  Oxford  who 
 could  not  fubmit  to  change  their  countenances  and 
 manners  at  the  word  of  command.  Some  of  thefe 
 formed  themfelves  into  mufical  parties  under  the  fa- 
 cetious, and  no  lefs  learned  and  loyal,  Anthony  a 
 Wood,  who  enumerates  the  feveral  performers,  their 
 inftruments,  and  degrees  of  fkill.  He  fays  "  Thomas 
 Ken,  of  New  College,  a  Junior,  would  be  fometimes 
 among  them,  and  fing  his  part."'}'  Indeed  it  would 
 appear  that  Vice  Chancellor  Owen,  either  affeded 
 the  example  of  the  Protedlor  ("  who  loved  a  good 
 voice  and  inftrumental  mufic  well")  or  was  really 
 fond  of  mufic,  for  its  own  fake.  About  this  time,  he 
 recalled  Mr.  John  Wilfon,  the  beft  player  on  the  lute 
 in  all  England,  made  him  Univerfity  Profeflbr  of 
 Mufic,  and  afligned  him  a  lodging  in  Balliol  College. 
 To  his  exertions  and  fkill,  and  to  thofe  of  William  Ellis, 
 the  deprived  organift  of  St.  John's,  may  be  attributed 
 in  great  meafure  the  mufical  fpirit  that  prevailed. 
 Weekly  meetings  were  held  at  their  houfes,  and  fome- 
 times in  the  College  chambers,  where  they  got  together 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  24. 
 t  Life  of  Anthony  a  Wood,  p.  125. 
 
1658]        Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  2  9 
 
 full  bands  of  lutes,  viols,  (bafs,  tenor,  counter-tenor  and 
 treble)  lyra-viols,  virginals,  and  even  violins,  which 
 began  now  to  be  in  fafhion. 
 
 Thus  time  pafTed  on,  until  all  clafTes  had  learned  to 
 bewail  the  difquiet  which  England  had  brought  on 
 herfelf.  The  fpirit  of  rebellion,  and  the  death  of 
 their  martyred  king,  had  entailed  upon  the  people 
 their  own  heavieft  punifhment  in  a  feries  of  national 
 crimes.  Their  phrenzy  for  liberty  had  refulted  in 
 the  iron  bondage  of  a  military  defpotifm.  As  they 
 had  fhown  no  pity,  they  were  in  turn  vifited  by 
 juftice  without  mercy.  A  bold  impiety  had  taken 
 from  them  all  love  of  fpirltual  things.  The  Church 
 being  overthrown,  they  were  given  up  alternately  to 
 profanenefs  and  hypocrify,  and  forced  to  perjure 
 themfelves  with  fuccefUve  oaths,  engagements,  and 
 covenants,  under  pretext  of  exalting  the  Gofpel  and 
 Kingdom  of  Chrift.  Prefbyterians,  Anabaptifts,  In- 
 dependents, Quakers,  Antinomians,  Socinians,  Level- 
 lers, and  Fifth-monarchy  men,  of  whom  many  agreed 
 only  in  hatred  of  the  Church,  and  of  each  other, 
 became  at  length  weary  of  the  burthen  of  their  own 
 manifold  confufions. 
 
 In  the  midft  of  this  defolation  a  releafe  was  provi- 
 dentially prepared  by  Him,  who  '^  weighs  the  nations 
 in  a  balance."  The  coming  deliverance  was  ufhered  in 
 by  the  gorgeous  pageantry  of  Cromwell's  funeral. 
 The  difcordant  faftions  of  the  "  Council  of  the  Army," 
 the  "  Council  of  State,"  and  the  "  Committee  of 
 Safety"  foretold  the  downfal  of  the  Republic.  Al- 
 though the  firft  fymptoms  of  returning  order  were  for 
 fome   time  faint  and  uncertain,  and  hopes  and  fears 
 
30  Litfe  <?/ Thomas  Ken,         [1660 
 
 agitated  all  minds,  as  the  Parliament,  or  Lambert,  or 
 Monk,  Teemed  to  prevail,  the  fecret  counfels  of  the 
 Royalifts  took  at  length  a  definite  courfe.  General 
 Monk  declaring  himfelf  openly  for  the  King,  the 
 whole  nation  concurred  in  his  joyful  Reftoration  to 
 the  throne. 
 
 When  Charles  II.  took  pofTeffion  of  his  palace  at 
 Whitehall,  the  memory  of  twenty  years'  fufferings  was 
 for  a  moment  loft  in  the  univerfal  triumph.  What 
 then  muft  have  been  the  gladnefs  of  the  Univerfity, 
 when  the  King's  Commiftioners  arrived  at  Chrift 
 Church  to  reinftate  Morley,  Fell,  Dolben,  Sanderfon, 
 and  others  who  had  been  expelled  from  their  Colleges 
 as  "  malignants  and  fcandalous  Recufants!"  The 
 voice  of  joy  and  thankfgiving,  as  of  thofe  who  keep 
 holiday,  refounded  in  the  College  Halls.  In  every 
 court  and  quadrangle  were  to  be  heard  mutual  con- 
 gratulations of  old  friends,  arriving  one  after  the  other 
 to  increafe  the  general  gladnefs. 
 
 ■^^ 
 
i66j]      Bijhop  of  Bath  a7td  Wells.  31 
 
 CHAPTER  IV. 
 
 Ken  appointed  to  the  Living  of  Little  Eojlon — refigns  the  cure 
 — Made  Chaplain  to  Bijhop  Morley — Fellow  of  TVincheJier 
 College — ReSior  of  Brightjione — Prebendary  of  JVincheJier 
 — Refigns  Brightjione — Appointed  to  Eajl  JVoodhay. 
 
 F  the  next  two  or  three  years  of  Ken's 
 life  few  records  are  to  be  found.  He 
 took  his  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  the 
 3rd  of  May,  1 66 1,  and  that  of  Mafter 
 the  2 1  ft  of  January,  1664.*  Mr.  Bowles  fuggefts 
 that  he  may  have  been  Tutor  of  his  College,  which 
 is  not  improbable.  He  might  train  the  younger 
 Wykehamifts  in  the  rules  of  Chriftian  obedience,  and 
 at  the  fame  time  mature  his  own  theological  ftudies. 
 Of  this  laft  duty  of  preparation  for  Holy  Orders  no 
 one  could  have  a  deeper  fenfe. 
 
 And  if  at  all  times  the  Prieft's  office  demands  a 
 fpirit  fully  braced  to  his  high  calling,  it  was  efpecially 
 fo  at  this  period,  when  the  Engliih  Church  was  brought 
 into  extreme  peril.  The  return  of  kingly  govern- 
 ment had  indeed  hufhed  the  ftorm  in  which  fhe  had 
 well  nigh  been  fwept  away :  but  if  to  our  day,  after 
 two  centuries,  fhe  bears  the  fears  of  her  chaftifement 
 in  the  Rebellion,  her  wounds  were  tlien  frefh  and 
 bleeding.     Her  difcipline  was  relaxed,  her  do6lrines 
 
 *  Anthony  a  Wood's  Fafti  Oxon.  vol,  ii.  pp.  140  and  158. 
 
32  Litfe  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1663 
 
 queftioned,  her  fer vices  but  partially  reftored,  her 
 revenues  alienated,  her  unity  broken  into  fragments. 
 Above  all,  the  people  were  tainted  by  a;  general  diforder 
 and  profligacy,  fifted  through  every  grade  of  fociety 
 by  a  civil  war. 
 
 In  this  flate  of  difcord  Ken  had  refolved  to  devote 
 himfelf  to  the  fervice  of  the  Church,  and  was  ever 
 after  found  a  courageous  and  watchful  Paftor,  remem- 
 bering the  Good  Shepherd's  injundion,  "  Feed  My 
 lambs,  feed  My  fheep."  Oxford,  freed  from  the  tur- 
 moil of  the  Rebellion,  was  of  all  places  beft  fuited  to 
 his  defign.  Here  without  interruption  he  could  give 
 himfelf  to  the  purfuit  of  theology.  The  Bodleian, 
 and  his  College  library,  afforded  ample  ftores  of  re- 
 ference beyond  the  reach  of  common  fludents,  efpe- 
 cially  the  works  of  the  primitive  Fathers,  thofe  vene- 
 rable pillars  of  the  Church  and  champions  of  Catholic 
 truth,  from  whom  earneft-minded  Chriftians  of  all 
 times  have  drawn  abundantly  for  their  need.  In  thefe 
 retreats,  cultivating  his  natural  talents  by  a  judicious 
 courfe  of  ftudy,  he  matured  himfelf  for  his  future 
 calling. 
 
 The  ferious  happy  time  of  receiving  Holy  Orders  at 
 length  arrived.  Having  prepared  himfelf  by  prayer, 
 ftudy,  and  chaftifement  of  the  will,  to  forfake  the 
 allurements  and  aims  of  the  world,  he  attained  to  a 
 humble  "  truft  that  he  was  inwardly  moved  by  the 
 Holy  Ghoft  to  take  upon  him  this  ofiice  and  minif- 
 tration,  to  ferve  God  for  the  promoting  of  His  glory, 
 and  the  edifying  of  His  people."*     It  is  doubtful  at 
 
 *  Ordination  Service. 
 
1663]       Bifljop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  33 
 
 what  precife  time  he  was  ordained.  A  vain  fearch 
 has  been  made  in  the  records  of  various  Diocefes  to 
 difcover  the  date.  Hawkins  does  not  inform  us ;  Bowles 
 fuppofes  it  to  have  been  foon  after  he  took  his  degree 
 in  1 66 1.*  Wood  intimates  that  it  was  after  his 
 Mafter's  degree  in  l664,f  and  that  he  was  made  Chap- 
 lain to  Lord  Maynard,  as  his  firft  ftep  to  promotion. 
 Bowles  I  and  Wood§  fay  his  firft  living  was  Brightftone 
 in  the  Ifle  of  Wight  ;  Hawkins,  Eaft  Woodhay  in 
 Hampfhire.  ||  The  whole  account  is  inaccurate.  He 
 was  inftituted  on  the  prefentation  of  William,  Lord 
 Maynard,  to  the  Redlory  of  Little  Eafton,  in  the 
 hundred  of  Dunmow  in  EfTex,  in  1 663.^  Wood  feems 
 to  have  miftaken  this  for  an  appointment  as  Chaplain. 
 Hawkins  does  not  mention  the  Chaplaincy,  and  there 
 is  no  record  of  it  in  the  Faculty  office;  on  the  contrary, 
 we  find  an  entry  of  the  appointment  of  David  Nichols, 
 as  Chaplain  to  Lord  Maynard,  in  the  preceding  year, 
 28  April,  1662. 
 
 The  Parifh  Church  of  Little  Eafton  is  juft  without 
 the  limits  of  the  Park  of  Eafton  Lodge,  the  feat  of 
 Lord  Maynard.  Ken  had  the  happinefs  to  be  fup- 
 ported  in  his  endeavours  for  the  good  of  his  people  by 
 the  countenance  and  example  of  the  noble  family  at 
 the  Lodge.  In  his  funeral  fermon  on  Lady  Margaret 
 Maynard,  twenty  years  afterwards,  we  have  this  tefti- 
 mony  to  the  friendfhip  that  fubfifted  between  them. 
 
 *  Bowles's  Life  of  Ken,  vol.  i.  p.  91. 
 f  Ath.  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  989.  %  Vol.  i.  p.  115. 
 
 §  Vol.  ii.  p.  989.  II  Life  of  Ken,  p.  6. 
 
 H  "  Easton  Parva:  P.  Dunmow.  Thomas  Ken,  20  Aug.  1663. 
 Wms.  Doms.  Maynard,  B".  Eafton."   Records  in  the  Faculty  office. 
 
 D 
 
34  Life  of  Thoni3.s  Ken,         [^663 
 
 "  Say,  all  you  who  have  been  eye-wItnefTes  to  her  life, 
 did  you  from  her  very  cradle  ever  know  her  other 
 than  a  gracious  woman  ?  y^j  to  myjelf  I  have  had  the 
 honour  to  know  her  near  twenty  years,  and  to  be  ad- 
 mitted to  her  moft  intimate  thoughts ;  and  I  cannot  but 
 think,  upon  the  utmoft  of  my  obfervation,  that  fhe 
 always  preferved  her  baptifmal  innocence,  and  that  fhe 
 never  committed  any  one  mortal  fin,  which  put  her 
 out  of  the  ftate  of  grace."* 
 
 From  this  eloquent  fermon,  in  praife  of  his  early 
 friend,  we  gather  valuable  notices  of  his  own  miniftry. 
 When  he  applauds  Lady  Margaret  for  "  offering  up  to 
 God,  morning  and  evening,  the  public  Jervices"  he  clearly 
 indicates  that  he  was  himfelf  in  Church  to  lead  them. 
 He  would  furely  not  have  reminded  the  people  how  "  to 
 prayers  Jhe  added  fajiing,  till  her  weakne/s  made  it  im- 
 pojjible  to  her  conftitution"  unlefs  he  had  in  his  daily 
 walk  fet  them  the  example  of  a  ftri6l  and  auftere  life. 
 When  he  fpeaks  of  her  "  enlarged  devotions  on  the 
 Fafts  and  Feftivals  of  the  Church,"  who  but  himfelf 
 encouraged  and  affiiled  in  them  ?  If  "  Jhe  never 
 failed  on  all  opportunities  to  approach  the  Holy  Altar, 
 came  with  a  fpiritual  hunger  and  thirft  to  that  hea- 
 venly feaft,  and  communicated  with  a  lively  and  en- 
 dearing remembrance  of  her  crucified  Saviour,"  it  was 
 himfelf  who  opened  thofe  frequent  approaches. 
 
 Would  that  the  Clergy  in  this  our  day  followed,  as 
 
 *  A  Sermon  preached  at  the  Funeral  of  the  Right  Honourable 
 the  Lady  Margaret  Maynard,  at  Little  Eafton  in  EfTex,  on  the  30th 
 of  June,  1682.  On  Prov.  xi.  16.  J  gracious  Woi7ian  retaineth 
 honour.  410. 
 
r 
 
 1663]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  35 
 
 he  did,  the  primitive  rule,  enjoined  by  the  Rubric,  of 
 daily  fervice,  and  the  celebration  of  the  Fafts  and 
 Feftivals,  throughout  the  year.  If  men  are  to  have 
 their  affections  ralfed  to  fomething  higher  than  this 
 care-worn  world,  it  muft  be  through  the  confiftent 
 example  of  a  devout,  fteadfaft,  abiding  Clergy.  How 
 can  the  people  be  expeded  to  obey  the  injundlions  of 
 the  Church,  If  their  Paftors  maintain  a  contrary  rule, 
 after  the  varying  ftandard  of  their  own  judgment  and 
 convenience  ?  It  is  vain  to  preach  to  them  the  privileges 
 of  public  worfhip,  fo  long  as  the  Priefts  themfelves 
 difobey,  and  keep  their  Church  doors  clofed  againft  the 
 "  little  flock."  There  may  on  Sundays  be  a  gathering 
 of  the  refined  and  educated,  brought  up  in  a  love  of 
 order,  and  willing  to  attend  once  a  week,  if  only  to  fet 
 an  example  to  their  houfehold  and  dependents.  But  the 
 poor,  the  labourer,  the  rude  uncultivated  mafs,  —  flill 
 more  the  fabbath-breaker,  the  drunkard,  the  licentious 
 and  unbelieving,  will  never  be  converted  from  the 
 power  of  evil  under  a  languid  Inexpreffive  fyftem,  fuch 
 as  now  prevails  in  the  majority  of  our  Parlihes. 
 
 The  lower  orders  of  the  people  have  a  keen  fenfe 
 of  the  nonconformity  of  thofe  fet  over  them,  and  of 
 their  equal  right  to  adopt  their  own  meafure  of  obedi- 
 ence. Many  perhaps  could  not,  or  would  not  at  firft, 
 attend  the  daily  fervlces,  or  obferve  the  feftivals,  even 
 if  offered  to  them  ;  yet  they  can  appreciate  the  affec- 
 tionate untiring  zeal  of  their  Clergy  in  giving  them 
 the  opportunity.  Of  this  we  have  a  touching  example 
 in  "  fome  of  the  meaner  fort"  of  George  Herbert's 
 parifh,  "  who  did  fo  love  and  reverence  him,  that 
 they  would  let  their  plough  reft  when  his  Saints-bell 
 
36  Life  of  Thom2iS  Ktriy         [1663 
 
 rung  to  prayers,  that  they  might  alfo  offer  their  de- 
 votions to  God  with  him ;  and  would  then  return 
 back  to  their  plough.  And  his  moil  holy  life  was 
 fuch,  that  it  begot  fuch  reverence  to  God  and  to  him, 
 that  they  thought  themfelves  the  happier,  when  they 
 carried  Mr.  Herbert's  bleffing  back  with  them  to 
 their  labour.  Thus  powerful  was  his  reafon  and 
 example  to  perfuade  others  to  a  pradical  piety  and 
 devotion."*  And  what,  if  there  be  fome  within  the 
 parifh  who  fecretly  figh  after  the  abfent  fervices,  and 
 are  debarred  from  the  fympathy  of  common  prayer  ? 
 what,  if  the  aged  and  infirm,  or  the  fuffering,  or  the 
 penitent,  long  to  wend  their  way  to  the  fandluary  — 
 and  may  not  ?  Who  fhall  bear  the  reproach  ?  or  who 
 render  the  account  ? 
 
 Ken  fays,  "  Lady  Margaret,  when  fhe  came  home 
 from  Church,  recolledled  and  wrote  out  of  her  memory 
 abflradls  of  all  the  fermons  fhe  heard,  which  are  in 
 great  numbers  amongfl  her  papers."  Search  has  been 
 made  without  fuccefs  for  thefe  abftradls.  If  we  may 
 judge  from  Ken's  few  difcourfes  that  are  extant,  they 
 would  have  deferved  the  praife  beftowed  on  Ladlantius, 
 of  a  divine  fluent  excellence,  favouring  of  a  mind  that 
 was  truly  mortified,  and  intended  to  bring  his  audi- 
 tors to  a  refolved  courfe  of  fandification  and  piety. f 
 Certain  it  is  they  helped  to  animate  Lady  Margaret 
 with  "  fo  divine  a  fpirit,  with  fuch  ardours  of  devo- 
 
 *  Walton's  Life  of  George  Herbert. 
 
 t  The  Glory  of  their  Times ;  or.  Lives  of  the  Primitive  Fathers. 
 1640.  8vo.  p.  152. 
 
1663]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  -yj 
 
 tion  and  charity,  as  might  have  become  a  Proba  or  a 
 Monica."* 
 
 It  was  no  flight  teftimony  to  Ken's  worth  to  have 
 gained,  at  that  early  age,  the  friendlhip  of  fuch  a 
 man  as  Lord  Maynard,  whofe  unbending  loyalty  and 
 firm  adherence  to  the  fortunes  of  the  King  had  ex- 
 pofed  him  to  the  violence  of  Cromwell.  Though  his 
 zeal  in  the  royal  caufe  had  brought  upon  him  an  im- 
 peachment by  the  Parliament  in  1647,'f  ^^  ^^^  °*^^ 
 of  the  fmall  but  fearlefs  number  of  Peers  who  met  in 
 their  Houfe,  and  unanimouily  refufed  to  concur  with 
 the  Commons  in  their  refolution  to  bring  Charles  to 
 a  public  trial.  Lord  Maynard's  great  authority  at 
 Court  after  the  Reftoration  may  ^have  had  fome  influ- 
 ence on  Ken's  later  advancement :  but  his  merits 
 were  too  well  known  both  at  Oxford  and  Winchefter 
 to  permit  his  remaining  long  in  the  retirement  of  Little 
 Eafton.  Befides,  it  was  natural  that  Izaak  Walton, 
 the  friend  of  Morton,  Sanderfon,  Duppa  and  other 
 Prelates,  above  all  of  the  munificent  and  virtuous 
 Morley,  fhould  fee  his  brother  Ken  called  to  a  more 
 extended  poft  of  duty. 
 
 Notwithftanding  their  different  fpheres  of  life,  a 
 warm  and  lading  attachment  fubfifted  between  Morley 
 and  Walton.  They  were  united  not  only  by  a  perfe6t 
 harmony  of  tempers,  but  by  an  agreement  of  opinion 
 on  fubjedls  of  deepeft  intereft  to  them,  as  Chriftian 
 men, — by  the  fame  enduring  loyalty,  the  fame  ftudi- 
 
 *  Ken's  Sermon,  preached  at  the  Funeral  of  Lady  Margaret  May- 
 nard, 1682. 
 
 t  Collin's  Peerage,  vol.  vi.  p.  491. 
 
38  htfe  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1665 
 
 ous  devout  courfe  of  life.  Walton  was  at  this  time, 
 and  had  been  for  feveral  years,  either  at  Worcefter  or 
 Winchefter,  the  conftant  and  familiar  Inmate  of  the 
 Bifhop's  Palace.*  Under  his  roof  he  wrote  the  Lives 
 of  Richard  Hooker,  George  Herbert,  and  Bifhop  San- 
 derfon,  revifed  his  former  Lives  of  Dr.  Donne  and 
 Sir  Henry  Wootton,  and  alfo  enlarged  his  Compleat 
 Angler  in  the  fifth  and  laft  edition. 
 
 Here,  we  may  believe.  Ken  had  often  found  a 
 welcome  in  the  intervals  of  his  later  ftudies  at  Ox- 
 ford. His  humble  religious  difpofition,  fimple  man- 
 ners, and  lively  converfation,  could  not  but  attradl  the 
 Bifhop's  efteem,  as  they  had  won  the  confidence  of 
 others.  Wherever  he  had  been  he  had  behaved  him- 
 felf  wifely,  for  he  loved  his  Mafter's  fervice  :  this  was 
 the  fecret  fpring  of  his  gradual  rifing  to  greater  emi- 
 nence in  the  Church  than  even  thofe  who  aided  in  his 
 advancement. 
 
 Having  retained  the  Redlory  of  Little  Eafton  for 
 two  years,  he  refigned  it  into  the  hands  of  his  friend 
 Lord  Maynard,  on  the  19th  of  April,  1665.  It  was 
 now,  perhaps,  that  Bifhop  Morley  called  him  to  Win- 
 chefter, and  made  him  his  own  Chaplain.  Woodf 
 and  Hawkins  J  fay  1667  ;  but  their  dates  are  In  other 
 refpefts  fo  faulty,  they  cannot  be  trufted.  And  pro- 
 bably this  was  the  period  when  he  firft  undertook 
 the  gratuitous  cure  of  St.  John's,  a  forfaken  Parifh 
 in   the  Soke   at  Winchefter,  which    alfo    fome  years 
 
 *  Bifhop  Morley  was  confecrated  to  Worcefter,  i8th  Odlober, 
 1660,  and  tranflated  to  Winchefter  in  1662. 
 f  Ath.  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  989. 
 X  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  6. 
 
1667]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  39 
 
 afterwards  appears  to  have  formed  part  of  his  labo- 
 rious duties. 
 
 Anthony  Wood  fays  of  Ken's  Oxford  life,  that 
 "  his  towardlinefs  towards  good  letters  and  virtue  were 
 obferved  by  the  Seniors  :"  fo  at  Winchefter  he  gained 
 golden  opinions  from  all;  and  on  the  8  th  of  December, 
 1666,  he  was  unanimoufly  elected  a  Fellow  of  that 
 College,  refigning,  of  courfe  his  Oxford  Fellowfhip.* 
 "  There  his  moft  exemplary  goodnefs  and  piety  did 
 eminently  exert  itfelf ;  for  that  College  being  chiefly 
 defigned  by  its  Founder  for  a  retired  and  ftudious  life, 
 what  could  a  great  and  generous  fpirit  propofe  but  the 
 good  of  fouls,  and  the  glory  of  that  God,  to  whom  he 
 conftantly  afcribed  it,  even  in  his  moft  familiar  letters. 
 For  *  Glory  to  God'  was  his  conftant  Prefcript  to  all 
 his  letters  and  papers."  f  But  a  reclufe  life  was  foreign 
 to  the  bent  of  his  defires.  Some  refponfible  work  in 
 the  cure  of  fouls  was  better  adapted  to  one  fo  loving 
 and  zealous,  and  fo  highly  gifted.  The  Bifhop,  there- 
 fore, on  the  6th  of  July,  1667,!  collated  him  to  the 
 Redlory  of  Brightftone  in  the  Ifle  of  Wight,  a  cheerful 
 little  village,  about  four  miles  from  Carifbrook  Caftle, 
 with  a  goodly  Church,  and  a  near  profpedt  of  the  fea, 
 fheltered  from  cold  winds  by  over-hanging  hills. 
 
 There,  removed  from  the  obfervation  of  all  but  his 
 fmall  confiding  flock,  he  again  exercifed  himfelf  in  the 
 duties  of  the  Chriftian  miniftry,  perfuading  men  to  the 
 fear  of  God,  and  converting  them  from  the  power  of 
 
 *  Records  of  Winchefter  College. 
 
 f   Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  4. 
 
 X  Books  of  the  Public  Record  Office. 
 
40  Zy//'^  <?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1667 
 
 fin  to  the  free  love  of  their  Heavenly  Father.  If  there 
 be  joy  in  the  prefence  of  the  Angels  over  one  finner 
 that  repenteth,  what  fhall  it  be  to  a  faithful,  enduring 
 prieft  to  meet  that  foul  in  Heaven,  faved  by  his  holy 
 counfels,  his  example,  and  his  prayers  !  No  voice,  per- 
 haps, may  proclaim  his  praife  on  earth,  —  not  even 
 gratitude  repay  his  fervice  :  yet  when  the  Lamb  fhall 
 open  the  Seals,  and  that  one  be  found  written  "  in  the 
 book  of  remembrance,"  as  having  feared  the  Lord, 
 and  thought  upon  His  Name,  —  then  he  that  was 
 turned  to  righteoufnefs,  and  he  that  was  the  happy 
 inftrument,  "  fhall  be  Mine,  faith  the  Lord,  in  the  day 
 when  I  make  up  My  jewels." 
 
 Bifhop  Morley  exadted  a  ftri6b  obedience  to  the 
 Rubric  in  regard  to  daily  prayers,  and  the  obfervance 
 of  the  Fafts  and  Feftivals  throughout  his  Diocefe : 
 we  are  not,  therefore,  left  to  furmife  whether  Ken's 
 practice  was  the  fame  here  as  at  Little  Eafton.  It 
 would  appear  that  his  Parifh  duties  were  fometimes 
 interrupted  by  his  attendance  on  the  Bifhop  in  his 
 palace  at  Chelfea.  We  have  occafional  notices  of  him 
 there  in  the  Diary  of  the  pious  Lady  Warwick,  who 
 alfo  had  a  houfe  at  Chelfea,  and  attended  the  fervices 
 at  the  Old  Church. 
 
 "  Eajier  Day,  yth  April,  1667.  Went  to  Church, 
 when  I  heard  Mr.  Ken  preach ;  his  text  was  i .  John, 
 ch.  3.  V.  3.  *  And  every  man  that  hath  this  hope  in 
 him  purifieth  himfelf  even  as  He  is  pure.'  I  was 
 very  attentive  at  the  fermon,  and  moved  by  it :  when 
 the  fermon  was  done,  I  found  my  heart  exceedingly 
 to  long  after  the  blefied  feaft  :  and  when  I  remem- 
 bered the  fufferings  of  my  Saviour  I  did  weep  bitterly. 
 
1 668]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  41 
 
 and  with  great  earneftnefs  begged  of  God  to  give  me 
 Chrift ;  my  heart  was  much  carried  out  to  blefs  God, 
 and  I  had  there  fuch  fweet  communion  with  Him,  that 
 I  could  fay  it  was  good  for  me  to  be  there."* 
 
 ^'  Sunday y  22nd  December ,  1667.  After  I  came 
 home  in  the  evening  from  hearing  Mr.  Ken,  God 
 was  pleafed  to  move  my  heart  to  fpeak  to  my  Lord 
 about  things  of  everlafting  concernment;  and  I  was 
 enabled,  in  an  awakened  frame  of  fpirit,  to  perfuade 
 him  to  repentance,  and  to  make  his  peace  with  God."f 
 
 "  Chrijimas,  25th  December ^  1667.  In  the  after- 
 noon Mr.  Ken  preached :  his  text  was  *  For  this 
 caufe  was  the  Son  of  God  manifefted,  that  He  might 
 deftroy  the  works  of  the  Devil.'  I  was  attentive  and 
 affeded  at  the  Sermon.  I  did  in  difcourfe  with  the 
 young  ladies  warn  them  to  be  careful  to  keep  their 
 engagements  made  to  God  at  the  Sacrament."  J 
 
 "  Sunday y  9th  February ,  1668.  I  went  to  Church 
 to  hear  Mr.  Ken  preach  ;  his  text  was  *  Behold  thou 
 art  made  whole,  fin  no  more,  left  a  worfe  thing  come 
 on  thee.'  It  was  a  very  good  fermon,  and  God  was 
 pleafed  much  to  affeft  my  heart  with  it ;  and  whilft 
 he  was  preaching  upon  that  pafTage  *  fin  no  more,' 
 God  was  pleafed  to  make  me,  with  ftrong  defires  and 
 many  tears,  to  beg  power  againft  fin  for  the  time  to 
 come."§ 
 
 Only  two  fhort  years  this  holy  mefi^enger  delivered 
 the  glad  tidings  of  peace,  and  adminiftered  the  Church's 
 fervices  to  the  comfort  of  his  people  at  Brightftone. 
 
 *  Memoir  of  Lady  Warwick,  and  her  Diary,  1847,  i2mo.  p.  107. 
 f   Ibid,  p    138.  X  Ibid.  p.  140.  §  Ibid.  p.  146. 
 
42  Life  ^^Z' Thomas  Ken,         [1669 
 
 Bifhop  Morley  called  him  back  to  Winchefter :  for 
 "  without  any  application  made  on  his  behalf  he  pre- 
 ferred him  to  the  dignity  of  Prebendary  in  the  Cathe- 
 dral Church  in  Winton,  and  he  was  inftalled  accord- 
 ingly, April  12,  1669."*  In  the  following  month, 
 that  he  might  have  him  nearer  to  his  own  perfon,  the 
 Bifhop  gave  him  the  Re6lory  of  Eaft  Woodhay,  vacant 
 by  the  removal  of  Robert  Sharrock. 
 
 It  was  inconfiftent  with  Ken's  views  of  the  minif- 
 terial  office  to  hold  more  than  one  living,  though  it 
 was  then  a  common  cuftom.  On  the  very  day  of  his 
 being  collated  to  Woodhay,  the  28th  of  May,  1669, 
 he  refigned  Brightftone  into  the  hands  of  the  Bifhop, 
 who  appointed  the  Rev.  John  Fitzwilliam,  his  fuc- 
 ceflbr.  "  Bijhop  Ken's  yew  hedge'"  is  ftill  fhown  as  a 
 cherifhed  memorial,  in  the  Re6lory  garden  :  his  name 
 imparts  to  the  Church  and  village  "  a  fweet  favour  of 
 holy  things." 
 
 He  held  the  living  of  Woodhay  from  the  28  th  of 
 May,  1669,  to  the  8th  of  November,  1672,  fulfilling 
 the  offices  of  his  cure  with  the  fame  devotednefs  as  at 
 Brightftone  and  Little  Eafton,  —  with  the  fame  affec- 
 tionate care  for  the  fpiritual  and  bodily  wants  of  his 
 people,  the  fame  diligence  in  vifiting,  catechizing, 
 reading  the  fcriptures  and  preaching  to  them,  —  the 
 fame  zeal  in  gaining  by  whatever  means  precious  fouls 
 to  God — the  fame  afcetic  life,  which  was  "  a  continual 
 death  to  animal  appetites."  In  the  Parifh  regifter  of 
 Woodhay  is  an  entry  of  the  Baptifm  of  "  Rofe  Ken, 
 daughter  of  Mr.  Jon  Ken,  born  23rd  June,   1670." 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  6. 
 
1669]       BiJ}jop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  43 
 
 Jon  Ken  was  his  elder  brother,  married  to  Rofe  Vernon ; 
 and  from  this  it  would  feem  that  our  Thomas  Ken 
 (himfelf  unalterably  dedicated  to  a  fingle  life)  had  the 
 fociety  of  his  brother's  family  in  the  Parfonage  houfe. 
 
 The  dates  of  Ken's  preferments  have  been  given 
 with  this  precifion,  becaufe  his  biographers  are  not 
 accurate  in  the  order  of  them.  Hawkins  fays  "  foon 
 after  he  was  Fellow  of  Winchester  College,  Dr.  George 
 Morley,  then  Bifhop  of  that  Diocefe,  prefented  him 
 to  the  Parfonage  of  Woodhay  in  Hampfhire,"*  omit- 
 ting his  previous  appointment  to  Brightftone.  Wood 
 aflumes  that  "  after  he  had  held  Woodhay  a  little 
 while  he  refigned  it  into  his  Lordfhip's  hands,  under 
 the  pretence  of  confcience,  thinking  he  had  enough 
 without  it,"f  meaning  that  he  ftill  retained  Bright- 
 ftone.  Bowles,  adopting  this  error,  fays  "  though  a 
 Fellow  of  a  College,  and  a  dignitary  of  a  Cathedral, 
 he  was  a  pluralifl:  into  the  bargain  ;  but  foon  after 
 being  prefented  to  Woodhay,  he  refigned  it  though 
 tenable  with  Brightftone,"  fuppofing  that  he  held  this 
 lafl:  after  Woodhay,  inftead  of  before. 
 
 In  fa6l.  Ken  declined  any  paftoral  cure,  the  duties 
 of  which  he  could  not  perfonally  perform.  There 
 was  no  anxious  a6tivity  to  accumulate  benefices  to 
 himfelf.  He  no  doubt  agreed  in  opinion  with  zealous 
 Bernard  Gilpin,  who  declared  "  though  any  other 
 fhould  preach  and  teach  for  me  as  conftantly  and  in- 
 duftrioufly  as  St.  Auguftine  did,  yet  I  cannot  think 
 myfelf  difcharged  by  another  man's  painftaking.";}] 
 
 *   Life,  p.  6.  t  Athens  Oxonienfes,  vol.  ii.  p.  989. 
 
 j  Kidder's  Life  of  Anthony  Horneck. 
 
44  Z///'^  ^j/"  Thomas  Ken  J         [1672 
 
 CHAPTER  V. 
 
 Ken  reftgns  the  Re^ory  of  TVoodhay.  His  character  as  a 
 Country  Parfon.  Mr.  Izaac  M'tlles  of  Hlghclere  —  Cha- 
 raSier  of  B'ljhop  Morley.     Kens  duties  at  TVincheJIer. 
 
 'HE  probable  occafion  of  his  refigning 
 Woodhay  was  the  defire  of  the  Bifhop, 
 now  advancing  in  years,  to  fecure  his 
 undivided  fervices  and  fociety  at  Win- 
 chefter;  for  the  labours  of  the  Diocefe  required  fuch  an 
 afliftant.  Moreover,  he  defigned  the  living  for  George 
 Hooper,  already  a  Canon  of  Chrift  Church,  Oxford. 
 Of  Hooper's  learning  it  is  fufficient  to  fay  that  "  he 
 ftudied  the  oriental  languages  (in  which  as  well  as  the 
 mathematics  he  was  a  great  mafter)  under  Dr.  Pocock, 
 with  whom  he  ufed  to  correfpond  on  that  fubjedl  by 
 letters.  And  when  he  was  removed  from  Oxford  to 
 London,  the  Rabbis  of  the  Synagogue  there  ufed  to 
 bring  him  anything  that  was  curious  in  that  way."* 
 Of  his  piety,  a  long  confiftent  and  devoted  life,  public 
 and  private,  is  the  beft  of  all  teftimonies. 
 
 The  Bifhop  had  written  to  Hooper  two  years  before 
 to  requeft  that  he  would  be  his  chaplain.  "  I  dare 
 not,"  he  fays,  "  do  a  man  of  your  parts  and  hopes  fo 
 great  an  injury  as  to  take  you  from  what  you  have  at 
 Chrift  Church  (which  Mr.  Dean  tells  me  is  very  con- 
 
 *  MS.  Memoir  of  Dr.  Hooper,  by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Prowfe  : 
 in  the  pofleffion  of  Lady  Mordaunt. 
 
1672]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Udells.  45 
 
 fiderable)  before  I  have  anything  to  give  you  in  lieu 
 
 of  it.     I  fliall  therefore  for  your  fake,  and  for  your 
 
 fake  only,  defer  the  contentment  I  exped:  and  promife 
 
 myfelf  from  your  being  with  me,  until  fomething  or 
 
 other  falls  in  my  gift,  which  may  fecure  you  and  me, 
 
 fo  that  we  fhall  not  have  caufe  to  repent  of  it.    In  the 
 
 mean    time    I  do  affure  you  that,  if  you    will  keep 
 
 yourfelf  for  me,  I  will  keep  myfelf  for  you,  without 
 
 taking  or  thinking  of  any  other  Chaplain  befides  him 
 
 I  have  already.     Farewell,  and  pray  for  your  loving 
 
 friend,  Geo.  Winton.* 
 
 Chelfay^  May^  1670. 
 
 In  1672  a  vacancy  occurring  at  Havant  in  Hamp- 
 fhire,  which  was  in  the  Bifhop's  gift,  he  beftowed  it 
 on  Hooper,  and  appointed  him  his  Chaplain.  It  was 
 an  unhealthy  place,  and  on  taking  pofTefTion  he  got 
 the  ague :  fo  it  was  agreed  among  them  all  that  Ken 
 fhould  refign  Woodhay  to  his  friend,  and  transfer 
 himfelf  to  Winchefter. 
 
 It  was  a  great  comfort  to  him  to  have  one  he  fo 
 much  loved  as  his  fuccefTor ;  yet  he  felt  the  pain  of 
 feparating  from  his  parifhioners.  Common  obfervers 
 can  hardly  appreciate  the  paffionate  defire  of  a  devoted 
 energetic  Priefl:  to  advance  his  people  in  their  confor- 
 mity to  God's  law.  His  life  is  one  zealous  effort 
 for  their  foul's  fake  ;  he  does  all  to  lead  them  in  fafety 
 through  the  mazes  of  a  tangled  world  ;  and  tries 
 every  expedient  to  open  to  their  view  the  realities 
 that  lie  beyond.  Early  and  late  he  watches  over 
 them   with  a  tender  care  —  encourages    the  fearful, 
 
 *  Prowfe  MS. 
 
46  ^^f^  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1672 
 
 quickens  the  loiterers,  reproves  the  diflblute  and  pro- 
 fane, counfels  the  doubtful,  relieves  the  poor,  gathers 
 alms  from  the  rich,  reconciles  all  who  differ — endea- 
 vours by  exhortations,  prayers  and  facraments  to  raife 
 them  to  the  perfect  ftandard  of  Chriftian  love. 
 
 Such  was  holy  Ken  at  Little  Eafton,  Brightftone, 
 and  Woodhay,  —  the  zealous  affectionate  guide  of  his 
 flock,  like  an  angel  bearing  to  them  the  meffage  of 
 truth,  impelled  by  the  nobleft  motives  to  refine  them 
 from  all  fin,  and  make  them  afpire  to  a  holinefs  kindred 
 with  his  own.  In  one  of  his  poems  he  gives  a  pidlure 
 of  what  he  confiders  a  Pallor  of  Chrift  ought  to  be : 
 in  every  line  we  may  trace  his  own  undefigned  portrait. 
 
 *'  Give  me  the  Prieft  thefe  graces  fliall  poflefs, — 
 Of  an  ambafl'ador  the  juft  addrefs  : 
 
 A  fathers  tendernefs,  a  fhepherds  care, 
 
 A  leaders  courage,  which  the  Crofs  can  bear  ; 
 
 A  rulers  awe,  a  watchmans  wakeful  eye, 
 
 A  pilots  fkill  the  helm  in  ftorms  to  ply  ; 
 
 A  fifhers  patience,  and  a  labourers  toil, 
 
 A  guides  dexterity  to  difembroil ; 
 
 A  prophets  infpiration  from  above, 
 
 A  teachers  knowledge  and  a  Saviour's  love. 
 
 Give  me  the  Prieft,  a  light  upon  a  hill, 
 
 Whofe  rays  his  whole  circumference  can  fill ; 
 
 In  Gods  own  word  and  facred  learning  vers'd. 
 
 Deep  in  the  ftudy  of  the  heart  immers'd  ; 
 
 Who  in  fick  fouls  can  the  difeafe  defcry. 
 
 And  wifely  for  reftoratives  apply. 
 
 To  beatific  paftures  leads  his  fheep. 
 
 Watchful  from  hellifh  wolves  his  fold  to  keep ; 
 
 Who  feeks  not  a  convenience,  but  a  cure. 
 
 Would  rather  fouls  than  his  own  gain  enfure. 
 
 Inftruftive  in  his  vifits  and  converfe. 
 
 Strives  every  where  falvation  to  difperfe ; 
 
1672]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  47 
 
 Of  a  mild,  humble,  and  obliging  heart. 
 
 Who  with  his  all  does  to  the  needy  part ; 
 
 Diftruftful  of  himfelf,  in  God  confides, 
 
 Daily  himfelf  among  his  flock  divides. 
 
 Of  virtue  uniform,  and  cheerful  air, 
 
 Fix'd  meditation,  and  inceffant  prayer, 
 
 Affeftions  mortified,  well  guided  zeal. 
 
 Of  faving  truth  the  relifh  wont  to  feel ; 
 
 Whofe  province.  Heaven,  all  his  endeavour  fliares. 
 
 Who  mixes  with  no  fecular  affairs. 
 
 Oft  on  his  paftoral  amount  reflects. 
 
 By  holinefs,  not  riches,  gains  refpedls ; 
 
 Who  is  all  that  he  would  have  others  be. 
 
 From  wilful  fin,  though  not  from  frailty  free ; 
 
 Who  ftill  keeps  Jefus  in  his  heart  and  head. 
 
 Who  ftrives  in  fteps  of  our  Arch  Prieft  to  tread. 
 
 Who  can  himfelf  and  all  the  world  deny. 
 
 Lives  pilgrim  here,  but  denizen  on  high ! " 
 
 The  age  in  which  we  live  is  cold  and  Eraftian,  to 
 fay  the  leaft.  Men  fhrink  from  the  noble  boldnefs  of 
 a  fervent  zeal.  The  fire  of  the  altar  ftill  burns  dim, 
 and  fpiritual  affedlions  have  not  yet  pierced  the  clouds 
 that  for  a  century  and  a  half  have  obfcured  in  the 
 Church  of  England  the  light  of  a  living  faith.  It 
 may  be,  therefore,  that  Ken's  faintly  charadler  will  fail 
 to  awaken  in  us  any  vivid  intereft.  Glimmerings  there 
 are,  however,  of  a  brighter  dawn,  and  the  tokens  of 
 God's  returning  prefence  In  His  Church.  He  has  raifed 
 up,  within  our  time,  a  new  order  of  men,  who  amidft 
 the  fcorn  and  oppofition  of  a  wayward  world  partake 
 of  the  afpirations  of  a  primitive  piety  like  that  of  Ken. 
 The  hearts  of  their  flocks  begin  to  kindle  from  their 
 fervour.  We  heartily  pray  that  God  may  fpeed  them, 
 and  keep  them  all  fteadfaft  and  immoveable  to  the 
 
48  Life  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [^672 
 
 Church  of  England,  into  which  they  have  been  bap- 
 tized, to  the  glory  of  His  great  Name  Whom  they 
 ferve. 
 
 We  are  able  to  give  one  example  at  lead  of  the 
 permanent  influence  of  Ken's  pafloral  life  on  that  of 
 his  brethren.  Next  to  his  Parifh  of  Woodhay  is 
 Highclere,  in  Hampfliire.  Here  lived  a  village  Prieft, 
 a  humble  fchoolmaflier,  vi^hofe  name  is  fcarcely  refcued 
 from  oblivion.  His  courfe  was  like  a  hidden  ftream, 
 fertilizing  the  banks  along  which  it  flows,  and  traced 
 by  the  rich  herbage  and  the  flowers  that  fpring  befide 
 it.  His  Redory  was  worth  a  hundred  pounds  a  year  ; 
 — "  the  country  barren  and  the  people  poor:"*  and 
 there  he  tended  his  little  flock  for  thirty  nine  years. f 
 He  was  not  remarkable  for  the  auflierity  of  his  life,  or 
 for  any  rare  endowments  of  mind,  though  learned  in 
 the  Hebrew  and  Greek  languages.  Of  Ample  man- 
 ners, and  with  a  gentle  and  obliging  temper  that  never 
 lofl:  him  a  friend,  or  made  him  an  enemy,  he  was  fo 
 indulgent  to  the  faults  of  others,  that  "  he  would 
 often  rife  up  and  leave  the  company,  rather  than  hear 
 even  a  bad  man  reproached  behind  his  back  ;  fo  hofpi- 
 table,  that  he  ufed  to  be  much  difpleafed  if  any  poor 
 perfon  was  fent  from  his  houfe  without  tafl:ing  a  cup 
 of  his  ale."f 
 
 Even  the  way-worn  "  pedlars  were  always  welcome 
 to  him,  and  relieved  of  their  packs,  and  lodged  for  the 
 
 *  An  Account  of  the  Life  and  Converfation  of  the  Reverend  and 
 worthy  Mr.  Ifaac  Milles,  late  Redlor  of  Highclere,  in  Hampfhire, 
 8vo.  1721,  p.  70. 
 
 t  Ibid.  p.  82.  X  Ibid.  p.  131. 
 
1672]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  49 
 
 night  in  his  barn,  when  he  would  himfelf  fometimes 
 take  care  that  they  had  clean  ft  raw,  and  enough  of  it, 
 and  eat  and  drink  as  much  as  they  pleafed  with  his 
 fervants."*  "  No  beggar,  or  other  perfon  in  want, 
 came  to  his  door  for  relief,  who  did  not  receive  there 
 an  alms,  either  of  money,  or  vi6luals,  or  clothes,  and 
 fometimes  of  all."  Though  he  was  often,  from  the 
 guileleflhefs  of  his  heart,  deceived  by  bad  men,  "  he 
 valued  it  not,"  nor  allowed  himfelf  to  be  weary  in  well 
 doing. 
 
 While  thus  generous  to  needy  ftrangers,  he  was  the 
 common  father  of  his  own  parifhioners,  and  efpecially 
 "  a  conftant  vifitant  by  the  bed-fide  of  the  fick  and 
 dying,"  adminiftering  fpiritual  and  temporal  comfort 
 to  all.  For  their  fakes  "  he  turned  a  perfedt  beggar, 
 in  order  to  get  from  others  fomething  to  fupply  their 
 wants ; "  fo  that  both  parties  might  be  enriched,  the 
 receiver  here,  the  giver  hereafter ;  and  "  he  always 
 added  what  he  could  from  his  own  little  ftock,  but 
 concealed  his  portion,"  f  that  he  might  appear  the  happy 
 almoner  of  others.  Thefe  were  the  rich  fruit  that  a 
 good  man  bringeth  forth  out  of  the  good  treafure  of 
 his  heart, — Chriftian  graces,  works  of  love — the  fweet- 
 eft  incenfe  that  can  be  offered  up  to  Heaven. 
 
 Nor  did  thefe  labours,  and  his  confcientious  care 
 of  his  fcholars,  prevent  his  conftant  ftudy  of  the  holy 
 Scriptures  (which  he  ufed  to  read  in  the  original  lan- 
 guages) or  hinder  his  life  of  prayer  :  for  befides  his 
 family  devotions  "  he  ufed  to  walk  every  day  in  the 
 
 *  Life  and  Converfation  of  Mr.  Ifaac  Milks,  p.  131. 
 t  Ibid.  p.  132. 
 
 E 
 
50  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1672 
 
 week  to  read  the  Jervice  in  the  Parijh  Church"  Such 
 was  his  humility  that  "  he  was  then  his  own  clerk, 
 toUing  the  bell  himfelf,  and  doing  everything  elfe, 
 before  the  few  people  that  frequented  thofe  prayers 
 were  come  together,  which  it  was  the  bulinefs  of  the 
 clerk  to  do."*  It  may  be  added  that  he  had  fo  moving 
 and  pathetic  a  way  of  preaching,  that  *^  the  people 
 came  from  the  neighbouring  parifhes  round  about," 
 to  liften  to  him.  For  this  he  would  reprove  them, 
 and  tell  them  to  ftay  at  home,  and  go  to  their  own 
 churches  ;  f  but  they  could  more  eafily  obey  any  other 
 of  his  commands  than  this. 
 
 Such  was  Mr.  Ifaac  Milles,  the  fimple-hearted  Redtor 
 of  Highclere.  Though  never  raifed  to  any  higher 
 preferment,  he  was  in  one  particular  blefled  even  be- 
 yond King  David,  who  was  not  permitted  to  witnefs 
 his  fon  Solomon's  high  privilege  of  building  the  Holy 
 Temple :  whereas  Milles  lived  to  fee  his  eldeft  fon 
 confecrated  to  the  office  of  a  Bifhop  in  the  Church 
 of  his  Heavenly  Mafter,  Whom  he  had  himfelf  fo 
 faithfully  ferved  in  a  humbler  ftation. 
 
 This  account  of  the  Parfon  of  Highclere  might  feem 
 a  digreffion,  but  that  he  was  mainly  animated  to  fo 
 zealous  a  fulfilment  of  his  duties  by  the  well-known 
 example  of  Ken  in  the  fame  miniftries  of  charity  at 
 the  next  village  of  Woodhay.  Ken  had  preceded  him 
 but  a  few  years;  and  we  are  told  that  Mr.  Milles  "  ad- 
 mired him  beyond  all  others  in  the  Church  of  Chrift, 
 
 *  Life  and  Converfation  of  Mr.  Ifaac  Milles,  p,  137. 
 t  Ibid.  p.  79. 
 
1672]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  5 1 
 
 and  fo  greatly  efteemed  of  him,  that  he  never  fpoke  of 
 him  without  being  in  raptures  of  veneration  for  him."* 
 He  had,  moreover,  the  higheft  opinion  of  Ken's  wri- 
 tings. "  He  confidered  his  Practice  of  Divine  Love 
 to  be  a  moft  divine  expoiition  of  the  Church  catechifm, 
 and  thought  it  was  the  beft  book  that  ever  was  com- 
 mitted to  writing,  next  to  the  Holy  Scriptures."f  ^^  He 
 was  fo  great  an  admirer  of  this  commentary  on  our 
 Catechifm,  whereby  it  is  turned  into  a  method  and  ex- 
 ercife  of  fublime  devotion,  that  he  taught  his  children, 
 his  fcholars,  and  his  fervants,  the  practice  of  divine  love 
 by  this  writing  of  one,  who  had  more  of  the  fpirit  and 
 life  of  it  than  moft  other  men  had.  And  he  always 
 obliged  his  fcholars,  every  morning  and  every  evening, 
 and  at  noon  day,  to  fay  on  their  knees  the  prayers  of 
 Biftiop  Ken,  in  his  Diredions  for  Prayer,  taken  out  of 
 the  Church  Catechifm^  annexed  to  this  expofition.":j: 
 
 He  had  heard  from  George  Hooper  (who  fucceeded 
 Ken  at  Woodhay)  many  particulars  of  the  Bifhop's 
 charadler ;  and  Mr.  Milles  ufed  to  fay  of  Hooper 
 himfelf  that,  "  of  all  clergymen  he  ever  knew  there 
 was  none,  in  whom  all  the  three  characters  of  the  per- 
 fedl  gentleman,  the  thorough  fcholar,  and  the  venera- 
 ble fkilful  divine,  met  in  fo  high  and  great  a  perfection 
 as  in  him ; "  which  verified  the  prediction  of  Dr. 
 Bufby  refpeCting  him.  And  he  faid  that  "  he  was  a 
 public  bleffmg  to  that  country,  and  to  the  Clergy 
 thereabouts ;  and  by  his  fweet  and  obliging  deport- 
 
 *  Life  and  Converfation  of  Mr.  Ifaac  Milles,  p.  119. 
 t  Ibid.  p.  119.  X  Ibid.  p.  120. 
 
52  Life  of  Th.om2iS  Kqyi^         [1672 
 
 ment,  not  only  gained  the  entire  afFedions  of  all ;  but 
 fet  an  example  by  the  imitation  of  which  they  might 
 greatly  have  advanced  the  intereft  of  our  poor  Church."* 
 
 Ken's  duties  as  Fellow  of  Winchefter  College,  and 
 his  Prebend  in  the  Cathedral,  might  alone  have  in- 
 duced his  return  to  Winchefter :  but  when  to  thefe 
 were  added  the  fociety  and  guidance  of  fuch  a  man  as 
 Bifhop  Morley,  we  cannot  wonder  at  his  accepting 
 the  invitation  to  be  more  immediately  about  his  per- 
 fon.  This  learned  and  felf-denying  Prelate,  who  lived 
 as  if  for  others  rather  than  himfelf,  was  a  bright  ex- 
 ample of  loyalty  in  perilous  times.  In  1646  he  had 
 been  feledled  by  Charles  I.  with  Dr.  Hammond,  Dr. 
 Sanderfon,  and  Dr.  Gilbert  Sheldon,  to  attend  him  as 
 a  council  of  advice  in  his  conferences  with  the  Par- 
 liamentary Commiffioners  for  a  peace  in  Church  and 
 State.  In  the  following  year  he  was  one  of  the  Dele- 
 gates appointed  by  the  Univerfity  of  Oxford  to  draw 
 up  their  Reafons  for  not  fubmltting  to  the  League  and 
 Covenant,  Negative  Oaths,  and  other  Ordinances  of 
 the  Parliament. 
 
 He  had  rendered  himfelf  obnoxious  to  the  Re- 
 publicans by  his  conftancy  to  his  friend,  the  loyal  and 
 brave  Lord  Capel,  not  fhrinking  from  attendance 
 upon  him  even  to  the  fcafFold.  Capel  had  been 
 taken  prifoner  by  the  rebels  at  the  fiege  of  Colchefter, 
 with  Lord  Lucas  and  Sir  George  Lifle.  When  his 
 two  companions  were  condemned  to  be  fhot,  he  peti- 
 tioned in  vain  that  he  alfo  might  receive  a  foldier's 
 honourable  death.     He  was  referved  for  a  public  trial 
 
 *  Life  and  Converfation  of  Mr.  Ifaac  Milles,  p.  93. 
 
1672]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  53 
 
 and  execution,  at  both  of  which  he  behaved  with  an 
 undaunted  bearing.  To  the  laft  he  declared  his  readi- 
 nefs  to  die  for  the  King's  fervice,  and  for  that  Church, 
 in  whofe  bofom  he  was  born  and  bred,  and  which  he 
 thought  to  be  the  beft  in  the  world.*  He  defired  his 
 heart  to  be  enclofed  in  a  filver  box,  and  at  fome  future 
 time  to  be  laid  in  tlie  tomb  at  the  feet  of  his  Royal 
 Mafter.  Morley  was  one  of  the  few  who  bore  him 
 company,  fearlefs  of  all  confequences  to  himfelf,  that 
 he  might  minifter  ftrength  and  confolation  to  his  friend 
 in  the  hour  of  need.f 
 
 Notwithftanding  this,  and  his  known  attachment  to 
 the  Royal  caufe,  when  the  Republican  vifitors  came  to 
 Oxford,  Morley  had  an  offer  from  a  fecret  friend, 
 "  one  of  the  Grandees  of  the  Houfe  of  Commons,"  to 
 retain  his  Canonry  of  Chrift  church,  without  being 
 compelled  to  fay  or  fubfcribe  any  thing  againft  his 
 confcience,  if  he  would  but  give  his  word  not  to 
 appear  againft  them  or  their  proceedings.  Izaak 
 Walton  was  the  bearer  of  this  meffage,  being  defired 
 to  write  to  Morley,  and  recommend  him  "  to  ride  out 
 of  Oxford,  when  the  vifitors  came,  and  not  return  till 
 they  left  it,  and  he  fhould  be  fure  then  to  return  in 
 fafety,  and  fhould,  without  taking  any  oath,  or  other 
 moleftation,  enjoy  his  Canon's  place  in  his  College." 
 Morley  replied  that  he  could  not  accept  the  intended 
 kindnefs;  "  for  when  the  Dean,  Dr.  Gardner,  Dr. 
 Paine,  Dr.  Hammond,  and  Dr.  Sanderfon,  and  all  the 
 
 *  Clarendon's  Hift.  of  the  Rebellion. 
 
 t  Excellent  Contemplations,  &c.  of  Arthur,  Lord  Capel,  with 
 fome  account  of  his  life.  izmo.  1683,  p.  142. 
 
54  Life  (p/' Thomas  Ken,         [1672 
 
 reft  of  the  College  (including  Mr.  John  Fell)  were 
 turned  out,  except  Dr.  Wall,  he  fhould  take  it  to  be, 
 if  not  a  fin,  yet  a  fhame,  to  be  left  behind  with  him 
 only."* 
 
 After  the  King's  death,  Morley  retired  to  Holland 
 to  attend  on  Charles  II.,  and  was  one  of  his  moft 
 faithful  adherents  during  the  exile.  For  many  years 
 fucceflively  at  Antwerp,  the  Hague,  and  Breda,  "  he 
 read  the  Jervice  of  the  Church  twice  every  day,  cate- 
 chized once  a  week,  and  adminiftered  the  Communion 
 once  a  month  to  all  the  Englifh  who  would  come  to 
 it,  without  receiving  or  expelling  any  reward." f 
 
 Mr.  Bowles  imagines  that  Dr.  Morley,  after  his 
 rejedion  from  Chrift  church,  and  the  death  of  the 
 King,  fought  a  refuge  from  his  perfecutors  in  Walton's 
 cottage,  in  StafFordfhire.  He  gives  a  pleafing  con- 
 verfation,  in  which  he  fuppofes  the  two  friends  may 
 have  comforted  each  other  amid  the  dark  tempeft  of 
 the  times.  The  fcene  is  laid  in  the  fmall  garden 
 plot,  before  the  door  of  the  cottage,  not  far  from 
 Stafford.  It  is  a  beautiful  evening  in  fpring,  and 
 Izaak,  juft  returned  from  angling,  finds  his  beloved 
 Kenna  (Ken's  fifter)  and  their  child,  and  Dr.  Morley, 
 feated  in  a  honey-fuckle  arbour.  After  fome  difcourfe 
 on  the  death  of  the  Royal  Martyr,  and  Morley's  in- 
 tention to  join  Charles  II.  in  Holland,  they  take  affec- 
 tionate leave  of  each  other,  and  Morley  promifes  never 
 
 *  Walton's  Life  of  Sanderfon :     and  Walker's  Sufferings  of  the 
 Clergy. 
 
 f  Wood's  Athenas  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  770. 
 
1672]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  z^^ 
 
 to  forget  the  happy  and  improving  hours  he  had  fpent 
 in  this  retirement.* 
 
 Sir  Harris  Nicolas,  the  careful  biographer  of  Wal- 
 ton, fays  "  it  is  always  painful  to  deftroy  the  fabrics 
 of  genius  ;  but  biography  is  not  a  proper  field  for  the 
 flights  of  poefy  ;  and  however  pleafing  might  be  fuch 
 an  epifode  in  the  life  of  Walton,  as  his  having  afforded 
 fhelter  to  the  venerable  Morley,  in  his  adverfity,  con- 
 trafting,  as  it  would  forcibly  have  done,  with  Walton's 
 having  paffed  the  latter  years  of  his  life  in  the  epifco- 
 pal  refidences  of  that  eminent  perfon,  it  muft  never- 
 thelefs  be  faid  that  there  is  no  evidence  that  Morley 
 ever  vifited  Walton  in  Staffordfhire,  or  that  he  was 
 indebted  to  him  for  any  particular  fervices."f 
 
 The  efteem  of  fuch  a  Prelate  conferred  an  honour- 
 able diftindlion  on  his  Chaplain,  which  is  now  refledted 
 back  on  Morley's  name  in  the  brighter  rays  of  Ken's 
 luftre.  Their  friendfhip  was  cemented  by  a  mutual 
 attachment  to  Izaak  Walton  (then  in  his  80th  year) 
 the  humble  gueft  of  the  Bifhop,  and  the  venerable 
 friend  of  his  Chaplain.  The  Palace  at  Winchefter 
 was  not  very  long  enlivened  by  the  prefence  of  the 
 other  Chaplain,  George  Hooper  ;  "  for  Archbifhop 
 Sheldon  dining  one  day  at  Chelfy  with  the  Bifhop, 
 told  him  he  had  a  requeft  to  make  him,  which  was  to 
 give  him  fomething  he  valued,  or  to  that  effed:.  On 
 the  Bifhop's  teUing  his  Grace  that  it  fhould  be  at  his 
 
 *  Bowles's  Life  of  Ken,  vol.  i.  p.  97, 
 
 t  Preface  to  Pickering's  Edition  of  Walton  and  Cotton's  Complete 
 Angler. 
 
56  Zy//'^  <?/" Thomas  Ken,         [1672 
 
 fervice,  the  Archbifhop  then  told  him  it  was  his  Chap- 
 lain, Mr.  Hooper,  who  he  was  very  forry  to  part 
 with,  but  exprefTed  great  willingnefs  to  do  it,  as  he 
 thought  it  would  be  for  the  good  of  the  Church,  and 
 an  advantage  to  Mr.  H.,  who  accordingly  removed  to 
 Lambeth  Houfe.  Bifhop  Morley  ever  retained  a  great 
 regard  for  him,  infomuch  that  he  fent  for  him  to  attend 
 him  on  his  death  bed."*  In  this  laft  office,  as  we 
 fhall  afterwards  fee,  he  was  affifted  by  Ken.  They 
 were  thus  united  in  miniftering  once  more  to  their  fpi- 
 ritual  father,  whofe  departure  from  this  world,  though 
 it  difcharged  them  from  the  bond  of  a  common  duty 
 towards  him,  did  not  diflblve  their  friendfhip.  For,  as 
 brethren  in  the  fervice  of  a  heavenly  Mafter,  they  are 
 for  ever  part  of  an  innumerable  hoft.  An  undefinable 
 and  myfterious  communion  knits  them  together  with 
 the  fpirits  of  faints,  with  angels,  and  with  Chrift  Him- 
 felf,  who  died  to  exalt  them  to  His  heavenly  court.  All 
 in  every  place  have  the  fecret  witnefs  that  as  they  are 
 one  in  the  gift  of  life,  fo  their  thoughts,  their  hopes, 
 their  fears,  their  burthens  and  rejoicings,  are  united 
 before  the  eternal  Throne. 
 
 The  ftate  of  the  Church  of  England  at  this  period 
 prefented  fearful  fymptoms  of  a  decay  that  encreafed 
 as  time  went  on.  It  was  therefore  a  great  benefit  to 
 Ken  to  have  the  counfel  of  fuch  a  Prelate,  after  whofe 
 example  he  might  fafely  model  his  own  miniftry. 
 Bifhop  Morley  was  inceflant  in  all  the  duties  of  his 
 public  and  private  life,  in  prayer  and  fafting,  in  works 
 of  mercy  to  the  poor,  of  munificence  for  the  benefit 
 
 *  MSS.   Life  of  Hooper,  by  Mrs.  Prov\fe. 
 
1672]      Bifid  op  of  Bath  and  Wells .  5  7 
 
 and  dignity  of  his  fucceflbrs ;  fimple  in  his  manners, 
 zealous  for  the  honour  of  God,  felf-denying  amidfl  a 
 frivolous  and  diffipated  Court,  vigilant,  energetic,  and 
 bold  in  all  difficulties  and  dangers. 
 
 In  the  fame  temper  of  mind  Ken  advanced  to  the 
 fame  ftation.  His  offices  of  Fellow  of  Winchefter 
 College,  Prebendary  of  the  Cathedral,  and  Chaplain  to 
 the  Bifhop  were  not  occupation  enough  for  a  mind 
 intent  on  bringing  men  to  Chrift.  He  could  not  reft 
 without  fome  parochial  charge  ;  and  having  before 
 ferved  the  negledled  diftridl  of  St.  John  in  the  Soke, 
 he  ftill  found  it  without  a  paftor  and  the  hearts  of  the 
 people  turned  from  the  Church  by  the  contentious 
 fpirit  of  Anabaptifts.  With  the  confent  of  his  Bifhop 
 he  undertook  the  gratuitous  cure.  His  difregard  of 
 money  was  a  prominent  feature  in  his  charadler ;  the 
 fulfilment  of  the  paftoral  office  was  the  one  fimple  de- 
 fire  that  governed  his  adions, — "  well  done,  good  and 
 faithful  fervant"  the  one  reward  he  looked  to. 
 
 To  the  poor  of  St.  John's,  therefore,  he  devoted 
 his  beft  energies.  The  influence  of  his  love,  and  zeal, 
 and  knowledge  of  the  human  heart,  were  heightened 
 by  the  fervour  of  his  eloquence.  If  by  any  powers  of 
 the  Chriftian  orator  he  might  move  men  to  holinefs, 
 he  would  fain  employ  them  all  in  the  great  caufe. 
 He  did  not  therefore  undervalue  this  accomplifliment  ; 
 but  followed  the  footfteps  of  the  moft  pious  and  la- 
 borious Fathers  andconfeflbrs  of  the  primitive  Church. 
 Their  impaffioned  oratory  was  not  addrefl^ed  to  the 
 feelings  of  their  hearers  to  roufe  them  to  mere  religious 
 excitement,  and  tranfient  impulfe,  but  to  fever  their 
 tenacious  grafp  on  worldly  things, — to  call  them  out 
 
58  Life  (^Z*  Thomas  Ken,         [1672 
 
 of  the  din  of  emulations  and  ftrife,  and  the  abforbing 
 cares  of  a  fecular  life.  Vehement,  ftern,  perfuafive, 
 and  loving,  they  alternately  fhook  men  "  by  the  terror 
 of  the  Lord,"  and  melted  them  by  the  mercies  and 
 hopes  of  the  Gofpel. 
 
 St.  Chryfoftom,  whofe  eloquence  was  compared  to 
 a  golden  river,  every  where  praifes  St.  Paul  for  his 
 fkill  in  moving  men's  hearts  to  the  fear  and  love  of 
 God.  "  Thus  inftrudled,"  he  fays,  "  and  walking  in 
 the  fteps  of  his  mafter,  Paul  hath  varied  his  difcourfe 
 according  to  the  need  of  his  difciples,  at  one  time 
 ufing  knife  and  cautery,  at  another  applying  mild 
 remedies,"  &c.  And  thus  alfo  Ken  omitted  no  force 
 of  perfuafion  to  awaken  his  hearers  from  their  dull  in- 
 fenfibility,  and  to  draw  them  out  from  fin  and  fchifm. 
 He  reaped  the  rich  reward  of  his  labours  in  gathering 
 many  into  the  bofom  of  the  Church. 
 
 If  one  might  be  tempted  to  give  in  its  fulnefs  his 
 expofition  of  the  Sacrament  of  Baptifm  in  his  '  Frac- 
 tice  of  Divine  Love,'  publifhed  many  years  afterwards, 
 it  would  exhibit  his  view  of  its  vital  efficacy,  and  the 
 power  of  his  eloquence  to  bring  men  to  a  juft  fenfe 
 of  its  bleflednefs.  There  is  not,  perhaps,  in  our  lan- 
 guage a  more  valuable  testimony  to  the  dodlrine  of 
 Regeneration  in  that  Holy  Sacrament,  as  "  raifing  us 
 from  a  death  unto  fin,  to  a  new  life,  and  breathing 
 into  us  the  breath  of  love."  "  In  this  Laver  of  Re- 
 generation (he  fays)  we  are  born  again  by  Water  and 
 the  Spirit ;  by  a  new  birth  unto  righteoufnefs :  that 
 as  the  natural  birth  propagated  fin,  our  fpirltual  birth 
 fhould  propagate  grace.  Chrift  in  our  Baptifm  doth 
 give  us  the  holy  fpirit  of  love,  to  be  the  principle  of  a 
 
1672]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         59 
 
 new  life  in  us,  to  infufe  into  our  fouls  a  fupernatural, 
 habitual  grace,  and  ability  to  ferve  and  love  Him.  It 
 was  His  compafTionate  love,  that  when  we  were  con- 
 ceived and  born  in  fin,  of  finful  parents,  when  we 
 fprung  from  a  root  wholly  corrupt,  and  were  all 
 children  of  wrath,  made  us,  in  our  Baptifm,  children 
 of  His  own  Heavenly  Father  by  adoption  and  grace  : 
 when  we  were  heirs  of  Hell,  made  us  heirs  of  Heaven, 
 even  joint  heirs  with  His  own  felf  of  His  own  glory.'"* 
 
 The  inhabitants  of  the  Soke  crowded  to  the  Church 
 of  St.  John,  to  hear  the  words  of  wifdom  that  flowed 
 from  the  lips  of  their  humble  Curate,  as  in  a  later  pe- 
 riod, when  he  became  a  Bifhop,  the  Courtiers  of  the 
 palace  thronged  the  Chapel  of  St.  James's  to  receive 
 his  more  authoritative  lefTons.  The  word  of  God  can- 
 not return  to  Him  void ;  His  Kingdom  muft  in  the 
 end  flretch  forth  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left, 
 for  they  have  a  fpiritual  life.  Ken  was  the  happy  in- 
 flrument  of  contributing  to  this  great  defign  of  unity 
 by  converting  many  of  his  fedarian  hearers  to  the 
 Church  of  England,  efpecially  amongft  the  Anabap- 
 tifts,  whom  he  convinced  of  their  errors,  making  them 
 to  become  as  little  children,  himfelf  baptizing  them 
 into  the  congregation  of  Chrift's  flock.f 
 
 Such  were  his  unwearied  patience  and  charity  in  his 
 paftoral  cares  ;  the  kindeft  of  men  towards  others, 
 himfelf  mortified  to  all  worldly  pleafures,  and  afraid 
 of  nothing  fo  much  as  a  foft  luxurious  life,  he  was 
 
 *  Ken's  Expofition  of  the  Church  Catechifm,  znd  Edition,  8vo. 
 1686,  p.  136. 
 t  Hawkins,  p.  4. 
 
6o  Liife  (p/' Thomas  Ken,         [1672 
 
 difciplined  to  untiring  exertions  for  the  fpread  of 
 divine  truth.  He  feemed  to  realize  Bifhop  Taylor's 
 prayer :  "  Oh  give  me  the  fpirit  of  mortification  and 
 humility,  that  I  may  be  gentle  to  others,  and  fevere 
 to  myfelf."  His  biographer,  Hawkins,  defcribes  that 
 "  in  the  evening,  when  he  loved  to  enjoy  the  fociety 
 of  his  friends,  he  was  fo  worn  down  with  the  exertions 
 and  fatigue  of  the  day,  that  with  difficulty  he  kept 
 his  eyes  open ;  and  then  feemed  only  to  go  to  reft 
 with  no  other  purpofe  than  the  refrefhing  and  enabling 
 him  with  more  vigour  and  chearfulnefs  to  fing  his 
 Morning  Hymn."  — "  And  that  neither  his  ftudy 
 might  be  the  aggreflbr  on  his  hours  of  inftruftion  ;  or 
 what  he  judged  his  duty,  prevent  his  improvement; 
 of  both  interrupt  his  clofet  addreftes  to  his  God,  he 
 ftriftly  accuftomed  himfelf  to  but  one  fleep,  which 
 often  obliged  him  to  rife  at  one  or  two  of  the  clock  in 
 the  morning,  and  fometimes  fooner ;  and  this  grew  fo 
 habitual  that  it  continued  with  him  almoft  till  his  laft 
 illnefs."* 
 
 Hawkins,  p.  5. 
 
1 675]      Bijldop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  6 1 
 
 CHAPTER  V. 
 
 Ken^s  Manual  of  Prayers  for  JVincheJier  fcholars  —  His 
 Mornings  Evenings  and  Midnight  Hymns  —  The  Original 
 Melody  of  the  Hymns  —  The  Court  of  Charles  //.  at  JVin- 
 cheJier. 
 
 lE  may  well  believe  that  Ken,  as  a  Win- 
 chefler  boy,  had  fet  a  good  example  to 
 others :  and  now,  as  a  Fellow  of  the  Col- 
 ^'^  lege,  his  defire  to  preferve  the  fcholars 
 from  the  fafcinating  power  of  the  world,  and  to  train 
 them  to  holinefs,  prompted  him  to  compofe  a  Manual 
 of  Prayers  for  their  daily  ufe.  He  could  not  offer  a 
 more  lafting  memorial  of  his  attachment  to  thofe  early 
 fcenes  of  his  youth,  or  of  his  care  for  future  Wyke- 
 hamifts.  It  is  a  meffage  to  them  of  earneft  love  :  it 
 warns  them  of  the  deceitful  pitfalls  that  furround  their 
 path,  and  allures  them  to  virtue  by  every  holy  motive, 
 and  by  the  moft  eminent  examples  of  early  piety  re- 
 corded in  the  fcriptures.  "  Do  but  confider,"  he  fays, 
 "  how  welcome  a  young  convert  is  to  God :  it  was  to 
 young  Samuel  that  God  revealed  Himfelf,  and  that  at 
 fuch  a  time  too,  when  the  word  of  God  was  precious 
 and  very  rare,  to  fhow  how  much  God  honoured  a 
 young  prophet ;  and  you  know  that  St.  John,  the 
 youngeft  of  all  the  difciples,  is  the  only  perfon  of  all 
 the  twelve,  who  was  permitted  to  lean  on  our  Savi- 
 our's bofom  at  the  laft  fupper,  as  dearefl:  to  Him  in 
 affedion,  and  who  is  emphatically  called  the  difciple 
 
62  Zy//^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 whom  Jefus  loved  :  and  this  is  fuitable  to  that  graci- 
 ous promife,  which  God  made  to  encourage  all  young 
 perfons  to  ferve  Him  ;  /  love  them  that  love  Me ;  and 
 they  thatjeek  Me  early  Jfiall  find  Me"* 
 
 To  all  true  Wykehamifts  this  little  book  muft  be 
 peculiarly  attradive.  It  is  fo  full  of  afFedionate  coun- 
 fel,  encouragement  and  perfuafion,  of  prayers  fuited  to 
 the  age  and  circumftances  of  the  fcholars,  that  it  could 
 only  be  the  work  of  one  who  had  exhibited  in  his  own 
 perfon  the  example  of  a  fchool  boy,  dedicating  his  ten- 
 der years  to  the  fervice  of  God.  The  whole  Manual 
 is  a  type  of  his  own  mind.  For  the  morning,  and  the 
 noonday,  for  the  evening,  and  for  midnight,  he  gives 
 them  devout  ejaculations  and  prayers,  folemn  counfel, 
 encouragement  and  warning.  At  every  turn ;  "  in  their 
 own  chambers,  in  fchool,  in  hall,  in  Chapel,  on  their  firft 
 waking,  at  going  to  bed,  before  and  after  reading  holy 
 fcripture,  between  firft  and  fecond  peal,  when  they  go 
 Circum^^  in  temptation,  after  fin  committed,  after  any 
 bleffing  or  deliverance,  at  giving  alms,  before,  and  in, 
 and  after  Church:"  nothing  efcapes  his  earneft  defire 
 to  make  them  heavenly  minded.  Above  all  he  pre- 
 pares them  for  the  Holy  Communion.  He  tells  them 
 they  '^  muft  look  through  the  outward  elements,  and 
 fix  their  faith  on  that  which  they  fignifie,  the  inward 
 and  invifible  grace,  even  Chrift's  own  blefied  Body 
 and  Blood,  which  are  verily  and  indeed  taken  and  re- 
 ceived by  the  faithful  in  the  Lord's  Supper,  not  to  be 
 carnally  underftood,  for  they  are  fpirit  and  they  are 
 
 *  Manual,  Ed.  1675,  p.  2.  f  Ibid.  p.  4. 
 
1675]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .  6  3 
 
 life."*  He  teaches  them  to  believe  "His  Body  and 
 Blood  to  be  as  really  prefent  in  the  Holy  Sacrament 
 as  His  divine  power  can  make  it,  though  the  manner 
 of  His  myfterious  prefence  they  cannot  comprehend  ; " 
 and  to  fay  "  the  Bread  we  break  and  the  Cup  we 
 drink  are  not  bare  figns  only,  but  the  real  communi- 
 cation of  Thy  Body  and  Thy  Blood,  and  pledges  to 
 afTure  me  of  it ;  and  I  verily  believe  that  if  with  due 
 preparation  I  come  to  Thy  Altar,  as  certainly  as  I 
 receive  the  outward  figns,  fo  certainly  fhall  I  receive 
 the  thing  fignified,  even  Thy  mofl:  blefl^ed  Body  and 
 Blood."  t 
 
 His  biographers,  except  Mr.  Markland,  are  inaccu- 
 rate as  to  the  date  of  this,  his  firft  publication. 
 Hawkins  fays  it  was  "  compofed  and  publifhed  about 
 the  time  that  Bifhop  Morley  made  him  his  domeftic 
 Chaplain,  and  prefented  him  to  the  parfonage  of 
 Woodhay,"  which  he  intimates  to  have  been  in  1669. 
 This  is  much  too  early ;  for  it  was  certainly  firft 
 printed  two  years  after  his  refignation  of  Woodhay, 
 and  his  return  to  Winchefter,  when  as  Fellow  of  the 
 College  he  obferved  the  temptations  to  which  the 
 Scholars  were  expofed.  Wood  dates  it  as  late  as 
 168 1  :  this  is  equally  incorredt ;  for  we  have  now 
 before  us  an  edition  of  1675,  a  fmall  i2mo.  and  this 
 is  not  the  earlieft. 
 
 In  Robert  Clavel's  "  General  Catalogue  of  Books 
 printed  fince  the  dreadful  Fire  of  London  in  1666  to 
 the  end  of  Trinity  term  1674,"  and  at  page  15,  under 
 
 *  Manual,  p.  42.  f  Ibid.  p.  43, 
 
64  Liife  (p/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 the  head  of  "  Divinity  in  large  06lavo,  price  of  each 
 6<^."  and  quite  at  the  end  of  the  Hft,  we  have  the  fol- 
 lowing entry,  "  A  Manual  of  Prayers  and  'Devotions 
 for  the  ufe  of  the  f collars  at  Winchejler  School^  and  all 
 young  people  :  printed  for  J.  MartynT  This  fixes  the 
 firft  publication  in  1674.  In  the  books  of  the  Sta- 
 tioners' Company  Charles  Brome,  on  the  3rd  of  May 
 1680,  entered  a  copy  "  entituled  A  Manual  of  Prayer 
 for  the  ufe  of  the  Schollars  of  Winchefter  School:''  this 
 we  may  prefume  was  the  third  Edition.  The  Fourth 
 appeared  in  168 1,  and  is  that  referred  to  by  Wood  : 
 it  is  a  fmall  i2mo.  being  "  for  the  ufe  of  the  Scholars 
 of  Winchefter  Colledge,  and  all  other  devout  Cbrif- 
 tians." 
 
 The  next  edition  we  met  with  (alfo  in  i2mo.)  is 
 dated  1687  :  this  was  after  he  became  Bifhop,  and 
 when  his  opinions  were  held  by  all  to  be  a  high 
 authority  in  dodlrine.  It  is  faid  in  the  title  to  be 
 Revifed,  which  expreffion  deferves  particular  notice. 
 Fortunately  the  Manual  did  not  efcape  cenfure  during 
 the  life  of  the  Author.  The  Roman  Catholics  cited  one 
 pafTage  as  if  It  gave  countenance  to  their  Trent  doc- 
 trine of  the  Invocation  of  Saints.  I  fay  fortunately, 
 becaufe  it  called  forth  a  valuable  teftimony  of  his  faith- 
 fulnefs  to  the  belief  of  the  Anglican  Church.  He  in- 
 troduces this  revifed  Edition  of  1687,  by  the  following 
 
 ^^  Advertisement. 
 
 '^  Whereas  a  late  Popifh  Pamphlet  has  injurioufly  af- 
 firmed that,  in  a  Manual  of  Prayers  for  the  ufe  of  the 
 Scholars  of  Winchefter  Colledge,  I  have  taught  the 
 Scholars  of  Winchefter  to  invocate  the  whole  Court  of 
 
1675]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  65 
 
 Heaven,  citing  thefe  words,  page  93,  "  Help  me,  then, 
 O  ye  blefled  Hoft  of  Heaven,"  &c.  I  think  myfelf 
 obliged  to  declare  that  by  that  apoftrophe,  I  did  no 
 more  intend  the  Popifh  Invocation  of  Saints  and  An- 
 gels, than  the  holy  Pfalmift  did,  when  he  calls  upon 
 the  Sun,  Moon  and  Stars,  Fire,  Hail  and  Snow,  &c. 
 to  praife  God,  Pf.  148  ;  and  to  prevent  all  future 
 mifinterpretations,  I  have  altered,  not  the  fenfe,  but 
 the  words  of  that  paragraph,  and  I  do  folemnly  pro- 
 fefs  that  I  believe  the  Invocation  of  Saints  and  Angels, 
 as  it  is  pra6lifed  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  to  be  "  a  fond 
 things  vainly  invented^  grounded  on  no  warranty  of 
 fcripture,  but  rather  repugnant  to  the  Word  of  God" 
 as  the  XXII  Article  of  the  Church  of  England  ftyles  it, 
 to  whofe  judgment  I  humbly  fubmit. 
 
 THO.  Bath  and  Wells* 
 
 The  original  and  revifed  pafTages,  when  collated, 
 will  fhow  the  fubjedl  of  the  "  injurious"  criticifm,  and 
 its  explanation. 
 
 Ed.  1681.  1687  Revifed. 
 
 "  Help  me,  then,   O  bleffed  "  O  ye  blefled  Hoft  of  Hea- 
 
 Hoft  of  Heaven  to  celebrate  that  ven,  who  rejoice  at  the  conver- 
 unknown  forrow,  that  wonderful  fion  of  one  Angle  finner,  adore 
 Love  which  you  yourfehxs  fo  and  praife  my  crucified  Saviour, 
 much  admire,  help  me  to  praife  who  dyed  for  the  fins  of  the 
 my  crucified  Saviour."  world;    adore  and    praife    that 
 
 unknown  forrow,  that  wonderful 
 Love,  which  youyourfelves  muft 
 needs  admire." 
 
 *  This  Edition  of  1687  appears  to  be  the  firft  publifhed  with  his 
 name. 
 
 F 
 
66  ^f/^  (^/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 Thus  the  Roman  Catholic  writers  of  the  day  gained 
 nothing  by  their  attempt  to  appropriate  Ken's  au- 
 thority to  their  errors.  He  never  relaxed  his  ftedfaft 
 adherence  to  the  dodlrines  he  folemnly  profefTed  on 
 entering  Holy  Orders.  No  one  could  have  a  keener 
 perception  of  the  difference  between  fupplicating  the 
 Angels,  and  believing  that  they  have  received  a  holy 
 charge  to  tend  the  flock  of  the  ''  Good  Shepherd." 
 Whilfl:  he  repudiated  the  former  as  a  fond  thing,  he 
 knew  that  "  the  fervices  of  angels  have  been  ordained 
 and  conftituted  in  a  wonderful  order,"  and  that  the 
 Church  prays  to  God  that  "  they  may  by  His  ap- 
 pointment fuccour  and  defend  us  on  earth." ''^  This 
 comfortable  and  bleffed  dodlrine  is  fully  enunciated 
 throughout  his  hymns  and  other  poems.  To  give 
 only  one  example  out  of  many  ; — in  his  "  Hymns  for 
 all  the  Fefiivals  of  the  year"  that  on  St.  Michael  and 
 all  Angels  f  may  fuffice  to  fliow  how  habitually  he 
 realized  their  unfeen  prefence,  as  a  link  in  the  chain  of 
 communion  between  God  and  man.  He  defcribes 
 them  as  living  in  the  beatific  light  of  the  heavenly 
 fpheres ;  their  pure  wills,  and  unchangeable  love, 
 their  untiring  zeal,  expreffed  in  hymns  fung  to  their 
 celeflial  lyres ;  their  conquefts  over  Satan  and  his 
 fallen  angels ;  their  attendance  on  Abraham,  Lot,  Eli- 
 jah, Daniel,  &c.,  on  Chrift  in  the  wildernefs,  in  his 
 agony,  &c.  ; 
 
 "  You  kept  the  grave,  where  He  repofed  ; 
 His  glorious  rifing  you  difclof'd  ; 
 
 *  Colleft  for  the  Feftival  of  St.  Michael  and  all  Angels, 
 f  Ken's  Poems,  vol  i.  p.  384. 
 
1675]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  67 
 
 You  to  the  mountain  went. 
 Attending  His  Afcent, 
 You  fhall  the  trump  to  Judgement  found. 
 And  with  obfequious  wings  the  Judge  furround." 
 
 They  miniilered  to  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paulj  and  now 
 are  faithful  guides  to  all  devout  worfhippers.  They 
 join  with  our  affemblies  in  prayer  and  hymns  : 
 
 "  You  in  God's  houfe  Trifagions  fing. 
 You  veil  your  rays  with  awful  wing. 
 
 Our  temples  you  frequent. 
 
 Devotion  to  foment, 
 God's  boundlefs  wifdom  there  to  hear, 
 Myfterious  truths  to  learn,  and  to  revere." 
 
 He  affirms  that  they  are  cognizant  of  all  our  ways, 
 chide  our  negle(5l,  animate  our  hearts  to  holy  love,  af- 
 fift  and  befriend  us  in  temptation,  glory  in  our  con- 
 verfion,  and  encircle  the  beds  of  faints.  They  befriend 
 the  Church  of  Chrift,  as  ready  watchers  to  counterwork 
 the  evil  influence  of  the  great  Ufurper  and  his  legions, 
 who  confpire  to  delude,  beguile,  and  pollute  mankind. 
 They  always  behold,  and  adore,  and  love,  and  hymn 
 the  Lamb  ;  fly  to  execute  His  decrees  on  obdurate  fin- 
 ners,  to  encourage  the  devotions  of  believers,  and  in 
 all  our  neceffities  difpenfe  their  heavenly  aid. 
 
 "  To  work  our  blifs,  to  guard  from  woe, 
 You  the  expanfe  pafs  hourly  to  and  fro. 
 You  on  the  heirs  of  Heaven  attend. 
 To  comfort,  counfel,  warn,  defend. 
 You  in  their  infant-age 
 To  tender  them  engage. 
 You  quicken  faints  who  grow  remifs. 
 And  you  at  death  tranfport  their  fouls  to  blifs." 
 
 As  a  crowning  proof  of  his  affedlion  for  Winchefter 
 
68  Z///'^  ^ Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 fcholars  Ken  compofed  three  hymns  for  their  Morning, 
 Evening,  and  Midnight  hours,  which  he  defires  they 
 will  be  fure  to  fing  in  their  chambers  devoutly,  "  re- 
 membering that  the  Pfalmift,  upon  happy  experience, 
 afTures  you  that  it  is  a  good  thing  to  tell  of  the  loving 
 kindnefs  of  the  Lord  early  in  the  morning." 
 
 It  has  been  erroneoufly  fuppofed  that  the  three 
 Hymns  were  always  printed  with  the  early  Editions 
 of  the  Manual.  But  they  do  not  appear  in  any  of 
 the  firft  four,  already  cited,  nor  in  that  of  1692. 
 They  are  firft  found  in  a  copy  of  1700,  and  are  thus 
 noticed  in  the  title,  ''  A  Manual  of  Prayers,  &c.  to 
 which  is  added  Three  Hymns,  for  Mornings  Evenings 
 and  Midnight  ;  not  in  the  former  Editions  by  the 
 fame  Author," 
 
 Five  years  after  this  appeared  a  book,  entitled 
 "  A  Conference  between  the  Soul  and  Body,  con- 
 cerning the  Prefent  and  Future  State."*  The  ma- 
 nagement of  the  Conference,  "  approved  and  recom- 
 mended to  the  world  by  the  learned  Mr.  Dodwell,"  is 
 not  worthy  of  the  fubjedt  :  but  to  give  the  fecond 
 edition  a  greater  zeft,  the  publifher  added  "  Morning 
 and  Evening  Hymns,  by  the  Right  Reverend  Dr. 
 KEN,  Bp.  of  Bath  and  Wells."  Strange  liberties 
 were  taken  with  the  true  verfion  :  many  of  the  ftanzas 
 were  new-modelled,  and  fpoiled,  fome  wholly  omitted, 
 and  others  not  in  the  original  verfion,  added.  Accord- 
 ingly in  the  next  Edition  of  the  Manual,  the  Bifhop's 
 publifher  produced  the  Hymns  again  with  this  "  ud'd- 
 vertijement  C'    '*  Whereas  at  the  end  of  a  book  lately 
 
 *   8vo.  1705.  Attributed  to  Mr.  Henry  Nicholfon. 
 
1675]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .  6  9 
 
 publifh'd,  called  a  Conference  between  the  Soul  and 
 Body,  there  are  fome  Hymns,  faid  to  be  writ  by  Bifhop 
 Ken,  who  abfolutely  di/owns  them,  as  being  very  falfe 
 and  incorred  ;  but  the  genuine  ones  are  to  be  had  only 
 of  Charles  BromSy  Bookfeller,  whofe  juft  propriety  the 
 original  copy  is."* — ^Thus  it  was  the  fate  of  the  three 
 Hymns,  even  in  Ken's  lifetime,  to  appear  in  a  mutilated 
 fhape  ;  and  they  have  continued  ever  fince  to  receive 
 the  fame  ufage,  being  altered  or  curtailed  in  a  greater 
 or  lefs  degree  to  fuit  every  tafte.t 
 
 It  has  long  been  a  queftion  to  what  tunes  thefe 
 Hymns  were  fet  and  fung  in  the  lifetime  of  Ken.  The 
 mufic  in  prefent  ufe  for  the  Morning  Hymn  is  a  corrupt 
 verfion  of  the  tune  compofed  by  Barthelomon,  (a  violin 
 player  of  the  laft  century)  being  now  encumbered 
 with  modern  grace  notes,  inconfiftent  with  the  folemnity 
 of  devotional  mufic. 
 
 The  Evening  Hymn  was  originally  fet  to  a  melody 
 compofed  by  Tallis  :  this  has  been  ftill  more  diftorted 
 from  its  ancient  fimplicity.  Mr.  Bowles  thinks  all  the 
 three,  for  the  Morning,  Evening,  and  Midnight,  being 
 of  the  fame  metre,  were  adapted  by  Kenhimfelf  to  this 
 tune  :  Hawkins  intimates  that  he  was  accuftomed  to 
 fing  them  to  his  own  tunes,  for  "  he  had  an  excellent 
 genius,  and  fkill  in  mufic ;  and  whenever  he  had  con- 
 
 *  This  is  repeated  in  the  Edition  of  171  2.  izmo.  Two  years 
 after  Ken's  death. 
 
 t  It  is  70  years  fince  the  31ft  Edition  of  the  Manual  was  printed  : 
 at  lead  50  Editions  of  the  Hymns  have  now  appeared,  yet  not  one  is 
 to  be  found  that  follows  ftriflly  the  Bifhop's  own  verfion.  It  will 
 not,  therefore,  be  uninterefting  to  fee  them  in  the  Appendix,  (A) 
 word  for  word  as  he  penned  them. 
 
70  Life  of  Th.on\3.s  Ken,         [1675 
 
 venient  opportunities  for  it,  he  performed  fome  of  his 
 devotional  part  of  praife  with  his  own  compofitions, 
 which  were  grave  and  folemn."  And  we  have  feen 
 how  he  "  feem'd  to  go  to  reft  with  no  other  purpofe  than 
 the  refrefhing  and  enabling  him  with  more  vigour  and 
 cheerfulnefs  to  fing  his  Morning  Hymn,  as  he  then 
 ufed  to  do  to  his  lute,  before  he  put  on  his  clothes."* 
 Thus  his  genius  for  mufic,  like  every  other  gift  and 
 endowment,  was  dedicated  to  God's  glory.  In  the  midft 
 of  an  evil  world  his  whole  life  was  one  continued  a6t 
 of  prayer  and  praife.  Our  intereft  in  the  Hymns  would 
 be  heightened  by  believing  that  he  fung  them  to  his 
 own  melodies,  like  George  Herbert,  whofe  "  chiefeft 
 recreation  was  mufic,  in  which  heavenly  art  he  was  a 
 moft  excellent  mafter,  and  did  himfelf  compofe  many 
 divine  hymns  and  anthems,  which  he  Jet  and  Jung  to  his 
 own  lute  or  vioL"'\'  Bifhop  Sanderfon  alfo  was  a  lover 
 of  mufic,  and  was  wont  to  play  on  his  bafe  viol,  and 
 alfo  to  fing  to  it.  J 
 
 Mr.  Bowles  is  corredt  in  fuppofing  Tallis  to  have 
 been  the  original  author  of  the  melody  to  which  the 
 Evening  Hymn  was  adapted ;  but  he  has  fallen  into 
 an  error  as  to  the  mufic  itfelf.  He  mentions,  as  his 
 authority,  "  a  very  old  Colledlion  of  Pfalms  in  the  1 6th 
 century"  (for  i6th  read  17th)  meaning  ^' The  whole 
 Booke  of  PJalmSy  with  the  Hymns  Evangelical^  by  Tho- 
 mas Ravenfcroft,  1633,"  from  the  260th  page  of  which 
 he  gives  a  tranfcript  of  "  An  Hymn  by  Tho.  Tallis  for 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  5.         f  Walton's  Life  of  Herbert. 
 X  Aubrey's  Letters,  Vol.  ii.  p.  523. 
 
1675]        Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  7 1 
 
 four  Voices  in  A.*  But  the  learned  refearches  of  Mr. 
 Havergal  f  have  traced  the  origin  to  a  fource  of  greater 
 intereft,  and  of  much  earlier  date.  He  fays  ''the  Ca- 
 non muft  have  been  compofed  by  Tallis  long  before 
 Ravenfcroft  was  born  :  in  fad  his  is  an  altered  and  a 
 fhortened  verfion  of  No.  8  of  Tallis's  tunes  for  Arch- 
 bifhop  Parker's  metrical  tranflation  of  the  Pfalms, ;]] 
 with  many  faulty  confecutives.  It  was  long  ago  fuf- 
 pedled  that  Ravenfcroft  inferted  it  for  the  fake  of  gar- 
 nifhing  his  Volume  with  Tallis's  name." 
 
 Some  have  thought  that  the  original  melody  might 
 be  ftill  earlier  than  Tallis,  and  be  found  in  the  colle6lion 
 of  Luther,  or  of  Clement  Marot.  But  Mr.  Havergal, 
 whofe  authority  is  not  to  be  queftioned,  has  no  doubt 
 of  its  being  compofed  by  Tallis.  There  is  no  refem- 
 blance  to  it  in  any  of  the  tunes  of  Luther,  publifhed 
 by  Winterfeld  ;  nor  can  it  be  recognized  in  the  me- 
 lodies of  Guillaume  Franc,  or  Claude  le  Jeune.  He 
 pofTefles  the  only  known  copy  extant  of  the  hymn 
 book  of  the  Bohemian  Brethren,  printed  at  Ulm  1538, 
 and  the  tune  is  not  there,  nor  in  any  continental  col- 
 ledlion.  He  has  favoured  me  with  the  following  ac- 
 count of  the  fucceflive  corruptions  from  the  original  in 
 the  Archbifhop's  Pfalter  down  to  the  prefent. 
 
 *  Bowles's  Life  of  Ken,  Vol.  ii.  p.  i  7. 
 
 t  The  Rev.  W.  H.  Havergal,  Reftor  of  St.  Nicolas'  Worcefter, 
 and  Honorary  Canon  of  Worcefter  Cathedral. 
 
 X  "  The  whole  Pfalter  tranflated  into  Englifh  metre,  which  con- 
 taynethan  hundred  and  fifty  Pfalms.  Imprinted  at  London  by  John 
 Daye."  Without  date.  A  correft  verfion  of  the  mufic  will  be  found 
 in  Appendix  B. 
 
72  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 "  Firft,  Ravenfcroft's  faulty  confecutives  :  thefe 
 Francis  Timprell  has  copied  in  his  *  Colle£lion  of  P/alm 
 tunes^  about  1723,  again  reprinted  in  the  ^  Harmonia 
 Perfe^la'  1730,  where  the  tune  is  given  as  a  ^  Long 
 metre  fingle'  and  is  called  a  Canon,  but  without  words  : 
 fhortly  afterwards,  probably  in  1732,  Pearfon  printed 
 it  in  his  *  Harmonious  Companion,  or  PJahn  Singer  s  Ma- 
 gazine^ where  at  page  235  may  be  found  '  an  Evening 
 Hymn,  a  Canon  ;  two  in  one  ; '  this  again  is  Ravenf- 
 croft's verfion  of  Tallis's  mufic,  and  is  adapted  to  the 
 words  of  the  ift,  2nd  and  4th  ftanzas  of  Ken's  Evening 
 Hymn,  beginning  *  All  praife  to  Thee,  my  God,  this 
 night.'* 
 
 "  But  the  great  corrupter  of  Ravenfcroft's  inaccurate 
 verfion  was  John  Wefley  !  In  1742  he  publifhed  a 
 '  ColleBion  of  'Tunes ,  as  they  are  commonly  fung  at  the 
 Foundery,'  —  a  book  now  of  fuch  rarity  that  Mr.  Ha- 
 vergal  confiders  his  copy  to  be  unique.  The  tune  is 
 not  in  parts,  but  a  fimple  melody,  taken  moftly  from 
 the  Tenor,  and  fet  to  his  well  known  Hymn, 
 
 '  Jefu,  Thy  Blood  and  Righteoufnefs 
 My  Beauty  are,  my  glorious  Drefs. 
 Midft  flaming  Worlds  in  thefe  array'd 
 With  joy  (hall  I  lift  up  my  Head.'  Sec. 
 
 Not  only  the  beginning,  the  middle  and  ending  are 
 altered,  but  the  very  ftrudlure  of  the  tune  is  changed. 
 From  this  time  corrupted  verfions  of  the  mufic  became 
 
 *  "  It  is  not  printed  in  any  of  Playford's  Volumes ;  nor  in  the 
 Pfahn  Singer's  Companion.  Playford  has  only  a  Morning  Hymn, 
 fet  to  other  mufic,  and  beginning,  '  Now  that  the  day  ftar  doth  arife,' 
 but  no  Evening  Hymn." 
 
1675]       BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  7  3 
 
 common,  efpecially  by  DifTenting  Editors :  one  of  them, 
 C.  Afhford,  in  1766  defcended  a  ftep  lower  than  Wef- 
 ley ;  and  was  foon  followed  by  fundry  inconfiderable 
 writers  of  Pfalm-tune  books,  each  in  fucceffion  copying 
 from  his  predeceflbrs,  and  adding  fome  additional  cor- 
 ruption of  his  own,  down  to  the  end  of  the  laft  century  : 
 fince  which,  in  various  colledlions,  and  under  different 
 names,  the  melody  (if  fuch  it  may  now  be  called)  has 
 been  perpetuated  in  its  prefent  mutilated  fhape." 
 
 The  Hiftory  of  this  tune  is  an  illuftration  of  the 
 general  decay  of  mufic  in  our  Church  fervices — ending 
 in  a  wide  departure  from  the  primitive  model.  It  may 
 be  hoped  that  a  brighter  period  is  coming,  when  Church 
 mufic  will  be  reftorcd  to  its  due  folemnity,  and  Ken's 
 Hymns  be  gravely  and  fimply  fung  to  the  original  me- 
 lody. His  mufical  fkill  muft  have  been  eminently 
 ufeful  in  the  revival  of  the  long  negleded  anthems  and 
 choir  fervices  of  Winchefter  Cathedral.  Bilhop  Morley 
 had  already  in  part  replaced  what  fanatics  had  deftroyed 
 during  the  Rebellion.  The  windows  and  defaced  or- 
 naments were  now  repaired,  the  chancel  again  raifed, 
 and  the  altar  table  reftored  to  its  former  place  againft 
 the  eaftern  fkreen.*  We  may  believe  that  Ken  con- 
 tributed all  in  his  power  to  this  reftoration.  His  ge- 
 nerous difpofition  prompted  his  ready  hand  in  fur- 
 therance of  every  work  for  the  honour  of  his  divine 
 Mafter.  Hawkins  fays,")'  "  as  foon  as  his  circumftances 
 would  permit,  he  gave  upwards  of  an  hundred  pounds 
 to  New  College,  Oxford,  as  a  fmall  acknowledgement 
 for  his  education,  and  towards  ereding  their  new  build- 
 
 *  Milner's  Hift.  of  Winchcfter,  vol.  i.  p.  423.       f  Life  of  Ken,  p.  3. 
 
74  Zy//^  <?/^ Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 ing."  His  name  alfo  appears  among  the  contributors 
 to  the  College  Library  at  Winchefter,  to  which  he  gave 
 thirty  pounds,  and  feveral  fcarce  books. 
 
 He  continued  to  cultivate  his  tafte  for  mufic  both 
 on  the  lute  and  the  organ ;  and  there  is  a  tradition  in 
 the  Fenwicke  family  that,  in  his  vifits  to  Hallaton  in 
 Leicefterfhire,  after  he  was  Bifhop,  he  ufed  to  fing 
 his  Hymns  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  fpinet.*  For 
 many  years  after  his  death  his  own  organ  remained  In 
 his  room  at  Winchefter,  over  the  third  chamber  In  the 
 College,  f  It  ufed  to  afford  him  a  pleafing  relaxation 
 after  the  labours  of  the  day.  No  doubt  he  would 
 fometimes  join  In  this  Innocent  recreation  among  his 
 friends  In  Winchefter,  as  he  ufed  to  fing  his  part  at 
 Anthony  Wood's  focial  mufic-meetings  In  Oxford.']; 
 For  In  the  midft  of  his  mortified  life,  ftridly  accuftom- 
 ing  himfelf  to  but  one  fleep,  and  often  rifing  at  one  or 
 two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  "  he  was  fo  lively  and 
 cheerful  In  his  temper,  that  he  would  be  very  facetious 
 and  entertaining  to  his  friends  In  the  evening." § 
 
 In  this  he  refembled  the  great  St.  Bafil,  whofe  fear- 
 lefs  intrepidity  overawed  the  Roman  Praefed,  and  for 
 
 *  A  fmall  harpficord.  f  Bowles,  vol.  ii.  p.  283. 
 
 X  So  George  Herbert,  "  though  he  was  a  lover  of  retirednefs,  yet 
 his  love  to  mufic  was  fuch,  that  he  went  ufually  twice  every  week 
 on  certain  appointed  days,  to  the  Cathedral  Church  in  Salifbury  ; 
 and  at  his  return  would  fay  '  That  his  time  fpent  in  prayer,  and 
 cathedral  mufic,  elevated  his  foul,  and  was  his  heaven  upon  earth.' 
 But  before  his  return  thence  to  Bemerton,  he  would  ufually  fing  and 
 play  his  part  at  an  appointed  private  mufic-meeting ;  and,  to  juftify 
 this  pradice,  he  would  often  fay,  *  religion  does  not  banifh  mirth, 
 but  only  moderates  and  fets  rules  to  it.'  " — Walton'' s  Life  of  Herbert. 
 
 §  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  5. 
 
1675]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  75 
 
 awhile  arrefted  the  Emperor  Valens  in  his  perfecution. 
 His  heart  was  warm  with  the  charities  of  life.  Stern 
 in  rebuking  vice,  he  was  affable  and  familiar  with  his 
 friends.  "  Who  made  himfelf  more  amiable  than  he 
 to  the  well-condu6ted  ?  or  more  fevere  when  men  were 
 in  fin  ?  whofe  very  fmile  was  many  a  time  praife, 
 whofe  filence  a  reproof,  punifhing  the  evil  in  a  man's 
 own  confcience  ?  If  he  was  not  full  of  talk,  nor  a  jefter, 
 nor  a  holder  forth,  nor  generally  acceptable  from  being 
 all  things  to  all  men,  and  fhowing  good  nature,  what 
 then  ?  is  not  this  his  praife,  not  his  blame,  among 
 fenfible  men  ?  Yet,  if  we  afk  for  this,  who  fo  pleafant 
 as  he  in  focial  intercourfe  ?  Who  could  tell  a  ftory 
 with  more  wit  ?  Who  could  jeft  fo  playfully  ?  Who 
 could  give  a  hint  more  delicately,  fo  as  neither  to  be 
 overftrong  in  his  rebuke,  nor  remifs  through  his  gen- 
 tlenefs?"* 
 
 Ken  indeed  was  remarkable  for  the  grace  of  Chriftian 
 urbanity.  With  all  his  reverential  fenfe  of  the  facred- 
 nefs  of  the  prieftly  office,  he  could  temper  the  gravity 
 of  his  demeanour  with  a  pleafantnefs  of  addrefs  that 
 won  the  confidence  of  thofe  he  would  fain  bring 
 "  into  captivity  to  the  obedience  of  Chrifl."  The 
 revelation  of  the  Gofpel  is  from  the  God  of  Love,  and 
 they  who  preach  its  myfleries  are  to  exhibit  in  their  lives 
 its  correfponding  qualities.  All  the  vifible  perfections 
 of  His  creatures,  all  the  tender  fympathies  implanted 
 in  the  heart  of  man,  fpeak  of  His  attribute  of  Love. 
 The  very  angels,  notwithflanding  their  nearer  view  of 
 His  perfections,  yet  fympathize  with  the  weaknefTes  of 
 
 *   Church  of  the  Fathers,  p.  87. 
 
76  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [^675 
 
 their  "  fellow-fervants."  Was  not  the  love  of  our 
 companionate  Saviour  exemplified  in  His  whole  life  on 
 earth  ?  He  fet  that  example  which  St.  Peter  recom- 
 mends for  our  imitation  :  "  be  pitiful,  be  courteous." 
 His  ineffable  dignity  was  tempered  by  fo  divine  a  con- 
 defcenfion,  His  exalted  prefence  by  a  gracioufnefs  fo 
 meek  and  gentle,  that  He  exhibited  the  harmonious 
 perfection  of  His  two-fold  Nature  in  their  higheft  at- 
 tributes of  Majefty  and  Love. 
 
 The  learned  and  charitable  Dr.  Hammond  ufed  to 
 fay  "  he  delighted  to  be  loved,  not  reverenced  ;  think- 
 ing that  when  there  was  much  of  the  latter,  there  could 
 not  be  enough  of  the  former ;  fomewhat  of  reftraint 
 and  diftance  attending  on  the  one,  which  was  not  well 
 confiftent  with  the  perfedt  freedom  requifite  to  the 
 other."* 
 
 George  Herbert  alfo  a6led  on  the  fame  principle. 
 He  fays,  "  The  Country  Parfon  is  generally  fad,  be- 
 caufe  he  knows  nothing  but  the  crofs  of  Chrift ;  his 
 mind  being  defixed  on  it  with  thofe  nails  wherewith 
 his  mafter  was.  Or,  if  he  has  any  leifure  to  look  off 
 from  thence,  he  meets  continually  with  two  mofl  fad 
 fpedlacles,  fin  and  mifery  ;  God  dlfhonoured  every  day, 
 and  man  afflifted.  —  Neverthelefs,  he  fometimes  re- 
 frefheth  himfelf,  as  knowing  that  nature  will  not  bear 
 everlafling  droopings,  and  that  pleafantnefs  of  difpofi- 
 tion  is  a  great  key  to  do  good  :  not  only  becaufe  all 
 men  fhun  the  company  of  perpetual  feverity  ;  but  alfo 
 for  that,  when  they  are  in  company,  inflrudion  feafoned 
 with  pleafantnefs  both  enter  fooner,  and  root  deeper. 
 
 *  Fell's  Life  of  Hammond. 
 
1675]       Bifbop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  yy 
 
 Wherefore  he  condefcends  to  human  frailties,  both  in 
 himfelf  and  others ;  and  intermingles  fome  mirth  in 
 his  difcourfes  occafionally,  according  to  the  pulfe  of  the 
 hearer."* 
 
 So  Ken  confidered  himfelf  a  meflenger  of  the  Gofpel 
 of  love;  his  experience  of  human  nature  taught  him 
 that  men  were  to  be  allured,  rather  than  driven  from 
 the  tranfitory  objedls  of  this  lower  life  to  fublime  and 
 fpiritual  afFeftions.  He  did  not  think  it  unbecoming 
 his  holy  office  to  draw  their  regard  to  himfelf  perfonally, 
 if  by  contemplating  the  features  of  a  Chriftian  charadler 
 they  might  be  led  to  place  their  higher  love  on  God. 
 
 Being  in  attendance  on  Bifhop  Morley,  thefe  and 
 his  other  eminent  qualities  began  to  bring  him  to  the 
 notice  of  the  King.  Winchefter,  from  its  healthy 
 fituation,  its  extenfive  downs,  and  at  that  time  the 
 fineft  fporting  country  in  England,  often  attracted 
 Charles  II.  to  its  neighbourhood.  He  made  frequent 
 progrefTes  there  with  his  court,  on  the  way  to  Portf- 
 mouth,  and  for  hunting  excurfions  in  the  New  Foreft. 
 His  brother,  the  Duke  of  York,  afterwards  James  II. 
 accompanied  him,  which  probably  fometimes  gave  Ken 
 the  fociety  of  his  friend  Francis  Turner,  the  Duke's 
 efpecial  favourite  and  Chaplain. 
 
 But  the  prefence  of  the  Court,  as  we  ihall  fee,  be- 
 came an  occafion  of  trial  to  the  felf-denying  inmates  of 
 the  Bifhop's  palace.  Splendid  pageants,  luxurious 
 feafts,  the  concourfe  of  attendants,  the  bufy  carefulnefs 
 and  anxious  waiting  for  the  funfhine  of  royal  favour, 
 had  no  charms  for  Ken.     His  heart  was  engaged  in 
 
 *   Herbert's  Country  Parfon. 
 
yS  L^fe  of  Thom2is  Kqu,         [1675 
 
 higher  aims.  The  faving  of  all-precious  fouls,  and 
 training  them  for  the  court  of  the  King  of  kings  was 
 the  one  abforbing  idea  that  fixed  his  energetic  will. 
 Moreover  the  Court  of  Charles  was  one  of  the  moft 
 profligate  in  Europe,  that  of  France  not  excepted. 
 In  his  exile  at  Brufl'els,  Paris,  &c.  even  when  his 
 father  was  fufFering  the  bitternefs  of  perfecution,  and  his 
 death  on  the  fcafix)ld  caufed  England  to  be  an  afton- 
 ifhment  and  a  bye  word  to  the  nations,  he  had  been 
 given  up  to  low  fenfual  purfuits.  After  his  Reftoration 
 alfo  by  a  diflblute  life  he  fet  the  worfl:  of  examples  to 
 his  people,  and  bequeathed  to  them  a  fearful  legacy 
 of  profanenefs  and  licenfe,  that  fpread  like  a  contagion 
 to  after  times.  The  private  hiftories  and  memoirs  of 
 his  life,  and  many  volumes  of  letters  from  his  courtiers 
 and  foreign  miniflers,  exhibit  debauchery,  drunkennefs, 
 gaming,  profufe  oaths,  and  infidel  wit,  as  the  common 
 and  fafhionable  vices  of  the  age.  He  feemed  to  want 
 all  fenfe  of  the  refponfibility  of  a  nation's  welfare  in- 
 trufted  to  him,  and  forgot  that  kings  hold  a  divine 
 commiflion  which  is  to  be  exercifed  abfolutely  and 
 fupremely  for  the  glory  of  God.  He  gave  himfelf  up 
 to  the  purfuit  of  felfifh  and  debafing  pleafures,  falfely 
 fo  called,  that  eat  out  as  a  canker  the  better  affedlions 
 of  the  heart.  The  hardihood  with  which  he  blazoned 
 forth  his  profligacy  to  the  world  may  be  underfliood 
 by  the  fa6l:  that  of  his  numerous  natural  children, 
 born  of  many  mothers,  he  raifed  fix  to  the  honour  of 
 a  Dukedom. 
 
1675]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  79 
 
 CHAPTER  VII. 
 
 Ken  makes  the  Tour  of  Italy  with  Ifaak  Walton's  Son — At  Rome 
 in  the  year  ofyiibilee — Returns  home' — His  attach?nent  to  the 
 Church  of  England. 
 
 NEW  and  refrefliing  fcene  opens  to  us, 
 as  we  turn  from  the  fearful  pidure  of 
 Charles's  Court  to  the  perfonal  hiftory 
 of  Ken.  Having  given  to  the  Win- 
 chefter  fcholars  a  Manual  of  prayers  to  fuftain  their 
 devotion,  he  prepared  himfelf  for  a  journey  through 
 Italy,  at  that  time  (towards  the  end  of  1675)  ^^^ 
 wealthieft  and  moft  populous  country  in  Europe.  By 
 nature  fertile  in  the  various  productions  of  the  earth, 
 abounding  in  the  rare  works  of  modern  and  ancient 
 art,  the  nurfe  of  mufic,  of  poetry,  painting,  and  fculp- 
 ture,  and  illuftrious  for  men  of  fcience  and  literature, 
 Italy  formed  the  natural  point  of  attraction  for  thofe 
 whofe  tafte  impelled  them  to  enlarge  their  experience 
 beyond  the  fhores  of  England.  The  Houfes  of 
 Englifh  noblemen,  even  in  this  our  luxurious  age, 
 cannot  vie  with  the  ftately  palaces  of  Doria,  Farnefe, 
 Medici,  Pitti,  Colonna,  Aldobrandini,  Pamfili,  Bar- 
 berini,  Borghefe  and  others  :  their  marble  halls  and 
 galleries  were  decorated  with  unrivalled  pidlures  and 
 ftatues,  and  mufeums  of  precious  ornaments  and  jewels, 
 many  of  them  now  defpoiled  and  fcattered  abroad. 
 
8o  -^^f^  (9/^  Thomas  Ken,         [675 
 
 The  tour  of  Italy  was  an  obje6l  of  general  intereft 
 and  defire,  not  eafily  attained  in  thofe  days_,  but  thought 
 to  give  the  laft  finifh  to  a  gentleman  of  birth  and 
 fortune.  Beyond  all  this,  the  policy,  difcipline,  and 
 do(5lrines  of  the  Court  and  Church  of  Rome  had  long 
 formed  a  theme  of  difcuffion  in  England.  The  hope- 
 lefs  j anglings  to  which  controverfy  always  gives  rife 
 were  aggravated  by  the  prejudices  of  various  fe6ts  and 
 parties.  Every  fhade  of  difference  feemed  to  difcharge 
 men  from  the  obligations  of  common  juftice  towards 
 each  other.  Hence  in  great  meafure  had  arifen,  during 
 the  Rebellion,  that  difcord  which  feemed  to  banifh 
 from  the  earth  all  the  meek  and  lowly  tempers,  en- 
 joined by  the  blefTed  Saviour  on  the  Mount.  They 
 who  adhered  to  the  primitive  dodtrine  and  ceremonial 
 of  the  Church  were  branded  with  the  name  of  Papifts. 
 Sedlarian  fanaticifm  holding  up  religion  as  a  cloak  for 
 perfecution,  gave  loofe  to  all  the  implacable  paffions  of 
 our  nature. 
 
 With  the  Reftoration  the  tide  changed  :  but  an  in- 
 tolerant fpirit  prevailed  with  thofe  now  replaced  in 
 power ;  the  fe6laries  in  their  turn  were  opprelTed,  and 
 forbidden  the  exercife  of  their  worfhip.  The  Church 
 recovered  much  of  her  temporal  poflefTions,  but  not  her 
 fpiritual  rule.  The  bands  of  difcipline  were  loofened  ; 
 the  pure  fervices  of  religion,  long  in  difufe,  were  ftill 
 negligently  performed  by  the  clergy  (many  of  whom 
 had  been  feceders,  and  were  now  but  outward  confor- 
 mifts)  and  therefore  difregarded  by  the  people.  Added 
 to  this  the  King  fecretly  defired  to  reftore  the  influence 
 of  the  Church  of  Rome ;  an  objed  constantly  urged 
 forward  by  the  Duke  of  York,    Charles  was  reftrained 
 
.  1675]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  8r 
 
 by  motives  of  policy  from  implicitly  following  his 
 advice ;  yet  his  own  inclinations  prompted  him  to  all 
 compliances  within  the  verge  of  fafety.  It  may  be 
 doubted  if  he  had  actually  conformed  to  Rome :  the 
 evidence  is  not  conclufive  ;  but  it  is  certain  he  would 
 have  done  fo,  could  he  have  ventured.  To  fave  ap- 
 pearances, he  was  often  compelled  to  proclaim  fevere 
 penalties  againft  Romanifts  ;  but  they  were  negligently 
 enforced.  He  had  long  been  a  penfioner  of  Louis  XIV. 
 to  whom  he  had  bound  liimfelf  by  fecret  treaty,  for  the 
 reftoration  of  Popery  in  England.  Whenever  his  per- 
 fonal  necefTities  were  moft  urgent,  he  applied  to  Louis 
 for  frefh  advances,  under  plea  that  the  interests  of  the 
 Catholic  Church  required  fuch  aid.  "  After  having 
 pafTed  a  law,  fays  Mr.  Fox,  to  make  it  penal  to  affirm 
 (what  was  true)  that  the  King  was  a  Papift,  he  pre- 
 tended (what  was  not  true)  to  be  a  zealous  and  bigoted 
 Papift." 
 
 Coleman  the  Jefuit's  letters  to  M.  La  Chaife  may 
 be  feleded  from  a  mafs  of  other  evidence  to  fhow  the 
 hopes  entertained  of  eftablifhing  the  Roman  ritual. 
 "  We  have  here  a  mighty  work  "  (he  fays  in  1675)  ''^'^ 
 our  hands  ;  no  lefs  than  the  converfion  of  three  King- 
 doms ;  and  by  that,  perhaps,  the  fubduing  a  peftilent 
 herefy  which  has  domineered  over  part  of  this  northern 
 world  a  long  time.  There  was  never  fuch  hopes  of 
 fuccefs,  fince  the  death  of  our  Queen  Mary,  as  now  in 
 our  days,  when  God  has  given  us  a  Prince  who  is  be- 
 come (I  may  fay  by  miracle)  zealous  of  being  the  au- 
 thor and  inftrument  of  fo  glorious  a  work.  But  the 
 oppofition  we  are  fure  to  meet  with  is  alfo  like  to  be 
 great :  fo  that  it  imports  us  to  get  all  the  aid  and  af- 
 
 G 
 
82  Liife  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 fiftance,  for  the  harveft  is  great,  and  the  labourers  are 
 few." 
 
 Examples  however  were  not  wanting  of  Chriftian 
 love  that  teaches  men  to  hold  their  opinions  with  cou- 
 rage, yet  with  meeknefs,  neither  yielding  on  the  one 
 hand,  nor  reviling  on  the  other.  Of  this  number  was 
 Ken  ;  and  probably  with  a  view  to  judge  of  the  Papacy, 
 in  the  very  feat  of  its  power,  he  refolved  to  vifit  Rome. 
 That  he  might  give  his  nephew,  young  Ifaac  Walton, 
 the  advantages  of  foreign  travel,  under  his  own  watchful 
 guidance,  he  made  him  the  companion  of  his  journey. 
 
 Clement  X.  had  proclaimed  the  Catholic  Jubilee 
 (held  every  25th  year)  to  be  celebrated  with  great 
 fplendour.  Papal  briefs  were  diftributed  to  the  pre- 
 lates throughout  all  the  provinces  of  Europe,  enjoining 
 them  to  more  than  ordinary  zeal  in  training  their  flocks 
 for  the  "  happy  effedls  "  of  the  approaching  folemnity. 
 Independent  of  this  great  feftival,  which  drew  thoufands 
 of  pilgrims  and  devotees  from  every  corner  of  Chriften- 
 dom,  other  motives  than  curiofity  might  reafonably 
 prompt  an  earneft  and  reverent  man  to  the  voyage  of 
 Italy.  None  could  behold  without  a  ftirring  of  heart 
 the  Church  of  Milan,  to  which  St.  Ambrofe  refufed 
 admiflion  to  the  Emperor  Theodofius,  ftained  with  the 
 blood  of  the  Chriftians  at  ThefTalonica  ;  nor  the  Chapel 
 where  St.  Auguftine,  with  his  little  Adeodatus,  and 
 his  friend  Alipius,  received  baptifm,  and  from  which 
 St,  Ambrofe  and  St.  Auguftine,  on  their  proceffion  to 
 the  great  Church,  were  fuppofed  to  have  firft  fung  the 
 Te  Deum  by  refponfes.  Above  all,  Rome  muft  ever 
 prefent  to  us  obje(51:s  of  great  intereft  :  (he  had  in  earlier 
 times  been  the  centre  of  Catholic  Communion,  the 
 
1 6  7  5  j       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  8  3 
 
 depofitory  (as  St.  Irenasus  calls  her)  of  the  holy  apof- 
 tolical  traditions  and  dodrines.  Her  foil,  once  bedewed 
 with  the  blood  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  and  countlefs 
 other  martyrs,  treafured  the  bodies  of  thofe  holy  apof- 
 tles,  and  of  St.  Philip,  St.  James,  St.  Simon,  St.  Jude, 
 Polycarp,  Gregory  Nazianzen,  Chryfoftom,  &c.  She 
 might  ftill  glory  in  the  Bafilica  of  St.  John  of  the 
 Lateran  gate,  faid  to  be  pre-eminent  over  all  other 
 churches  "  urbis  et  orbis ; "  and  the  tomb  of  St.  Peter 
 within  the  unrivalled  church  that  bears  his  name,  the 
 fucceffive  work  of  Sangalla,  Bramante,  Baldaffar, 
 Michel  Angelo,  Delia  Porta,  and  Fontana.* 
 
 The  two  great  routes  to  Italy  were  either  by  BruiTels 
 and  Cologne,  through  Augfberg,  Innfpruck,  Trent,  and 
 fo  by  Trevifo  to  Venice  ;  or  by  Paris  and  the  South  of 
 France.  We  have  evidence  as  to  which  of  thefe  our 
 travellers  took.  At  that  time  the  Netherlands  were 
 the  feat  of  war,  the  whole  country  like  an  armed  camp, 
 and  therefore  impaffable  for  travellers.  Befides,  in  the 
 fecond  part  of  the  Complete  Angler,  in  reference  to 
 "  young  Mafter  Ifaac  Walton,"  Pifcator  fays  "he  has 
 been  in  France,  and  at  Rome,  and  at  Venice,  and  I  can't 
 tell  where,"  which  feems  clearly  to  indicate  their  route. 
 In  default  of  a  Diary  like  that  of  Evelyn,  who  had  made 
 the  fame  journey  30  years  before,  we  muft  be  content 
 to  put  the  travellers  on  horfeback,  and  leave  them  to 
 their  own  refledlions,  until  we  give  them  the  meeting 
 at  Rome.  After  Paris,  their  road  lay  through  Avig- 
 non, Vaucleufe,  Marfeilles,  and  fo  to  the  fhores  of  the 
 Mediterranean. 
 
 *  Lafcelles'  Voyage  of  Italy,  i  zmo.  1670,  Vol.  ii.  p.  47. 
 
84  Life  c/ Thomas  Ken,  [1675 
 
 In  all  their  journeyings  they  overtook  crowds  of  pil- 
 grims, haftening  to  the  great  Jubilee.  Men  and  wo- 
 men of  all  clafles  and  ranks,  left  the  peaceful  round  of 
 their  domeftic  life  and  duties,  and  prefTed  on  from  ftage 
 to  ftage  towards  the  holy  city.  In  every  town  and  vil- 
 lage, as  they  pafTed,  the  Churches  were  filled  with  the 
 travellers,  offering  up  prayers  for  a  fafe  journey.  The 
 priefts  and  other  charitable  perfons  (invoked  by  the 
 Pope  to  lend  their  aid)  difpenfed  food,  and  afforded 
 fhelter.  It  was  winter :  the  feftival  was  to  begin  on 
 Chriftmas  eve  :  and  what  can  impede  the  zeal  of  ear- 
 neft  hearts,  panting  for  reconciliation  with  God  !  In  all 
 their  fufferings  they  animate  one  another  with  prayer 
 and  mutual  charities  ;  their  patience  unbroken,  un- 
 wearied. Many  faint  by  the  way, — fome  are  gathered 
 to  their  reft,  and  a  lowly  mound  in  the  neighbouring 
 church-yard  is  the  only  memorial  of  their  hafty  interment 
 in  a  foreign  land.  The  mournful  furvivors  receive  the 
 bleffmg  of  the  miniftering  prieft,  and  with  tears  again 
 purfue  their  journey,  till  the  brow  of  the  laft  hill  is 
 gained,  and  the  great  Bafilica,  the  holy  Zion  of  their 
 intent  longings,  ftands  out  before  them  !  A  cry  of  joy 
 burfts  from  one  to  the  other ; — all  eyes  are  ftrained  to 
 catch  a  glimpfe  of  the  furmounting  Crofs.  Whatever 
 ftraits  or  dangers  have  encompaffed  them,  hardfhips, 
 loffes,  fufferings,  —  all  are  forgotten  in  this  one  joyous 
 burft  of  acclamation,  "  Roma  la  Santa."  They  defcend 
 into  the  Campagna— enter  by  the  Flaminian  way,  and 
 are  at  reft.  They  await  the  appointed  time  when,  at 
 the  opening  of  the  Holy  Gate  of  St.  Peter,  they  ftiall 
 enter  in  to  receive  from  the  Pope  a  plenary  indulgence 
 
1675]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .  8  5 
 
 in  return  for  countlefs  offerings  to  be  poured  into  the 
 treafury  of  the  Church.* 
 
 This  was  promifed  to  all  who,  being  confeffed  and 
 penitent,  Ihould  within  the  year  of  Jubilee  vilit  the 
 Churches  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  for  fifteen  days. 
 Such  numbers  of  people  flocked  from  all  countries  to 
 Rome  that,  during  the  greatefl:  part  of  the  year,  there 
 were  reckoned  no  lefs  than  200,000  ftrangers  in  fuc- 
 ceffion.  The  author  of  the  chronicle  of  Parma  declares 
 that  the  travellers  on  the  Claudian  road  had  the  appear- 
 ance every  day  of  the  march  of  an  army.  At  the  time 
 of  Ken's  vifit,  indulgences  had  fallen  in  value,  through 
 the  wider  fpread  of  the  Reformation,  and  the  expofure 
 of  their  mercenary  fale,  fo  that  the  number  of  pilgrims 
 was  diminifhed.  Still  the  concourfe  was  very  great. 
 In  the  previous  Jubilee  of  1650,  Lafcelles'f  faw  9000 
 pilgrims  entertained  in  one  day  in  the  Hofpital  of  the 
 Holy  Trinity,  the  Pope  himfelf,  and  many  of  the  Car- 
 dinals, being  there  to  wafh  their  feet,  and  ferve  them 
 at  table.  As  the  purchafed  pardons  had  been  depre- 
 ciated, the  time  required  for  the  refidence  of  pilgrims 
 was  fhortened,  and  envoys  were  fent  into  the  provinces 
 to  diilribute  indulgences.  They  who  could  not,  or 
 would  not,  travel,  might  give  their  alms  at  home, 
 keeping  Jubilee  in  the  appointed  Churches,  which,  by 
 the  authority  of  the  Holy  Father,  fhould  be  of  equal 
 efficacy  with  gifts  offered  at  the  tomb  of  the  Apoftles. 
 The  travellers  having  {^qtl  the  wonders  of  Rome, 
 
 Appendix  C.  f  Voyage  of  Italy,  Vol.  ii.  p.  8. 
 
86  Life  of  Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 again  took  horfe  for  England,  through  fome  of  the 
 falreft  provinces  of  Italy.  The  road  to  Venice  would 
 bring  them  by  Narni,  Terni,  Spoleto,  Affifi,  famous 
 for  the  tomb  of  St.  Francis,  Tolentino,  &c.  "  Venice 
 the  Rich"  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  moft  powerful 
 cities  of  Europe,  though  now  deprefied  and  crumbling 
 in  decay,  a  vaft  fepulchral  monument  of  the  inftability 
 of  human  grandeur.  We  would  fain  linger  with  them 
 amidft  the  palaces  of  the  Venetian  nobles,  and  the 
 Church  of  St.  Marc ;  and  glide  with  them  in  their 
 gondola  beneath  the  Rialto  and  the  Bridge  of  Sighs ; 
 — but  it  is  time  for  Ken  to  be  at  home  among  his 
 flock  at  Winchefter.  No  doubt  he  had  been  with 
 them  in  thought  through  all  his  journeyings,  and 
 longed  to  return,  that  he  might  once  more  feed  them 
 in  the  green  paftures,  and  fold  them  befide  the  ftill 
 waters. 
 
 He  little  fuppofed  that  he  was  himfelf  the  fubjedl  of 
 fufpicion  at  home,  and  looked  upon  as  no  faithful  fhep- 
 herd.  But  fo  it  was  ;  '*  for  he  loft  the  favour  of  many 
 of  his  former  auditors,  who  fuppofed  that  by  this  jour- 
 ney he  had  been  tinged  with  Popery."  Wood  declares 
 that  they  were  ''altogether  miftaken."*  We  fcarcely 
 require  this  afTurance  :  it  was  not  likely  his  faith  would 
 ftagger  amid  the  corruptions  he  had  witnefled.  The 
 effe6l  of  his  travels  was  to  ftrengthen  him  in  his  con- 
 vidions  of  Rome's  declenfion  from  Catholic  truth. 
 *'  He  was  often  heard  to  fay  that  he  had  great  reafon  to 
 give  God  thanks  for  his  travels,  fince  (if  it  were  poffible) 
 he  returned  rather  more  confirmed  of  the  purity  of  the 
 
 *  Aths:n.  Oxon.  Vol.  ii.  p. 
 
1675]       Bijldop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  87 
 
 Proteftant  religion,  than  he  was  before."*  A  perfonal 
 obfervation  of  the  corruptions  of  the  Church  of  Rome 
 had  produced  the  fame  effed  on  Robert  Boyle.  He 
 obferves,  in  the  memoirs  of  his  own  travels,  that  he 
 "  never  found  the  Pope  lefs  valued  than  in  Rome,  nor 
 his  religion  fiercelier  difputed  againft  than  in  Italy  :  and 
 he  ceafed  to  wonder  that  the  Pope  fhould  forbid  the 
 fight  of  Rome  to  Proteftants,  fince  nothing  could  more 
 confirm  them  in  their  religion."  f 
 
 Something  there  may  be  in  the  Roman  theory  to 
 captivate  fenfitive  and  fervent  minds,  who  find  at  home  a 
 confufed  ftrife,  relaxed  difcipline,  and  difcordant  clergy. 
 Still  our  Mother  Church,  in  whofe  bofom  we  have  been 
 regenerated,  is  a  fure  point  of  reft  to  humble  and  con- 
 fiding men,  who  believe  that  Chrift  can  and  will  pour 
 His  healing  balm  into  her  wounds.  Faint  of  heart,  and 
 void  of  courage  are  they  who  cannot  realize  the  joy  of 
 ftedfaftnefs,  and  patient  waiting, — who  think  that  God 
 will  not  give  His  ftrength  to  bear  her  up  in  her  day  of 
 need.  Surely  it  is  His  own  Church,  for  which  he  en- 
 dured the  agony  of  the  Crofs.  St.  John,  and  St,  Peter, 
 and  all  the  glorious  company  of  Apoftles,  the  goodly 
 fellowfhip  of  Prophets,  and  the  noble  army  of  Martyrs, 
 are  never  weary  of  praying  for  her  peace.  To  join 
 in  this  would  exemplify  greater  humblenefs  of  mind, 
 and  a  more  abiding  faith,  than  to  magnify  her  defeds, 
 and  yearn  after  another  communion. 
 
 Certain  it  is  that  Ken's  filial  attachment  to  the  Church 
 of  England  fuftained  him  in  his  obedience  amidft  all 
 her  confufion.     Her  pure  worfhip  and  fervices  were 
 
 *   Hawkins's  Life,  p.  6.  f  Birch's  Life  of  Robert  Boyle. 
 
88  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 fadly  negleded,  her  dodrines  perverted,  her  moft  de- 
 voted minifters  held  in  fiifpicion.  He  knew  that  her 
 heavenly  Mafter  could  in  His  own  time  bring  her  forth 
 from  the  trial.  He  was  always  a  moderator  in  religious 
 difputes ;  and  becaufe  he  did  not  rail  againfl  an  erring 
 Church,  he  was  accufed  of  a  leaning  towards  her  doc- 
 trines. He  could  not  fliut  his  eyes  to  the  fad  that 
 Rome  had  degraded  the  fpirituality  of  Chrift's  King- 
 dom to  a  fecular  government,  —  from  an  invifible  power, 
 not  of  this  world,  to  a  bold  aflumption  of  temporal  rule. 
 
 But  there  is  a  wide  difference  between  rejeding  their 
 errors,  and  holding  the  Romanifts  in  abhorrence  and 
 fcorn.  Surely  we  all  fhare  in  the  common  name  of 
 Chriftians,  and  have  one  faith  in  the  ever- adorable 
 Trinity.  If  we  cannot  partake  in  their  worfhip,  we 
 may  pray  for  them  as  our  brethren  ;  and  even  by  con- 
 traft  with  their  mifplaced  fervour,  learn  to  mourn  our 
 own  palfied  devotion.  If  we  condemn  their  penance 
 and  their  pilgrimages,  as  v/orks  of  merit,  we  muft 
 confefs  that  they  fpring  from  a  principle  of  earneft 
 faith  ;  and  it  were  well  for  Reformed  England,  if  her 
 clergy  and  laity  would  emulate  the  hardnefs  which 
 their's  endure. 
 
 If  Roman  priefts  have  celibacy  and  poverty  bound 
 upon  them,  and  we  have  received  no  fuch  command,  do 
 not  ours  openly  traffic  in  the  cure  of  fouls  for  their  chil- 
 dren's fake  ?  If  they  invocate  the  Blefled  Virgin,  and  the 
 holy  Apoftles,  we  feem  almoft  to  deny  the  Communion 
 of  Saints  :  neglecting  and  depreciating  feftivals  ap- 
 pointed by  the  Church,  which  fhould  be  to  us  joyful 
 occafions  of  prayer  and  thankfgiving,  with  the  whole 
 Church  vifible  and  invifible,  "  knit  together  in  one  com- 
 
1675]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  89 
 
 munion  and  fellowfhip,  in  the  myftical  body  of  Chrifl 
 our  Lord."*  If  their  religion  exceeds  in  ceremonial, 
 we  have  well  nigh  given  up  the  reverential  folemnities 
 of  worfhip.  If  their  Churches  are  gorgeous  with  images, 
 and  multiply  altars,  we  fuiFer  the  damp  walls  and  moul- 
 dering roofs  of  God's  houfe  to  fall  to  decay,  fide  by 
 fide  with  the  lavifh  decorations  of  our  own  dwellings. 
 
 Ken  clearly  faw  the  perverfions  into  which  the  Eng- 
 lifh  Church  was  then  betrayed, — the  Puritan  extremes 
 into  which  fhe  was  falling  from  a  fierce  antagonifm 
 to  Rome.  He  perceived  how  fhe  had  relaxed  her 
 difcipline,  and  almoft  forgotten  the  nature  of  a  holy 
 obedience  :  how  every  priefl  fet  up  his  own  flandard 
 of  conformity,  as  the  meafure  of  his  dodlrine  and 
 practice,  with  little  or  no  regard  to  primitive  antiquity, 
 or  the  injundhions  of  his  Diocefan ;  fo  that  freedom  of 
 thought  in  matters  of  dodlrine,  and  liberty  of  adion  in 
 ecclefiaflical  order,  came  to  be  equally  infifted  on  by 
 the  laity  alfo. 
 
 Whoever  attempted  to  reflore  a  flridlly  uniform 
 prad:ice,  or  urged  the  real  nature  and  efficacy  of  the 
 Sacraments,  or  fhowed  in  his  perfonal  living  a  holy 
 mortification,  was  accufed  of  a  defign  to  introduce  the 
 fuperflitious  formalifm  of  Rome.  Thus  it  was  that 
 Ken's  regard  to  every  ordinance  of  the  Anglican  Church, 
 his  afcetic  life,  and  his  deep  fenfe  of  Chriflian  myf- 
 teries,  were  taken  at  this  time  by  many  of  his  flock  to 
 be  an  indication  of  his  leaning  towards  the  Papacy.   But 
 
 *  "The  Fealls  and  Fafts  of  the  Church  are  happy  days,  fet  apart 
 for  the  remembrance  of  God's  love." 
 
 Ken's  Expofition  of  the  Catcchifm.     Ed.  1686,  p.  84. 
 
90  Life  6/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1675 
 
 he  lived  down  thefe  prejudices,  zealoufly  and  confiftently 
 fetting  forth  In  word  and  deed  the  harmonious  dodlrlnes 
 of  the  Gofpel,  and  giving  example  of  a  ftridl  adherence 
 to  the  Church,  in  times  when  fhe  was  moft  In  danger. 
 He  continued  at  Winchester  three  years  after  his  return 
 from  Rome,  purfuing  the  fame  ftudious  mortified  life, 
 the  fame  unremitted  labours  to  promote  the  fpiritual 
 advancement  of  all  who  lived  within  his  fphere. 
 
679]       Bipjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  91 
 
 CHAPTER  VIII. 
 
 Early  life  of  JVilUam  Prince  of  Orange — Delivers  Holland  from 
 the  power  of  Louis  XIV.  His  Marriage  to  the  Princefs 
 Mary — Ken  appointed  Chaplain  at  the  Hague — His  faith - 
 fulnefs  in  the  dif charge  of  his  office. 
 
 'HE  even  tenor  of  Ken's  life,  and  the 
 enjoyment  of  the  fociety  of  Bifhop  Mor- 
 ley,  Ifaak  Walton,  and  the  Fellows  of 
 the  College,  were  now  for  a  time  to  be 
 interrupted.  He  was  called  to  a  fphere,  lefs  conge- 
 nial to  his  tallies,  becaufe  In  the  immediate  circle  of  a 
 Court,  and  in  a  foreign  land.  The  duty  alTigned  him, 
 if  not  by  the  King,  probably  by  the  Duke  of  York, 
 was  the  fpiritual  guidance  of  the  Princefs  Mary,  whofe 
 principles  were  thought  to  be  in  danger  from  the 
 Prefbyterian  influence  of  her  hufband,  William  III. 
 of  Orange. 
 
 The  Hiftory  of  this  Prince  is  fo  linked  with  Eng- 
 lifh  politics,  and  therein  with  the  fortunes  of  Ken,  that 
 we  cannot  avoid  fome  brief  {ketch  of  his  early  life.  In 
 1 64 1  his  mother,  Princefs  Mary,  daughter  of  Charles 
 I.  was  married  to  William  II.  of  the  houfe  of  Orange. 
 This  union  was  brought  about  in  an  evil  hour  for  the 
 Stuarts,  and  in  the  end  led  to  their  extindlion.  The 
 marriage  was  celebrated  amid  the  tumults  which  hurried 
 Strafibrd  and  Laud  to  the  block,  ratified  the  League 
 and  Covenant  between  the  Scotch  and  Englifh  repub- 
 
92  Life  <?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1679 
 
 llcans,  and  at  length  prepared  the  nation  for  the  inde- 
 lible crime  of  the  King's  death. 
 
 Mary  loft  her  hufband  in  1650,  and  a  few  days  af- 
 terwards (the  4th  of  November)  gave  birth  to  a  poft- 
 humous  Prince,  the  future  Stadtholder  of  Holland, 
 and  deftined,  as  King  of  England,  to  wear  the  crown 
 of  her  anceftors.  On  the  Reftoration  of  her  brother 
 fhe  came  to  London  to  offer  her  congratulations, 
 and  to  conciliate  his  protedion  of  her  fon,  then  at  the 
 age  of  ten  years,  expofed  to  the  rule  of  republican 
 guardians,  and  excluded  from  his  family  honours  by 
 an  edid  of  the  States.  The  impulfes  of  maternal 
 affe6tion,  and  of  a  found  judgement,  prompted  her  to 
 this  vifit,  but  fealed  her  own  fate.  She  died  of  the 
 fmall  pox,  and  was  buried  in  Weftminfter  Abbey, 
 leaving  her  fon,  Prince  William,  to  the  harfhnefs  and 
 jealoufies  of  the  De  Witts,  unmitigated  by  any  fym- 
 pathy  from  Charles,  who  ought  now  to  have  proved 
 himfelf  his  natural  prote6tor. 
 
 In  1 670  Mary's  fifter,  the  Duchefs  of  Orleans,  as 
 defigning  as  fhe  was  beautiful,  paid  a  vifit  to  England, 
 at  the  inftance  of  Louis  XIV,  that  fhe  might  concert 
 a  clandeftine  peace  with  Charles. 
 
 The  objects  of  the  treaty,  were  to  engage  Charles's 
 co-operation  in  the  ruin  of  Holland,  his  nephew's 
 patrimony,  and  induce  him  to  avow  his  adherence  to 
 the  Church  of  Rome.  The  bribe  was  a  difhonourable 
 penfion  from  France,  and  the  promife  of  an  armed 
 force  to  render  himfelf  independent  of  his  Parliament. 
 The  whole  proved  a  fignal  failure.  He  had  neither 
 concern  enough  for  religion  to  avow  his  apoftacy  from 
 
1679]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  93 
 
 the  Church  of  England,  until  the  hand  of  death  was 
 upon  him,  —  nor  fufficient  courage  to  claim  the  prof- 
 fered aid  in  eftablifhing  an  abfolute  monarchy.  So  far 
 the  fubjedion  of  Holland  being  thus  accomplifhed,  the 
 Stadtholder  wrefted  the  crown  from  his  fuccefibr  :  fo 
 that  Charles,  who  fhould  have  prote6led  the  young 
 Prince,  fold  his  kingly  honour  at  a  vile  and  valuelefs 
 bargain. 
 
 The  young  Prince,  defcended  from  brave  and  pa- 
 triotic anceftors,  inherited  their  qualities.  Refledtive, 
 difcriminating,  unimpaflioned,  refolved,  —  of  a  modeft 
 taciturn  demeanour,  —  he  was  by  nature  of  a  fickly 
 conftitution,  but  habituated  to  hardships  and  fatigue  ; 
 daring  in  valour,  and  above  all  animated  with  an  ar- 
 dent love  for  his  country.  Bereaved  of  both  parents 
 at  an  early  age,  he  had  been  educated  under  the  more 
 than  maternal  care  of  his  grandmother,  Amelia,  Prin- 
 cefs  of  Solmes,  a  woman  of  fuperior  endowments.  By 
 her  example  and  precepts  he  acquired  a  force  of  mind, 
 that  afterwards  rendered  him  one  of  the  moft  diftin- 
 guifhed  princes  of  Europe. 
 
 His  great  rival,  Louis  XIV.  was  born  to  be  at 
 once  the  glory  and  the  fcourge  of  France.  Returning 
 from  his  baptifm,  which  had  been  delayed  till  his  fifth 
 year,  he  vifited  the  fick  bed  of  his  father  to  receive 
 the  parental  bleffing.  *'  I  rejoice,  my  fon,"  faid  the 
 dying  king,  "  that  you  are  made  a  Chriftian,  and  what 
 is  your  name  ? "  "  My  name,"  replied  the  boy,  already 
 corrupted  by  court-flatterers,  but  unconfcious  of  the 
 wound  he  infli6led,  "  is  Louis  XIV."  It  ftruck  as 
 an  ill  omen  on  the  father's  fpirit :    "  Not  yet,  —  not 
 
94  ^ip  ^Thomas  Ken,  [1679 
 
 yet,"  faid  he,  turning  on  the  other  fide  :  but  in  three 
 weeks  the  prophecy  was  fulfilled.  Louis  afcended  the 
 throne  in  1643. 
 
 It  would  be  out  of  place  to  detail  the  conquefts  he 
 achieved,  and  the  fuccefs  that  attended  his  diplomacy 
 in  all  foreign  countries.  Never  was  a  king  fupported 
 by  braver  armies,  or  ferved  by  more  fagacious  and  de- 
 voted minifliers  in  every  court  of  Europe.  He  was 
 trained  up,  from  an  early  age,  to  a  high  capacity  for 
 political  intrigue  under  the  counfels  of  Mazarin,  Col- 
 bert, and  others. — Inftruded  in  the  art  of  war  by  the 
 moft  celebrated  generals  of  the  age,  and  fharing  in 
 their  dangers  and  fatigues,  he  prepared  himfelf  to  take 
 the  lead  in  vaft  defigns,  that  for  a  time  extended  the 
 bounds  of  France  beyond  all  former  precedent.  The 
 conqueft  of  the  Spanifh  Netherlands,  and  of  the  free 
 ftates  of  Holland,  was  a  favourite  objecfl  of  his  am- 
 bition. To  "  humble  the  pride  of  imperious  Spain," 
 and  "  to  chaftife  the  infolence  of  thofe  upfl:art  Repub- 
 licans who  pretended  to  make  laws  for  crowned  heads," 
 were  thought  to  be  legitimate  enterprifes,  fimply  be- 
 caufe  they  tended  to  his  own  aggrandizement.  It  is  to 
 the  latter  only  we  have  to  addrefs  ourfelves,  as  con- 
 neding  the  thread  of  our  ftory. 
 
 He  opened  the  campaign  againft  the  United  Pro- 
 vinces in  1672  with  an  army  of  about  100,000  men, 
 commanded  by  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  the  Prince 
 de  Conde,  and  Marfhal  Turenne.  His  camp  was 
 attended  by  ambaffadors,  princes,  nobles,  and  officers 
 from  all  parts,  as  volunteers  and  witnefl^es  of  the  tri- 
 umph of'*  the  invincible  monarch."  The  States  and 
 Cities  of  Holland  were  divided  into  political  fadlions. 
 
1679]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  95 
 
 one  headed  by  the  De  Witts,  enthufiaftic  lovers  of  a 
 Republic,  the  other  favouring  the  Prince  of  Orange, 
 whom  the  democrats  had  deprived  of  the  office  of 
 Stadtholder,  under  a  "  Perpetual  Edi6l"  for  the  main- 
 tenance of  liberty.  In  the  midft  of  their  contefts 
 they  received  intelligence  that  the  enemy  had  effedled 
 at  Tolhuis  the  brilliant  pafTage  of  the  Rhine,  paffing 
 over  fixteen  fquadrons  of  cavalry  a  la  nage  under  the 
 command  of  De  Guiche, — a  fearful  augury  of  the  fate 
 of  their  country.  It  was  one  of  the  grandeft  fpeftacles 
 in  the  hiftory  of  war  to  fee  the  whole  French  army 
 drawn  up  in  array  on  the  oppofite  bank  of  the  river  to 
 witnefs  the  fuccefs  of  that  hazardous  exploit,  thought 
 by  Conde  himfelf  to  be  impracticable.  Vidlory  every 
 where  now  attended  the  French  arms  :  all  Europe 
 awaited  the  approaching  downfal  of  the  Republic. 
 
 Louis  having  advanced  from  one  conqueft  to  another, 
 and  made  himfelf  mafter  of  Utrecht,  the  States  were 
 compelled  to  fend  deputies  to  implore  his  clemency. 
 Nothing  lefs  would  fatisfy  the  haughty  monarch  than 
 their  entire  fubmiffion  to  his  own  terms,  which  would 
 at  once  have  fealed  their  difhonour  and  their  ruin.  He 
 even  demanded  that  the  Provinces  fhould  fend  him 
 every  year  an  extraordinary  embaffy,  with  a  gold  me- 
 dal, as  an  acknowledgment  of  their  vafTalage.* 
 
 In  this  crifis  of  their  fortunes,  the  nation  had  re- 
 courfe  to  the  young  Prince  William,  as  their  only 
 hope.  He  had  already  given  indications  of  his  capa- 
 city for  command,  and  was  now  appointed  Captain 
 General  of  the  forces  of  Holland.     One  of  his  firft 
 
 *  Trevor's  Life  of  William  III.  vol.  i,  p.  49. 
 
96  Z.//'^ /p/' Thomas  Ken,  [1679 
 
 meafures,  to  obtain  delay,  was  to  open  the  fluices  of 
 the  great  dyke.  This  was  the  refource  of  a  brave 
 people,  refolved  to  lofe  all  but  their  freedom,  and 
 to  drown  their  territories  by  a  general  inundation 
 rather  than  fubmit  to  a  foreign  yoke.  A  popular  cla- 
 mour was  raifed  againft  De  Witt,  and  the  other  magif- 
 trates.  Holding  their  authority,  as  Republicans  always 
 do,  by  the  uncertain  tenure  of  the  people's  will,  they 
 were  forced  to  repeal  the  "  Perpetual  Edi6t,"  to  re- 
 leafe  William  from  his  oath  of  felf-exclufion,  and  to 
 eledl  him  to  the  office  of  Stadtholder.  John  De  Witt 
 and  his  brother  fell  vidtims  to  the  fury  of  the  multi- 
 tude, under  a  falfe  impreffion  that  they  had  betrayed 
 the  country  to  their  enemies.  Doubtlefs  they  were 
 fincere  patriots ;  but  like  many  zealots  who  facrifice 
 every  thing  to  abftraft  principles  they  had  endangered 
 the  public  fafety  ;  and  now  by  a  violent  death  at  the 
 hands  of  the  mob  afforded  another  example  of  the 
 tyranny  of  democratic  rule. 
 
 To  all  human  calculations  the  fate  of  Holland  was 
 fealed  :  her  refources  were  exhaufted  ;  her  army  almoft 
 annihilated  ;  her  fortrefles  in  the  hands  of  a  proud 
 and  vidorious  enemy,  dreaded  for  the  cruelties  he 
 every  where  inflided,  and  confident  from  the  fignal 
 triumphs  already  achieved.  But  the  Prince,  rifing  un- 
 der all  his  difficulties,  feemed  infpired  by  the  genius 
 of  war.  Never,  perhaps,  was  a  greater  national  deli- 
 verance wrought  by  the  enterprife  and  fagacity  of  fo 
 young  a  warrior.  The  Englifh  minifter,  remonftrat- 
 ing  with  him  againft  the  rifk  he  was  incurring,  faid. 
 Do  you  not  fee  that  the  country  is  loft  ? "  His  anfwer 
 was,  *'  I  fee  it  is  in  great  danger ;   but  there  is  a  fure 
 
1679]      Bijhop  of  Bath  a?id  Wells,  97 
 
 way  never  to  fee  it  loft,  and  that  Is  to  die  in  the  laft 
 ditch." 
 
 In  this  fpirit  he  opened  the  campaign  with  the  rem- 
 nant of  an  army,  in  number  not  one  fifth  that  of  the 
 French,  wanting  in  all  the  materials  of  war,  difpirited 
 by  defeat,  and  mainly  compofed  of  foreigners.  But 
 he  feemed  a  hoft  of  himfelf :  every  where  prefent,  and 
 undaunted,  he  infufed  his  own  courage  into  the  hearts 
 of  others.  He  was  calm  and  unmoved  in  the  midft  of 
 danger  becaufe  he  knew  no  fear,  of  keen  intelligence  to 
 difcover  each  weak  point,  and  prompt  to  remedy  every 
 defedt  and  error.  He  difplayed  fuch  an  inflexibility  of 
 mind,  fuch  a  genius  for  war,  and  fo  burning  a  zeal, 
 that  the  whole  nation  feemed,  at  his  command,  to  ftart 
 into  an  enthufiafm,  that  has  generally  been  thought 
 foreign  to  its  character. 
 
 The  Prince,  but  lately  a  youth  of  fickly  frame,  neg- 
 lected, thwarted,  excluded  from  his  family  honours, 
 the  indignant  witnefs  of  his  country's  defeat,  was  now 
 a  hero  in  the  eyes  of  all  furrounding  nations.  He  had 
 entered  the  lifts  as  the  champion  of  liberty  againft  the 
 conqueror  of  Europe.  Louis,  furprifed  at  the  fudden 
 effedt  of  his  great  qualities,  would  have  compromifed 
 with  him,  and  ofi^ered  to  make  him  a  Sovereign  Prince 
 over  a  part  of  the  United  Provinces  with  the  gua- 
 ranteed protection  of  England  and  France.  But  he 
 was  above  the  reach  of  any  fuch  perfonal  motive :  he 
 replied  that  "  he  would  never  betray  the  truft  repofed 
 in  him,  or  fell  the  liberties  of  his  country,  which  his 
 anceftors  had  fo  long  defended." 
 
 Profiting  by  the  jealoufy  of  other  princes,  who  were 
 alarmed  at  the  ambitious  projeds  of  Louis,  he  formed 
 
 H 
 
98  Life  of  Thomd-s  Ktn,         [1679 
 
 a  clofer  alliance  with  the  Eleftor  of  Brandenburg,  al- 
 ready engaged  on  the  fide  of  Holland,  and  prevailed 
 upon  the  Emperor  of  Germany  and  the  King  of  Spain 
 to  join  with  him  againfl  the  common  enemy.  He  was 
 himfelf  the  centre  of  union  among  the  allies.  He  com- 
 manded their  armies  againfl:  the  mofl;  renowned  gene- 
 rals of  France,  maintaining  his  prefence  of  mind  under 
 every  difficulty,  and  if  fometimes  defeated  he  foon 
 retrieved  his  lofs  by  an  almofl:  equal  fuccefs.  He  was 
 foremofl;  in  every  danger,  fertile  in  all  the  refources  of 
 a  great  commander,  and  extorting  praife  even  from  his 
 enemies.  "  The  young  Prince,"  faid  Conde,  after  the 
 drawn  battle  of  Senef,  "  has  fhown  all  the  qualities  of 
 the  mofl:  experienced  generals,  except  that  he  expofed 
 his  own  perfon  too  much."  At  length  the  French  were 
 driven  from  all  their  conquefl:s,  and  the  gratitude  of 
 his  country  awarded  to  William  and  his  fucceflbrs 
 the  hereditary  title  of  Stadtholder,  which  had  hitherto 
 been  elective  only. 
 
 In  1677  h^  came  over  to  England,  and  gained  the 
 hand  of  the  Princefs  Mary,  eldefl:  daughter  of  the 
 Duke  of  York,  as  his  father,  fix  and  thirty  years  be- 
 fore, had  received  that  of  Princefs  Mary,  daughter  of 
 Charles  I.  He  thus  cemented  by  a  double  bond  the 
 union  of  the  two  Houfes,  and  brought  himfelf  nearer 
 in  approach  to  the  fucceflion  of  the  Englifli  throne. 
 This  event  diffufed  great  joy  throughout  England,  as 
 tending  to  ftrengthen  the  Protefl:ant  interefl:s  in  Eu- 
 rope, and  to  counterad  the  dangers  apprehended  from 
 the  known  preference  of  Charles,  and  the  avowed  con- 
 verfion  of  James,  to  the  Church  of  Rome.  But  Wil- 
 liam was  fenfible  that  his  continued  prefence  in  England 
 
1679]       BiJIjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  99 
 
 would  not  be  acceptable  at  Court,  his  very  popularity 
 being  thought  to  give  encouragement  to  the  difaffeded. 
 On  the  29th  of  November,  therefore,  three  weeks  after 
 his  marriage,  he  prudently  returned  to  Holland  with 
 his  young  bride  and  their  attendants.  His  near  rela- 
 tive and  favourite.  Count  Zuleftein,  and  Miftrefs  Jane 
 Worth,  were  of  the  number ;  the  latter  as  maid  of 
 honour  to  the  Princefs.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Sir 
 Henry  Worth,  and  of  Anne,  fifter  to  Lord  Maynard. 
 It  was  not  likely  in  the  common  courfe  of  events 
 that  this  royal  wedding  fhould  have  any  influence  on 
 the  humble  fortunes  of  Ken.  Yet  fo  it  proved  ;  for 
 within  two  years  he  was  appointed  Chaplain  to  Mary 
 at  the  Hague.  Thus  the  meek  hymnift  of  Winchefter, 
 known  only  to  his  flock  and  neighbours  by  an  untiring 
 devotion  to  the  duties  of  his  cure,  was  brought  into 
 relation  with  three  fucceflive  Kings,  Charles,  James, 
 and  William.  Some  paflages  in  his  fermon,  preached 
 •at  Whitehall,  after  he  was  Bifliop,  on  the  text,  "  O 
 Daniel  greatly  beloved,"  (Dan.  x.  ver.  11)  are  marked 
 by  an  unconfcious  analogy  to  his  own  court-life.  He 
 there  defcribes  the  Prophet,  whofe  charadler  he  is  hold- 
 ing up  to  view,  living  in  the  royal  palace  as  an  afcetic 
 and  a  faint,  as  well  as  a  courtier ;  never  wilfully  of- 
 fending, yet  bold  and  intrepid,  exercifing  abfliinence, 
 prayer,  and  alms ;  "  enjoying  the  highefl;  favour  and 
 honour,  yet  innocent  and  untainted,  fliill  keeping  his 
 virgin  love  for  God,  his  greatly  Beloved,  retiring  into 
 his  own  chamber  three  times  a  day  for  folemn  prayer, 
 as  into  his  oratory  ;  and  when  his  prayers  were  heard, 
 afcribing  all  to  God,  and  nothing  to  himfelf,  and  blef- 
 fing  the  God  of  Heaven." 
 
loo  Life  of  Thomas  Ken,         [1679 
 
 The  Prlncefs  had  two  Chaplains ;  one  to  be  her  "  Al- 
 moner and  Chaplain  to  her  own  perfon,  who  properly 
 reprefented  the  Church  of  England  in  Holland,  and 
 regulated  all  things  relating  to  the  Chapel  and  wor- 
 fhip  of  God."  *  To  this  office  George  Hooper  had 
 been  firft  appointed,  on  the  recommendation  of  Arch- 
 bifhop  Sancroft.  No  one  could  be  better  qualified  for 
 the  truft ;  he  remained  a  year  and  a  half,  and  it  was 
 not  without  great  relucftance  that  Mary  parted  with 
 him.  But  he  became  very  tired  of  his  poft,  though 
 not  of  the  Princefs,  for  whom  he  ever  retained  the 
 higheft  refped,  and  received  many  proofs  of  her  per- 
 fonal  regard  after  her  acceffion  to  the  Englifh  throne. 
 Probably  on  coming  away  he  mentioned  his  friend 
 Ken; — or  Sancroft  might  have  been  again  the  channel 
 of  recommendation  ; — or  poffibly  Lord  Maynard,  who 
 was  Comptroller  of  the  King's  houfehold.  Be  this  as 
 it  may,  the  appointment  could  not  be  declined,  as  the 
 King's  wifh  was  equal  to  a  command  :  otherwife  the 
 incivilities  that  Hooper  had  met  with  from  the  Prince 
 of  Orange  would  have  deterred  him  from  hazarding 
 a  like  treatment. 
 
 William  was  a  hero  in  the  field,  but  not  an  amiable 
 mafler  :  his  condu6l  to  Hooper  was  unworthy  of  a 
 Prince  ;  and  Ken  fared  little  better  at  his  hands.  It 
 was  fortunate  for  Dr.  Hooper  that  he  had  independent 
 means  of  living  ;  for  "  all  the  time  he  was  in  Holland 
 he  was  never  offered  any  money.  The  other  Chaplain 
 was  a  worthy  man,  but  not  fo  well  provided  with  fub- 
 fiflence  in  England,  and  not  doubting  but  he  fhould 
 
 *  Proufe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper. 
 
1679]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        i  o  i 
 
 have  a  handfome  ftipend  for  his  attendance,  he  ran  To 
 far  in  debt  that  he  was  fo  unhappy  as  to  die  under  con- 
 finement by  a  broken  heart,  never  being  able  to  get 
 one  fhilHng  of  the  Prince.  But  tlie  night  before  Dr. 
 Hooper  was  to  embark,  when  he  left  Holland,  Mr. 
 Bentinck,  afterwards  Lord  Portland,  fent  a  fervant  to 
 him  with  a  bag  in  which  the  fervant  told  him  there  was 
 70/.  and  an  excufe  for  its  being  fent  no  fooner.  This 
 was  all  Dr.  Hooper  had  for  a  year  and  a  half's  attend- 
 ance  ;  a  fpecimen  of  Dutch  generoiity,  of  which  I  could 
 give  more  inftances." 
 
 "  The  Do6tor  found  that  fome  books  had  been  put 
 into  the  Princefs's  hands  (who  was  a  great  reader)  to  in- 
 cline her  to  a  more  favourable  opinion  of  the  DifTenters, 
 than  was  confiftent  with  that  regard  which  a  perfon  fo 
 near  the  throne  ought  to  have,  for  the  prefervation  of 
 the  Church  of  England  :  which  made  him  take  all  op- 
 portunities to  recommend  her  to  fuch  books  as  would 
 give  her  the  cleareft  notions  of  Church  Communion  and 
 Government,  and  the  great  obligations  to  fubmit  to 
 them.  The  Prince  coming  one  day  into  her  apart- 
 ment, happened  to  find  Eufebius's  Church  Hiftory,  and 
 Hooker's  Ecclefiaftical  Polity  lying  before  her  High- 
 nefs,  and  fhe  reading  in  one  of  them,  when  he,  with 
 great  commotion  and  eagernefs,  faid,  What,  I  fuppofe 
 Dr.  Hooper  perfuades  you  to  read  thefe  books."  * 
 
 From  the  fame  fource  which  furnifhes  thefe  anec- 
 dotes we  are  able  to  give  one  or  two  further  charadier- 
 ifl:ics  of  the  Stadtholder,  fimply  as  bearing  on  the  diffi- 
 culties Ken  afterwards  met  with,  when  he  a(51:ed  in  the 
 
 *   Proufe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper. 
 
I02  Life  i?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1679 
 
 fame  capacity.  *'  Dr.  Hooper,  when  he  came  into 
 Holland,  found  the  Princefs  without  any  regular  cha- 
 pel for  Divine  Service,  and  the  houfe  fo  fmall  as  to  af- 
 ford no  room  to  make  one,  except  the  dining  room  in 
 which  fhe  dined,  for  the  Prince  and  Princefs  never  eat 
 together,  as  the  States  and  their  officers  often  were  ad- 
 mitted to  his  table  ;  but  not  fit  guefts  for  her's.  This 
 room  fhe  readily  parted  with  for  that  ufe  (and  ever 
 after,  at  leaft  as  long  as  Dr.  H.  ftaid  there,  dined  in  a 
 fmall  dark  parlour)  and  ordered  Dr.  H.  to  fee  the 
 room  fitted  up  in  a  proper  manner  for  her  Chapel,  and 
 when  it  was  near  finifhed.  Her  Highnefs  bid  Dr.  H. 
 attend  on  fuch  a  day,  when  the  Prince  intended  to  come 
 and  fee  what  was  done.  Accordingly  the  Prince  came, 
 and  as  there  was  a  ftep  or  two  at  the  Communion 
 Table,  and  another  for  the  chair  where  the  Princefs 
 was  to  fit,  he  kicked  at  them  with  his  foot,  afking  what 
 they  were  for,  which  being  told  in  a  proper  manner,  he 
 anfwered  with  a  hum.  When  the  Chapel  was  fit  for  ufe, 
 the  Prince  never  came  to  it,  but  on  Sunday  evenings, 
 the  Princefs  conftantly  attending  twice  a-day,  and  for 
 fear  fhe  fhould  ever  make  Dr.  Hooper,  or  the  con- 
 gregation, wait  beyond  the  appointed  time,  fhe  ordered 
 him,  when  it  was  fo,  to  come  to  her  apartment,  and 
 fhow  himfelf  only,  as  fhe  would  immediately  come."  * 
 The  Prince  afterwards  learned  to  behave  himfelf 
 more  reverently  before  the  Altar,  when  he  poffefied 
 himfelf  of  the  Palace  at  Whitehall.  It  might  be  no 
 reproach  to  him,  as  a  Prefbyterian,  that  he  fhould  take 
 umbrage  at  the  Princefs  ftudying  Hooker's  Ecclefiaftl- 
 
 *  Proufc  MSS. 
 
1679]     Bipjop  of  Bath  a7td  Wells.  103 
 
 cal  Polity  :  but  it  was  no  mark  of  his  tolerant  fpirit  to 
 treat  with  difrefpedl  and  contempt  the  circumftantials 
 of  the  Church  into  which  fhe  was  baptized.  It  is 
 creditable  to  his  judgment  and  his  heart  that,  when 
 he  had  better  opportunities  to  inform  himfelf  of  the 
 real  principles  and  ritual  of  the  Church  of  England, 
 he  cordially  adopted  them.  Would  that  all  who  have 
 the  fame  opportunities  were  equally  teachable.  But 
 to  proceed  with  Hooper's  memoirs. 
 
 "  One  day  the  Prince  was  talking  with  Dr.  Hooper 
 about  the  great  diftradlions  then  in  England  at  the 
 time  of  the  Popifh  Plot,  and  the  great  indulgence  in- 
 tended to  be  fhown  to  the  Diflenters.  But  the  Do6tor 
 not  exprefling  himfelf  fo  favourable  to  thofe  meafures 
 as  he  liked  or  expedled,  the  Prince  faid  to  him,  ^  Well, 
 Dr.  Hooper,  you  will  never  be  a  bifhop.'  For  al- 
 though the  Do6lor  a(5ted  with  great  prudence  and  de- 
 corum in  the  difficult  ftation  he  was  in,  fo  as  to  give 
 the  Prince  no  juft  occafion  of  offence,  yet  he  would 
 never  yield  by  undue  compliance,  where  the  Church 
 of  England,  or  any  thing  belonging  to  it,  was  concerned, 
 which  made  the  Prince  once  fay  to  one  that  was  in  his 
 confidence  if  ever  he  had  any  thing  to  do  with  Eng- 
 land Dr.  Hooper  fhould  be  Dr.  Hooper  ftill."  He 
 little  thought  that  the  Chaplain  would  furvive  him 
 many  years,  and  be  confecrated  a  Bifhop. 
 
 The  firft  notices  we  have  of  Ken  in  his  new  employ- 
 ment at  the  Hague,  appear  in  the  diary  of  the  Hon. 
 Henry  Sidney,*  ambaffador  from  England  to  the  Court 
 of  Holland.      Ken's  office  was  "  to  regulate  the  per- 
 
 *   Afterwards  Lord  Romney.      See  his  Diary,  31ft  March,  1679. 
 
104  L^f^  (?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1679 
 
 formance  of  Divine  Service  in  the  Princefs's  chapel,  ac- 
 cording to  the  ufage  of  the  Church  of  England."  Haw- 
 kins fays,  "  In  this  poft,  his  moft  prudent  behaviour, 
 and  ftridl  piety,  gained  him  entire  credit  and  high  ef- 
 teem  with  the  Princefs  whom  to  his  death  he  diftin- 
 guifhed  by  the  title  of  his  Miftrefs."*  But  he  found 
 in  the  difpofition  of  the  Prince  nothing  kindred  to  his 
 own.  He  himfelf  was  "  lively  and  cheerful  in  his  tem- 
 per, difpofed  to  be  facetious  and  entertaining,"  f  a  cha- 
 rafter  quite  in  harmony  with  that  of  an  earneft  Chriftian. 
 William  was  of  an  unfympathizing  nature,  referved, 
 morofe,  bold  in  war  and  the  chafe,  nurtured  amid  the 
 turbulence  and  confufion  of  political  ftrife,  which  make 
 men  harfh  and  felfifh.  Moreover  Ken  foon  perceived 
 that  he  treated  the  young  Princefs  with  undeferved  cold- 
 nefs  and  feverity,- — infomuch  that  himfelf  and  others 
 attributed  her  declining  health  to  his  unkind  ufage  and, 
 as  Sidney  expreffes  it  in  his  Diary,  "  were  mightily  for 
 her  going  into  England."  "Even  before  they  had  failed 
 for  Holland,  the  Court  began  to  wifper  the  Prince's  ful- 
 lennefs,  or  clownifhnefs,  that  he  took  no  notice  of  his 
 Princefle  at  the  playe  or  balle,  nor  came  to  fee  her  at 
 St.  James's  the  day  preceding  this  defigned  for  their 
 departure.":}: 
 
 Ken  with  his  ufual  falthfulnefs,  refolved  to  difcharge 
 the  truft  committed  to  him,  and  to  remonftrate  with 
 the  Prince,  "  though  he  fhould  kick  him  out  of  doors."  § 
 His  Chriftian  temper,  blending  with  an  apoftollc  fear- 
 lefTnefs,  well  fitted  him  for  fo  difficult  a  tafk  :  he  could 
 admonifh,  and  yet  foften  the  edge  of  his  rebuke.     Too 
 
 *  Life  of  Ken,  p.  7.  f  Ibid,  p.  5. 
 
 I  Dr.  Lake's  MS.  Diary,  printed  by  the  Camden  Society  in  1 846. 
 
 §  Sidney's  Diary,  vol.  2,  p.  19, 
 
i68o]       Bijljop  of  Bath  a7id  JVells.       105 
 
 guilelefs  to  underftand  the  arts  of  flattery,  he  confidered 
 it  a  part  of  his  commiffion  to  protecfl  all  who  came 
 within  the  fphere  of  his  miniftry.  How  he  fared  with 
 the  Prince  in  this  critical  undertaking  is  not  related : 
 but  painful  truths,  brought  home  to  the  confciences  of 
 thofe  accuftomed  to  command,  irritate  rather  than  per- 
 fuade.  It  may  be  inferred  from  the  fequel  that  he 
 proved  an  unwelcome  monitor.  A  circumftance  foon 
 after  occurred  in  the  court  of  the  Stadtholder,  which 
 brought  upon  Ken  the  full  weight  of  his  difpleafure. 
 
 Count  Zulefl:ein,  under  a  promife  of  marriage,  had 
 gained  the  heart  and  confidence  of  the  beautiful  Jane 
 Worth,  maid  of  honour  to  the  Princefs ;  but  from  a 
 fear  of  offending  William,  or  from  fome  other  caufe, 
 hefitated  to  fulfil  his  pledge.  Ken,  however,  was  con- 
 tent once  more  to  brave  the  frowns  of  the  Prince  for 
 the  fatisfadion  of  reftoring  peace  to  a  wounded  fpirit. 
 His  fympathy  was  called  forth  on  her  behalf :  fhe  was 
 a  countrywoman ;  and  could  claim  a  defcent  from  the 
 heroic  Sir  Philip  Sidney,  that  "  fhort-lived  ornament 
 of  his  noble  family,  and  the  Marcellus  of  the  Englifh 
 nation."  But  fhe  had  a  ftill  ftronger  title  to  his  pro- 
 tection ;  for  fhe  was  niece  to  his  early  patron.  Lord 
 Maynard,  her  mother  being  his  Lordfhip's  own  fifter 
 Anne  :  no  doubt  Ken  had  often  feen  them  bcth  at 
 Little  Eaflon.  All  thefe  confiderations  roufed  his  be- 
 neficent feelings  i  and  he  fo  flrenuoufly  urged  her 
 claims,  that  Zuleflein,  fubdued  by  his  perfuafive  plead- 
 ings to  a  fenfe  of  juftice,  made  all  the  reflitution  in  his 
 power  by  an  honourable  marriage.* 
 
 *  He  was  afterwards  created  Earl  of  Rochford,  and  the  title  de- 
 fcendcd  to  their  eldeft  fon. — Collins's  Peerage,  vol  iv.  p.  162. 
 
io6  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,  [1680 
 
 William  was  abfent  at  Amfterdam*  when  this  affair 
 took  place,  and  on  his  return  to  the  Hague  exprefled 
 the  greateft  indignation.  Yet  he  ought  not  to  have  felt 
 difhonoured  by  the  union  of  Zuleftein  (who  was  a  na- 
 tural fon  of  Prince  Henry  Frederick  of  Naffau)  with 
 a  defcendant,  of  the  houfe  of  Sidney.  He  might  have 
 remembered,  too,  the  friendfhip  between  Sir  Philip  and 
 his  own  illuftrious  anceftor,  William  of  Naffau,  the  de- 
 liverer of  his  country,  who  fent  a  meffage  to  Queen 
 Elizabeth  that  "  her  majefly  had  in  Sir  Philip  one  of 
 the  ripefl  and  greatefl  counfellors  of  ftate  in  Europe. "f 
 His  pride,  however,  was  hurt ;  and  perhaps  having 
 treafured  up  his  refentment  at  Ken's  former  unwelcome 
 interference,  threatened  to  difcharge  him  from  his  fer- 
 vice  for  the  part  he  had  now  taken. 
 
 The  Chaplain  was  far  from  feeling  any  regret  at  the 
 profpedl  of  returning  to  England  :  he  would  rather 
 accept  it  as  a  boon.  His  heart  was  in  Winchefter  ;  and 
 we  have  fufficient  evidence  that  in  the  palace  and  habits 
 of  the  Stadtholder  other  things,  befides  a  difference  of 
 religious  tenets,  were  inconfiftent  with  his  fenfe  of  right. 
 Inftead,  therefore,  of  deprecating  William's  anger,  he 
 obtained  leave  of  the  Princefs  to  retire.  But  he  flood 
 fo  high  in  the  efteem  of  all  men  that  the  Prince  was 
 unwilling  to  incur  the  obloquy  of  difmiffing  him,  efpe- 
 cially  for  an  a6t  that  could  not  but  be  applauded  in 
 England.  William  looked  forward  to  reap  the  advan- 
 tage of  the  Duke  of  York's  exclufion  from  the  Englifh 
 throne,  as  a  Popifh  Recufant,  for  which  a  bill  had  al- 
 
 *  Sidney's  Diary,  vol.  ii.  p.  162. 
 
 t   Lord  Brooke's  Life  of  Sir  Ph.  Sydney. 
 
i68o]      Bijldop  of  Bath  and  JVells.         107 
 
 ready  been  introduced  into  the  Houfe  of  Commons. 
 He  was  anxious  to  conciliate  the  favour  of  all  parties  : 
 he  determined  therefore  to  control  his  feelings  ;  and  fo 
 "  entreated  him  to  return  to  his  former  poft  and  re- 
 fpedt."  Ken's  placable  fpirit  was  not  difficult  to  per- 
 fuade  ;  "  he  confented  to  continue  for  one  year  longer, 
 during  which  time  he  was  taken  into  a  fhow  of  great 
 familiarity,  and  when  that  year  expired  he  returned  for 
 England."* 
 
 The  clofe  of  his  duties  at  the  Hague  was  cheered  by 
 an  event  that  marks  the  powerful  effedl  of  his  miniftry. 
 His  fervent  eloquence,  and  afFedtionate  zeal, — his  fim- 
 plicity  and  holinefs  of  life,  made  their  way  to  the  hearts 
 even  of  men  of  other  creeds.  Not  only  Prefbyterians, 
 but  Roman  Catholics,  went  to  hear  him  preach.  The 
 pure  Anglican  dodlrine  was  brought  out  in  its  full 
 force ;  not  in  the  way  of  controverfy,  but  by  demon- 
 ftration  from  the  infpired  oracles.  In  the  fpirit  of  pri- 
 mitive teaching  he  convinced  his  hearers  of  the  apoftolic 
 origin  and  authority  of  our  Epifcopate.  It  is  probable 
 there  were  feveral  inftances  of  converfion  :  but  one  that 
 took  place  from  the  Church  of  Rome  was  deemed  of 
 fufficient  importance  to  be  communicated  to  Archbifhop 
 Bancroft,  with  whom  Ken  had  already  commenced  a 
 friendfhip,  afterwards  fo  feverely  tefted.  Henry  Sidney 
 mentions'!"  the  intended  converfion  of  Colonel  Fitz  Pa- 
 trick from  the  Romifh  Communion.  Two  days  after 
 he  notices  a  conference  between  the  Colonel  and  Dr. 
 Ken;  and  on  the  13th  of  September  the  Chaplain 
 writes  this  unpretending  letter  to  Sancroft. 
 
 *  Hawkins,  p.  8.  f  Diary,  29th  Auguft,  1680. 
 
io8  Liife  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1680 
 
 "  For  His  Grace  the  Archblfhop  of  Canterbury. 
 
 "  My  very  Good  Lord, 
 "  I  SHOULD  not  dare  to  make  this  invalion  on  Your 
 Grace,  but  that  my  duty  enforces  me,  and  the  ambition 
 I  have  to  fend  news,  which  I  know  will  be  extremely 
 welcome  to  your  Grace,  and  the  rather  becaufe  it  is  of 
 a  convert  to  our  Church,  and  of  a  convert,  who  is  no 
 lefTe  a  perfon  than  Collonell  Fitz  Patrick ;  who  upon 
 a  deliberate  enquiry  is  fo  fully  fatisfy'd  with  our  Church, 
 that  he  communicates  with  us  next  Lord's  day  in  the 
 Princefs's  Chapel.  'Tis  not  to  be  imagined  how  much 
 both  their  Highnefles  are  pleafed  with  the  Colonel's 
 happy  refolution,  and  the  Prince  commanded  me  to 
 give  my  Lord  of  London  a  particular  account  of  it, 
 which  I  have  done.  &c. 
 
 "  I  mofl  earneftly  begge  Your  Grace's  benedidlion 
 "  My  Good  Lord, 
 
 "  Your  Grace's  moft  obedient  and 
 moft  humble  fervant, 
 
 Hague,  Sept.  13th,  1680.  "  Tho.  Ken."* 
 
 He  would  not  have  been  defired  by  the  Prince  to 
 fend  the  Bifhop  of  London  particulars  of  the  progrefs 
 of  this  converfion,  had  he  not  been  the  principal  inftru- 
 ment  of  bringing  it  about :  yet  he  makes  no  mention 
 of  himfelf ;  his  only  thought  is  the  caufe  of  truth,  and 
 the  good  of  his  fellow-men. 
 
 *  Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  38. 
 
i68o]      Bip^ op  of  Bath  and  Wells.         109 
 
 CHAPTER  IX. 
 
 Ken  returns  from  the  Hague — appointed  Chaplain  to  the  King 
 — Mis  Funeral  Sermon  on  Lady  Margaret  Maynard — The 
 Court  of  Charles  II.  at  JVmcheJler — Ken  refufes  the  ufe  of 
 his  Prebendal  houfe  to  Nell  Gwin, 
 
 HE  time  was  now  arrived  for  Ken's  hap- 
 py return  to  England.  He  did  not,  as 
 Hawkins  mentions,  remain  in  Holland 
 nc^^^  till  the  end  of  the  year  :  it  is  certain  that 
 he  was  in  London,  in  the  houfe  of  his  friend  Francis 
 Turner,  in  Amen  Corner,  Weftminfter,  in  Odlober, 
 1680.  No  fooner  did  he  arrive  than  the  King  rewarded 
 his  faithfulnefs  by  appointing  him  one  of  his  own  Chap- 
 lains. Hawkins  and  Wood  both  fay  that  "  the  King 
 did  not  fhow  any  diflike  of  his  behaviour  in  Holland." 
 It  was  not  probable  he  fhould  do  fo ;  for  "  his  moft 
 prudent  behaviour,  and  ftrld:  piety  gained  him  entire 
 credit,  and  high  efteem  with  the  Princefs  Mary,"  who 
 probably  recommended  him  to  the  King's  favour. 
 Moreover,  Lord  Maynard's  influence  would  naturally 
 be  exercifed  in  favour  of  the  protestor  of  his  niece, 
 Jane  Worth,  now  Madame  Zuleftein. 
 
 If  the  Prince  ftill  cherifhed  any  refentment  againft 
 Ken,  it  was  not  likely  to  lower  him  in  the  good  graces 
 of  Charles,  who  had  never  fhown  any  affeftion  for  his 
 nephew.  William  was  too  near  in  fucceffion,  and  in 
 too  clofe  correfpondence  with  the  anti-court  party  in 
 
no  L/fe  of  Thomas  Ktn^         [1680 
 
 England,  not  to  be  an  objed  of  jealoufy  to  the  royal 
 brothers.  The  Princefs,  his  wife,  was  heir  prefumptive 
 to  the  throne ;  and  when  fhortly  afterwards  the  Ox- 
 ford Parliament  again  propofed  to  exclude  the  Duke 
 of  York,  and  banifh  him  from  England,  as  an  avowed 
 Papift,  the  Houfe  of  Commons  declared  that  the  Go- 
 vernment (on  the  King's  demife)  fhould  be  vefted  in 
 them,  as  Regents ;  and  CommiiTioners  were  to  have 
 been  fent  over  to  receive  the  oaths  of  William  and 
 Mary  that  they  would  take  on  themfelves  the  trufts 
 of  the  intended  a6t.  The  King,  to  prevent  the  pro- 
 fecution  of  this  fcheme,  fuddenly  dlflblved  parliament ; 
 but  the  Prince  was  ftill  openly  regarded  by  the  mal- 
 contents as  the  main  hope  of  the  nation  for  preferving 
 the  Proteftant  religion.  Apart,  therefore,  from  all 
 other  influences,  the  circumftance  of  Ken's  having  in- 
 curred the  Prince's  difpleafure,  would  rather  advance 
 than  impede  his  promotion  at  the  hands  of  the  King. 
 Wood  fixes  the  appointment  In  1679,*  Bowles  In 
 168 1, f  and  Hawkins  in  1684,  after  his  return  from 
 Tangier.;];  Hawkins  is  plainly  mlfl:aken  ;  for  In  the 
 books  of  the  Lord  Chamberlain's  office  there  Is  a  me- 
 morandum of  a  letter,  dated  the  25th  of  January, 
 i68|:,  written  to  Dr.  Vincent  (another  of  the  Royal 
 Chaplains)  defiring  him  "  to  wayte  In  February  next, 
 for  Dr.  Kenn,  he  being  at  fea  in  His  Majefty's  fervlce," 
 fhowing  that  he  was  Chaplain  before  the  expedition  to 
 Tangier. 
 
 The  Records  of  the  Lord  Chamberlain's  office  ought 
 
 *  Athene  Oxon.  Vol.  ii.  p.  989.       \  Life  of  Ken,  Vol.  ii.  p.  63. 
 X  Hawkins'  Life  of  Ken,  p.  7. 
 
i68o]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         1 1 1 
 
 to  give  the  very  day  of  his  appointment :  but  the  books 
 are  defe6live  at  the  exa(5t  period  when  it  took  place.  It 
 is  certain,  however,  that  he  was  not  chaplain  at  any 
 time  between  the  14th  of  January  1677  and  the  30th 
 of  July  1680,  during  which  the  registers  are  perfect. 
 The  following  letter,  extant  in  the  office,  fhows  that 
 he  was  appointed  between  the  date  of  his  letter  to  San- 
 croft,  (the  13th  of  September)  and  the  2iftof  Odlober 
 1680.  So  that  the  time  is  afcertained  within  a  few 
 weeks.  It  is  not  improbable  that  this  letter  was  the 
 firft  official  notice  he  received  of  the  King's  favour. 
 
 Oaober  21ft,  1680. 
 ''  Sir, 
 "  There  being  five  Sundays  of  this  month  of  October 
 I  have  thought  proper  to  appoint  you  to  preach  before 
 His  Majefty  at  Whitehall  upon  the  laft  Sunday  in  this 
 month  ;  but,  underftanding  that  it  would  be  more  con- 
 venient for  you  to  preach  upon  Sunday  next,  I  have 
 prevailed  with  the  Dean  of  Chichefter,  who  is  in  wayt- 
 ing,  to  preach  upon  the  laft  Sunday,  and  that  you 
 fhould  preach  before  His  Majefty  upon  Sunday  next 
 at  Whitehall,  and  fo  perform  that  duty  accordingly. 
 "  Thus  I  reft  your  loving  friend, 
 
 "  Arlington." 
 
 For  Dr.  Ken, 
 
 at  Dr,  Turner's,  Amen  Corner. 
 
 There  is  no  record  of  this  his  firft  fermon  before  the 
 Court.  In  the  lifts  of  Lent  Preachers,  in  the  London 
 Gazette  for  1681  and  1682,  his  name  does  not  appear. 
 Probably,  therefore,  he  only  took  his  turn  in  the  ordi- 
 nary rotation  of  the  Chaplains  in  thofe  years.     In  the 
 
112  Life  of  Thom2iS  Ken,         [1682 
 
 lift  of  1683  he  was  appointed  to  preach  before  the 
 King  on  Afh  Wednefday,  and  again  in  1684  on  Afh 
 Wednefday  the  27  th  of  February  :  but  at  this  latter 
 date  he  was  abfent  at  Tangier,  and  Dr.  Vincent  preached 
 for  him.  The  Chaplaincy  required  only  occafional  at- 
 tendance in  London,  where  he  had  no  engagements 
 to  keep  him  from  Winchefter.  But  in  the  fummer  of 
 1682  he  was  fummoned  to  the  death  bed  of  his  early 
 friend,  Lady  Margaret  Maynard,  that  he  might  minif- 
 ter  to  her  the  offices  of  the  Church.  We  have  already 
 feen  that  his  firft  appointment  after  ordination  was  the 
 Redlory  of  Little  Eafton,  and  that  he  had  "  for  near 
 twenty  years  been  admitted  to  Lady  Margaret's  moft 
 intimate  thoughts."  To  him  fhe  had  made  "^  confef- 
 fions  of  her  frequent  fevere  examinations  of  her  con- 
 fcience  ; "  and  now  in  her  laft  hour  fhe  received  the 
 Holy  Communion  at  his  hands.  It  was  natural,  there- 
 fore, that  he  fhould  be  Invited  to  preach  her  funeral 
 fermon.  It  cannot  but  be  Interefting  to  hear  fomething 
 of  Ken's  heartfelt  and  eloquent  pralfe  of  this  "  gracious 
 woman,"  confirmed  In  holy  affections  by  his  own  paf- 
 toral  influence. 
 
 Before  he  enters  on  her  perfonal  charadler  he  offers 
 a  glowing  tribute  to  female  piety  in  general.  "  Wo- 
 men In  all  ages  have  given  many  heroic  examples  of 
 fandlty  ;  befides  thofe  recorded  In  the  Old  Teftament, 
 many  of  them  are  named  with  great  honour  In  the 
 New,  for  their  affiduity  and  zeal  in  following  our  Sa- 
 viour, and  their  charity  In  miniftering  to  Him  of  their 
 fubftance.  They  accompanied  Him  to  Mount  Calvary, 
 lamented  His  fufferings,  waited  on  the  Crofs,  attended 
 the  fepulchre,  prepared  fpices  and  ointments ;  and  re- 
 
1862]       Bifljop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         1 1 3 
 
 gardlefs  either  of  the  infolence  of  the  rude  foldiers,  or 
 of  the  malice  of  the  Jews,  with  a  love  that  caft  out  all 
 fear,  they  came  on  the  firft  day  of  the  week,  before  the 
 morning  light,  to  embalm  Him  :  and  God  was  pleafed 
 to  honour  thefe  holy  women  accordingly,  for  they  firft 
 faw  the  angel,  who  told  them  the  joyful  news  that  He 
 was  rifen  ;  and  as  if  an  angel  had  not  been  a  meflenger 
 honourable  enough,  Jefus  Himfelf  firft  appeared  to  the 
 women, — the  women  firft  faw  and  adored  Him  ;  and  it 
 was  thefe  very  gracious  women  whom  our  Lord  fent  to 
 His  difciples,  that  women  might  firft  be  publiftiers  of 
 His  refurredlion,  as  angels  had  been  of  His  nativity. 
 Our  Saviour  Himfelf  has  ereded  an  everlafting  monu- 
 ment in  the  Gofpel  for  the  penitent  woman  that  anointed 
 Him  ;  and  God  Incarnate  honoured  the  fex  to  the 
 higheft  degree  imaginable  in  being  born  of  a  woman, 
 in  becoming  the  Son  of  a  Virgin  Mother,  whom  all 
 generations  ftiall  call  Blefted  ;  and  I  know  not  how  to 
 call  it,  but  there  is  a  meltingnefs  of  difpofition,  and  af- 
 fedionatenefs  of  devotion,  an  eafy  fenfibility,  an  induf- 
 trious  alacrity,  a  languiftiing  ardour  in  piety,  peculiar  to 
 the  fex,  which  renders  them  fubjedrs  more  pliable  to  the 
 divine  grace  than  men  commonly  are  ;  fo  that  Solomon 
 had  reafon  to  beftow  the  epithet  gracious  particularly 
 on  them,  and  to  fay  that  '  a  gracious  woman  retaineth 
 honour.'"* 
 
 Applying  this  general  charafter  to  the  immediate 
 object  of  his  affeftionate  eulogy,  "  I  cannot  tell,"  he 
 
 *  A  Sermon  preached  at  the  Funeral  of  the  Right  Honourable  the 
 Lady  Margaret  Mainard,  at  Little  Eafton,  in  EITex,  on  the  30th  of 
 June,  1682,  by  Dr.  Thomas  Ken. 
 
 I 
 
114  Life  of  Thorm.s  Ken,         [1682 
 
 fays,  "  what  one  help  fhe  negleded  to  fecure  her  perfe- 
 verance,  and  to  heighten  her  graces,  that  fhe  might 
 '  fhine  more  and  more  to  a  perfed  day.'  Her  oratory 
 was  the  place  where  fhe  principally  refided,  and  where 
 fhe  was  moft  at  home,  and  her  chief  employment  was 
 prayer  and  praife.  Out  of  feveral  authors,  fhe  for  her 
 own  ufe  tranfcribed  many  excellent  forms,  the  very 
 choice  of  which  does  argue  a  moft  experienced  piety  : 
 fhe  had  devotions  fuited  to  all  the  primitive  hours  of 
 prayer,  as  far  as  her  bodily  infirmities  and  necefTary 
 avocations  would  permit,  and  with  David  praifed  God 
 (kven  times  a  day,  or  fupplied  the  want  of  thofe  folemn 
 hours  by  a  kind  of  perpetuity  of  ejaculations,  which 
 fhe  had  ready  to  anfwer  all  occafions,  and  to  fill  up  all 
 vacant  intervals  ;  and  if  fhe  happened  to  wake  in  the 
 night,  of  proper  prayers  even  for  midnight  fhe  was 
 never  unprovided.  Thus  this  gracious  foul,  having 
 been  enkindled  by  fire  from  Heaven  in  her  baptlfm, 
 lived  a  continual  facrifice,  and  kept  the  fire  always 
 burning,  always  in  afcenfion,  always  afpiring  towards 
 Heaven  from  whence  it  fell. 
 
 "  Her  charity  made  her  fympathize  with  all  in  mi- 
 fery  :  and  befides  her  private  alms,  wherein  her  left 
 hand  was  not  confclous  to  her  right,  fhe  was  a  common 
 patronefs  to  the  poor  and  needy,  and  a  common  phy- 
 fician  to  her  fick  neighbours,  and  would  often  with  her 
 own  hands  drefs  their  moft  loathfome  fores,  and  fome- 
 times  keep  them  in  her  family,  and  would  give  them 
 both  diet  and  lodging,  till  they  were  cured,  and  then 
 clothe  them,  and  fend  them  home  to  give  God  thanks 
 for  their  recovery  ;  and  if  they  died,  her  charity  accom- 
 panied them  fometimes  to  the  grave,  and  fhe  took  care 
 
1 68  2]      Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         115 
 
 even  of  their  burial.  She  would  by  no  means  endure 
 that  by  the  care  of  plentifully  providing  for  her  chil- 
 dren the  wants  and  neceffities  of  any  poor  Chriftian 
 fhould  be  overlooked ;  and  defired  it  might  be  remem- 
 bered, that  alms,  and  the  poor's  prayers,  will  bring  a 
 greater  bleffing  to  them  than  thoufands  a  year." 
 
 But  we  muft  bring  thefe  extrads,  and  the  life  of 
 Lady  Margaret,  to  a  clofe,  that  we  may  return  to  the 
 hiftory  of  the  Preacher.  "  On  Whit  Sunday  fhe  re- 
 ceived her  Viaticum,  the  mofl:  holy  Body  and  Blood 
 of  her  Saviour,  and  having  received  abfolution,  fhe  in 
 a  fhort  time  was  happily  launched  into  the  ftate  of  fe- 
 paration  of  foul  and  body  ;  for  all  the  bonds  of  union 
 being  untied,  her  foul  was  fet  at  liberty,  and  on  the 
 wings  of  Angels  took  a  diredl  and  vigorous  flight  to 
 its  native  country.  Heaven,  from  whence  it  firfl  flew 
 down.  There  we  mufl:  leave  her  in  the  bofom  of  her 
 heavenly  Bridegroom,  where  how  radiant  her  crown  is, 
 how  extatic  her  joy,  how  high  exalted  fhe  is  in  degree 
 of  glory,  it  is  impoflible  to  be  defcribed ;  for  neither 
 eye  hath  feen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  has  it  entered  into  the 
 heart  of  man  to  be  conceived,  the  good  things  which 
 God  hath  prepared  for  thofe  that  love  Him,  of  all 
 which  flie  is  now  partaker." 
 
 From  this  glowing  defcription  of  the  chrifliian  cha- 
 racter, we  may  judge  how  little  he  was  himfelf  in- 
 fluenced by  the  varying  profeflions  of  the  world  ;  how 
 innocent  and  prayerful  was  his  own  life  in  the  midfl: 
 of  the  violent  parties  that  now  divided  the  nation. 
 The  hifliory  of  the  Englifli  court  at  this  period  pre- 
 fents  a  confufed  fcene  of  weaknefs  and  treachery,  almofl: 
 without  a  parallel.    The  King,  yielding  to  the  alternate 
 
ii6  Z.//'^  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1683 
 
 influence  of  the  Duchefs  of  Portfmouth,  of  Monmouth, 
 the  Duke  of  York,  and  Louis  XIV,  began  to  be 
 wearied  by  their  various  interefl:s  and  perfuafions. 
 He  had  no  confidence  in  himfelf,  or  thofe  about  him. 
 Real  or  pretended  Popifli  and  Protefliant  plots,  the 
 intrigues  of  his  Cabal  miniftry,  and  of  parties  favouring 
 the  hollow  pretenfions  of  the  Duke  of  Monmouth,  or 
 preffing  for  the  exclufion  of  the  Duke  of  York, — fome 
 defigning  a  republic,  others  a  confl:itutional  monarchy, 
 —  had  kept  the  public  mind  in  a  perpetual  ferment. 
 Charles  became  more  than  ever  averfe  to  bufinefs. 
 His  chief  care  was  to  obtain  the  means  of  gratifying 
 his  luxurious  and  profligate  tafl:es,  which  compelled 
 him  to  live  the  obfequious  penfioner  of  France.  His 
 time  was  divided  between  Windfor,  Newmarket,  and 
 Wincheflier. 
 
 At  the  lafl:  of  thefe  he  now  refolved  to  build  a  new 
 palace.  *'  Sir  Chrifl:opher  Wren  was  appointed  the 
 architedt,  who  drew  a  plan  and  an  elevation  for  the 
 whole  building,  partly  on  the  model  of  Verfailles,  in  a 
 fliyle  of  royal  magnificence.  This  being  approved,  he 
 laid  the  foundation  fl;one  of  the  edifice,  the  23rd 
 March,  1683.  The  work  was  carried  on  with  the 
 greatefl:  ardour ;  Charles  himfelf,  with  the  Duke  of 
 York,  being  frequently  there  for  a  confiderable  time 
 together  to  infpe6t  the  building,  from  whence  they 
 made  excurfions  to  Portfmouth,  and  hunting  parties  in 
 the  New  Forefl:."  *  Evelyn  fays,  "  the  defl:ru6lion  of 
 the  king's  houfe  at  Newmarket  by  an  accidental  fire 
 made  him  more  earnefl:  to  render  Winchefl:er  the  feat 
 
 *  Milner's  Hill,  of  Winchefter,  vol.  i.  p.  429. 
 
1683]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        1 17 
 
 of  his  autumnal  field  diverfions,  deligning  a  palace 
 there,  where  the  ancient  caftle  flood,  infinitely  indeed 
 preferable  to  Newmarket  for  profpedls,  air,  pleafure 
 and  provifions.  The  furveyor  has  already  begun  the 
 foundation  for  a  palace,  eftimated  to  coft  £35,000, 
 and  his  majefty  is  purchafing  ground  about  it  to  make 
 a  park,  &c."  * 
 
 Thefe  royal  vifits  to  Winchefter  brought  together 
 a  concourfe  of  people  of  all  clafles,  greater  than  the 
 town  could  conveniently  hold. 
 
 "  The  Duchefs  of  Portfmouth  finifhed  out  of  hand 
 a  houfe  for  herfelf."  Of  her  ordinary  habits  of  ex- 
 travagance we  may  form  fome  idea  from  Evelyn's 
 defcription  of  her  apartments  in  the  palace  at  White- 
 hall. He  fays,  "  following  the  king  (14  Od.  1683) 
 through  the  gallery,  I  went  with  the  few  who  attended 
 him  into  the  Duchefs  of  Portfmouth's  dreffing-room 
 within  her  bed-chamber.  That  which  engaged  my 
 curiofity  was  the  rich  and  fplendid  furniture  of  this 
 woman's  apartment,  now  twice  or  thrice  pulled  down 
 and  rebuilt,  to  fatisfy  her  prodigal  and  expenfive  plea- 
 fures,  whilft  her  Majefty  does  not  exceed  fome  gentle- 
 men's ladies  in  furniture  and  accommodation.  Thus 
 for  japan  cabinets,  fcreens,  pendule  clocks,  great  vafes 
 of  wrought  plate,  tables,  ftands,  chimney  furniture, 
 fconces,  branches,  braferas,  all  of  maffive  filver,  and 
 out  of  number,  —  befides  fome  of  her  Majefty's  beft 
 paintings."  f 
 
 Nell  Gwyn  alfo  was  one  of  the  court  circle,  and  of 
 courfe  to  be  provided  for,  though  not  fo  handfomely. 
 
 *   Evelyn's  Diary,  vol,  i.  p.  562.  f  Ibid. 
 
ii8  Life  ^t/" Thomas  Ken,         [1683 
 
 Strange  to  fay,  this  was  the  occafion  of  placing  Ken 
 in  a  difficulty.  He  had  a  good  houfe  in  the  Cathedral 
 Clofe,  oppofite  to  the  Deanery  where  the  king  was  to 
 lodge.  When  "  his  Harbinger,"  whom  we  may  fiip- 
 pofe  was  an  officer  of  the  houfehold,  *'  came  to  Winton, 
 he  marked  the  Dodor's  houfe,  which  he  held  in  right 
 of  his  prebend,  for  the  ufe  of  Mrs.  Gwin."  But  Ken's 
 fearlefs  heart  at  once  prompted  him  to  vindicate  the 
 holinefs  of  his  office.  "  He  abfolutely  refufed  her 
 admittance,  declaring  that  a  woman  of  ill  repute  ought 
 not  to  be  endured  in  the  houfe  of  a  Clergyman,  efpe- 
 cially  the  King's  Chaplain."  This  muft  have  excited 
 no  fmall  furprife  among  the  courtiers ;  but  as  he  was 
 peremptory,  "  fhe  was  forced  to  feek  other  lodgings."* 
 A  fmall  building  was  put  up  for  her  at  the  fouth  end 
 of  the  Deanery.  "  It  was  ever  afterwards  known  by 
 the  name  of  Nell  Gwyn,  and  has  only  been  removed 
 within  the  prefent  century."  f 
 
 He  could  not  enter  into  the  little  worldly  confidera- 
 tions  of  policy  and  prudence,  that  fo  often  outweigh 
 the  clear  dictates  of  confcience.  His  was  no  falfe  or 
 partial  rule  of  conduct.  The  fame  fimple  zeal  which 
 had  moved  him,  in  the  palace  at  the  Hague,  to  pro- 
 ted  the  honour  of  Jane  Worth,  at  the  rifk  of  offending 
 the  Prince  of  Orange,  at  once  made  him  rejed  Nell 
 Gwyn,  though  it  fhould  expofe  him  to  the  king's  re- 
 fentment.  Hawkins  fays,  "  his  refufal  of  Mrs.  Gwyn 
 was  publickly  known."     He  had,  in  his  meafure,  the 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  9. 
 
 t  Dr.  Moberly's  Biographical  Memoir  of  Bifliop  Ken,  1840,  p. 
 vi. 
 
1683]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        119 
 
 holy  courage  of  the  Baptift,  to  reprove  adultery  even 
 in  a  palace :  but  very  different  was  his  reward.  So 
 far  from  being  offended,  Charles  appears  to  have  ad- 
 mired the  Chriftian  boldnefs  of  his  chaplain,  who  was 
 fhortly  after  engaged  in  a  fecret  fervice,  which  about 
 that  time  occupied  much  of  the  King's  thoughts. 
 
I20  Life  of  Thom3.s  KgUj         [1683 
 
 CHAPTER  X. 
 
 Ken  appointed  Chaplain  of  the  Fleet  on  the  expedition  to  Tan- 
 gier—  Voyage  —  The  vicious  government  of  Tangier —  Cor- 
 rupt flate  of  the  Navy. 
 
 T  was  now  eight  years  fince  Ken  had 
 ftudied  the  polity  and  religion  of  Italy, 
 and  fcarcely  three  fince  his  return  from 
 the  lefs  polifhed  court  of  Holland,  when 
 he  received  a  hafty  fummons  to  leave  once  more  his 
 friends  and  flock  for  a  barbarous  and  diftant  fpot. 
 The  town  of  Tangier,  in  the  ftraits  of  Gibraltar,  had 
 long  been  a  fource  of  great  outlay  to  the  king.  At 
 length  his  "  intolerable  expence,  profufe  gaming  and 
 dallying,"  as  Evelyn  defcribes  them,  brought  him  into 
 fuch  embarrafTments  that  he  could  no  longer  afford 
 to  maintain  the  place. 
 
 He  had  received  this  African  fortrefs  and  the  ifland 
 of  Bombay  on  his  marriage  with  Catherine  of  Bra- 
 ganza,  as  part  of  her  dower.  Bombay,  at  that  time 
 efteemed  of  minor  importance,  has  fince  become  one 
 of  the  moft  flourifhing  colonies  of  Britain;  while 
 Tangier,  which  now  barely  helps  to  fupply  Gibraltar 
 with  provifions,  was  reckoned  of  great  value,  as  the 
 key  of  the  Mediterranean.  The  king  had  expend- 
 ed vaft  fums  in  conftruding  a  mole  for  the  defence  of 
 the  harbour,  made  it  a  free  port,  and  conferred  upon 
 it  extenfive  privileges :   but  the  money,  being  laviflily 
 
1683]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         1 2 1 
 
 applied,  ferved  rather  to  enrich  the  governors  and  en- 
 gineers, than  to  promote  the  public  fervice.  The 
 Parliament  refufed  any  further  grants,  diftrufting  the 
 right  application  of  them,  and  Charles  was  driven  by 
 his  neceffities  to  abandon  this  ufelefs  poffeflion,  where 
 nothing  but  diforder,  extravagance,  and  profligacy  had 
 prevailed.  He  determined,  in  the  fummer  of  1683, 
 to  fend  a  naval  force  of  twenty  fliips,  under  Lord 
 Dartmouth,  with  fecret  orders  to  deftroy  the  fortifica- 
 tions, lefl:  they  fhould  become  formidable  in  the  hands 
 of  the  Moors. 
 
 Lord  Dartmouth  had  always  been  high  in  favour 
 with  the  King  and  Duke  of  York,  out  of  refpedt  both 
 to  the  memory  of  his  father,  and  his  own  loyal  attach- 
 ment to  the  throne.  He  was  a  rare  example  of  fidelity 
 and  virtue  in  an  age  when  public  corruption  fo  gene- 
 rally prevailed.  His  father  was  the  brave  Colonel 
 Legge,  one  of  the  three  devoted  companions  of  Charles, 
 when  he  efcaped  from  Hampton  Court.  It  is  difficult 
 to  account  for  his  not  having  met  the  fame  fate  that 
 befel  fo  many  loyalifts,  as  he  was  feveral  times  impri- 
 foned  by  the  rebels.  On  one  occafion  at  Coventry  he 
 was  faved  by  the  ingenious  device  of  his  wife,  and 
 pafled  through  the  guards  without  challenge  in  female 
 difguife.  The  King,  a  fhort  time  before  his  execution, 
 bequeathed  this  faithful  friend  as  a  legacy  to  the  Prince 
 of  Wales,  "  charging  him  to  take  care  of  honeft  Will 
 Legge,  for  he  was  the  faithfulleft  fervant  that  ever  any 
 Prince  had."  He  declined  the  offer  of  a  peerage  on 
 the  Reftoration,  and  died  in  1670.  The  fon  diftin- 
 guifhed  himfelf  in  the  naval  fervice,  *rofe  to  the  rank 
 of  Admiral,  was  made  mafter  of  the  Ordnance,  and  a 
 
122  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1683 
 
 Privy  Counfellor,  and  in  1682  created  Lord  Dart- 
 mouth. He  followed  in  the  fame  path  of  ftedfaft 
 adherence  to  his  King,  refufed  to  the  very  laft  to 
 abandon  the  Stuarts  at  the  fubfequent  revolution,  and 
 died  a  prifoner  in  the  Tower  in  1691. 
 
 Samuel  Pepys,  afterwards  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
 was  appointed  to  be  of  Lord  Dartmouth's  Council  in 
 this  expedition  to  Tangier,  of  which  his  journal  re- 
 cords many  curious  particulars.*  He  alfo  was  a  great 
 favourite  with  the  King.  As  fecretary  to  Sir  Edward 
 Montague,  he  accompanied  him  in  the  Royal  Charles 
 from  Breda,  on  his  reftoration ;  and  was  with  him  in 
 the  fame  boat  when  he  landed  at  Dover.  He  now 
 received  the  Royal  command  to  repair  to  Portfmouth 
 "  at  lefs  than  eight  and  forty  hours'  warning." 
 
 It  would  appear  from  Pepys's  correfpondence  that 
 Ken's  fervices,  as  Chaplain  of  the  Fleet,  were  fecured 
 at  the  earneft  defire  of  Dartmouth,  who  was  anxious 
 to  improve  the  difcipline  and  moral  condition  of  the 
 Navy.  Afterwards,  when  Dartmouth  was  in  command 
 to  oppofe  the  landing  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  Pepys 
 wrote  to  Dr.  Peachell,  Mafter  of  Magdalen  College, 
 Cambridge,  with  an  offer  of  the  fame  appointment. 
 He  then  fays,  "  I  was  once  concerned  in  the  con- 
 veyance of  a  like  application  from  the  fame  hand,  and 
 on  the  very  fame  occafion,  to  my  reverend  friend  Dr. 
 Ken,  now  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  In  a  word,  my 
 Lord  Dartmouth  is  to  the  laft  degree  folicitous  in  the 
 choice  of  his  Chaplain,  and  judging  that  all  the  wifhed 
 for  qualifications  (piety,  authority,  and  learning)  meet 
 
 Life,  Journal,  and  Correipondence  of  Samuel  Pepys,  2  vols.  8vo. 
 
1683]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         1 2  3 
 
 in  you,  is  become  a  moft  earneft  fuitor  to  your  accep- 
 tance of  that  charge.  And  I  am  by  full  experience  in 
 the  cafe  of  Dr.  Ken,  convinced  you  could  never  do  it 
 with  fuch  a  concurrence  of  circumftances,  public  and 
 private,  to  render  the  fame  worthy  your  acceptance, 
 as  under  the  invitation  and  patronage  of  this  noble 
 Lord." 
 
 Enclofed  in  this  letter  was  one  from  Dartmouth, 
 expreffing  that  the  application  was  "  for  the  good  of 
 the  Church  of  England,  which  is  fo  much  concerned." 
 "  I  think  it  of  the  higheft  importance  to  have  the 
 ableft  and  beft  man  I  can  poffibly  obtain  to  go  with 
 me,  both  for  the  fervice  of  God,  and  the  good  govern- 
 ment of  the  Clergy  that  are  Chaplains  in  the  Fleet. 
 My  moft  earneft  requeft  to  you  is,  that  if  it  be  not  too 
 great  an  inconvenience,  you  would  do  me  the  honour 
 and  favour  to  go  with  me  this  ftiort  voyage.  I  beg  it 
 of  you  for  God's  fake !  and  as  I  am  to  anfwer  to  Him 
 for  the  prefervation  of  fo  many  fouls  as  He  hath  been 
 pleafed  to  put  under  my  care.  I  have  nothing  more 
 but  to  beg  your  prayers  and  blefling,  with  pardon  for 
 this  confident  defire."* 
 
 Nothing  could  be  more  deplorable  than  the  general 
 condition  and  character  of  the  naval  chaplains,  whom 
 Ken  was  now  invited  to  fuperintend.  The  indignities 
 and  privations  they  fuffered  are  well  fet  forth  in  a 
 reprefentation  from  two  of  their  body  to  Mr.  Secretary 
 Pepys.f  They  defcribe  the  minifters  of  the  Church 
 of  England,  ferving  at  fea,  as  "  too  long  navigant  in 
 a  valley  of  tears  :  partly  by  misfortune,  partly  by  their 
 
 *  Pepys,  vol.  ii.  p.  149.        f   Ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.  203. 
 
124  Life  of  Thonms  Ktiiy         [1683 
 
 own  faults,  but  chiefly  by  the  iniquity  of  the  times. 
 
 The  Chaplains  of  His  Majefty's  fhips  fet  out  unfur- 
 
 niflied  with  books  and  necefl"aries ;  and  are  forced  on 
 
 mean   compliances   from   fhifts   fometimes,    and    bafe 
 
 tricks.    Hence  they  meet  with  negledls  and  contempts 
 
 that   always    attend   poverty.     They  want    comforts 
 
 which  fome  of  the  meaneft  in  the  fhip  enjoy.     Their 
 
 fmall  pay,  equal  but  to  a  common  feaman's,  &c.     The 
 
 Chaplain  is  fcarcely  reckoned  an  Officer :  he  has  no 
 
 power  even  in  his  own  office,  not  daring  to  order  the 
 
 bell  to  ring  to  prayers,  but  with  leave  firfl  had  of  the 
 
 Captain.     Befides,  the  hours  of  prayer  are  not  fixed 
 
 and  ftated  ;  but  being  left  to  the  Commander's  plea- 
 
 fure  are  fometimes  omitted,  as  his  particular  bufmefs, 
 
 indifpofition,  or  indevotion  incline.    Hence  great  neg- 
 
 leds,  and  fometimes  total  omiffion  of  divine  fervice, 
 
 which  makes  the  Chaplain  looked  upon  as  ufelefs,  and, 
 
 as  the  feamen  fometimes  tell  him  to  his  face,  having 
 
 their  money  for  nothing,"  &c.     The  remedies  they 
 
 propofe  are  a  proof  of  the  fad  degradation  and  negledt 
 
 of  the  fervices  of  religion  at  that  day  in  the  fleets  :  to 
 
 inftance  one  only,  "  that  the  King  allow  a  great  Bible, 
 
 and  furplice,  and  feveral  books  of  Common  Prayer  to 
 
 each  fhip." 
 
 Some  furprife  has  been  exprefled,  that  Dr.  Ken 
 fliould  undertake  an  employment  fo  oppofed  to  his 
 peaceful  habits  and  inclinations,  efpecially  as  he  was 
 chaplain  to  the  King,  and  in  the  high  road  to  prefer- 
 ment at  home.  Such  a  feeling  would  argue  but  a 
 flight  acquaintance  with  the  motives  that  governed  his 
 whole  life.  Whether  or  no  the  King  laid  his  com- 
 mands on  him  to  join  an  enterprize  in  which  he  took 
 
 i 
 
1683]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        1 2  5 
 
 fo  great  an  intereft,  it  is  needlefs  to  feek  motives  for 
 his  acceptance  of  the  appointment.  Such  an  appeal  as 
 Dartmouth's  would  carry  with  it  irrefiftible  argu- 
 ments :  it  ftruck  a  chord  that  vibrated  to  Ken's  warm 
 and  fimple  heart.  If  he  would,  he  dared  not  confult 
 his  own  eafe,  when  "  the  good  government  of  the 
 clergy  that  were  Chaplains  in  the  fleet,  and  the  prefer- 
 vation  of  fo  many  fouls  were  at  ftake."  The  quiet 
 fulfilment  of  his  duties  at  Winchefter  might  have  juf- 
 tified  his  refufal.  But  he  yielded  all  to  the  great  ob- 
 je6ls  thus  laid  before  him.  He  received  the  fummons 
 as  an  indication  of  God's  will,  knowing  that  in  the 
 midft  of  tumult  and  war,  or  in  the  recefTes  of  folitude, 
 the  true  minifter  of  Chrift  may  equally  bear  the  divine 
 commiflion.  If  employed  in  his  Mafter's  fervice,  he 
 was  content.  Whether  it  were  at  home  or  abroad,  in 
 Africa  or  England,  he  furrendered  himfelf  to  his  ap- 
 pointed work. 
 
 His  farewell  to  his  friends  muft  needs  have  been  a 
 hafty  one,  as  he  had  very  little  more  notice  to  prepare 
 himfelf  than  was  granted  to  Pepys.  Moft  probably 
 they  went  together  to  Portfmouth ;  for  Pepys  fays  he 
 flept  at  Winchefter  on  the  3 1  ft  of  July,  dined  at  the 
 College  the  ift  of  Auguft,  and  that  evening  flept  at 
 Portfmouth,*  where  Lord  Dartmouth  joined  them  on 
 the  3rd.  "  So  all  went  on  board  for  good  and  all  on 
 the  8th  of  Auguft  1683."  He  writes  to  his  friend 
 Evelyn  that  "  the  King's  command  (without  any  ac- 
 count of  the  reafon  of  it)  required  my  repair  hither  at 
 lefs  than  eight  and  forty  hours'  warning.     What  our 
 
 *  Pepys,  vol.  i.  p.  327. 
 
126  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1683 
 
 work  is  I  am  not  folicitous  to  learn,  nor  forward  to 
 make  guefs  at,  it  being  handled  by  our  Maflers  as  a 
 fecret.  This  only  I  am  fure  of;  that,  over  and  above 
 the  fatisfadion  of  being  thought  fit  for  fome  ufe  or 
 other,  ('tis  no  matter  what)  I  fhall  go  in  a  good  fhip, 
 with  a  good  fleet,  under  a  very  worthy  leader,  in  a 
 converfation  as  delightful  as  companions  of  the  firfl 
 form  in  divinity,  law,  phyfic,  and  the  ufefulleft  parts  of 
 mathematics  can  render  it.  Dr.  Ken,  Dr.  Trumbull,*  Dr. 
 Lawrence,f  and  Mr.  Sheres  ;  with  the  additional  plea- 
 fure  of  concerts  (much  above  the  ordinary)  of  voices, 
 flutes  and  violins ;  and  to  fill  up  all,  good  humour, 
 good  cheer,  fome  good  books,  &c,  and  a  reafonable 
 profpedt  of  being  home  again  in  lefs  than  two  months." 
 Evelyn,  who  in  his  Diary  frequently  expreffes  his 
 refpeft  for  Ken,  congratulates  Pepys  on  "  fuch  a  noble 
 and  choice  company,  fuch  ufeful  and  delightful  con- 
 verfation. You  leave  us  fo  naked  at  home  that,  till 
 you  return  from  Barbary,  we  are  in  danger  of  becom- 
 ing barbarians.  The  heroes  are  all  embarked  with  my 
 Lord  Dartmouth  and  Mr.  Pepys ;  nay,  they  feem  to 
 carry  with  them  not  a  colony  only,  but  a  College,  nay 
 a  whole  Univerfity,  all  the  fciences,  all  the  arts,  and 
 all  the  ProfefTors  of  them  too."  J  His  friend  Hou- 
 blon  alfo  exprefles  his  "  hope  that  the  excellent  com- 
 pany you  have,  all  Mafters  of  Arts  and  fciences,  with 
 mufic  of  all  forts,  will  divert  your  melancholy  thoughts 
 of  leaving  Old  England,  and  fome  of  your  friends." § 
 
 *  Judge  Advocate  of  the  Expedition. 
 
 t  Phyfician  to  Lord  Dartmouth. 
 
 X  Pepys,  vol.  i.  p.  326.  §  Ibid.  p.  328. 
 
1683]       Bipjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         1 27 
 
 "  The  Fleet  made  feveral  attempts  to  put  to  fea  : 
 but  the  wind  was  contrary  ;  all  at  Weft  and  over- 
 blowing. 
 
 "  I2th  Auguft.  Sunday.  Being  at  anchor  off  St. 
 Helen's,  morning  prayers  and  fermon  by  Dr.  Ken ; 
 prayers  in  the  afternoon. 
 
 "  19th.  Sunday.  Weighed  and  ftood  out  to  fea 
 with  the  Fleet :  all  day  blowing  frefti.  No  fermon, 
 but  prayers  twice  by  Dr.  Ken. 
 
 "  22nd.  Morning  fair.  Land  off  the  ftart.  After- 
 noon, anchor  in  Plymouth  Sound.  My  Lord  ftaying 
 on  board,  Dr.  Trumbull,  Dr.  Ken,  &c.  in  a  boat  on 
 fhore. 
 
 "  2nd  September.  Sunday.  Noon,  prayers.  The 
 King's  declaration  about  the  late  (Rye  Houfe)  Plot 
 publickly  read.  The  next  Sunday,  the  9th,  appointed 
 to  be  obferved  as  a  thankfgiving,  for  His  Majefty's 
 deliverance.  Difcourfe  about  Spirits,  Dr.  Ken  avert- 
 ing there  were  fuch,  and  I,  with  the  reft,  denying  it : 
 referred  to  another  night's  difcourfe. 
 
 "  9th  September.  Sunday.  Up  to  read  by  myfelf 
 fome  chapters  in  the  Bible ;  by  and  by  to  prayers. 
 This  being  the  day  of  Thankfgiving  for  the  King's 
 late  deliverance,  Dr.  Ken  gave  us  a  very  good  fermon 
 on  the  duty  of  fubjedts  to  their  Prince. 
 
 "  I  ith.  After  Supper  in  my  Lord's  cabin.  Dr.  Ken 
 and  I  were  very  hot  in  difpute  about  Spirits. 
 
 "  1 2th.  Dr.  Ken  produced  his  arguments  for  Spirits 
 from  the  ancient  adings  of  the  Oracles,  which  I  took 
 upon  me,  againft  the  next  time,  to  anfwer."* 
 
 It  is  not  perfedly  clear  whether  thefe  friendly  dif- 
 
 *  Pepys,  vol.  i.  p.  331-353. 
 
128  Life  of  Thomas  Ken,         [1683 
 
 putes  referred  to  the  qiieftion  of  Satanic  influence, 
 exercifed  in  the  Delphic  and  other  ancient  oracles  ;  or 
 to  a  belief  of  the  continued  fupernatural  agency  of 
 fpirits ;  or,  if  the  latter,  to  what  extent  Dr.  Ken 
 maintained  it. 
 
 With  regard  to  the  ancient  oracles.  Ken  would 
 probably  adopt  the  view  taken  by  the  fathers  of  the 
 Church,  that  prior  to  the  Chriftian  difpenfation  they 
 were  influenced  by  Satanic  power,  though  their  re- 
 fponfes  were  often  overruled  for  good ;  but  that  fuch 
 influence  had  ceafed  on  the  advent  of  our  Saviour,  or 
 at  leafl;  on  the  fall  of  paganifm  under  Theodofius. 
 Pepys  on  the  other  hand  was  evidently  of  opinion, 
 with  many  learned  Chriftian  writers,  that  the  heathen 
 oracles  were  of  human  invention,  for  prieftly  or  poli- 
 tical ends  ;  a  mere  impofture,  without  any  fupernatural 
 interpofition. 
 
 As  to  the  continued  agency  of  fpirits,  it  was  fo 
 generally  admitted  at  the  time  we  fpeak  of,  as  even 
 to  degenerate  into  many  vulgar  errors  and  fuper- 
 ftitions.  Daemonology  and  witchcraft,  though  greatly 
 modified,  ftill  continued  an  extenfively  popular  belief. 
 Ken,  doubtlefs,  thought  with  that  greateft  of  Chriftian 
 philofophers,  Robert  Boyle,  that  there  was  a  broad 
 diftindtion  between  the  aftumed  powers  of  magical 
 influence,  and  the  prefence  and  energy  of  fpiritual 
 intelligences,  good  and  evil,  not  permitted  only,  but 
 ordained,  to  work  out  the  purpofes  of  the  Moft  High. 
 Thefe  laft  are  matters,  not  of  philofophical  difpute, 
 but  of  divine  revelation.  "  I  remember  not,"  fays 
 Boyle,  "  that  I  have  hitherto  met  with  any,  at  leaft 
 cogent,  proof  that  miracles  were  to  ceafe  with  the  age 
 
1683]      Bijhop  of  Bath  a7id  Wells.         129 
 
 of  the  Apoftles,  and  not  only  the  excellent  Grotius, 
 but  Tertullian,  Juftin  Martyr,  Cyprian,  and  other  an- 
 cients, tell  us  that  the  power  of  ejeding  Devils  out  of 
 poffefled  perfons  lafted  long  after  that,  and  was  not 
 unfrequent  in  the  Chriftian  Church.  This  is  an  age 
 when  many  do  take  upon  them  to  decide  all  that  is 
 fupernatural ;  and  while  they  loudly  cry  up  reafon, 
 make  no  better  ufe  of  it  than  to  employ  it,  firft  to 
 depofe  faith,  and  then  to  ferve  their  paffions  and  in- 
 tereft."* 
 
 If  Pepys  meant  to  contend  that  the  exiftence  of  Spi- 
 rits, or  miraculous  influences,  are  not  to  be  proved  by 
 philofophy  and  the  light  of  nature,  the  fame  objedion 
 might  be  made  to  any  other  myfteries  of  the  faith. 
 Let  the  claimant  to  philofophy  explain  the  dominion 
 of  his  will  over  his  own  fearful  and  wonderful  organi- 
 zation. Let  him  define  and  fathom  the  life,  fenfe, 
 reafon,  by  which  he  exifts  and  ads,  and  lay  his  hand 
 upon  any  link  of  the  chain  that  binds  the  phyfical  and 
 fpiritual  being  :  then,  and  not  till  then,  let  him  queftion 
 the  invifible  agencies,  and  myfterious  interpofitions  by 
 which  the  ever  prefent  Deity  conduds  to  its  iflue  the 
 mortal  trial  of  His  creatures.  "  Weigh  me  the  weight 
 of  the  fire,  and  meafure  me  the  blaft  of  the  wind,  or 
 call  me  again  the  day  that  is  paft.  Then  anfwered  I, 
 and  faid.  What  man  is  able  to  do  that,  that  thou  fliouldfl 
 afk  fuch  things  of  me  ?  "  And  what  was  the  Arch- 
 angel's reply  ?  "  Thine  own  things,  and  fuch  as  are 
 grown  up  with  thee,  canft  thou  not  know  :  how  fliould 
 
 *  Birch's  Life  of  Boyle,  p.  76. 
 K 
 
130  Life  of  Thom2iS  Ktn^         [1683 
 
 thy  vefTel,  then,  be  able  to  comprehend  the  way  of  the 
 HIgheft?"* 
 
 We  walk  continually  on  the  confines  of  the  fpiritual 
 world :  it  is  on  our  right  hand,  and  on  our  left.  — 
 Thoughtful  and  reverent  minds  realize  this  at  every 
 ftep  :  it  is  at  once  their  difcipline  and  their  comfort : 
 it  urges  them  to  frequent  prayer,  keeps  them  ever 
 watchful  againft  evil,  and  strengthens  them  by  the 
 convi6lion  of  the  prefence  of  miniftering  angels.  In- 
 stances of  divine  interpofition  through  vifions,  and 
 myfterious  fuggeftions  of  the  Spirit,  are  numerous  and 
 clearly  eftablifhed.l  They  are  furely  not  lefs  realities, 
 nor  lefs  confirmed  to  our  deliberate  convi6tions,  be- 
 caufe  impalpable  to  the  fenfes.  However  much,  amidfl 
 the  whirl  of  outward  objefts,  men  may  boaft  their 
 indifference  or  incredulity,  there  are  moments  when  in 
 the  ftillnefs  of  folitude,  or  in  the  darknefs  of  the  night, 
 the  flouted  hearts  will  beat  at  the  leaft  unexplained 
 noife  or  appearance,  and  witnefs  to  their  involuntary 
 belief  in  the  deep  unfearchable  myfteries  of  the  world 
 unfeen. 
 
 The  firft  notice  of  thefe  friendly  difcufTions  on  the 
 voyage  occurs  on  the  2nd  of  September,  and  they 
 were  renewed  from  time  to  time,  till  they  cafl  anchor 
 within  the  Bay  of  Tangier.  Revelation  being  as  far 
 above  reafon,  as  reafon  is  beyond  the  fenfes,  the  dif- 
 putants,  viewing  the  fubjedt  through  different  media, 
 might  have  failed  round  the  world  before  they  had 
 adjufled  their  difference.     The  ftate  of  things  at  Tan- 
 
 Ekiras  iv.  v.   I o-i  i  -  Compare  job  xxvi.  v.   14. 
 t  Compare  Biiiiop  Ball  on  the  nature  and  office  of  Angels. 
 
1683]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         131 
 
 gler  foon  turned  their  minds  in  another  diredion  :  we 
 hear  no  more  of  arguments,  except  when  they  took 
 the  fame  fide  to  reprove  "  the  vicioufnefs  of  the  place." 
 The  difcufiions  ferved  at  leaft  to  beguile  the  weary- 
 days  on  board  fhip.  But  befides  his  official  duties, 
 converfation,  and  mufic.  Ken  had  another  employment 
 in  the  indulgence  of  his  tafte  for  poetry  ;  for  he  now 
 compofed  his  epic  poem  of  Edmund.  It  muft  be  con- 
 fefied  that  this  vies  with  the  tedioufnefs  of  the  African 
 voyage.  It  feems  ftrange  that  the  lively  author  of  the 
 Three  Hymns,  and  other  holy  fongs  publifhed  after 
 his  death,  fhould  have  indited  twelve  fuch  anomalous 
 Cantos.  Our  reverence  for  the  author  forbids  any 
 criticifms  or  quotations.  It  had  been  well  for  his 
 poetic  fame  if  the  Epic  had  been  configned  to  a  like 
 fate  with  the  fubjedl  of  his  verfe,  the  Royal  Edmund, 
 
 "  Heroe,  Martyr,  Saint  and  King," 
 
 whom  he  defcribes  to  have  been  caft  into  the  fea  by 
 the  failors,  on  a  voyage  to  Anglia,  at  the  inftigation 
 of  demons  and  monfters  of  the  deep. 
 
 The  fleet  arrived  at  Tangier  after  five  weeks'  pafiage. 
 
 "  14th  September.  Up  by  break  of  day  (entering 
 the  mouth  of  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar)  to  fee  the  fhore 
 on  both  fides  to  my  great  pleafure.  About  10,  within 
 the  Bay  of  Tangier. 
 
 "  15th.  Up  betimes  to  look  with  a  glafs  on  the 
 Moors'  camp."*  (They  had  laid  fiege  to  the  town 
 with  a  confiderable  army.) 
 
 They  found  the  place  unworthy  of  the  vafl:  expenfe 
 
 *  Pepys,  vol.  i,  pp.  354-5. 
 
132  Life  (p/^  Thomas  Ken,  [1683 
 
 incurred  in  its  improvement.  "  How  could  any  body 
 ever  think  a  place  fit  to  be  kept  at  this  charge  that, 
 overlook'd  by  To  many  hills,  can  never  be  fecured 
 againft  an  enemy  !  "  "  The  place  an  ordinary  place. 
 Amazed  to  think  how  the  King  hath  laid  out  fo  much 
 money  upon  it.  Wondered  at  the  folly  of  the  King's 
 being  at  all  this  charge  upon  this  town."  "  The  leaft 
 part  of  our  minifters'  miftakes,  in  reference  to  Tangier, 
 hath  been  leading  the  King  to  fquandering  near  two 
 millions  upon  what  as  much  more  would  never  make 
 ufeful  to  him."  The  Commiffioners,  appointed  to  fur- 
 vey  the  fortifications,  reported  that  "  to  fecure  the 
 place  on  the  land  fide  would  require  two  millions."* 
 
 Lord  Dartmouth,  Dr.  Ken,  and  every  one  elfe,  fuf- 
 fered  more  or  lefs  from  the  ill  efFedls  of  the  African 
 climate.  "  The  expedition  fhould  have  been  fent  two 
 months  fooner,  that  they  might  have  had  long  days, 
 and  fair  weather  above  head,  to  work  on  the  mole, 
 before  the  fl:orms  and  feas  came  on."  But  the  greateft 
 difappointment  was  the  ignorance,  fupinenefs,  and  cor- 
 ruption of  the  people  at  Tangier,  who  were  to  affift  in 
 executing  the  King's  orders  :  fo  that,  infl:ead  of  being 
 back  in  two  months",  it  took  almoft  four  to  deftroy  the 
 fortifications.  Dartmouth  fometimes  almoft  defpaired 
 of  accomplifhing  the  defign  from  the  want  of  difcipline 
 among  the  naval  commanders,  "  whofe  whole  care 
 was  to  profit  themfelves,  and  not  the  public  fervice." 
 He  had  alfo  to  contend  againfl:  the  corrupt  influence, 
 and  fecret  oppofition,  of  Colonel  Kirke,  the  Governor, 
 a  ruthlefs  barbarian  and  tyrant. 
 
 *  Pepys,  paffim. 
 
1683]      Bijhop  of  Bath  a7td  Wells .         133 
 
 Such  was  the  degradation  of  the  navy  in  the  latter 
 part  of  this  reign  that,  had  the  war  with  Holland  con- 
 tinued, England  muft  have  fuffered  total  defeat.  The 
 King's  fhips  were  "  converted  into  carriers  of  mer- 
 chandize and  treafure,  for  their  own  advantage,  from 
 Cadiz,  up  and  down  the  Mediterranean,  and  on  the 
 coaft  of  Portugal,  &c.  to  the  corrupting  of  the  com- 
 manders and  others."  "  We  have  every  day  frefh 
 inftances  of  their  debaucheries,  the  King's  own  fon, 
 Grafton,  being  the  top  of  all."  "  The  tyranny  and 
 vice  of  Kirke  is  ftupendous,  as  by  infinite  ftories  ap- 
 pears ;  and  his  exadlions  on  poor  merchants,  letting 
 nothing  be  fold  till  he  had  the  refufal."* 
 
 Dr.  Ken  did  all  in  his  power  to  ftem  this  torrent  of 
 immorality,  but  in  vain. 
 
 "  30th  September.  Sunday.  To  church  (in  Tan- 
 gier) ;  a  very  fine  and  feafonable,  but  moft  unfuccefsful, 
 argument  from  Dr.  Ken,  particularly  in  reproof  of  the 
 vices  of  this  town.  I  was  in  pain  for  the  Governor, 
 and  the  officers  about  us  in  church ;  but  I  perceived 
 they  regarded  it  not. 
 
 "  26th  Oftober.  Being  a  little  ill,  and  troubled  at 
 fo  much  loofe  company  at  table,  my  Lord  not  being 
 there,  I  dined  in  my  chamber ;  and  Dr.  Ken,  for  the 
 fame  reafon,  came  and  dined  with  me.  We  had  a 
 great  deal  of  good  difcourfe  on  the  vicioufnefs  of  this 
 place,  and  it's  being  time  for  Almighty  God  to  de- 
 ftroy  it. 
 
 "  28th  Odlober.  Sunday.  Very  high  difcourfe  be- 
 tween Dr.  Ken  and  me  on  the  one  fide,  and  the  Go- 
 
 *   Pepys,  vol.  i,  p.  403. 
 
134  Life  of  Thoma.s  Ken,         [1683 
 
 vernor  (Kirke)  on  the  other,  about  the  exceflive  liberty 
 of  fwearing  we  obferve  here.  The  Dodor,  it  feems, 
 had  preached  on  it  to-day." 
 
 At  length,  by  the  middle  of  January  1684,  the  for- 
 tifications were  deftroyed  :  but  the  fame  caufes  of  delay, 
 the  treaty  with  the  Moors  for  the  releafe  of  the  Chriftian 
 flaves,  arranging  the  compenfation  to  the  Englifh,  Por- 
 tuguefe,  and  other  fettlers  for  their  lofs  of  property, 
 and  getting  them  all  on  board,  prevented  their  failing 
 for  England  till  the  5th  of  March. 
 
1683]      Bipjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,       "135 
 
 CHAPTER  XI. 
 
 Ken  returns  to  England — Death  of  Ifaak  Walton;  and  of 
 Bijhop  Morley — Ken  appointed  to  the  Bijhopric  of  Bath  and 
 Welh— Attends  the  death  bed  of  Charles  II. 
 
 'HE  fleet  from  Tangier  moored  ofF  Spit- 
 head  the  firfl  week  in  April.  It  would 
 appear  from  Pepys's  Diary  that  Ken  and 
 others  landed  at  Portfmouth,  which  was 
 the  neareft  point  to  his  friends  at  Wincheiler.  We 
 may  imagine  the  alacrity  with  which  he  efcaped  from 
 the  confufion  and  noife  on  fliipboard,  fo  little  congenial 
 to  his  habits.  No  doubt  he  had  found  this  fphere  of 
 ufefulnefs  difappointing  to  his  hopes.  The  prevailing 
 corruption  and  immorality  at  Tangier,  and  throughout 
 the  fleet,  were  beyond  his  control  or  influence.  What 
 anticipations  of  hope  and  fear  mufl:  he  have  felt,  as  he 
 came  within  fight  of  the  Church  of  St.  Crofs,  and  after 
 that  the  well  known  town  of  Winchester.  Alas  !  he 
 was  to  receive  no  welcome  from  the  loved  lips,  that 
 for  fo  many  years  had  cheered  him  onward  in  his  path  ; 
 they  were  clofed  for  this  world.  The  devout  Walton 
 had  fallen  afleep ;  and  he  not  by  to  receive  his  lafl: 
 words,  and  be  the  minifl:er  of  Chriftian  folace  in  his 
 parting  hour !  Few  men  in  fo  humble  a  fphere  had 
 lived  a  more  ufeful  life :  the  memory  of  itw  is  more 
 cheriflied.  His  writings  are  the  mirror  of  a  meek 
 fpirit,  purified  by  a  fimple  devotion  to  God.  It  is 
 not  too  much  to  fay  that  they  have  been  our  comfort 
 
136  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1683 
 
 under  trials,  and  the  companion  of  our  holiday  walks  : 
 they  have  made  us  love  the  pleafantnefs  of  the  moun- 
 tains,— they  have  decked  the  meadows  with  more  than 
 their  native  flowers,  and  have  made  the  falls  of  rivers 
 more  mufical  ;  for  they  lift  the  hearts  of  the  afflidted 
 to  their  only  Comforter,  and  the  thankful  praifes  of 
 the  happy  to  the  divine  Author  of  every  bleffing.  Ken 
 amidil  his  regrets  for  fuch  a  lofs  had  the  beft  comfort 
 of  mourners, — the  convidion  that  he  who  had  been 
 to  him  all  but  a  fpiritual  father,  had  left  this  jangling 
 world,  the  difcord  of  "  bad  man  on  earth,"  for  an 
 eternal  refl;  and  harmony. 
 
 Walton  had  been  already  buried  three  months  within 
 Prior  Silkftead's  Chapel,  in  the  Cathedral,  where  he 
 and  Ken  had  for  many  years  joined  in  the  fervices  of 
 the  Church  they  both  loved  fo  well,  and  had  each,  in 
 his  fphere,  fo  zealoufly  ferved.  We  may  judge  of  their 
 mutual  attachment  by  the  epitaph  that  ftill  marks  the 
 place  of  Walton's  burial,  and  which  in  all  likelihood 
 was  written  by  Ken  himfelf. 
 
 HERE    RESTETH    THE    BODY    OF 
 
 MR.  IZAAC  WALTON, 
 
 WHO   DIED    THE    I5TH   OF   DECEMBER 
 
 1683. 
 
 Alas  he's  gone  before. 
 Gone  to  return  no  fnore  ! 
 Our  panting  breafis  afpire, 
 After  their  aged  f  re  y 
 Whofe  well  fpent  life  did  laft 
 Full  ninety  yeares  and  paft. 
 But  now  he  hath  begun 
 That  which  will  ne'er  be  done. 
 Crowned  with  eternal  bliffe. 
 We  zvijh  our  fouls  with  his. 
 
 VOTIS   MODESTIS  SIC  FLERUNT  LIBERI. 
 
1683]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         it^j 
 
 He  had  not  been  forgotten  in  Walton's  will :  being 
 of  the  number  to  whom  a  ring  was  bequeathed,  en- 
 graved "to  my  brother  Dr.  Ken,"  with  this  motto,  "A 
 friend's  farewell,  J.  W.  obiit  15th  Dec.  1683."  But 
 he  received  a  memorial  of  ftill  greater  value,  which 
 had  probably  been  promifed  to  him  in  Walton's  life- 
 time as  a  pledge  of  their  affedlion  for  each  other.  Dr. 
 Donne  before  his  death  had  fent  to  each  of  his  deareft 
 friends  a  ring  of  Heliotropian,  or  blood  ftone,  on 
 which  was  engraved  the  figure  of  the  blefled  ,^^^%, 
 Saviour,  extended  upon  the  crofs  of  an  an-  |W^^^» 
 chor,  the  emblem  of  hope.  Izaak  Walton  mf  i/^ 
 was  in  the  lift  ;  alfo  Sir  Henry  Wootton ;  ^^^^ 
 Dr.  Hall,  Biftiop  of  Exeter ;  Dr.  Duppa,  Bifhop  of 
 Saliibury  ;  Dr.  King,  Bifhop  of  Chichefter,  and  Mr. 
 George  Herbert.  It  was  Walton's  happinefs,  and  his 
 praife,  to  be  one  of  fuch  a  Chriftian  circle  :  he  cheriihed 
 the  gift  during  his  life,  andjealed  his  laft  will  with  it, 
 declaring  his  "  belief  in  all  poynts  of  faith,  as  the 
 Church  of  England  now  profefteth."  All  Ken's  letters 
 In  the  Bodleian  Library,  and  in  the  pofTeftion  of  Dr. 
 Williams,  Warden  of  New  College,  bear  the  imprefs 
 of  this  feal,  as  alfo  his  own  will,  in  which  he  profefTed 
 his  adherence  to  the  "  Communion  of  the  Church  of 
 England,  as  it  ftands  diftinguifhed  from  all  Papal  and 
 Puritan  innovations,  and  as  it  adheres  to  the  dodlrine  of 
 the  Crofs."  On  Ken's  death  it  defcended  to  Ifaac 
 Walton,  junior,  who  likewife  fealed  his  will  with  if, 
 bearing  equal  teftimony  to  the  "  Communion  of  the 
 Church  of  England,  as  having  reformed  herfelf  with 
 that  found  judgement  and  godly  fincerity,  as  to  be  the 
 foundeft  and  pureft  part  of  the  Church  Catholic  at  this 
 time  exiftent."     Thus  in  life  they  were  all  united  by 
 
138  Life  ^p/' Thomas  Ken,         [1684 
 
 the  clofeft  bonds  of  afFedion,  and  in  death  each  was  a 
 witnefs  to  the  Holy  Catholic  and  Apoftolic  faith  of  the 
 Anglican  Church.  This  little  Heliotropian  ftone,  fet 
 in  a  golden  ring,  and  defcending  from  one  to  the  other 
 as  an  heir  loom,  was  a  type  of  the  fucceffion  of  holy 
 men,  which  will  never  be  wanting  in  the  Church  of 
 Chrift. 
 
 Twelve  months  had  not  glided  over  the  grave  of 
 this  venerable  friend,  before  Ken  was  bereaved  of 
 another,  fcarcely  lefs  dear  to  him,  —  one  to  whom 
 he  was  bound  by  ties  of  gratitude,  and  by  kindred 
 virtues.  He  was  fummoned  to  Farnham  Caftle  to  re- 
 ceive the  parting  benedicflion  of  the  munificent,  learned, 
 and  felf-denying  Bifhop  of  Winchefter.  Morley  had 
 abounded  in  good  works,  which  he  knew  to  be  the 
 only  riches  he  could  carry  with  him  when  he  died  :  he 
 beftowed  his  wealth  freely  for  the  good  of  others.  He 
 did  not  '■'■  fare  fumptuoufly  every  day  ;"  for  he  had  but 
 one  meal  in  the  twenty-four  hours,  pracftifed  great 
 aufterity,  "  rofe  at  5  o'clock  winter  and  fummer,  and 
 in  the  coldeft  mornings  never  had  a  fire,  or  his  bed 
 warmed  at  night."  When  his  infirmities  conduced 
 him  to  his  long  home,  that  it  might  be  to  him  a  place 
 of  everlafting  reft  and  happinefs,  he  did  humbly  in  his 
 laft  days  beg  all  good  men's  prayers."*  The  King, 
 when  he  appointed  him  to  the  See  of  Winchefter, 
 foretold  that  he  would  never  be  the  richer  for  it :  and 
 the  predidlion  was  verified.  His  hofpital  at  Winchefter, 
 built  and  endowed  for  the  fupport  of  Clergymen's 
 widows,  (himfelf  unmarried)  is  one  example  of  his  mu- 
 nificence.    Again,  the  rebuilding  of  Wolverfey  Houfe 
 
 *  Wood's  Ath.  Oxon.  vol.  ii.  p.  -J-]: 
 
1684]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        139 
 
 for  the  Eplfcopal  Palace ;  the  vaft  fums  he  expended 
 on  Farnham  Caftle,  and  the  purchafe  of  WInchefter 
 Houfe  at  Chelfea,  for  the  benefit  of  his  fuccefTors  in 
 the  See  ;  his  rich  benefadions  to  Chrlft  Church  in 
 Oxford ;  his  almoft  unequalled  contributions  towards 
 the  rebuilding  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  after  the  fire, 
 with  many  other  inftances,  teftified  that  his  chofen 
 treafury  was  in  heaven.  Ken  had  the  happinefs  by 
 his  prefence  to  foothe  the  lafl  moments  of  his  dying 
 patron.  When  the  fpirit  was  fled  he  fent  a  meifenger 
 to  his  friend  Francis  Turner,  now  Bifhop  of  Ely,  that 
 he  might  announce  the  event  to  the  Primate.  Turner's 
 letter  to  Sancroft  is  in  the  Bodleian  Library. 
 
 "  Bromley,  Oflober  30,  1684. 
 
 "  May  it  pleafe  your  Grace, 
 **  Late  yefterday  I  received  an  exprefs  from  Dr. 
 Ken,  written  from  Farnham,  to  inform  me  that  it 
 pleafed  God  to  releafe  the  good  old  Bifhop  out  of  the 
 miferys  of  this  life,  between  two  and  three  of  the  clock 
 yeflerday  morning.  So  he  was  gathered  under  the 
 feet  of  St.  Simon  and  St.  Jude.  I  fuppofe  this  au- 
 thentique  intelligence  was  fent  me  to  Ely  Houfe  on 
 purpofe  that  I  might  tranfmit  it  to  your  Grace  at 
 Lambeth,  together  with  my  trueft  duty,  which  I  fhall 
 prefent  in  my  perfonal  attendance  (if  it  pleafe  God) 
 upon  Sunday  morning. 
 
 "  May  it  pleafe  your  Grace,  I  am 
 Your  mofl  obliged,  moft  obedient 
 and  moft  affe<5lionate  humble  fervant 
 Fran.  Elie."* 
 
 *  Tanner  MSS.  Vol.  xxxii.  p.  165. 
 
I40  Life  of  ThomsLS  Ken^         [1684 
 
 Morley  was  burled  in  a  little  vault  at  the  foot  of 
 the  fteps  leading  up  to  the  choir  of  Winchefter  Cathe- 
 dral.    He  lies  in  peace  in  the  fame  holy  ground  as  his 
 great  predecefTor  Wykeham,  and  his  humble  friend 
 Izaak  Walton.    Bifliop  Morley's  will  might  ferve  as  a 
 model  in  this  age,  fo  negledful  of  the  charge  and  pri- 
 vileges that  our  wealth  lays  upon  us,  when  few  men  in 
 their  laft  appointments   make  any  provifion  for  the 
 Church  and  the  poor.     It  marks  his  earneft  defire  to 
 promote  the  fpiritual  advancement  of  his  diocefe.    "  As 
 to  my  worldly  goods  and  eftate  which  it  hath  pleafed  God 
 to  entruft  me  with,  part  whereof  I  have  already  beftowed 
 unto  God,  by  giving  it  unto  the  Church,  and  to  the  poor 
 for  God's  fake  ;  and  as  to  the  remainder,  all  my  books 
 to  the  dean  and  Chapter  of  Winchefter,  and  to  their 
 fucceflbrs,  for  and  towards  a  public  library,  but  not  for 
 them,  and  their  fucceflbrs'  ufe  and  benefit  only,  but  alfo 
 for  the  ufe  and  benefit  of  fuch  clergymen  and  country 
 parfons,  vicars,  and  curates  of  my  Diocefs,  as  have  not 
 a  fufficient  ftock  of  books  of  their  own,  nor  have  money 
 to  buy  them."    "  I  give  £1,000  for  the  purchafing  of 
 £50  per  an.  yearly  for  ever ;  and  of  which  I  give  £20 
 per  an.  for  an  augmentation  to  the  Vicaridge  of  Farn- 
 ham  in  Surrey,  to  be  paid  prefently  after  it  is  purchafed, 
 which  I  hope  will  be  in  fix  months  after  my  deceafe,  if 
 not  before  I  die,  to  the  prefent  Vicar  and  his  fucceflbrs, 
 by  £10  every  half  year  for  ever  :  but  upon  condition, 
 Firft,  that  the  Vicar  who  is  to  have  this  augmentation, 
 fhall  always  refide  upon  this  Vicaridge,  notwithftand- 
 ing  any  difpenfation.    Second,  upon  condition  alfo  that 
 he  or  his  curates  do   read  the  Common  Prayer,  not 
 only  on  Sundays  and  Holydays,  Wednefdays  and  Fri- 
 
1 6  84]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        1 4 1 
 
 days,  but  every  day  in  the  weeky  morning  and  even- 
 ings at  fome  fuch  hours,  as  moft  of  devout  and  well 
 affeded  people  may  mofl  conveniently  refort  unto  it. 
 Item  £20  a  year  for  an  augmentation  of  maintainance 
 to  the  two  Parifh  Churches  of  Guildford,  and  £io  for 
 an  augmentation  to  the  Vicaridge  of  Horfwell,  in  Sur- 
 rey, upon  condition  the  vicar  for  the  time  being  do 
 read  the  Service  of  the  Church,  or  the  Common  Prayer, 
 morning  and  evening  daily ^  as  the  Vicar  of  Farnham 
 is  obliged  to  do." 
 
 Ken  might  now  be  fuppofed  to  have  loft  his  beft 
 patron,  and  with  him  the  profpedt  of  further  promo- 
 tion. Faithful  and  intrepid  monitors  of  royalty  are  not 
 ufually  fharers  in  court  favours.  As  he  had  never 
 fought  thefe,  we  might  exped:  that,  amidft  the  pre- 
 vailing corruption,  one  fo  innocent  and  unpretending 
 would  be  overlooked.  But  it  was  otherwife  ordained. 
 Though  he  had  dared  to  rebuke  the  king's  miftrefs, 
 and  thus  to  remind  Charles  himfelf  of  his  own  neg- 
 lected duties,  he  met  with  a  very  unexpedled  return. 
 
 Charles  was  not  wanting  in  difcernment  of  charader; 
 he  at  leaft  knew  how  to  reverence  in  another  the  dig- 
 nity of  virtues  he  could  not  imitate.  He  who  had 
 once  knelt  at  the  bed  fide  of  Bifhop  Duppa  to  afk  a 
 Tutor's  dying  blefling  now  generoufly  forgave,  if  ever 
 he  ferioufly  refented,  his  Chaplain's  confcientious  faith- 
 fulnefs  in  reproof.  Ken's  fimplicity  and  blamelefs  life 
 had  commended  him  to  the  veneration  of  all  men  :  his 
 bold  and  fervid  eloquence  infpired  even  the  thoughtlefs 
 monarch  with  a  fenfe  of  awe.  On  a  former  occafion, 
 when  he  was  appointed  to  preach  before  the  Court  at 
 Whitehall,  Charles  left  the  circle  of  his  vicious  flat- 
 
142  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1684 
 
 terers,  faying  "  I  muft  go  and  hear  Ken  tell  me  of  my 
 faults."  Now  when  he  was  to  decide  on  the  appoint- 
 ment of  a  new  Bifhop,  he  enquired  in  his  own  charac- 
 teriftic  way,  *' Where  is  the  good  little  man  that  refufed 
 his  lodging  to  poor  Nell  ? " 
 
 Independently  of  this  perfonal  refped,  other  con- 
 fiderations  perhaps  weighed  with  the  King  in  Dr. 
 Ken's  advancement.  He  could  not  doubt  his  allegiance 
 in  all  that  might  confift  with  the  interefts  of  the  Church. 
 Moreover,  Ken  held  the  dodrines  of  paffive  obedience, 
 and  non-refiftance  ;  therefore  might  be  expeded  to 
 maintain  the  prerogative  of  the  Crown  in  any  extremity. 
 And  where  could  Charles  hope  to  find  a  more  ftedfafl 
 loyalift  than  in  the  friend  of  Morley,  and  the  brother 
 of  Walton.?  Honeft  Izaak  had  been  entrufted,  after 
 the  battle  of  Worcefter,  with  the  cuftody  of  the  lefier 
 George.  He  received  it  from  Mr.  Milward,  a  loyalift 
 prifoner  in  the  garrifon  of  Stafford,  and  reftored  it  to 
 Colonel  Blague,  who  gave  it  into  the  King's  own 
 hand.* 
 
 Ken  had  always  fhown  a  ftedfaftnefs  of  principle, 
 equally  removed  from  both  extremes  in  religious  con- 
 troverfy.  Whilft  he  oppofed  Papal  innovations,  and 
 avowed  his  attachment  to  the  "  Proteftant  Reformed 
 Church  of  England,"  he  had  no  fympathy  with  pre- 
 judices that  rejeded  the  very  word  "  Catholic"  and 
 denounced  the  folemn  rites  of  religion,  and  the  doc- 
 trines of  Sacramental  grace,  as  Popifh  and  fuperftitious. 
 It  was  even  faid  that  the  King,  and  Duke  of  York 
 
 *  Afhmole's  Hiilory  of  the  Order  of  the  Garter,  p.  228. 
 
1684]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .         143 
 
 entertained  the  hope  that  he  might  be  brought  over  to 
 the  Roman  faith. 
 
 Be  this  as  it  may,  the  death  of  his  friend  Morley 
 was  the  immediate  prelude  to  his  own  advancement. 
 Dr.  Mews  being  tranflated  from  Bath  and  Wells  to 
 Winchefter,  it  was  at  once  refolved  that  Ken  fhould 
 be  appointed  to  the  former  See.  "  The  King  himfelf 
 flopped  all  attempts  of  his  friends  (who  would  of  their 
 own  inclination  have  applied  in  his  behalf)  with  this 
 remarkable  faying,  that  Dr.  Ken  fhould  fucceed,  but 
 that  he  defigned  it  fhould  be  from  his  own  peculiar 
 appointment,  and  accordingly  the  king  himfelf  gave 
 order  for  a  Conge  d'elire  to  pafs  the  Seals  for  that  pur- 
 pofe."*    Lord  Sunderland  thus  writes  to  Dr.  Mews  ; 
 
 "  Whitehall,  4th  Nov.  1684. 
 
 "  My  Lord, 
 "  The  King  having  been  pleafed  to  nominate  your 
 Lordfhip  (of  whofe  good  fervices  to  the  Church  and 
 himfelf  he  is  abundantly  fatisfied)  to  fucceed  the  late 
 Lord  Bifhop  of  Winton  in  that  See,  I  would  not  omit 
 advifing  you  thereof  by  the  firfl  opportunity  :  and  alfo 
 to  let  you  know  the  particular  fatisfadion  I  have  in 
 it,  as  being 
 
 Your  Lordfhip's  mofl  humble  Servant, 
 
 Sunderland. I 
 
 The  following  letter  of  the  fame  date  in  the  Lord 
 Chamberlain's  office,  appointing  another  Chaplain  to 
 
 *  Hawkins,  p.  8.  f  Morley  died  29th  Odober,  1684. 
 
 X  Secretary  of  State's  Letter  Books. 
 
144  Ltfe  of  Thom^is  Ken,         [1684 
 
 preach  in  Ken's  ftead,  fhows  that  there  was  no  hefita- 
 tion  in  the  King's  mind. 
 
 "  Court  at  Whitehall,  Nov.  4th,  1684. 
 
 "  Sir, 
 "  Whereas  I  have  thought  fit  to  appoint  you  to 
 give  your  attendance  upon  His  Majeftie,  and  preach 
 in  the  moneth  of  February,  in  the  -place  of  Dr.  Ken, 
 who  is  removed  to  he  a  Bi/Iiop,  Thefe  are  therefore  to 
 pray  and  require  you  to  take  notice  hereof,  and  that 
 you  may  make  your  repayre  unto  His  Majeftie's  Court 
 wherefoever  it  fhall  then  be,  &c.  &c. 
 
 Your  loving  friend, 
 
 Arlington." 
 
 For  Mr.  Henry  Fox,  one  of  His  Majeftie's 
 Chaplaynes  in  ordinary  in  wayting  in  ye 
 moneth  of  February. 
 
 After  his  eledlion,  he  went  through  the  ufual  forms 
 of  Confirmation,  and  took  once  more  the  Oath  of 
 Allegiance,  that  turning  point  of  the  events  which 
 marked  the  laft  twenty  years  of  his  life.  At  length 
 the  day  of  his  confecration  was  fixed  for  the  25th  of 
 January,  1685.  They  only  who  have  known  the 
 inner  thoughts  of  refponfibility  and  mifgiving  that 
 poffefTed  their  own  minds,  when  they  themfelves  were 
 called  to  any  holy  funflion  in  the  Church,  can  appre- 
 ciate the  fpirit  of  the  prayer  and  felf  humiliation  in 
 which  he  muft  have  prepared  himfelf.  He  was  confe- 
 crated  at  Lambeth  Palace  on  the  Fefl:ival  of  St.  Paul, 
 the  2, 5  th  of  January  1685.  There  had  been  few  periods 
 in  the  hiftory  of  the  Englifh  Church,  when  the  duties 
 of  the  office  more  needed  the  qualities  of  that  great 
 
1 6  8  5  ]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  IV ells.  1 4  5 
 
 Apoftle  :  and  feldom,  perhaps,  was  it  undertaken  with 
 more  finglenefs  of  purpofe,  humihty,  and  felf  devotion. 
 He  could  not  but  forefee  that  perilous  times  would 
 come ;  and  like  St.  Paul  he  was  "  willing  to  be 
 offered."  His  fears  were  foon  verified  in  the  confufions 
 that  prevailed ;  in  his  fufferings  he  bore  teftimony  to 
 the  fteadfaft  faith  which  animated  him. 
 
 His  friend  Francis  Turner  had  been  made  Bifhop 
 of  Rochefter  in  1683,  and  in  the  next  year  tranflated 
 to  Ely  :  he  had  now  the  happinefs  to  give  Ken  his 
 bleffing,  and  with  the  Archbifhop  and  others  to  lay 
 his  hands  upon  his  head,  that  he  might  receive  ad- 
 miffion  into  the  fame  holy  office.  The  confecration 
 fermon  was  preached  by  another  early  Wykehamift 
 friend,  and  Co-Fellow  of  Winchefter  College,  Edward 
 Young,  a  Prebendary  of  Salilbury.  Fortunately  this 
 is  extant :  it  contains  paffages  of  great  force,  which 
 throw  light  on  fome  points  of  Ken's  chara6ler.  Per- 
 haps he  had  exacted  of  the  preacher  a  promife  to  ab- 
 ftain  from  anything  like  praife.  His  affedion,  founded 
 on  a  long  acquaintance  with  his  virtues,  could  not  be 
 entirely  repreifed :  but  he  has  treated  his  fubjedt  with 
 fuch  ikill,  that  he  draws  throughout  the  true  por- 
 trait of  his  friend,  though  given  in  the  perfon  of 
 Timothy,  as  combining  all  the  qualities  of  "  a  man  of 
 confirmed  Faith." 
 
 His  text  is  taken  from  the  2nd  Epiftle  of  St.  Paul 
 to  Timothy  ch.  i.  v.  6.  "  Wherefore  I  put  thee  in  re- 
 membrance that  thou  Jiir  up  the  Gift  of  God ^  which  is  in 
 thee  by  the  laying  on  of  hands."  He  blefles  God  for 
 the  great  happinefs  and  glory  of  the  Church  In  the 
 King's  folicitude  to  make  choice  of  one  who  by  his 
 
146  Life  of  Thom3.s  Kgu,         [1685 
 
 ardent  love  and  zeal  would  lead  men  towards  Heaven. 
 Speaking  of  the  unwillingnefs  of  Bifhops  in  the  primi- 
 tive ages  to  undertake  the  office,  from  its  refponfi- 
 bilities  and  danger,  he  intimates  that  Ken  had  not  only 
 been  "  wifh't  and  nominated,  but  fought,  woo'd  and 
 commanded  out  of  his  retirement  to  the  undertaking 
 of  the  charge."  He  tells  him  not  to  fcruple ;  for 
 "  when  God  (Who  makes  fufficient  whom  He  pleafeth) 
 determines  fuch  a  charge  for  a  man,  then  compliance 
 is  fafe,  and  the  bleffing  indubitable  ;  it  is  a  providential 
 defignation,"  &c. 
 
 The  Gift  or  Effufion  of  the  Holy  Ghoft,  which 
 Timothy  received  at  his  confecration,  he  diftributes 
 into  three  particular  graces,  enumerated  by  St.  Paul  in 
 the  verfe  following  the  text,  mighty  love,  and  a  found 
 mind;  and  all  thefe  he  applies  to  Ken  with  fuitable 
 encouragements  and  advice.* 
 
 He  winds  up  his  eloquent  difcourfe  with  this  ex- 
 hortation and  promife  to  Ken  :  "  And  now  (O  Timo- 
 thy) fee,  here  are  the  arts  of  thy  Government ;  continue 
 in  thefe,  and  thou  needeft  no  other  policy  ;  God  will 
 take  all  the  other  care  that  is  neceflary  for  the  efta- 
 blifhment  of  His  own  Church.  Do  thou  '*  ftir  up 
 the  Gift  of  God  which  is  in  thee;"  do  thou  quicken 
 the  divine  '*  coal  that  toucheth  thee,"  and  thy  coal 
 fhall  blaze  into  a  flame,  and  thy  flame  fhall  be  ennobled 
 into  a  fliar,  a  vaft  orb  of  light,  fuch  as  fhall  crown  the 
 head  of  all  thofe  happy  men,  who  by  their  condu(5l 
 and  example  "  turn  many  unto  righteoufnefs." 
 
 Thus  at  the  age  of  48  Ken  was  raifed  to  the  mofl; 
 
 *  Appendix  C. 
 
1685]       BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         147 
 
 refponfible  labours  of  the  Church,  he  had  always  loved 
 with  fuch  a  confiftent  devotion.  He  was  no  longer  to 
 enjoy  a  retirement,  that  favours  the  facrifice  of  earthly 
 affections,  being  called  to  a  wider  range  of  public  du- 
 ties. Yet  in  this  elevation  we  (hall  find  him  more  and 
 more  fervent  in  the  exercife  of  the  lowly  graces  of 
 charity,  felf  denial,  and  prayer.  In  all  his  previous 
 offices  he  had  maintained  an  unblemifhed  purity,  and 
 fubjedlion  of  his  will  to  the  law  of  Chrift,  not  lefs  re- 
 quired, though  more  difficult  to  cherifh,  amid  the  en- 
 gagements and  diffractions  of  a  higher  fphere.  His 
 ftedfaffnefs  had  already  been  tried  in  a  fubordinate 
 ffation.  Now,  as  the  favourite  of  an  irreligious  Prince, 
 whofe  very  preference  of  him  might  involve  tempta- 
 tions to  unfaithful  acquiefcence,  he  was  called  to  a  yet 
 more  rigid  exercife  of  conftancy  in  maintaining  the 
 truth  of  dodtrine,  and  purity  of  life,  openly  fet  at 
 nought  in  a  profligate  court.  To  be  humble  and 
 meek,  yet  jealous  for  God's  honour,  patient  and  for- 
 bearing, yet  bold  in  reproof,  required  the  exercife  of 
 qualities  not  generally  united  in  the  fame  perfon. 
 
 It  was  on  Sunday,  and  the  Feffival  of  the  Conver- 
 fion  of  St.  Paul,  that  he  had  been  confecrated  a  Biffiop. 
 Could  we  but  follow  him  into  his  clofet  on  that  night, 
 what  a  picture  would  be  offered  to  us  of  a  penitent, 
 humble  man,  proftrate  on  the  ground  in  fervent  prayer 
 to  his  Lord.  How  little  congenial  with  the  furround- 
 ing  tumult  of  a  diffipated  city  was  his  employment  on 
 that  evening  of  his  earthly  exaltation,  imploring  the 
 graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  Whom  alone  he  could 
 himfelf  attain  to  any  perfection,  or  teach  mankind  the 
 value  of  their  undying  fouls.      This  is  no  imaginary 
 
148  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,  [1685 
 
 pidlure  of  Ken's  employment  on  the  evening  of  his 
 confecration.  It  had  been  ufual  on  thefe  occafions  for 
 the  new  Bifhop,  at  his  own  charge,  but  in  the  palace 
 of  the  Archbifhop,  to  give  "  a  very  fplendid  and 
 magnificent  dinner  to  the  greateft  of  the  nobility, 
 clergy,  judges,  privy  counfellors,  &c.  honouring  it 
 with  their  prefence."*  Inftead  of  this  he  dedicated 
 the  fum  it  would  have  coft  to  a  holier  purpofe. 
 
 He  was  poor  in  this  world's  pofTeiTions.  In  difpo- 
 fing  of  the  income  of  his  Fellowfhip,  and  Prebendal 
 ftall  at  Winchefter,  he  confidered  himfelf  fimply  as 
 God's  almoner.  To  purchafe  a  heavenly  treafure  he 
 had  parted  with  all  he  had ;  fo  that  when  he  was  con- 
 fecrated  Bifhop,  Mr.  Francis  Morley,  the  nephew  of 
 his  late  friend,  *'  knowing  how  little  he  had  provided 
 for  fuch  an  expence  as  attends  the  entry  and  contin- 
 uance in  fuch  a  chair,  mofl:  generoufly  offered,  and 
 lent  him,  a  confiderable  fum  to  defray  his  expences, 
 and  furnifli  him  with  an  equipage  as  his  ftation  re- 
 quired." f  But  even  of  this  benevolence  he  made  a 
 firft  fruit's  offering  to  the  glory  of  God.  In  the  ge- 
 neral lift  of  contributors  to  the  rebuilding  of  St.  Paul's 
 Cathedral,  deftroyed  in  the  late  fire  of  London,  we 
 find  this  entry  : — 
 
 January  26th,    1684-5,  Dr.  Thomas  Ken,  1 
 
 Lord  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  in  lieu  >-  £  100 
 of  his  confecration  dinner  and  gloves.  J    J 
 
 *  Chamberlayne's  Anglias  Notitias,  part  ii.  p.  22,  1682. 
 
 t  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  20. 
 
 t  Dugdale's  Hirt.  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  p.  168.  Dr.  John  Fell 
 hrll  fet  this  example  two  years  before,  when  lie  was  confccrated  to 
 the  See  of  Oxford. 
 
1685]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .  149 
 
 This  was  on  Monday,  the  day  after  his  confecration* 
 Well  might  Hawkins  fay,  "  if  any  fhould  imagine  that 
 he  was  given  to  extravagance,  in  that  having  enjoyed 
 fuch  preferments  he  was  ftill  poor,  it  may  be  obferved 
 that,  if  there  can  be  an  extravagant  in  good  works, 
 he  was  fuch  in  that  moft  excellent  gift  of  charity."* 
 And  again,  "  his  whole  fortune  lying  in  his  prefer- 
 ments, thofe  of  his  relations  who  were  neceffitous  (but 
 whom  he  could  never  regard  the  lefs  for  their  being 
 fo)  were  a  continual  drain  on  his  revenue  :  and  he 
 feemed  to  joy  with  thofe  who  lived  in  more  plenty, 
 not  more  for  their  own  well  being,  than  that  thereby 
 he  was  at  liberty  to  difpenfe  the  remainder  of  his  in- 
 come to  necefTitous  Grangers,  which  he  always  did 
 with  fo  open  a  bounty,  that  he  became  a  common 
 father  to  all  the  Jons  and  daughters  of  affliction.'' ■\ 
 
 And  now,  in  order  to  eftimate  the  difficulties  that 
 were  likely  to  befet  his  path,  let  us,  from  the  medita- 
 tions of  this  prayerful  Chriftian  "  in  his  clofet  ad- 
 dreffes  to  his  God,"  J  turn  to  the  fpedacle  of  King 
 Charles,  and  his  diffolute  court,  on  the  fame  evening. 
 "  I  can  never  forget,  (fays  the  faithful  chronicler  and 
 witnefs  of  the  fcene)  the  inexpreffible  luxury,  and 
 prophanenefs,  gaming,  and  all  difTolutenefs,  and  as  it 
 were  total  forgetfulnefs  of  God  (it  being  Sunday  even- 
 ing) which  I  was  witnefs  of,  the  King  fitting  and  toy- 
 ing with  his  concubines  Portfmouth,  Cleveland,  and 
 Mazarine,  &c.  a  French  boy  finging  love-fongs  in 
 that  glorious  gallery,  whilft:  about  twenty  of  the  great 
 courtiers,  and  other  difTolute  perfons,  were  at  Baflet 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  21.     f  Ibid.  p.  22.      J  Ibid.  p.  5. 
 
150  L//^^  <?/^  Thomas  Ken,  [1685 
 
 round  a  large  table,  a  bank  of  at  leaft  £  2,000  in  gold 
 before  them,  upon  which  two  gentlemen,  who  were 
 with  me,  made  refledlions  with  aftonifhment.  Six  days 
 after  all  was  in  the  dujiy* 
 
 Yes, — within  one  fhort  week  from  his  confecration, 
 Ken,  "who  was  in  greater  favour  than  all  the Bifhops," ^ 
 was  fuddenly  fummoned  to  the  bed  fide  of  the  dying 
 King.  The  cold  hand  was  already  laid  upon  him. 
 Difmay  and  confufion  now  reigned  within  the  palace, 
 which  but  as  yefterday  furnifhed  a  fcene  of  fuch  mani- 
 fold wickednefs  as  Evelyn  fays,  "  he  had  never  before 
 feen.":|:  The  death-fummons  came  over  that  ungodly 
 crew  like  the  hand-writing  on  the  wall  at  Belfiiazzar's 
 feaft.  "  Then  the  king's  countenance  was  changed, 
 and  his  thoughts  troubled  him,  fo  that  the  joints  of 
 his  loins  were  loofed,  and  his  knees  fmote  one  againft 
 the  other."  Burnet  thus  defcribes  the  fatal  attack  of 
 Charles  ;  "  the  phyfician  was  fcarce  come  in,  when  the 
 King,  who  feemed  all  the  while  to  be  in  great  confu- 
 fion, fell  down  all  of  a  fudden  in  a  fit,  like  an  apo- 
 plexy :  he  looked  black,  and  his  eyes  turned  in  his 
 head."§ 
 
 Did  we  jufl:ly  view  it,  the  life  of  a  reprobate  man 
 is  a  dreadful  fpedlacle ;  how  much  more  his  death  ! 
 Whether  peafant  or  king,  each  is  fufceptible  of  the 
 fame  vilenefs,  each  referved  for  a  like  doom,  according 
 to  the  meafure  of  his  opportunities  mifufed.  In  life, 
 a  throne  can  lift  the  one  but  a  few  fl:eps  above  the 
 
 *  Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  585. 
 t  Burnet's  Hirt.  of  his  ow^n  Times. 
 I  Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  579. 
 §  Burnet's  Hift.  of  his  own  Times. 
 
 i 
 
1685]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         151 
 
 earth  on  which  the  other  toils  :  in  death,  a  common 
 grave  reduces  them  to  a  level ;  fome  few  feet  above  or 
 below  the  furface  makes  the  king,  or  the  corpfe.  Ken 
 could  not  but  be  deeply  affedled  by  the  awful  fcene. 
 Where  he  had  before  been  a  monitor,  he  would  now 
 fain  adl  the  part  of  a  comforter.  To  this  end  he  muft 
 do  all  within  his  power  to  awaken  the  King  to  fome 
 timely  repentance,  and  fo  fnatch  him,  if  God  fhould 
 permit,  from  the  avenging  angel,  whofe  fword  was 
 even  now  lifted  above  his  guilty,  though  anointed 
 head. 
 
 "  Archbifhop  Bancroft,  and  the  Bifhops  of  London, 
 Durham  and  Ely  were  prefent ;  but  more  efpecially 
 Dr.  Ken,  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells."*  "  And  now, 
 at  this  juncture  it  was,  when  the  King's  period  of  life 
 drew  near,  his  diftemper  feizing  his  head,  and  our 
 Bifhop,  well  knowing  how  much  had  been  put  off  to 
 that  laft  point,  and  fearing  the  ftrength  of  his  dif- 
 temper would  give  but  little  time  (as  indeed  it  proved) 
 his  duty  urging  him,  he  gave  a  clofe  attendance  by  the 
 royal  bed,  without  any  inter mijfion  at  leaft  for  three 
 whole  days  and  nights^  watching  at  proper  intervals, 
 to  fuggeft  pious  and  proper  thoughts,  and  ejaculations 
 on  fo  ferious  an  occafion."f  "  Having  homely  urged 
 the  neceffity  of  a  full,  and  prevailed,  as  is  hoped,  for 
 a  fincere  repentance,  the  Bifhop  feveral  times  propofed 
 the  adminiftration  of  the  Holy  Sacrament.  But  al- 
 though it  was  not  abfolutely  reje6led,  it  was  yet  delayed 
 from  time  to  time,  till  (I  know  not  by  what  authority) 
 
 *  Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  580. 
 t  Hawkins's  Life  of"  Ken,  p.  10. 
 
152  Zy//'^  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,  [1685 
 
 the  Bifhop,  and  all  others  prefent,  were  put  forth  from 
 the  prefence  for  about  the  fpace  of  half  an  hour,  du- 
 ring which  time  it  has  been  fuggefted  that  Father 
 Huddleftone  was  admittted  to  give  extreme  undion."* 
 Such  is  the  fimple  narrative  of  Hawkins,  the  Bi- 
 fhop's  nephew,  and  no  doubt  derived  from  Ken  him- 
 felf.  It  differs  eflentially  from  that  of  Burnet,  who 
 was  not  prefent,  and  according  to  his  frequent  cuftom 
 ventures  unauthenticated  and  prejudiced  ftatements. 
 He  admits,  however,  that  Ken  '*  applied  himfelf  much 
 to  the  awakening  of  the  King's  confcience.  He  fpoke 
 with  great  elevation  both  of  thought  and  exprefTion, 
 like  a  man  infpired,  as  thofe  who  were  prefent  told 
 me.  He  refumed  the  matter  often,  and  pronounced 
 many  fhort  ejaculations  and  prayers  which  affe6led  all 
 that  were  prefent,  except  him  that  was  the  moft  con- 
 cerned, who  feemed  to  take  no  notice  of  him,  and 
 made  no  anfwers  to  him.  He  prefTed  the  King  fix  or 
 feven  times  to  receive  the  Sacrament :  but  the  King 
 always  declined  it,  faying  he  was  very  weak.  A  table 
 with  the  elements  upon  it,  ready  to  be  confecrated, 
 was  brought  into  the  room,  which  occafioned  a  report 
 to  be  then  fpread  about  that  he  had  received  it.  Ken 
 prefTed  him  to  declare  that  he  defired  it,  and  that  he 
 died  in  communion  of  the  Church  of  England.  To 
 that  he  anfwered  nothing.  Ken  afked  him  if  he  defired 
 abfolution  of  his  fins.  It  feems  the  King,  if  he  then 
 thought  anything  at  all,  thought  that  would  do  him 
 no  hurt.  So  Ken  pronounced  it  over  him  :  for  which 
 he  was  blamed,  fince  the  King  expreffed  no  fenfe   of 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  12. 
 
1685]      BiJIjop  of  Bath  and  JVells.         1 5  3 
 
 forrow  for  his  paft  life,  nor  any  purpofe  of  amendment. 
 It  was  thought  to  be  a  proftitution  of  the  peace  of  the 
 Church,  to  give  it  to  one  who,  after  a  life  led  as  the 
 King's  had  been,  feemed  to  harden  himfelf  againft 
 everything  that  could  be  faid  to  him."* 
 
 Nothing  can  be  more  culpably  erroneous  than  this 
 lafl:  part  of  Burnet's  flatement.  It  is  one  of  the  many 
 inftances  of  the  prejudice  and  unfcrupulous  boldnefs 
 of  this  writer,  who  was  a  principal  mover  of  the  Re- 
 volution, and  implacable  towards  the  houfe  of  Stuart, 
 of  which  Ken  was  fo  inflexible  an  adherent.  Burnet 
 was  a  powerful  difputant  in  the  controverfies  of  his 
 time  :  as  an  hiftorian,  fo  partial,  that  our  admiration  of 
 his  talents  frequently  yields  to  aftonifhment  at  his  un- 
 faithfulnefs.  As  a  counfellor  of  William,  he  inflidled 
 deep  wounds  on  the  Church  of  England,  and  lent  his 
 aid  to  abolilh.  in  Scotland  the  Apoftolic  rule.  His 
 account  of  the  laft  moments  of  Charles  is  inconfiftent 
 with  itfelf.  He  would  have  it  appear  that  the  King 
 neither  thought,  nor  fpoke,  nor  cared  about  religion  : 
 yet  in  another  place  he  admits  that  "  after  fuch  a  con- 
 feffion  to  Huddleftone,  the  Prieft,  as  he  could  make 
 (in  his  exhaufted  flate)  and  receiving  abfolution,  and 
 the  other  Sacraments,  he  feemed  to  be  at  great  eafe 
 upon  it."  He  was  not  prefent  at  the  fcene  ;  and  he 
 might  have  given  Bifhop  Ken  credit  for  an  exa6t  judg- 
 ment in  pronouncing  the  peace  of  the  Church,  admit- 
 ting, as  he  does,  that  he  "  fpoke  like  a  man  infpired." 
 
 Surely  we  may  believe,  that  in  the  long  days  and 
 nights,  during  which  this  holy  meflenger  had  watched 
 
 *  Burner's  Hift.  of  his  own  Times. 
 
154  ^^p  (j/' Thomas  Ken,  [1685 
 
 by  the  bed  fide  of  the  dying  King,  while  his  exhorta- 
 tions were  feconded  by  pain,  and  the  fearful  looking 
 for  of  what  was  to  come,  he  could  beft  decide  on  the 
 proper  moment  for  pronouncing  abfolution.  He  was 
 aided,  too,  by  the  judgment  of  the  four  other  prelates 
 who  were  prefent.  Ken  knew  the  minifterial  authority 
 committed  to  him.  Our  Church,  in  her  Ordination 
 Office,  has  folemnly  invefted  her  priefts  with  the  power 
 of  abfolution.  In  her  Order  for  the  Vifitation  of  the 
 Sick,  fhe  has  direded  them,  on  confeffion  of  fin,  to 
 pronounce  pardon  "  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of 
 the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghoft,"  We  could,  there- 
 fore, readily  excufe  the  Bifhop,  if  for  the  "  Lord's 
 anointed  "  he  felt  a  deep, — nay,  even  were  it  an  indul- 
 gent,— anxiety  to  convey  to  him  the  moft  joyful  tidings 
 that  could  be  brought  to  the  ears  of  a  dying  man. 
 Great  is  the  value  of  an  immortal  foul,  over  which 
 the  angels  of  heaven  rejoice  :  and  with  all  the  awful 
 apprehenfions  we  muft  ever  entertain  of  the  efficacy  of 
 a  death-bed  repentance.  Ken  would  lofe  nothing  in 
 our  efteem,  if  he  yearned  to  pronounce  the  bleffing, 
 "  By  His  authority  committed  unto  me  I  abfolve 
 thee."=* 
 
 But  he  requires  no  apology  :  Burnet's  afi^ertions 
 that  Charles  died  impenitent,  and  that  Ken  improperly 
 gave  him  abfolution,  are  fimply  unfounded.  We  have 
 the  cleareft  evidence  of  thofe  who  were  prefent  that 
 the  King  repeatedly  confefied  his  fins,  and  gave  tokens 
 of  contrition. 
 
 *  The  Vifitation  of  the  Sick.— Book  of  Common  Prayer. 
 
 i 
 
1685]       Rijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         155 
 
 I  ft.  We  have  {^^n  from  Hawkins's  account  (the 
 beft  of  all  teftimony,  becaufe  he  muft  have  received  it 
 from  Ken  himfelf)  that  "  the  Bifhop  urged  the  necef- 
 fity  of  a  full,  and  prevailed^  as  is  hoped^  for  a  fincere 
 repentance.'''^ 
 
 2nd.  The  Duke  of  York,  the  King's  brother,  tells 
 us  that  "  the  Bifliop  of  Bath,  and  another  Bifhop, 
 read  the  Vifitation  of  the  Sick,  when  the  King  was 
 defpaired  of.  The  King  faying  that  he  repented  of 
 his  fins,  the  Bifhop  read  Abfolution  to  him."f 
 
 3rd.  We  have  a  detailed  ftatement  of  the  whole 
 fcene  from  the  Chaplain  of  the  Bifhop  of  Ely,  who 
 was  in  the  room.  Though  certainly  not  free  from  the 
 adulation  which  then  fo  deeply  infeded  all  within  the 
 influence  of  the  court,  it  may  be  taken  as  fome  cumu- 
 lation of  proof.  Among  other  things  he  fays  ''  'twas 
 a  great  piece  of  Providence  that  this  fatal  blow  was 
 not  fo  fudden  as  it  would  have  been,  if  he  had  died  on 
 Monday,  when  the  fit  firft  took  him.  By  thefe  few 
 days'  refpite  he  had  opportunity  (which  accordingly  he 
 did  embrace)  of  thinking  of  another  world.  The 
 Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  watching  on  Wednefday 
 night  (as  my  Lord  had  done  the  night  before)  there 
 appearing  then  fome  danger,  began  to  difcourfe  with 
 him  as  a  Divine  :  and  therefore  he  did  continue  the 
 fpeaker  for  the  reft  to  the  laft,  the  other  Bifhops  giv- 
 ing their  afTiftance  both  by  prayers  and  otherwife,  as 
 they  faw  occafion,  with  very  good  ejaculations,  and 
 
 *  Life  of  Ken,  p,  1 1 . 
 
 f  Macpherfon's  Original  papers,  vol.  i.  p.   142. 
 
156  Zy//^"  ^/ Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 fhort  fpeeches,  till  his  fpeech  quite  left  him  ;  and  after- 
 wards by  lifting  up  his  hand,  expreffing  his  attention 
 to  the  prayers."* 
 
 4th.  The  laft  and  moft  conclufive  teftimony  of  the 
 King's  penitence  is  Huddleftone's  "  Brief  Account.'"  — 
 ''  I  was  called,  he  fays,  into  the  King's  bed-chamber, 
 where  approaching  to  the  bed-fide  and  kneeling  down, 
 I  in  brief  prefented  his  Majefty  with  what  fervice  I 
 could  perform  for  God's  honour,  and  the  happinefs  of 
 his  foul  at  this  laft  moment  on  which  eternity  depends. 
 The  King  then  declared  himfelf :  that  he  defired  to 
 die  in  the  Faith  and  Communion  of  the  Holy  Roman 
 Catholic  Church  ;  that  he  was  moft  heartily  forry  for 
 all  the  fins  of  his  life  paft,  and  particularly  that  he 
 had  deferred  his  reconciliation  fo  long ;  and  through 
 the  merits  of  Chrift's  Paffion  he  hoped  for  Salvation  ; 
 that  he  was  in  charity  with  all  the  world ;  that  with 
 all  his  heart  he  pardoned  his  enemies,  and  defired  par- 
 don of  all  thofe  whom  he  had  anywife  offended,  and 
 that  if  it  pleafed  God  to  fpare  him  longer  life,  he 
 would  amend  it,  detefting  all  fin.  I  then  advertized 
 his  Majefty  of  the  benefit  and  neceffity  of  the  Sacra- 
 ment of  Penance,  which  advertizement  the  King  moft 
 willingly  embracing,  made  an  exa61;  confeffion  of  his 
 whole  life  with  exceeding  compun6tion  and  tendernefs 
 of  heart ;  which  ended,  I  defired  him  in  further  fign 
 of  repentance  and  true  forrow  for  his  fins  to  fay  with 
 me  this  little  fiiort  ad  of  contrition  *  O  my  Lord  God, 
 with  my  whole  heart  and  foul  I  deteft  all  the  fins  of 
 my  life  paft,  for  the  love  of  Thee,  whom  I  love  above 
 
 *   Ellis's  Original  Letters,  ill:  Series,  vol.  iii.  p.  335. 
 
1685]       BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.       157 
 
 all  things  ;  and  I  firmly  purpofe  by  Thy  Holy  Grace 
 never  to  offend  Thee  more  :  Amen,  fweet  Jefus, 
 Amen.  Into  thy  hands,  fweet  Jefus,  I  commend  my 
 foul  ;  mercy,  fweet  Jefus,  mercy.'  This  he  pro- 
 nounced with  a  clear  and  audible  voice  ;  which  done, 
 and  his  facramental  penance  admitted,  I  gave  him  abfo- 
 lution.  After  receiving  the  Holy  Sacrament  of  the 
 Eucharift,  and  Extreme  Un6lion,  he  repeated  the  Ac5l 
 of  Contrition,  raifing  himfelf  up,  and  faying  ^  let  me 
 meet  my  Heavenly  Lord  in  a  better  pofture  than  in 
 my  bed,'  &c.  and  fo  he  received  his  Viaticum  with  all 
 the  fymptoms  of  devotion  imaginable."* 
 
 So  much  for  Burnet's  firll  charge :  but  he  goes  on 
 to  fay  that  "  Ken  was  alfo  cenfured  for  another  piece 
 of  indecency  :  he  prefented  the  Duke  of  Richmond, 
 Lady  Portfmouth's  fon,  to  be  bleffed  by  the  King. 
 Upon  this,  fome  that  were  in  the  room  cried  out,  the 
 King  was  their  common  Father.  And  upon  that  all 
 kneeled  down  for  his  bleffing,  which  he  gave  them." 
 Again  ;  "  the  King  recommended  Lady  Portfmouth 
 over  and  over  again  to  the  Duke  :  he  faid  he  had 
 always  loved  her,  and  he  loved  her  now  to  the  lafl: ; 
 and  befought  the  Duke  in  as  melting  words  as  he 
 could  fetch  out  to  be  very  kind  to  her  and  her  fon. 
 He  recommended  his  other  children  to  him  :  and  con- 
 cluded *  let  not  poor  Nelly  ftarve,'  that  was  Mrs. 
 Gwyn.     But  he  fiid  nothing  of  the  Queen,  nor  any 
 
 *  "  Brief  Account  of  Particulars  occurring  at  the  happy  death  of 
 our  kite  Sovereign  Lord  King  Cliarles  tlie  Second  in  regard  to  Reli- 
 gion ;  faithfully  related  by  his  then  afliflant  Jo.  Huddlellon."  —  4to. 
 1685. 
 
158  Life  <?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 one  word  of  his  people,  or  of  his  fervants."  And  in 
 another  part,  fpeaking  of  the  King's  infenfibility  to 
 "  the  weighty  obfervations  made  to  him  by  Archbifhop 
 Sancroft,  and  Ken,"  he  fays,  "  of  this  too  vifible  an 
 inftance  appeared,  fince  Lady  Portfmouth  fat  on  the 
 bed,  taking  care  of  him  as  a  wife  of  a  hufband." 
 
 All  the  parts  of  this  narrative,  as  far  as  they  relate 
 to  the  Queen,  and  Bifhop  Ken,  and  Lady  Portfmouth, 
 are  the  very  reverfe  of  the  truth. 
 
 I  ft.  Hawkins  declares  that  "  the  Duchefs  of  Portf- 
 mouth coming  into  the  room,  whilft  the  Bifhop  was 
 fuggefting  pious  and  proper  thoughts  and  ejaculations 
 on  fo  ferious  an  occafion.  Ken  -prevailed  with  His  Ma- 
 jejiy  to  have  her  removed^  and  took  that  occafion  of 
 reprefenting  the  injury  and  injuftice  done  to  his  Queen 
 fo  effedlually,  that  His  Majefty  was  induced  to  fend 
 for  the  Qiieen,  and  afking  pardon  had  the  fatisfad:ion 
 of  her  forgivenefs  before  he  died."* 
 
 2nd.  The  Bifhop  of  Ely's  Chaplain  fays  —  "  the 
 firft  thing  the  King  did,  on  coming  out  of  his  fit,  was 
 to  afk  for  the  Queen  ;  ihe  had  been  prefent  with  him 
 as  long  as  her  extraordinary  pafTion  would  give  her 
 leave  ;  but  this  at  length  threw  her  into  fits,  and  fhe 
 then  being  compelled  to  retire,  when  the  King  afked 
 for  her,  fhe  was  obliged  to  '*  fend  a  meffage  to  him  to 
 excufe  her  abfence,  and  to  beg  his  pardon,  if  ever  fhe 
 had  offended  him  in  all  her  life.  He  replied  '  Alas  ! 
 poor  woman,  fhe  beg  my  pardon  !  I  beg  hers  with  all 
 my  heart.'  "f 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  1 1. 
 
 t  Ellis's  Original  Letters,  ift  Series,  vol.  iii.  p.  337. 
 
1685]      BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         i  59 
 
 3rd.  Barillon,  the  French  Ambaffador,  who  was 
 alfo  prefent,  wrote  a  full  account  immediately  to  Louis 
 XIV.  He  defcribes  the  Duchefs  of  Portfmouth's 
 anxiety  to  have  a  Catholic  Prieft  fent  for,  that  Charles 
 might  be  reconciled  to  the  Roman  Church.  "  Monfieur 
 AmbafTador,  fhe  faid  to  him,  I  am  going  to  tell  you 
 the  greateft  fecret  in  the  world,  and  my  head  would 
 be  in  danger  if  it  was  known.  The  king  of  England 
 at  the  bottom  of  his  heart  is  a  Catholic  ;  but  he  is 
 furrounded  with  Proteftant  Bifhops,  and  nobody  tells 
 him  his  condition,  nor  fpeaks  to  him  of  God.  /  can- 
 not with  decency  enter  the  room  ;  beftdes  that  the  ^een 
 is  almoft  conftantly  there  :  the  Duke  of  York  thinks  of 
 his  own  affairs,  and  has  too  many  of  them  to  take  the 
 care  he  ought  of  the  King's  confcience.  Go  and  tell 
 him  I  have  conjured  you  to  warn  him  to  think  of 
 what  can  be  done  to  fave  the  King's  foul.  He  com- 
 mands the  room,  and  can  turn  out  whom  he  will :  lofe 
 no  time,  for  if  it  is  deferred  ever  fo  little,  it  will  be  too 
 late." 
 
 4th.  The  Duke  of  York,  in  his  notes  of  the  King's 
 death,  fays  he  fpoke  moft  tenderly  of  the  Queen  in 
 his  laft  moments.  And  the  Earl  of  Ailfbury,  another 
 perfonal  witnefs  of  the  fcene,  writing  to  Mr.  Leigh  of 
 Adleftrop,  indignantly  denies  the  affertion  of  Burnet : 
 he  calls  him  "  a  notorious  liar  from  beginning  to  end. 
 My  good  King  and  mafter  falling  upon  me  in  his  fit, 
 I  ordered  him  to  be  blooded,  and  then  went  to  fetch 
 the  Duke  of  York,  and  when  we  came  to  the  bed-fide 
 
 *   Dalrymple's  Memoirs.      Appendix  to  vol.  i,  p.  95. 
 
i6o  Zy//^^  ^p/' Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 we  found  the  ^leen  there ^  and  the  impoftor  fays  it  was 
 the  Duchefs  of  Portfmouth."* 
 
 As  to  Ken's  prefenting  the  Duke  of  Richmond  to 
 be  blefied,— it  would  have  been  no  great  "  indecency," 
 as  Burnet  calls  it,  if  he  had  aflced  the  parental  blefTmg 
 on  a  Ton  (then  only  thirteen  years  of  age)  whofe  un- 
 happy birth  was  no  fault  or  crime  of  his.  But  it  was 
 not  the  fad:  ;  there  was  no  occafion  for  his  doing  fo. 
 Dr.  Turner's  Chaplain  informs  us  that  the  King  ''  re- 
 commended to  the  care  of  the  Duke  of  York  all  his 
 children  by  name,  except  the  Duke  of  Monmouth, 
 whom  he  was  not  heard  fo  much  as  to  make  mention 
 of.  He  blefTed  all  his  children  one  by  one,  pulling 
 them  on  the  bed  :  and  then  the  Bifhops  moved  him, 
 as  he  was  the  Lord's  anointed,  and  the  father  of  his 
 country,  to  blefs  them  alfo,  and  all  that  were  there 
 prefent,  and  in  them  the  whole  body  of  his  fubjeds. 
 Whereupon  the  room  being  full,  all  fell  down  upon 
 their  knees,  and  he  raifed  himfelf  in  his  bed,  and  very 
 folemnly  blefled  them  all.  This  was  fo  like  a  great 
 good  Prince,  and  the  folemnity  of  it  fo  very  furprifing, 
 as  was  extremely  moving,  and  caufed  a  general  lamen- 
 tation throughout ;  and  no  one  hears  it  without  being 
 much  afFedled  with  it,  being  new  and  great." f 
 
 We  cannot  concur  in  this  panegyric  on  Charles  as 
 "  a  great  good  Prince,"  any  more  than  we  admit  the 
 juftice  of  Burnet's  opprobrious  comparlfon  of  him  to 
 the  "  monfter  Tiberius."  It  is  certain  his  death  oc- 
 cafioned  a  general  forrow  :   he  was  an  indulgent  father. 
 
 *  European  Magazine,  vol.  xxvii.  p.  221. 
 
 t  Ellis's  Original  Letters.     Series  i.  vol.  p.  338. 
 
1685]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         1 6 1 
 
 a  kind  mafter ;  his  courteous  and  eafy  manners  en- 
 deared him  to  the  people,  who  are  not  ufually  the 
 moft  accurate  obfervers  of  charadler.  In  the  many 
 viciffitudes  of  his  fortune  he  loft  the  opportunities  of 
 fhowing  himfelf  a  great  man  ;  his  vices  prevailed  to 
 render  him  an  inglorious  King. 
 
 M 
 
i62  Liife  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 CHAPTER  XII. 
 
 Accejfton  ofjaines  II.  —  Early  Meafures  of  the  King  for  the 
 eJiabUjh?nent  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Religion  —  Ken^s  firji 
 vifit  to  Wells  —  The  Palace  at  Wells  —  His  Sermon  at 
 Whitehall  on  the  character  of  Daniel  —  Coronation  of 
 fafnes. 
 
 ^'  "^j^^ISHOP  KEN'S  clofe  attendance  at  the 
 death-bed  of  Charles,  fo  immediately 
 after  his  confecration,  prevented  any- 
 thought  of  the  ufual  forms  for  his  ad- 
 mifTion  to  the  temporalities  of  the  See,  which  required 
 the  King's  fign  manual.  But  as  foon  as  James  came 
 to  the  throne  "  new  inftruments  were  prepared  for 
 that  purpofe,  and  he  was  accordingly  in  full  pofTefTion 
 of  his  revenues."* 
 
 It  was  a  time  of  difficulty  and  danger  to  the  Church. 
 Much  laxity  and  indifference  prevailed  ;  many  of  the 
 Clergy  were  non-refident,  ecclefiaftical  difcipline  was 
 remifs,  and  fchifm  abounded.  Ken's  firmnefs  and  cir- 
 cumfpedtion,  his  courage  and  meeknefs  were  all  tafked 
 to  harmonize  men's  minds,  and  keep  them  ftedfafl  to 
 the  truth,  when  it  feemed  to  be  endangered  by  the 
 King's  undifguifed  endeavour  to  eftablifh  Popery.  He 
 had  long  fince  abjured  the  Church  of  England.  There 
 can  be  no  doubt  this  was  previous  to  the  death  f  of  his 
 firft  wife,  Anne  Hyde,  who  had  alfo  embraced  the 
 
 *  Hawkins'  Life  of  Ken,  p.  12.  f  In  1671. 
 
1685]      Bijhop  of  Bath  cmd  Wells.         163 
 
 Romifh  Faith,  probably  through  his  influence.  So 
 early  as  the  30th  of  March  1673,  "  at  the  Sermon  co- 
 ram rege,  preached  by  Dr.  Sparrow,  Bifhop  of  Exeter, 
 to  a  mofl:  crouded  auditorie,  I  ftaid  "  (fays  Evelyn)  "  to 
 fee  whether,  according  to  cuftom,  the  Duke  of  York 
 received  the  Communion  with  the  King  j  but  he  did 
 not,  to  the  amazement  of  everybody.  This  being 
 the  fecond  year  he  had  forbore  and  put  it  off,  and 
 within  a  day  of  the  Parliament  fitting,  who  had  lately 
 made  fo  fevere  an  ad:  againft  the  encreafe  of  Po- 
 pery, gave  exceeding  griefe  and  fcandal  to  the  whole 
 nation,  that  the  heir  of  it,  and  the  fon  of  a  martyr 
 for  the  Proteftant  religion,  fhould  apoftatize.  What 
 the  confequence  of  this  will  be  God  only  knows,  and 
 wife  men  dread."* 
 
 In  1678  Archbifhop  Sancroft,  aififted  by  Bifhop 
 Morley,  had  an  interview  with  him  in  his  clofet,  to 
 reprefent  the  danger  of  his  feceffion,  and  to  urge  his 
 return.  After  eulogizing  the  Anglican  Church,  and 
 reminding  him  that  he  "  had  been  born  within  her 
 happy  pale  and  communion,  and  baptized  into  her 
 holy  Faith,"  the  Archbifhop  proceeded  ;  "  your  Royal 
 father,  that  bleffed  Martyr  of  ever  glorious  memory, 
 who  loved  her,  and  knew  how  to  value  her,  and  loft 
 his  all  in  this  world  for  her,  even  his  life  too,  be- 
 queathed you  to  her  at  the  laft.  When  he  was  ready  to 
 turn  his  back  on  an  impious  and  ungrateful  world, 
 and  had  nothing  elfe  now  left  him  but  this  excellent 
 religion  (which  he  thought  not  only  worth  three  king- 
 doms, but  ten  thoufand  worlds)  he  gave  that  Queen 
 
 "    Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  461. 
 
164  I^ife  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 (the  Church)  in  legacy  amongft  you.  For  thus  he 
 befpoke  the  king  your  brother,  and  in  him  all  that 
 were  his,  words  that  deferve  to  be  written  in  letters  of 
 gold,  and  to  be  engraved  in  brafs  or  marble.  *  If  you 
 never  fee  my  face  again,  I  require  and  entreat  you,  as 
 your  father,  and  as  your  King,  that  you  never  fuffer 
 your  heart  to  receive  the  leaft  check  or  diffatisfadlion 
 from  the  true  religion  eftablilhed  in  the  Church  of 
 England.  I  tell  you  I  have  tried  it,  and  after  much 
 fearch,  and  many  difputes,  have  concluded  it  to  be  the 
 beft  in  the  world.'  "*  But  it  was  all  in  vain  :  James 
 replied  to  the  Bifhops  that  he  alfo  had  taken  all  the 
 pains  he  could  to  examine  the  grounds  of  his  religious 
 faith,  that  he  had  not  made  the  change  haftily,  or 
 without  forefight  of  the  inconveniences  that  muft  en- 
 fue  to  him  from  it ;  and  requefted  that  he  might  not 
 be  further  urged  by  any  difcuffions. 
 
 His  accefTion  had  been  greeted  with  the  acclamations 
 of  the  people,  who  vainly  trufted  to  his  promifes  of 
 tendernefs  for  the  Church  of  England  ;  but  it  was  not 
 long  e'er  thefe  hopes  were  difappointed.  Sufpicion 
 foon  began  to  obfcure  the  funfhine  of  popularity,  which 
 generally  beams  on  a  new  reign.  His  open  cele- 
 bration of  the  mafs,  his  encouragement  of  Roman 
 Priefts  and  Jefuits,  and  the  immediate  choice  of  Pa- 
 pifts  to  offices  of  truft  in  Ireland,  betrayed  his  defign 
 to  overthrow  the  Anglican  faith.  Religion  thus  be- 
 came an  encreafing  fource  of  violent  controverfy  and 
 fadlion.  Inftead  of  endeavouring  to  cement  the  affec- 
 tions  of  his   fubjeds   through   a  common   ritual,   he 
 
 *  D'Oyly's  Life  of  Sancroft,  vol.  i.  p.  167. 
 
1685]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  165 
 
 had  refolved  to  fubftitute  his  own  will  for  the  con- 
 ftituted  laws,  and  to  reduce  the  fpiritual  interefts  of 
 the  kingdom  to  a  foreign  rule.  He  could  not  eftimate 
 the  unchangeable  purpofe  of  the  whole  nation  to  main- 
 tain the  reformed  religion.  In  this  unequal  conteft  he 
 was  prepared  to  rifle  his  throne,  placing  his  whole  re- 
 liance on  the  queftionable  fidelity  of  his  army,  com- 
 manded by  Roman  Catholic  officers  ;  his  only  other 
 fupport  being  a  few  catholic  noblemen,  and  a  band  of 
 emiflaries  from  the  papal  court. 
 
 But  we  muft  follow  Bifliop  Ken  to  Wells,  that  we 
 may  witnefs  his  Introdudion  to  the  Diocefe.  The  firfl: 
 dedication  of  himfelf  in  the  cathedral  was  an  event  of 
 deep  intereft  to  all.  It  muft  have  been  a  folemn  and 
 impreffive  fcene,  when,  preceded  by  his  Clergy,  he 
 entered  the  weftern  doors  amidft  the  crowds  of  people, 
 anxious  to  catch  a  glimpfe  of  their  future  Bifhop. 
 We  may  well  imagine  his  feelings  of  awe  and  reve- 
 rence, of  gratitude  and  humiliation,  as  he  raifed  his 
 eyes  to  the  vaulted  roof  of  that  beautiful  temple, 
 henceforward  to  be  the  centre  of  his  paftoral  duties  j 
 and  ftill  more  when  he  was  condudted  to  the  epifcopal 
 throne.  In  dedicating  his  Hymnarium  to  Dr.  Hooper, 
 afterwards  his  fucceftbr  in  the  See,  he  thus  expreffes 
 the  feelings  of  that  moment : 
 
 Among  the  Herdmen,  I  a  common  fwain, 
 Liv'd  pleas'd  with  my  low  cottage  on  the  plain ; 
 Till  up,  like  Amos,  on  a  fudden  caught, 
 /  to  the  Pajfral  Chair  was  trembling  brought. 
 
 The  Palace  at  Wells,  even  to  this  day,  retains  much 
 of  its  former  chara6ler.  It  ftands  in  the  midft  of  a 
 garden,  furrounded  by  a  once  fortified  wall,  at  the  foot 
 
i66  Life  of  Thomas  Ken,  [1685 
 
 of  which  is  a  fountain  of  the  pureft  water,  that  burfts 
 from  St.  Andrew's  well,  and  pafTing  round  the  palace 
 flows  through  the  town.  A  high  terraced  walk,  within 
 ramparts,  overlooks  the  garden  and  palace :  without 
 are  meadows  extending  to  the  foot  of  the  Mendip  hills. 
 The  noble  cathedral,  clofe  at  hand,  glowing  in  all  the 
 varied  richnefs  of  Chriftian  art,  is  feen  through  the 
 mulHoned  windows  of  the  banqueting  hall,  now  in 
 ruins  and  overgrown  with  ivy.  This  hall  had  witnefTed 
 the  trial  and  condemnation  of  Whiting,  the  courageous 
 Abbot  of  Glaftonbury,  who  fufFered  martyrdom  rather 
 than  betray  the  trufts  of  his  Abbey, — that  ancient  and 
 once  fplendid  monument  of  the  wealth  and  devotion 
 of  the  Church.  At  each  end  of  the  terrace  walk  is  a 
 ilone  grotto,  formed  in  the  angles  of  the  rampart,  and 
 covered  with  ivy.  Over  the  entrance  of  one  of  thefe 
 is  an  infcription  from  Horace,  cut  into  a  ftone  tablet. 
 
 "  IlLE  TERRARUM   MIHl   PRATER  OMNES 
 
 Angulus  ridet,"  &c.  &c.  —  Lib.  ii.  Od.  6. 
 
 The  placidnefs  of  the  fcene,  thefe  well  known  lines, 
 and  the  fimilarity  of  charadter  between  two  holy  men, 
 who  amid  the  deeper  thoughts  of  their  learning  and 
 piety  did  not  refufe  to  delight  themfelves  in  the  works 
 of  the  Roman  Lyrifl:,  recall  to  mind  a  paiTage  in  the 
 life  of  Hooker.  "  His  former  pupils,  Edwin  Sandys, 
 and  George  Cranmer,  took  a  journey  to  Draiton  Beau- 
 champ  to  fee  their  tutor,  and  found  him  with  a  book 
 in  his  hand  (it  was  the  odes  of  Horace)  he  being  then 
 like  humble  and  innocent  Abel,  tending  his  fmall 
 allotment   of  flieep  in  a  common  field."*     No   lefs 
 
 *  Walton's  Life  of  Richard  Hooker. 
 
1685]       Bifloop  of  Bath  and  JVells,  167 
 
 humble  and  innocent  was  Bifhop  Ken,  though  living 
 in  a  palace.  Both  are  bright  ornaments  of  the  Englifh 
 Church,  hallowed  to  our  remembrance  by  the  purity 
 of  their  lives,  and  the  undying  worth  of  the  writings 
 they  have  bequeathed  to  us. 
 
 There  Ken  might  walk,  and  read,  and  meditate,  and 
 mature  his  plans  for  the  welfare  of  his  people.  There 
 too,  not  long  after,  he  decided  on  the  courageous 
 ftand  to  be  made,  firft  againft  a  Roman  Catholic,  and 
 then  againft  a  Proteftant  King,  when  they  fucceflively 
 invaded  the  rights  of  the  Church.  Under  both  trials 
 he  was  ready  to  facrifice,  and  at  length  did  yield  up, 
 not  this  garden  of  pleafures  only,  but  all  he  had  or 
 hoped  for  on  earth,  rather  than  betray  the  truft  com- 
 mitted to  him.  This  grotto,  we  may  be  fure,  was  the 
 filent  witnefs  of  his  frequent  and  fervent  afpirations  to 
 the  heavenly  throne.  If  thofe  yews,  and  ivy-grown 
 walls,  could  give  utterance,  what  holy  thoughts,  and 
 prayers,  and  hymns  fung  to  his  lute,  would  they  record. 
 
 Thefe  were  the  tranquil  fcenes  of  his  literary  labours, 
 which  at  once  began  to  employ  his  pen  in  the  fervice 
 of  the  Church.  The  prefs  already  teemed  with  con- 
 troverfy  between  the  communions  of  England  and 
 Rome.  We  may  derive  fome  notion  of  the  height 
 this  had  reached  from  the  mere  titles  of  difcourfes,  to 
 be  found  in  any  of  the  numerous  colleftions  of  tradis  of 
 that  time,  which  are  ftill  extant.  We  may  take  as  a 
 fpecimen  the  contents  of  one  out  of  19  quarto  volumes 
 in  a  private  colledlion. 
 
 "  A  Papift  Mif-Reprefented  and  Reprefented,  or  a 
 twofold  Charader  of  Popery,  &c.  1686.  The  Doc- 
 trines and  Practices  of  the  Church  of  Rome  truly  Re- 
 
i68  Life  <?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 prefented  :  in  Anfwer  to  a  Papift  MIf-Reprefented, 
 &c.  1686.  Reflexions  upon  the  Anfwer  to  the  Pa- 
 pift, direded  to  the  Anfwerer.  1686.  A  Papift  Not 
 Mif-Reprefented  by  Proteftants,  being  a  Reply  to  the 
 Reflexions,  &c.  1686.  Papifts  Protefting  againft  Pro- 
 teftant  Popery,  in  Anfwer,  &c.,  being  a  Vindication 
 of  the  Papifts  Mif-Reprefented.  1686.  An  Anfwer 
 to  a  Difcourfe  entitled  Papifts  Protefting,  &c.  con- 
 taining an  Examination  of  the  Exposition  of  the  In- 
 vocation of  Saints  and  Worfliip  of  Images.  1686.  An 
 Amicable  Accomodation  of  the  Diff*erence  between 
 the  Reprefenter  and  the  Anfwerer,  &c.  1686.  An  An- 
 fwer to  the  Amicable  Accomodation,  &c.  1686.  A 
 Reply  to  the  Anfwer,  &c.  &c.  1686.  A  View  of 
 the  whole  Controverfy  between  the  Reprefenter  and 
 the  Anfwerer,  in  which  are  laid  open  fome  of  the  Me- 
 thods by  which  Proteftants  are  Mif-Reprefented.  1687. 
 The  Papifts  Mif-Reprefented  and  Reprefented.  3rd 
 part.  1687.  An  Anfwer  to  the  Reprefenter's  Reflec- 
 tions upon  the  State  and  View  of  the  Controverfy, 
 fliowing  the  Vindication  has  utterly  ruined  the  New 
 defign  of  expounding  Popery.  1687."* 
 
 But  there  is  no  where  to  be  found  any  one  contro- 
 verfial  tra6t  by  Bifliop  Ken  ;  difputation  was  not  his 
 element.  In  the  pulpit  he  did  not  ftirink  from  faith- 
 fully explaining  and  enforcing  the  do6lrines  of  the 
 Englifti  Church,  as  diftinguiftied  from  the  errors  of 
 
 *  See  alfo  "  The  Catalogue  of  all  the  Difcourfes  publiflied  againll 
 Popery  during  the  Reign  of  James  II."  1689.  4to.  It  contains 
 nearly  two  hundred. 
 
1685]       Biftjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         169 
 
 Rome,  efpecially  when  the  King's  defign  became  more 
 apparent.  In  this  fphere  he  difcourfed  moft  eloquently  ; 
 but  he  never  ftepped  beyond  it.  He  was  remarkable 
 rather  for  a  life  of  practical  holinefs,  and  of  love  and 
 zeal  in  all  the  branches  of  his  office,  than  for  any  for- 
 wardnefs  in  difputing  the  popular  fubjedls  of  the  day. 
 Controverfy,  he  knew,  had  ever  been  found  to  exaf- 
 perate,  rather  than  allay  religious  differences,  to  harden 
 men  into  averfion  and  mutual  reproach,  rather  than 
 bring  them  to  peace  and  unity.  Whilft  others  were 
 engaged  "  in  Pleas,  and  Anfwers,  and  Refledlions  on 
 Anfwers,  Differences  of  Cafes,  Remonflrances  and  Vin- 
 dications," he  fet  himfelf  in  the  firft  year  of  his  Epifco- 
 pate  to  prepare  the  work  which  exalts  his  name  in  the 
 rank  of  Englifh  Divines  :  "  An  Exposition  of  the 
 Church  Catechism,  or  the  Pracfice  of  Divine  Love.'' 
 In  this  he  feems  to  expatiate  in  unbounded  love  to  God 
 and  man.  Let  the  Chriftian  reader,  in  his  retirement, 
 open  it  at  any  page  ;  he  will  fee  a  devout  foul  kneeling 
 at  the  feet  of  Jefus,  as  if  in  theenjoymentof  a  glimpfe 
 of  Heaven,  and  yearning  after  celeftial  light,  and  love, 
 and  glory.  He  will  hardly  refrain  from  kneeling  by 
 his  fide,  to  breathe  with  him  the  fpirit  of  his  prayers. 
 
 But  before  the  work  could  be  committed  to  the  prefs 
 he  was  fummoned  to  preach  his  Lent  fermon  before 
 the  Court  at  Whitehall.  According  to  the  London 
 Gazette  it  was  on  Sunday,  the  8th  of  March  1685.  A 
 few  days  prior  to  this,  Evelyn,  "  to  his  grief,  faw  the 
 new  pulpit  fet  up  in  the  Oratorie  (the  King's  private 
 Chapel)  where  Mafs  was  now  publickly  faid,  and  the 
 Romanifts  fwarming  at  Court  with  greater  confidence 
 
170        '  Z///^  f?/ Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 than  had  ever  been,  fince  the  Reformation  ;  fo  as  every 
 body  grew  jealous  to  what  this  would  tend."*  The 
 King  therefore  was  not  prefent  to  hear  the  fermon  :  but 
 his  daughter,  the  Princefs  of  Denmark  (afterwards 
 Queen  Ann)  attended  with  many  of  the  nobility.  "  She 
 fat  on  the  left  hand  of  the  King's  chair  in  the  gallery, 
 the  Clerk  of  the  Clofet  ftanding  on  the  other  fide,  as  if 
 his  Majefty  had  been  there :  a  fpecial  order  had  been 
 given  that  the  preacher  fhould  make  "  three  congees, 
 inftead  of  one  only,"f  as  they  had  been  ufed  to  do. 
 
 The  Bifhop  chofe  for  his  fubjedt  the  character  of 
 Daniel,:]:  on  which  he  enlarged  with  glowing  eloquence. 
 He  prefents  him  as  an  example  for  the  imitation  of  the 
 aflembled  courtiers ;  as  one  who,  in  the  midft  of  an 
 unbelieving,  luxurious,  and  corrupt  court,  maintained 
 the  worjfhip  of  the  true  God,  a  holy  felf-denial,  and  an 
 immoveable  integrity. 
 
 "  Daniel,"  he  fays,  "  was  not  of  the  facerdotai,  but 
 regal  line  :  he  was  a  Courtier,  and  not  only  a  Courtier, 
 but  a  Favourite,  and  not  only  a  Favourite,  but  a  Mi- 
 nifter  too  ;  fuch  a  Courtier,  and  Favourite,  and  Minifter 
 as  no  age  can  parallel.  And  to  the  Courtier,  Favourite 
 and  Minifter  he  added  the  afcetic,  and  the  faint.  In 
 all  thefe  refpedls  he  was,  as  the  margin  literally  renders 
 it,  ^a  man  of  defires,'  or  according  to  the  Hebrew  idiom, 
 *  a  man  greatly  beloved.'  From  all  thefe  materials  every 
 of  you  may  fkill  the  art  to  become  greatly  beloved  like 
 him," 
 
 After  defcribing  Daniel's  extraordinary  endowments. 
 
 *  Diary,  Vol.  i.  p.  588.  f  I^id.  Vol.  i.  p.  594. 
 
 I  "  O  Daniel,  a  man  greatly  beloved." — Dan.  x.   1 1. 
 
1685]       BiJJjop  of  Bath  a7td  JVells .         171 
 
 and  the  manner  in  which  he  devoted  them  to  the  fer- 
 vice  of  God  under  five  fucceffive  monarchs,  he  con- 
 tinues. "  All  which  made  him  greatly  belov'd^  greatly 
 belov'd  by  God,  at  whofe  glory  he  ever  aim'd  ;  greatly 
 belov'd  by  all  thofe  Kings  whom  he  faithfully  ferv'd ; 
 greatly  belov'd  by  the  people  whofe  good  he  ftudied. 
 You  have  feen  how  love  was  reciprocal,  how  Daniel 
 greatly  lov'd  God,  the  King,  and  the  People  :  and  this 
 was  the  fecret  he  had,  which  naturally  attradled  fo  uni- 
 verfal  a  love  :  a  fecret  which  is  neither  too  myfterious 
 for  your  comprehenfion,  nor  too  heroic  for  your  imita- 
 tion :  a  fecret  of  a  certain  and  approv'd  virtue.  For 
 goodnefs  is  awful  and  amiable  to  all  mankind,  and  has 
 charms  that  are  irrefiftible.  There  is  a  powerful  fweet- 
 nefs,  a  propitious  obligingnefs,  and  fuch  effufions  and 
 radiations  of  divinity  in  it,  as  commands  our  afFedlions, 
 and  are  able  to  overcome  all  our  averfions ;  and  I  am 
 confident  that  there  is  no  one  here  but,  if  he  would 
 make  the  experiment,  would  find  a  proportionable  fuc- 
 cefs." 
 
 "  Let  me  then  exhort  you,  let  me  befeech  you  to 
 confider  all  the  attractions  of  Divine  love,  till  God's 
 fovereign  love  inflame  you,  and  you  habitually  breathe 
 His  praifes.  Learn  like  Daniel,  humility  by  afRidlion, 
 purity  by  temperance ;  to  keep  your  graces  alive  by 
 prayer,  and  by  frequenting  your  Oratory ;  to  fubdue 
 rebellious  nature  by  fafting  and  mortifications.  Learn 
 from  Daniel  a  univerfal  obligingnefs  and  benignity,  an 
 awful  love  to  your  Prince,  a  conftant  fidelity,  an  un- 
 bounded courage,  an  unwearied  zeal  in  ferving  him. 
 Learn  from  Daniel  an  equal  mixture  of  the  wifdom  of 
 the  ferpent,  and  of  the  innocence  of  the  dove,  an  inof- 
 
172  Life  of  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 fenfive  converfation,  a  clear  integrity,  and  an  impartial 
 juftice  to  all  within  your  fphere.  Learn  from  the  man 
 greatly  beloved  to  reconcile  policy  and  religion,  bufi- 
 nefs  and  devotion,  abftinence  and  abundance,  greatnefs 
 and  goodnefs,  magnanimity  and  humility,  power  and 
 fubjedion,  authority  and  affability,  converfation  and 
 retirement,  intereft  and  integrity.  Heaven  and  the 
 Court,  the  favour  of  God  and  the  favour  of  the  King  ; 
 ■ — and  then  you  are  mafters  of  Daniel's  fecret ;  you  will 
 fecure  yourfelves  an  univerfal  and  lafting  intereft  ;  you 
 will  like  him  be  greatly  beloved  both  by  God  and 
 man." 
 
 The  fermon  being  fpecially  appointed  for  the  feafon 
 of  Lent,  he  did  not  negledl  the  occafion  to  urge  on  his 
 hearers  the  duty  of  obferving  the  rule  of  the  Church  in 
 abftaining  from  their  felf-indulgence,  at  leaft  on  the 
 appointed  days,  and  efpecially  in  Lent. 
 
 "  I  mention,"  he  fays,  "  this  example  of  Daniel,  to 
 fhow  what  the  ancients  thought  of  Fafting,  and  how  they 
 kept  Lent.  I  do  not  exhort  you  to  follow  them  any  fur- 
 therthan  either  our  climate  or  our  conftitutions  will  bear; 
 but  we  may  eafily  follow  Daniel  in  abftaining  from  wine, 
 and  from  the  more  pleafurable  meats  ;  and  fuch  an  ab- 
 ftinence as  this,  with  fuch  a  mourning  for  our  fins,  and 
 the  fins  of  others,  is  the  proper  exercife  of  a  primitive 
 fpirit  during  all  the  weeks  of  Lent.  For  what  is  Lent, 
 in  its  original  inftitution,  but  a  fpiritual  conflidt  to  fub- 
 due  the  flefii  to  the  fpirit,  to  beat  down  our  bodies,  and 
 to  bring  them  into  fubjedlion  ?  What  is  it  but  a  peni- 
 tential martyrdom  for  fo  many  weeks  together,  which 
 we  fuffer  for  our  own  and  others'  fins  ?  A  devout  foul 
 that  is  able  to  obferve  it  faftens  himfelf  to  the  Crofs  on 
 
1685]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         1 7  3 
 
 Afh  Wednefday,  and  hangs  crucify'd  by  contrition  all 
 the  Lent  long  ;  that  having  felt  in  his  clofet  the  bur- 
 then and  the  anguifh,  the  nails  and  the  thorns,  and 
 tailed  the  gall  of  his  own  fins,  he  may  by  his  own  cru- 
 cifixion be  better  difpofed  to  be  crucify'd  with  Chrifl 
 on  Good  Friday,  and  moil  tenderly  to  fympathize  with 
 all  the  dolours,  and  preiTures,  and  anguifh,  and  tor- 
 ments, and  defertion,  infinite,  unknown,  and  unfpeak- 
 able,  which  God  Incarnate  endured,  when  He  bled  upon 
 the  Crofs  for  the  fins  of  the  world  ;  that  being  purified 
 by  repentance,  and  made  conformable  to  Chriil  cru- 
 cify'd, he  may  offer  up  a  pure  oblation  at  Eafter,  and 
 feel  the  power,  and  the  joys,  and  the  triumph  of  the 
 Saviour's  Refurre6tion." 
 
 Not  long  after  this  he  was  again  fummoned  from 
 Wells  to  aflift  at  the  Coronation  of  James,  which  took 
 place  on  the  23rd  of  April,  being  St.  George's  day. 
 The  King  had  feleded  him,  although  the  junior  Bi- 
 fhop,  to  walk  by  his  fide,  under  the  canopy  of  ftate, 
 in  the  procefTion  from  Weflminfler  Hall,  and  to  be  his 
 fupporter  on  the  fleps  of  the  throne  during  the  cere- 
 monies in  the  Abbey.  His  friend,  Francis  Turner, 
 Bifhop  of  Ely,  was  appointed  to  preach  the  coronation 
 fermon.  ^jThus  we  fee  the  two  poor  Winchefter  fcho- 
 lars  brought  to  great  eminence,  men  of  ferious  lives, 
 who  efteemed  a  holy  retirement  above  all  the  parade  of 
 courts,  yet  fought  out  by  the  King,  as  worthy  of  the 
 highefl  marks  of  favour  he  could  beftow. 
 
 The  Holy  Communion  had  always  formed  part  of 
 the  ^coronation  fervice.  But  James  [_could  not  receive 
 it,  as  adminiftered  in  the  Anglican  Church.  Notwith- 
 flanding  this,  he  opened  Parliament  with  a  fpeech,  in 
 
174  ^if^  (j/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 which  he  promifed  to  fupport  and  defend  the  Church 
 of  England,  and  the  people  feemed  difpofed  to  rely  on 
 his  pledges.  The  Commons  by  an  unanimous  vote 
 fettled  upon  him  during  life  the  revenues  enjoyed  by 
 the  late  king.  The  fpeaker,  in  prefenting  the  Bill  for 
 the  Royal  a^Tent,  expreffed  the  fatisfadion  of  the  Houfe 
 in  his  "  Majefty's  gracious  and  facred  word,  repeated 
 declarations,  and  afTurance  to  fupport  and  defend  the 
 Religion  of  the  Church  of  England,  as  is  now  by  law 
 eftablifhed :  and  we  humbly  befeech  your  majefty  to 
 accept  this  revenue,  and  along  with  it  our  hearty 
 prayers,  that  God  Almighty  would  blefs  you  with  a 
 long  life  and  happy  reign  to  enjoy  it."  The  King 
 thanked  them  very  heartily  for  the  Bill,  declaring  that 
 their  readinefs  and  cheerfulnefs  in  the  difpatch  of  it 
 was  as  acceptable  to  him  as  the  Bill  itfelf:  and  that 
 he  could  not  exprefs  his  thoughts  more  fuitably  than 
 by  afTuring  them  he  had  "  a  true  Englifh  heart,  as 
 jealous  of  the  honour  of  the  nation  as  you  can  be  ;  and 
 I  pleafe  myfelf  with  the  hopes  that,  by  God's  blefling, 
 and  your  afTiftance,  1  may  carry  the  reputation  of  it 
 yet  higher  in  the  world  than  ever  it  has  been  in  the 
 time  of  any  of  my  anceftors." 
 
1685]      Bipop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         1 7  5 
 
 CHAPTER  XIII. 
 
 The  Duke  of  Monmouth  :  his  life  and  charaSier —  invades 
 England. 
 
 N  the  midft  of  this  interchange  of  civi- 
 lities between  the  King  and  Parhament 
 intelligence  arrived  that  the  Duke  of 
 Monmouth,  one  of  the  natural  fons  of 
 the  late  King,  had  landed  at  Lyme,  in  Dorfetfhire, 
 and  fet  up  the  ftandard  of  rebellion  in  the  weftern 
 counties.  The  Parliament  immediately  pafTed  a  Bill 
 of  attainder  againft  him,  offered  a  reward  of  5,000/. 
 to  any  who  fhould  bring  him  in,  and  having  voted 
 400,000/.  to  the  king  for  the  prefent  emergency,  both 
 Houfes  adjourned  on  the  2nd  of  July,  the  members 
 being  difmiffed  to  their  feveral  counties,  where  their 
 prefence  was  required  to  encourage  the  loyal,  and  con- 
 trol the  difaffeded.  It  appears  by  the  journals  of  the 
 Houfe  of  Lords  that  Ken  was  prefent  in  Parliament 
 on  this  occafion  :  but  within  a  few  days  after  we  find 
 him  in  his  Diocefe,  a  meffenger  of  charity  amidft  the 
 din  of  war,  raifed  by  the  invafion. 
 
 This  period  of  Monmouth's  hiftory  forcibly  illuftrates 
 the  Bifhop's  charadler  in  two  particulars,  —  his  com- 
 paflion  for  fufferers,  and  his  ftedfaftnefs  in  carrying 
 out  the  injundions  of  the  Church,  even  when  his  be- 
 nevolent feelings  would  have  prompted  him  to  relax 
 the  ftridnefs  of  her  rule.     It  is,  therefore,  neceffary 
 
176  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 to  enter  into  fome  brief  review  of  Monmouth's  event- 
 ful life.  He  was  the  eldeft  of  Charles  II. 's  natural 
 children,  born  at  Rotterdam  during  the  King's  exile. 
 He  firft  went  by  the  name  of  James  Crofts,  received 
 his  education  at  Paris  under  the  care  of  Henrietta 
 Maria,  and  was  brought  up  a  Roman  Catholic.  At 
 the  ao-e  of  fourteen,  foon  after  the  Reftoration,  the 
 King  fent  for  him  to  Court,  provided  him  a  {lately 
 equipage,  appointed  for  his  ufe  apartments  in  the  Privy 
 Gallery  at  Whitehall,  and  by  warrant  authorized  him 
 to  bear  the  royal  arms  of  England  and  France.  He 
 caufed  him  alfo  to  be  reconciled  to  the  Englifh  Church. 
 He  was  a  youth  of  lovely  form  and  countenance, 
 perfected  in  all  the  graces  and  accomplifhments  of  the 
 Court,  and  fuch  a  favourite  with  the  King,  that  for 
 many  years  he  lavifhed  upon  him  every  honour  and 
 endearment  that  an  over-indulgent  parent  could  be- 
 llow. At  the  age  of  eighteen,  having  already  created 
 him  a  Peer  of  Parliament,  and  a  Knight  of  the  Garter, 
 he  fecured  for  him  in  marriage  the  richefl  heirefs  of 
 the  kingdom,  the  beautiful  Countefs  of  Buccleuch, 
 then  only  fixteen  years  of  age.  The  mere  lift  of  his 
 titles  and  offices  would  fuffice  to  fhow  the  entire  devo- 
 tion of  the  king's  heart  to  this  Abfalom  of  his  houfe.* 
 
 *  Duke  of  Monmouth  and  Buccleuch,  Earl  of  Doncafter,  and 
 Dalkeith,  Lord  Scott  of  Tindale,  Whitchefter,  and  Afhdale.  Lord 
 Great  Chamberlain  of  Scotland,  Lord  Lieutenant  of  the  Eafl:  Riding 
 of  Yorkfhire,  Governor  of  Kingfton  upon  Hull,  Chief  Juftice  in 
 Eyre  of  all  the  Forefts,  Chafes,  Parks  and  Warrens  fouth  of  the 
 River  Trent,  Lord  General  of  all  the  King's  Land  Forces,  Captain 
 of  the  Life  Guards  of  Horfe,  Chancellor  of  the  Univerfity  of  Cam- 
 bridge, Mailer  of  the  Horfe,  and  Lord  of  the  Privy  Council,  &c. 
 
1685]      Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         177 
 
 Charles  feemed  to  joy  in  his  fociety  : — wherever  he 
 went  Monmouth  was  his  chofen  companionj  or  if  he 
 fent  him  occafionally  to  ferve  in  the  French  army,  he 
 was  everywhere  received  with  the  honours  due  to 
 royalty.  The  Diaries  of  Evelyn  and  Pepys  abound 
 with  notices  of  the  over-weaning  attachment  of  his 
 father,  who  feemed  to  love  him  for  his  very  faults. 
 Thefe  were  indeed  too  nearly  akin  to  his  own  ;  for  he 
 was  a  profligate  youth,  owning  no  law  but  his  own 
 will.  Pepys  fays,  *'  the  little  Duke  of  Monmouth  is 
 ordered  to  take  place  of  all  Dukes,  and  fo  follow 
 Prince  Rupert,  before  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  or 
 any  elfe:"  —  "  The  King  fo  fond  of  the  Duke  of 
 M.  that  everybody  admires  it :  and  the  Duke  fays 
 he  would  be  the  death  of  any  man,  who  fays  the  King 
 was  not  married  to  his  mother."  "  The  Duke  of 
 Monmouth  fpends  his  time  moft  vicioufly  and  idly  of 
 any  man,  nor  will  be  fit  for  any  thing :  yet  fpeaks 
 confidently  of  his  mother  having  been  married  to  the 
 King:"  "  talk  of  the  D.  of  Monmouth  being  made 
 Prince  of  Wales  not  true  : "    &c.  &c. 
 
 We  cannot  wonder  that  the  King's  brother  fhould 
 be  alarmed  at  fuch  indications  of  an  ill-regulated  and 
 doting  partiality  ;  and  the  rather  becaufe  Monmouth, 
 grown  bold  by  indulgence,  began  openly  to  afpire  to 
 the  fuccefiion,  aiming  at  popularity  as  "  the  Protefi:ant 
 Duke,"  and  lending  himfelf  to  the  Whig  party,  whofe 
 aim  was  to  exclude  James  from  the  throne  as  a  "  Po- 
 pifh  Recufant."  We  may  pafs  over  the  details  of 
 thefe  feuds,  which  have  afforded  to  political  writers 
 fo  fertile  a  theme  of  mutual  recrimination.  One 
 thing  is  certain,  that  Monmouth's  fagacity  and  pre- 
 
 N 
 
178  Life  of  ThiOn\2is  Keriy         [1685 
 
 fence  of  mind  were  unequal  to  his  ambition  :  his 
 folly  was  exceeded  only  by  his  moral  cowardice  and 
 ingratitude :  he  became  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  Shaftf- 
 bury,*  and  others  who  were  engaged  in  defigns  againft 
 his  father's  Government. 
 
 The  King,  being  now  made  fenfible  of  his  dangerous 
 views,  and  to  prevent  any  future  difpute  concerning 
 the  fucceffion,  entered  with  his  own  hand  in  the 
 Council  book  a  declaration,  ^'  as  in  the  prefence  of 
 Almighty  God,  that  he  never  gave,  nor  made,  any 
 contra6l  of  marriage  whatfoever,  but  to  her  prefent 
 Majefty  Queen  Catherine,  now  living."  This  was 
 attefted  by  fixteen  Privy  Counfellors.  He  afterwards 
 caufed  a  like  declaration  to  be  enrolled  in  Chancery, 
 efpecially  difclaiming,  "  on  the  word  of  a  king,  and 
 the  faith  of  a  Chriftian,  that  he  was  ever  married  to 
 Mrs.  Barlow,  alias  Walters,  the  Duke  of  Monmouth's 
 mother."! 
 
 As  a  further  fatisfadion  to  James,  Monmouth  was 
 banifhed  for  a  while  to  Holland  :  but  returning  fhortly 
 after  without  leave,  he  made  a  public  progrefs  through 
 the  weft  of  England,  every  where  exciting  the  people 
 againft  his  uncle.  One  of  his  panegyrifts  defcribes 
 that  in  his  march  through  Somerfetftiire  "  he  was 
 carefTed  with  the  joyful  acclamations  of  the  country 
 people,  who  came  from  all  parts  twenty  miles  about, 
 the  lanes  and  hedges  being  every  where  lined  with 
 men,  women,  and  children,  who  with  inceftant  ftiouts 
 
 *  Rerefby's  Memoirs , p.  95. 
 
 f  A  Letter  to  a  Perfon  of  Honour  concerning  the  King's  dif- 
 avowing,  &c.     Somers's  Trafts,  vol.  i.  p.  8z. 
 
 i 
 
1685]       Bijljop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         1 7  9 
 
 cried  ^  God  blefs  King  Charles,  and  the  Proteftant 
 Duke.' "  In  many  towns  and  parifhes  "  they  ftrewed 
 the  ftreets  and  highways,  where  he  was  to  pafs,  with 
 herbs  and  flowers."*  He  was  fometimes  attended  by 
 a  concourfe  of  2,000  perfons  on  horfeback,  and  at 
 other  times,  as  on  his  approach  to  Exeter,  he  was  met 
 by  the  citizens  and  the  people  of  all  the  adjacent 
 parts  to  the  number  of  20,000.  On  another  occa- 
 fion,  "  as  he  entered  Chefter  with  his  whole  train,  the 
 flaming  piles  wherewith  the  flireets  were  enlightened, 
 and  the  harmonious  noife  from  the  feveral  fl:eeples, 
 loudly  proclaimed  his  welcome,  and  the  extraordinary 
 joy  the  people  conceived  for  his  Grace's  prefence 
 among  them."f 
 
 In  this  manner  for  three  years  he  continued  to  be 
 the  rallying  point  of  all  the  difafFeded,  endeavouring 
 to  render  the  King's  government  odious,  and  forgetful 
 of  every  tie  that  fliould  bind  a  fon  to  the  fondeft  of 
 fathers.  The  King  long  forbore  any  proceedings 
 againft  him  :  but  in  June  1683  he  was  arrefted  at 
 Stafford  by  a  Serjeant  at  Arms,  under  a  warrant  from 
 the  King,  declaring  that  "  James  Duke  of  Monm.outh 
 hath  lately  appeared  in  feveral  parts  of  this  kingdom 
 with  great  numbers  of  people  in  a  riotous  and  unlawful 
 manner,  to  the  difturbance  of  the  public  peace,  and 
 the  terrour  of  His  Majefty's  good  fubjedls :  thdfe  are, 
 therefore  to  command  you  forthwith  to  apprehend  the 
 faid  Duke  of  Monmouth,"  &c. 
 
 *  Heroick  Life,  and  magnanimous  aflions  of  the  moft  illuftrious 
 Prince,  James  Duke  of  Monmouth.    London,  i2mo.  1683,  p.  loi. 
 t  Ibid.  p.  I  27. 
 
i8o  Ltfe  of  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 At  length  the  Whig  fadion,  being  difappointed 
 in  all  their  endeavours  to  undermine  the  Government, 
 entered  into  a  rafh  confpiracy,  known  as  the  Rye 
 Houfe  Plot,  for  vi^hich  Lord  William  RufTel  fuffered 
 death.  The  merits  of  that  high  fpirited  nobleman, 
 the  truth  or  falfehood  of  the  treafonable  part  of  the 
 charge  againft  him  and  his  aflbciates,  have  been  often 
 and  varioufly  difcuffed.  If  we  cannot  concur  in  Mr. 
 Fox's  judgment,  that  "  their  attempt  to  deliver  their 
 country  from  the  dreadful  fervitude  into  which  it  had 
 fallen  was  clearly  laudable,"  we  aflent  to  his  opinion, 
 that  the  condemnation,  (in  the  manner  of  it)  and  there- 
 fore the  execution  of  RufTel,  "  was  a  violation  of  law 
 and  juftice."  There  was  fomething  fo  truly  Englifh 
 and  generous  in  his  nature,  and  his  death  was  fo 
 Chriftian  and  brave,  that  few  charaders  in  the  range  of 
 our  hiftory  have  met  with  more  honour.  It  was,  no 
 doubt,  an  ardent  love  of  liberty  which  prompted  him  to 
 embark  in  this  futile  confpiracy  againft  a  government, 
 fo  firmly  eftablifhed  that  any  momentary  fuccefs  muft 
 have  ended  in  wide  fpread  fuffering,  and  fevere  retri- 
 bution. He  committed  himfelf  to  afTociates  of  whom 
 few  had  any  of  his  virtues,  and  therefore  few  deferved 
 his  confidence  :  moft  of  them  proved  to  be  mean,  un- 
 principled cowards,  and  either  fled,  or  gave  evidence 
 againft  him.  The  impulfes  of  pafiion  over-maftered 
 his  forethought  and  circumfpecftion,  fo  indifpenfable  in 
 all  difficult  enterprizes.  The  refources  at  his  com- 
 mand were  altogether  unequal  to  the  end  propofed. 
 We  may  therefore  believe  that  he  had  no  genius  to 
 realize  the  afpirations  of  a  fervid  mind.  The  only 
 evidence  we  have  of  real  greatnefs  of  charader  is  the 
 
1685]        Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         181 
 
 heroic  calmnefs  of  his  death,  which  was  worthy  of  all 
 praife. 
 
 But  for  the  condu6l  of  Monmouth,  in  this  plot 
 againft  his  father,  not  a  word  of  extenuation  can  be 
 offered :  it  bears  the  deep  dye  of  ingratitude.  The 
 king  entirely  believed  that  he  had  entertained  the  de- 
 fign  of  his  affaffination  ;  for  he  proclaimed  him  a 
 traitor,  offered  500/.  reward  for  his  feizure,  and  in  a 
 declaration,  which  was  read  in  every  Church  throughout 
 the  land,  he  deliberately  charged  this  fon  of  his  affec- 
 tion with  having  joined  in  a  "  treafonable  confpiracy 
 againfl  his  facred  perfon  and  government."  And  now 
 by  his  treacherous  and  craven  condud  he  fhowed  how 
 unworthy  he  was  of  the  friendfhip  of  fuch  men  as 
 RufTel,  and  Sidney,  who  had  embarked  with  him  in 
 his  enterprize. 
 
 Though  it  is  impofTible  to  juftify  their  adls,  we 
 may  believe  that  a  deep  fenfe  of  the  dangers  which 
 threatened  the  Proteflant  religion,  and  the  liberties  of 
 England,  impelled  them  to  join  in  the  confpiracy. 
 But  his  own  felfifh  projedls  were  the  only  impulfe  of 
 Monmouth's  mind.  No  fooner  did  he  fee  them  fruf- 
 trated  than  he  hastened  to  fecure  his  own  fafety  by 
 unmanly  difclofures  againft  his  friends.  He  wrote  a 
 fubmifTive  letter  to  the  King,  confefTmg  his  guilt,  and 
 declaring  "  if  ever  again  he  did  any  thing  againft 
 the  Duke  of  York,  he  would  never  afk  to  fee  the 
 King's  face  again,  which  was  the  greateft  curfe  he 
 could  lay  on  himfelf."  He  was  admitted  to  an  au- 
 dience, fell  on  his  knees  before  the  King  and  the 
 Duke,  and  implored  their  pardon :  he  even  demeaned 
 himfelf  to  write,   at  their  dictation,  the  letter  which 
 
1 82  Life  ^^y  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 proves  him  to  have  been  a  rebel  againft  his  father, 
 and  has  for  ever  ftamped  him  a  traitor  to  his  own 
 aflbciates. 
 
 "  I  have  heard  "  (thus  he  writes  to  the  King)  "  fome 
 reports  of  me,  as  if  I  fhould  have  lefTened  the  late 
 Plot,  and  gone  about  to  difcredit  the  evidence  given 
 againft  thofe  who  have  died  by  juftice.  Your  Majefty 
 and  the  Duke  know  how  ingenuoufly  I  have  owned 
 the  late  confpiracy  ;  and  though  I  am  not  confcious 
 of  any  defign  againft  your  Majefty's  life,  yet  I  lament 
 the  having  had  fo  great  a  ftiare  in  the  other  part  of 
 the  faid  confpiracy.  Sir,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to 
 put  this  in  writing  for  my  own  vindication ;  and  I 
 befeech  you  to  look  forward,  and  endeavour  to  forget 
 the  faults  you  have  forgiven  me.  I  will  take  care 
 never  to  commit  any  more  againft  you,  or  come  within 
 the  danger  of  being  again  mifled  from  my  duty  ;  but 
 make  it  the  bufinefs  of  my  life  to  deferve  the  pardon 
 your  Majefty  hath  granted  to 
 
 "  Your  dutiful 
 
 "  Monmouth." 
 
 He  was  quickly  made  fenftble  of  the  difgrace  into 
 which  he  was  plunged  by  this  betrayal  of  his  accom- 
 plices. Repenting  this  poor  a6l  of  repentance,  he  went  to 
 the  King,  and  earneftly  implored  him  to  return  the  pa- 
 per, which  "  he  thought  was  a  diminution  of  his  honor." 
 His  father  anfwered  that  he  would  not  keep  it  againft 
 his  will ;  but  warned  him  not  to  recall  what  alone  could 
 teftify  the  fincerity  of  his  forrow.  He  perfifted  in  his 
 requeft ;  and  Charles  gave  him  back  his  letter.  But 
 no  fooner  had  Monmouth  got  pofteftion  of  the  paper. 
 
1685]       BiJIjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         1 8  3 
 
 than  he  denied  having  ever  made  any  acknowledgment  of 
 guilty  thus  prefenting  himfelf  to  friends  and  foes  a 
 ftrange  fpedlacle  of  alternate  rebellion,  abjednefs,  and 
 falfehood.  The  King  for  ever  banifhed  him  from  his 
 prefence  :  fo  he  incurred  the  penalty  which  he  had  de- 
 clared would  be  "  the  greateft  curfe  he  could  lay  upon 
 himfelf,"  for  he  retired  again  to  Holland,  and  faw  his 
 father's  face  no  more. 
 
 It  has  been  afferted  that  Charles  fo  far  relented  as 
 to  fupply  him  with  money,  and  to  correfpond  with  him  ; 
 and  that,  juft  before  his  own  fatal  illnefs,  being  unable 
 to  endure  Monmouth's  abfence,  he  meditated  his  recall. 
 If  this  were  fo,  it  would  only  mark  more  emphatically 
 the  ingratitude  of  the  fon,  who  could  plot  againft  fo 
 affedionate  a  father.  The  fad:  receives  fome  confirma- 
 tion from  the  flattering  attentions  paid  to  him  by  the 
 Prince  and  Princefs  of  Orange  at  the  Hague,  during 
 the  life  of  the  King,  who  would  be  gratified  by  this 
 indulgence.  The  adive  part  Monmouth  had  taken 
 againfl:  the  Catholic  Duke  might  enhance  his  claim  to 
 the  favour  of  the  Protectant  Stadtholder.  But  no 
 fooner  did  the  news  of  Charles's  death  reach  Holland, 
 than  all  things  wore  another  afped  at  the  Dutch 
 Court.  The  Prince  found  it  more  to  his  own  interefl:s 
 to  treat  this  avowed  enemy  of  the  new  King  with  a 
 prudent  referve. 
 
 James  II.  in  his  Memoirs  would  have  it  believed 
 that  the  Prince  was  willing  to  foment  the  quarrel  be- 
 tween him  and  Monmouth,  "  one  a  Pretender  to  the 
 throne,  the  other  in  pofTefiion,  and  whichever  got  the 
 better  would  equally  advantage  his  pretenfions.  If  the 
 Duke  of  Monmouth  (who  was  illegitimate)  fucceeded. 
 
184  Life  of  Thom2is  Ktn,         [1685 
 
 it  would  be  eafy  for  William,  that  was  a  Proteftant  as 
 well  as  he,  and  in  right  of  his  wife  the  next  heir,  to 
 ihove  him  off  the  faddle.  If  on  the  contrary  the  Duke 
 of  Monmouth  was  worfted,  he  got  rid  of  a  dangerous 
 rival  ;  and  was  fure  all  his  party  would  have  recourfe 
 to  him.  This  made  him,  underhand,  do  all  he  could 
 to  inflame  the  young  man's  fury  and  ambition ;  and 
 fend  him  out  like  a  vi6lim  to  the  flaughter,  playing  a 
 fure  game  himfelf,  to  whomfoever  fortune  fiiould  give 
 the  advantage."*  There  appears  no  ground  whatever 
 for  this  grave  accufation. 
 
 As  foon  as  James  came  to  the  throne  he  made  ap- 
 plication to  the  Prince  of  Orange,  through  his  envoy 
 at  the  Hague,  to  have  Monmouth  fecured  and  fent  to 
 England,  before  he  could  form  any  dangerous  defigns. 
 William  was  incapable  of  fuch  an  a6t  of  treachery, 
 even  had  it  fuited  his  plans.  He  recommended  Mon- 
 mouth to  leave  Holland,  where  he  could  no  longer 
 protedl  him,  and  gave  him  money  to  carry  him  to  Bruf- 
 fels.  Here,  however,  he  was  ftill  purfued  by  the  King's 
 watchful  jealoufy  :  the  Spanifh  Governor  of  the  Ne- 
 therlands ordered  him  to  leave.  He  could  not  take 
 refuge  in  France  ;  for  James  was  already  the  penfioner, 
 and  clofe  ally  of  Louis.  Thus  in  fear  of  arreft  which- 
 ever way  he  turned,  urged  by  Argyle,  Lord  Grey,  and 
 other  refugees  and  malcontents,  Monmouth  was  im- 
 pelled, againft  his  own  judgment,  to  precipitate  his 
 plans,  and  make  a  defcent  on  England,  before  (as  was 
 thought)  the  new  King  could  mature  his  power.     He 
 
 *   Macpherfon's  papers.  Vol.  i.  p.  143. 
 
1685]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        185 
 
 had,  however,  no  chance  of  fuccefs  in  the  prefent  good 
 underftanding  between  the  King  and  his  parHament : 
 he  ran  upon  certain  deftrudlion.  Even  the  Prince  of 
 Orange,  who  had  no  fympathy  with  James,  and  had 
 profefTed  great  friendship  for  Monmouth,  when  he  faw 
 the  temper  of  Parliament  to  put  down  the  rebellion, 
 offered  to  come  over  to  England,  and  in  perfon  head 
 the  troops  againfl;  him. 
 
86  Life  of  Thoma^s  Ken,         [1685 
 
 CHAPTER  XIV. 
 
 The  Diih  of  Monmouth  lands  in  the  Weji  of  England —  De- 
 feated in  the  battle  of  Sedgemoor — Cruelties  of  Lord  Fever- 
 Jham^  and  Colonel  Kirke — Ken's  appeal  to  the  King  on  behalf 
 of  the  prifoners — Monmouth  condeinned  to  death — Ken  attends 
 him  on  the  fcaffold. 
 
 XCEPT  in  perfonal  bravery,  the  com- 
 mon attribute  of  foldiers,  Monmouth 
 was  wanting  in  all  the  qualities  required 
 for  fuch  an  enterprife  as  the  invafion  of 
 England  with  a  handful  of  men.  His  father's  indul- 
 gence, and  the  flattery  of  a  court,  had  infpired  him 
 with  ambitious  hopes  ;  the  breath  of  popular  applaufe 
 had  inflated  him  to  a  high  prefumption :  but  he  had 
 neither  deliberative  wifdom  to  form  great  plans,  judg- 
 ment to  diredl,  nor  moral  firmnefs  to  fufl:ain  them  ;  no 
 genius  or  decifion  to  command  fuccefs. 
 
 As  the  appointed  day  for  his  embarking  from  the 
 Texel  drew  near  he  began  to  waver  ;  the  difiiculties 
 that  befet  his  path  appeared  in  their  true  proportions. 
 But  this  convi6lion  came  too  late ;  he  was  pledged  to 
 Argyle,  who  had  already  failed  for  Scotland  on  the  faith 
 of  his  co-operating  in  England.  "  I  have  received  both 
 your's  this  morning  "  (he  writes  to  one  of  his  adherents) 
 "  and  cannot  delay  you  my  anfwer  longer  than  this  pofl:, 
 though  I  fear  it  will  not  pleafe  you  fo  much  as  I  hearti- 
 ly wifli  it  may.     I  have  weighed  all  your  reafons,  and 
 
1685]      BipDOp  of  Bath  and  Wells.         187 
 
 every  thing  that  you  and  my  other  friends  have  writ  to 
 me  on  the  fubjed: ;  and  have  done  it  with  the  greateft 
 inclination  to  follow  your  advice  without  prejudice. 
 You  may  well  believe  I  have  had  time  enough  to  re- 
 flecfl  fufficiently  upon  our  prefent  ftate_,  efpecially  fince 
 I  came  hither.  But  whatever  way  I  turn  my  thoughts, 
 I  find  infuperable  difficulties.  Pray  do  not  think  it  an 
 effe(5t  of  melancholy,  for  that  was  never  my  greateft 
 fault,  when  I  tell  you  that  in  thefe  three  weeks'  retire- 
 ment in  this  place,  I  have  not  only  looked  back,  but 
 forward ;  and  the  more  I  confider  our  prefent  circum- 
 ftances,  I  think  them  ftill  the  more  defperate,  unlefs 
 fome  unforefeen  accident  fall  out,  which  I  cannot  divine 
 nor  hope  for."  He  then  adduces  fome  excellent  reafons 
 againft  the  enterprife, — any  one  of  which  fhould  have 
 deterred  him  from  engaging  in  it.  To  provide  againft 
 difficulties,  or  refolve  not  to  encounter  them,  is  the 
 part  of  wifdom — to  fa\lter  in  the  moment  of  a6lion  is 
 weaknefs,  and  the  certain  prelude  to  difcomfiture. 
 
 "And"  (he  proceeds)  "to  tell  you  my  thoughts  with- 
 out difguife,  I  am  now  fo  much  in  love  with  a  retired 
 life,  that  I  am  never  like  to  be  fond  of  making  a  buftle 
 in  the  world  again."  He  fighed  after  the  eafe  of  re- 
 tirement, when  he  ftiould  have  bravely  buckled  on  his 
 fword  :  whilft  he  grafped  at  a  difputed  crown,  he  would 
 fain  folace  himfelf  in  the  repofe  of  an  unambitious  life  ! 
 The  real  fecret  of  his  inconfiftency  was  the  thraldom 
 of  an  unhallowed  paffion  for  Lady  Henrietta  Went- 
 worth,  for  whom  he  had  forfaken  his  amiable  and  lovely 
 wife,  and  their  children,  attempting  even  to  juftify  his 
 defertion  of  her  on  the  unmanly  plea  of  their  youthful 
 attachment  and  marriage,  which  to  a  generous  heart 
 
i88  Life  of  Thomas  KeUy         [1685 
 
 would  endear,  if  not  fandlify,  the  union.  "  Lady  Went- 
 worth  had  followed  him  to  BrufTels,  defperately  in  love 
 with  him  ;  and  both  he  and  fhe  came  to  fancy  that,  he 
 being  married  to  his  Duchefs,  while  he  was  indeed  of 
 the  age  of  confent,  but  not  capable  of  a  free  one,  the 
 marriage  was  null :  fo  they  lived  together ;  and  fhe 
 had  heated  both  herfelf  and  him  with  fuchenthufiaftical 
 conceits,  that  they  fancied  what  they  did  was  approved 
 of  God!"* 
 
 "  It  was,"  fays  Fox,  "  with  great  reludance  that  he 
 tore  himfelf  from  the  arms  of  Lady  Wentworth,  with 
 whom  he  had  fo  firmly  perfuaded  himfelf  that  he  could 
 be  happy  in  the  moft  obfcure  retirement,  that  he  be- 
 lieved himfelf  weaned  from  ambition,  which  had  hitherto 
 been  the  onlypaffion  of  his  mind/'f  Unprepared  and 
 irrefolute,  fearing  to  go  on,  afhamed  to  recede,  barely 
 efcaping  the  vigilance  of  James's  agents,  he  fet  fail  on 
 the  24th  of  May,  with  three  fhips  and  150  followers. 
 After  a  tedious  paffage  he  landed  at  Lyme  on  the  i  ith 
 of  June.  There  drawing  his  fword,  he  knelt  down,  and 
 uttered  a  prayer  to  the  God  of  Truth,  Who  in  every 
 part  of  His  divine  word  commands  obedience  to  rulers, 
 and  honour  to  kings,  befeeching  Him  to  blefs  the  caufe 
 of  rebellion,  founded  on  preteniions  which  he  himfelf 
 knew  to  be  falfe. 
 
 He  publifhed  a  long  inflated  proclamation,  full  of 
 abfurd  reproaches  againft  "  James  Duke  of  York." 
 He  charges  him  with  the  burning  of  London  —  with 
 being  acceflbry  to  the  death  of  Sir  Edmundbury  God- 
 
 *  Burnet's  Hill,  of  his  own  Times. 
 
 t  Hift.  of  the  Reign  of  James  II.  p.  257. 
 
1685]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Udells.         189 
 
 frey  —  with  hiring  execrable  villains  to  aflaflinate  the 
 late  Earl  of  Eflex  —  with  cruelty  and  ingratitude  in 
 the  murder  of  the  late  King,  "  for  which  villanous 
 and  unnatural  crime,  that  barbarous  and  horrid  parri- 
 cide, executed  upon  our  father,  we  will  profecute  him 
 to  death  as  a  mortal  and  bloody  enemy."  He  aflerts 
 his  own  legitimate  right  to  the  crowns  of  England, 
 Scotland,  France  and  Ireland,  "  notwithftanding  the 
 means  ufed  by  the  late  king,  his  father,  upon  Popifh 
 motives,  and  at  the  inftigation  of  the  Duke,  to  weaken 
 and  obfcure  it."  He  denounces  all  who  {hall  aid  the 
 faid  Duke  of  York  as  enemies  of  God,  mankind,  and 
 their  country.  He  "  calls  heaven  and  earth  to  wit- 
 nefs  to  the  neceffity  of  their  betaking  themfelves  to 
 arms  as  men  and  Chriftians  ; "  appeals  to  God  for  the 
 juftice  of  his  caufe,  doubts  not  the  afliftance  of  all 
 Proteftant  kings,  princes,  and  commonwealths,  "  who 
 do  either  regard  the  Gofpel  of  Jefus  Chrift,  or  their 
 own  Interefts."  "  Above  all,"  (he  adds)  "  our  depen- 
 dence and  truft  is  upon  the  Lord  of  Hofts,  in  whofe 
 name  we  go  forth,  and  to  whom  we  commit  our  caufe, 
 and  refer  the  deci-fion  betwixt  us  and  our  enemies  in 
 the  day  of  battle.  Now  let  us  play  the  men  for  our 
 people,  and  for  the  cities  of  our  God  ;  and  the  Lord 
 do  that  which  feemeth  good  unto  Him."* 
 
 The  anfwers  he  received  to  this  mixture  of  folly, 
 impiety,  and  falfehood,  were  the  A6t  of  Parliament  for 
 his  attainder,  and  the  proclamation  promifing  "  a  re- 
 ward of  5,000/.  to  any  one  who  fhall  bring  in  the 
 perfon  of  James  Duke  of  Monmouth,  alive  or  dead." 
 
 *   Echard,  vol.  iii.  p.  758.     Kennett,  p.  42S. 
 
190  Life  of  Thomas  Ktn,         [1685 
 
 Great  numbers  of  the  common  people,  however,  flocked 
 to  his  ftandard :  he  advanced  to  Axminfter,  Taunton, 
 Bridgewater,  Briflol,  and  Bath  amid  the  fhouts  of  ad- 
 miring crowds,  gathering  an  undifciplined  force  of 
 about  5,000  men,  without  military  refources,  arms,  or 
 money.  No  doubt  many  of  the  gentry  fecretly  wifhed 
 him  well,  hoping  that  by  any  means  the  country  might 
 be  fecured  from  the  Roman  afcendancy  :  but  the  Par- 
 liament having  declared  againfl  him,  few  would  hazard 
 the  danger  of  joining  an  infurredion  that  offered  fo 
 little  hope  of  a  profperous  iffue. 
 
 Monmouth  was  deceived  into  a  vain  confidence  by 
 proceflions  of  young  maidens,  fcattering  flowers  in  his 
 path,  and  the  cries  of  welcome  from  a  fond  populace, 
 admiring  his  perfonal  beauty,  and  captivated  by  his 
 gracious  manners.  Thefe  demonflirations  of  attach- 
 ment, and  the  urgency  of  injudicious  friends,  prompted 
 him  to  put  forth  another  addrefs,  proclaiming  himfelf 
 King :  he  fet  a  price  on  James's  head,  declared  the 
 Parliament  a  fadious  aflembly,*  wrote  a  letter  to 
 the  Duke  of  Albemarle  (who  commanded  the  militia 
 againfl:  him)  figned  as  King^  ordering  him  to  lay  down 
 his  arms  on  pain  of  fufi^ering  as  a  traitor.  He  even 
 went  fo  far  as  to  exercife  the  ancient  prerogative  to 
 "  touch  for  the  evil.'" 
 
 This  afl'umption  of  royalty  completed  his  ruin.  It 
 was  contrary  to  his  folemn  engagement  with  Argyle 
 and  his  afl'ociates,'!'  gave  off'ence  to  the  moft  zealous 
 of  his  friends,   to   the   old  Republicans,   and  to  the 
 
 *   Kennet,  p.  431. 
 
 f   Sir  Patrick  Hume's  Narration,  p.  15. 
 
1685]       Bifh op  of  Bath  and  Wells.         191 
 
 Whig  party  who  were  pledged  to  the  fucceffion  of  the 
 Princefs  of  Orange  ;  and  it  opened  the  eyes  of  all 
 refleding  men  to  the  calamities  that  muft  attend  a  dif- 
 puted  fucceffion.*  The  nation  was  not  yet  fufficiently 
 confcious  of  James's  plans  againft  their  liberties  and 
 religion  to  unite  in  driving  him  from  the  throne,  and 
 leaft  of  all  for  one  whofe  claim  was  manifeftly  ground- 
 lefs.  The  iron  yoke  of  Cromwell's  rebellion  and  ty- 
 ranny were  yet  too  frefli  in  their  memories  :  they 
 forefaw  that  "  an  inundation  of  phantafies,  and  men 
 of  impious  principles,  muft  needs  caufe  univerfal  dif- 
 order,  cruelty,  injuftice,  rapine,  facrilege,  and  confu- 
 fion,  an  univerfal  civil  war,  and  mifery  without  end."f 
 Not  to  dwell  on  all  the  falfe  fteps  of  himfelf  and  his 
 officers,  —  his  own  irrefolute  movements,  and  their 
 treachery  and  cowardice,  it  is  enough  to  fay  that  on 
 the  6th  of  July,  within  a  few  weeks  of  his  landing,  he 
 was  entirely  defeated  at  Sedgemoor  by  the  King's  troops 
 under  the  command  of  Lord  Feverfham.  His  undif- 
 clplined  forces,  though  fuperior  in  numbers,  could  not 
 withftand  the  fhock  of  the  royal  army  :  they  fled  in 
 diforder  ;  1300  were  killed  in  the  adlion  and  purfuit ; 
 the  prifoners,  who  were  not  many  lefs,  were  treated 
 with  a  favage  cruelty  that  ftamps  indelible  difgrace  on 
 the  commanders,  and  on  James,  whofe  orders  they 
 
 *  "  Whether  his  own  fingle  ffollie,  or  the  councill  of  thofe  that 
 were  fuppofed  to  betray  him  added  to  it,  was  the  caufe  of  his  pro- 
 claiming himfelf  King,  was  doubtful.  But  this  was  certain,  that 
 feverall  thoufands  quitted  him  within  three  days  after."  Lord  Lonf- 
 dale's  Memoir  of  the  Reign  of  James  II.  written  at  the  time,  and 
 publifhed  in  1808,  4to. 
 
 t  Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  605. 
 
192  Life  f?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 afterwards  pleaded,  and  with  too  much  truth,  in  ex- 
 tenuation of  their  barbarities. 
 
 We  have  at  Sedgemoor  the  unwonted  fpe6lacle  of  a 
 prelate  of  the  Church  perfonally  engaged  in  the  thickeft 
 of  the  fight.  The  warlike  Dr.  Mews,  Bifhop  of  Win- 
 chefter,  had  fought  in  the  army  of  Charles  I.  in  1642, 
 and  afterwards  in  Scotland  for  his  fon  Charles  II.  He 
 had  alfo  ferved  under  the  Duke  of  York  in  Flanders, 
 and  now,  laying  afide  his  lawn,  he  once  more  took 
 arms  for  his  royal  mafter  in  the  battle  of  Sedgemoor, 
 where  "  he  was  adlive  in  the  foldiery  way."*  Seeing 
 that  the  guns  were  all  levelled  in  the  fame  diredlion,  and 
 that  their  force  might  be  eluded  by  an  opening  of  the 
 oppofite  ranks,  he  employed  his  coach-horfes  in  draw- 
 ing them  to  another  fpot,  and  "  planted  them  to  fire 
 faltire-wife,  that  their  fhot  might  reach  from  front  to 
 flank."  The  King  prefented  him  with  a  rich  medal 
 in  acknowledgment  of  his  fervice.f  After  the  battle 
 this  courageous  prelate  fhowed  the  true  fpirit  of  a 
 Chriftian  foldier  in  compafiion  for  thofe  whom  he  had 
 helped  to  defeat.  The  Earl  of  Feverfham  was  march- 
 ing off  the  prifoners  tied  together  like  flaves,  and 
 making  a  halt  at  the  firft  great  fign  poft  that  flood 
 acrofs  the  road,  he  commanded  four  or  five  of  them 
 to  be  hanged  upon  it,  and  would  have  gone  on  in  that 
 arbitrary  way,  if  the  Bifhop  had  not  come  up,  and 
 expoftulated  with  him,  calling  out,  "  My  Lord,  this 
 is  murder  in  law.      Thefe  poor  wretches,   now   the 
 
 *  Salmon's  Lives  of  the  Englifh  Bifhops,  p.  249. 
 t  Fox's  Hiftory  of  the  Reign  of  James  II.,  p.   264.     Burnet's 
 Hillory  of  his  Own  Times. 
 
1685]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.       193 
 
 battle  is  over,  muft  be  tried  before  they  are  put  to 
 death."* 
 
 With  no  lefs  compafTion  Bifhop  Ken  pleaded  their 
 caufe  with  the  King.  He  had  haftened  to  his  diocefe 
 as  Toon  as  the  Parhament  broke  up  :  his  tender  nature 
 fympathized  with  thefe  unhappy  vi6lims,  now  fubjefted 
 to  the  unrelenting  vengeance  of  Feverfham,  and  the 
 ferocious  Kirke,  —  that  ruthlefs  tyrant,  whom  he  had 
 reproved  at  Tangier  for  his  licentioufnefs.  Every- 
 where revolting  fpec5lacles  of  flaughter  prefented  them- 
 felves  :  the  mangled  bodies  of  the  prifoners  were  ex- 
 pofed  by  the  way  fide,  and  the  roads  were  hardly 
 pafTable.  He  did  not  ftop  to  confider  if  the  King 
 would  refent  his  interference ;  but  fearlefs  in  his  mif- 
 fion  of  mercy  he  wrote  to  remonftrate  againft  the 
 cruelty  of  his  officers. f  Not  content  with  this,  he  en- 
 gaged with  all  his  wonted  zeal  in  alleviating  the  mifery 
 of  the  furvivors.  Some  hundreds  of  the  rebels  being 
 imprifoned  in  Wells,  he  daily  relieved  them  in  prifon, 
 and  prayed  with  them.  \ 
 
 *  Sir  James  Mackintofh  afcribes  this  humane  interference  to  Bifhop 
 Ken  :  Mr.  Macaulay  doubts  if  the  flory  can  be  applicable  to  him  : 
 Mr.  Markland,  in  his  excellent  Life  of  Ken,  agrees  with  Sir  James, 
 and  forcibly  vindicates  his  opinion.  Who  can  decide  between  fuch 
 high  authorities  ?  I  humbly  think  it  was  Mews,  whom  Kennett  erro- 
 neoufly  calls  the  Bifhop  of  Bath,  though  he  had  been  lately  tranflated 
 to  Winchefter.      See  Kennett's  Hift.  vol.  iii.  p.  432. 
 
 f  "  Befides'thofe  that  were  killed  in  the  ffield  there  were  about 
 feven  hundred  fentenced  to  death,  and  executed,  infomuch  that  all 
 the  high  ways  of  that  countrie  were  no  longer  to  be  travailed,  whilft 
 the  horrour  of  fo  many  quarters  of  men,  and  the  offenfive  llench  of 
 them  lafted,  of  which  Dr.  Ken,  the  Bifhop  of  that  Diocefe,  writ  a  moft 
 pathetical  letter  to  his  Majeftie."     Lord  Lonfdale's  Memoirs,  p.  12. 
 
 I  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  1 6. 
 
 o 
 
194  ^^^f^  (j/' Thomas  Ken,  [1685 
 
 Hiftorians  are  divided  in  opinion  as  to  Monmouth's 
 behaviour  in  the  adion.  Mr.  Fox  fays  "  he  fled 
 while  his  troops  were  ftill  fighting,  and  therefore  too 
 foon  for  his  glory. "^'  After  wandering  up  and  down 
 for  two  days,  driven  to  the  greateft  ftraits  even  for 
 food,  he  was  difcovered  lying  in  a  ditch,  in  the  difguife 
 of  a  {hepherd,  covered  with  ferns  and  brakes.  On  being 
 fearched  his  George  was  found  upon  him,  which  with 
 the  welcome  nevv^s  was  conveyed  by  an  exprefs  to  the 
 King.  Out  of  his  pocket  were  taken  books  in  his 
 own  hand  writing,  containing  charms,  and  fpells,  and 
 conjurations  to  open  the  doors  of  a  prifon,  and  to  pre- 
 vent the  danger  of  being  wounded  in  battle,  together 
 with  fongs  and  prayers,  f 
 
 We  might  expert  that  one  who  had  afpired  to  a 
 crown  would  fhow  himfelf  worthy  of  the  blood  of  the 
 Stuarts  ;  that  having  flaked  his  life  on  a  caft,  he  would 
 bravely  '■'■  ftand  the  hazard  of  the  die."  But  no  fooner 
 was  he  in  the  power  of  his  enemy  than  he  betrayed  a 
 weak  fpirit :  he  burfl  into  unmanly  tears.  To  the 
 King,  whom  he  had  before  branded  as  a  cruel  ufurper, 
 murderer,  and  fratricide,  he  wrote  a  letter  even  more 
 abjed:  than  he  had  penned  to  his  father  on  his  former 
 rebellion.  He  exprefles  no  remorfe  for  the  flaughter 
 of  his  admiring  adherents,  whom  he  had  reduced  from 
 
 *  Fox's  Hiftory  of  the  Reign  of  James  II.  p.  264. 
 
 "  Herein  the  Duke  of  Monmouth  loft  much  of  his  reputation  for 
 courage,  fFor  inftead  of  dicing  in  the  ffield  as  was  expefted,  he  left  his 
 men  fighting,  and  endeavoured  to  efcape  in  company  with  my  Lord 
 Gray."     Lord  Lonfdale's  Memoirs,  p.  11. 
 
 t  An  Account  of  the  manner  of  taking  the  late  Duke  of  Mon- 
 mouth," &c.  1685. 
 
1685]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Welh.  1 9  5 
 
 their  allegiance, — he  makes  no  appeal  on  behalf  of  the 
 unhappy  prifoners, — no  cry  for  the  royal  clemency 
 towards  the  thronging  crowds  who  had  decked  his 
 path  with  flowers,  fhouting  "  a  Monmouth,  a  Mon- 
 mouth," and  now  referved  for  execution.  He  is 
 wholly  occupied  in  felfifh  fears  for  him/elf :  as  before, 
 fo  now,  he  lays  the  whole  blame  on  others,  who  by 
 falfe  arguments  had  prompted  him  to  the  rafh  enter- 
 prize  ;  —  "  horrid  people  whom  it  was  my  misfortune 
 to  meet  with.  But  Sir,  I  will  not  trouble  your 
 Majefty  at  prefent  with  many  things  I  could  fay  for 
 myfelf,  that  I  am  fure  would  move  your  compaffion, 
 the  chief  end  of  this  letter  being  only  to  beg  of  you 
 that  I  may  have  that  happinefs  to  fpeak  to  your  Ma- 
 jefty  ;  for  I  have  that  to  fay  to  you.  Sir,  that  I  hope 
 may  give  you  a  long  and  happy  reign.  I  am  fure. 
 Sir,  when  you  hear  me  you  will  be  convinced  of  the 
 zeal  I  have  for  your  prefervation,  and  how  heartily  I 
 repent  of  what  I  have  done.  Therefore,  Sir,  I  fhall 
 make  an  end  by  begging  your  Majefty  to  believe  fo 
 well  of  me,  that  I  would  rather  die  a  thoufand  deaths 
 than  excufe  anything  I  have  done;  if  I  really  did  not 
 think  myfelf  the  moft  in  the  wrong  that  ever  any  man 
 was,  and  had  not  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  an  ab- 
 horrence of  thoje  who  put  me  upon  it^  and  for  the  action 
 itfelf.  I  hope  God  Almighty  will  ftrike  your  heart 
 with  mercy  and  compaffion  for  me,  as  He  has  done 
 mine  with  abhorrence  of  what  I  have  done."* 
 
 Such  is  the  man  who  has  been  defcribed  by  party 
 
 *  Fox's  Hillory  of  the  Reign  of  James  II.,  p.   266.     Echard,  p. 
 
 771. 
 
196  Life  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 writers  as  the  *'  ill  fated,  illuftrious,  generous,  brave, 
 patriotic  Monmouth."  Mr.  Fox  in  his  account  of 
 the  fad  fpedacle  of  his  death,  fays  that  "  his  qualities 
 go  a  great  way  in  making  up  the  catalogue  of  all  that 
 is  amiable  and  eftimable  in  human  nature  !  "*  furely  a 
 ftrange  perverfion  of  judgment  in  a  writer,  himfelf 
 fometimes  lauded  as  an  example  of  the  amenities  of 
 focial  life. 
 
 The  King  granted  Monmouth  the  interview  he  de- 
 fired  :  it  was  but  to  triumph  over  his  misfortunes,  and 
 afcertain  whether  he  had  really  any  fecrets  to  difclofe. 
 Monmouth,  proftrate  at  his  feet,  acknowledged  his 
 guilt,  admitted  that  the  late  King  had  told  him  he 
 was  never  married  to  his  mother,  and  pleaded  patheti- 
 cally for  his  life,  which  he  would  be  ever  willing  to 
 facrifice  in  his  fervice.  He  even  exprefled  his  readinefs 
 to  change  his  religion,  reminding  the  king  that  he  had 
 originally  been  educated  in  the  Roman  faith. f  "  Re- 
 member, Sir,"  (he  added)  "  I  am  your  brother's  fon, 
 and  if  you  take  my  life,  it  is  your  own  blood  you  will 
 fhed."  With  any  other  than  an  inexorable  tyrant  this 
 lafl  appeal  would  have  prevailed.  Charles  had  almoft 
 endangered  his  crown  by  a  refolute  adherence  to  James's 
 right  of  fucceffion  againft  the  fenfe  of  the  nation,  and 
 the  declared  voice  of  the  Commons,  To  facrifice  that 
 brother's  beloved  fon,  faulty  as  he  was,  betrayed  a 
 cold  hearted  infenfibility  to  the  claims  of  gratitude, 
 and  the  ties  of  nature.  James  flood  unmoved  over 
 the  doomed  vidim,  kneeling  before  him,  and  bathed 
 
 *   Fox's  Hiftory  of"  James  II.,  p.  287. 
 t  Burnet's  Hiftory  of  his  own  Times. 
 
1685]      Bifhop  of  Bath  a?td  Wells,  197 
 
 in  tears.  The  triumph  of  his  revenge  could  only  be 
 completed  on  the  fcaffold.  At  length  Monmouth, 
 *^  when  he  faw  he  could  gain  nothing  by  further  fub- 
 miilions,  rofe  from  his  feet  with  a  new  air  of  bravery, 
 and  was  carried  back  to  the  Tower."  * 
 
 One  day  only  was  granted  him  to  prepare  for  death. 
 Still  clinging  to  hope,  he  occupied  the  time  in  abje6l 
 fupplications  for  mercy.  He  wrote  again  and  again 
 to  the  king,  and  fent  for  fome  of  the  moft  influential 
 perfons  about  the  court,  whofe  interference  he  thought 
 might  gain  him  a  refpite,  if  not  pardon.  All  was  in 
 vain.  When  the  humbleft  of  his  adherents  in  this 
 lately  crufhed  rebellion,  even  women  and  children, 
 were  not  fpared,  what  hope  could  there  be  for  Mon- 
 mouth, the  long  hated  rival,  and  competitor  for  the 
 crown,  the  leader  of  enemies  who,  even  in  the  former 
 reign,  had  well  nigh  changed  the  order  of  fucceflion  .'' 
 
 James,  though  he  had  difregarded  Ken's  pathetic 
 appeals  for  mercy  towards  the  prifoners  in  the  weft, 
 felt  no  refentment  at  his  benevolent  exertions  for  their 
 relief,  "  nor  fo  much  as  harboured  any  jealous  thought 
 of  him."  t  He  fent  for  him  to  attend  Monmouth  in 
 his  laft  hours.  He  rightly  judged  that  his  viiits  to  the 
 Somerfetfhire  prifons  were  prompted  only  by  a  fenfe 
 "  of  duty  to  his  diftrefted  brethren,  to  fave  them  from 
 perifhing  both  in  body  and  foul. "J  Turner,  Bifhop  of 
 Ely,  Dr.  Tennifon,  and  Dr.  Hooper,  were  joined  with 
 him  to  officiate  for  Monmouth.  Of  all  perfons  living 
 we  might  leaft  expedt  to  find  the  gentle  and  tender- 
 
 *  Kennett,  vol.  iii.  p.  432. 
 
 t  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  17.  \  Ibid. 
 
198  Life  of  T\iom2iS  Keuy  [1685 
 
 hearted  Ken,  an  a6lor  in  the  tragical  fcene  that  was 
 preparing.  The  duty  however  being  laid  upon  him, 
 he  performed  it  with  his  accuftomed  faithfulnefs  :  he 
 remained  with  Monmouth  in  the  Tower  during  the 
 night  of  the  15th  of  July  endeavouring  to  prepare 
 him  for  eternity.  He  found  him  fearfully  infenfible 
 to  his  fins  of  rebellion  and  adultery  ; — confident  indeed 
 of  eternal  happinefs,  but  not  on  the  faving  condition 
 of  a  true  repentance.  It  is  neceflary  to  fl:ate  this 
 plainly  ;  for  he  has  been  cenfured  by  Fox  and  others 
 for  unfeeling  feverity  towards  Monmouth,  in  his 
 endeavours  to  awaken  him  to  a  contrite  view  of  his 
 paft  life.  So  difficult  is  it  to  fatisfy  prejudiced  minds. 
 Mr.  Fox  in  particular  is  fo  great  an  admirer  of  the 
 charader  of  Monmouth,  that  he  cannot  bear  any  im- 
 putation againfl:  him.  On  the  other  hand  he  mif- 
 judges,  and  therefore  mifcolours,  the  ads  and  motives 
 of  the  Divines,  who  were  reluftantly  compelled  to 
 fpeak  home  truths  to  the  fufferer.  The  document 
 from  which  Fox  draws  all  his  conclufions  furnifhes 
 their  befl:  refutation.  It  is  to  be  found  in  the  firPc 
 volume  of  the  Somers'  Trails,  entitled,  An  Account 
 of  what  pafi'ed  at  the  execution  of  the  late  Duke  of 
 Monmouth,  publifiied  by  authority,  and  figned  by 
 Bifiiop  Ken,  Bifiiop Turner,  Dr.  Tennifon,  Dr.  Hooper, 
 and  the  Sheriffs,  who  declare  it  to  be  "  a  true  account." 
 We  need  only  compare  Mr.  Fox's  commentary  with 
 the  text  to  fliow  the  inaccuracy,  and  ftrained  confi:ruc- 
 tions,  which  run  through  this  part  of  his  Hifl:ory  of 
 James  II.  and  as  it  brings  a  grave  charge  againfi;  our 
 good  Bifiiop,  the  reader  will  here  exped  to  find  his 
 vindication,  if  fuch  can  be  made. 
 
1685]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         199 
 
 Fox  ftates  that  as  Monmouth  proceeded  to  the 
 fcafFold  the  two  Bifhops  were  with  him  in  the  carriage 
 of  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  ;  "  and  one  of  them 
 took  that  opportunity  of  telling  him  that  their  contro- 
 verfial  altercations  were  not  yet  at  an  end  ;  and  that 
 upon  the  fcaffold  he  would  again  be  prefTed  for  more 
 explicit  declarations  of  repentance."  *  It  would  have 
 been  a  more  accurate  verfion,  and  have  given  a  truer 
 colour  to  what  follows,  if  he  had  ftated,  from  the  Ac- 
 count, that  "  the  Duke  himjelf  entreated  them  to  accom- 
 pany him  to  the  place  of  execution^  and  to  continue  with 
 him  to  the  laft^'^  becaufe  it  would  have  fhown  that,  fo 
 far  from  their  having  faid  or  done  anything  harfh  or 
 difpleafing,  he  had  received  fympathy  and  comfort,  if 
 not  derived  convidion,  from  their  previous  attendance 
 upon  him  in  the  Tower.  In  fad  the  "  controversial 
 altercations  "  were  a  mere  inference  of  the  writer's  own 
 mind  :  for  "  the  Bifhops  made  feafonable  and  devout 
 applications  to  him  all  the  way  ;  and  one  of  them  de- 
 fired  him  not  to  be  furprized  if  they  to  the  very  lafl 
 upon  the  fcaffold  renewed  thofe  exhortations  to  a  par- 
 ticular repentance,  which  they  had  fo  often  repeated 
 before."  J 
 
 "  Certain  it  is,"  Mr.  Fox  fays,  "  that  none  of  thefe 
 holy  men  feem  to  have  erred  on  the  fide  of  compafTion, 
 or  complaifance  to  their  illuftrious  penitent"  §  Surely 
 the  moft  Chriflian,  and  to  Monmouth  the  only  effec- 
 
 *  Fox's  Hiftory  of  James  II.,  p.  281. 
 
 f   "  Account  of  what  paffed  at  the  Execution  of  the  late  Duke 
 of  Monmouth."    1685.  J   Ibid. 
 
 §  Fox's  Hiftory  of  James  II.,  p.  280. 
 
200  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 tual,  compaffion  they  could  exerclfe  towards  him  would 
 be  a  zealous  regard  for  his  eternal  welfare.  This  they 
 emphatically  fhowed  in  their  "  many  pious  ejaculations, 
 and  their  earneft  prayers,"  *  &c.  As  to  complaifance, 
 it  is  rather  the  prieft's  office,  under  fuch  circumstances, 
 by  a  clofe  fearching  of  the  heart  to  awaken  it  to  the 
 voice  of  truth,  that  fpeaks  of  righteoufnefs  and  judg- 
 ment to  come.  Such  a  faithful  candour  was  efpecially 
 demanded  towards  this  *^  illuftrious  penitent,"  who  was 
 no  penitent  in  any  fenfe,  until  brought  to  fomething  like 
 a  feeling  of  his  fins  by  their  continued,  earneft,  and 
 affedlionate  appeals.  For  we  find  that  he  began,  on 
 mounting  the  fcaffold,  as  if  he  was  about  to  make  a 
 premeditated  fpeech  in  this  manner :  "  I  have  had  a 
 fcandal  raifed  upon  me  about  a  woman,  a  lady  of  virtue 
 and  honour ;  I  will  name  her,  the  Lady  Henrietta 
 Wentworth  :  I  declare  fhe  is  a  very  virtuous  and  godly 
 woman  ;  I  have  committed  no  fin  with  her ;  and  that 
 which  hath  pafled  betwixt  us  was  very  honeft  and 
 innocent  in  the  fight  of  God.  I  can  blefs  God,  that 
 He  has  given  me  fo  much  grace,  that  for  thefe  two 
 years  laft  paft  "  (during  which  he  had  abandoned  his 
 Duchefs,  and  their  children  for  this  guilty  love) — "  I 
 have  led  a  life  unlike  to  my  former  courfe  "  (one  of 
 notorious  and  varied  profligacy )  "  and  have  been 
 happy." j-  Would  not  the  Divines,  who  were  attend- 
 ing him  for  the  exprefs  purpofe  of  roufing  his  con- 
 fcience,  have  betrayed  their  truft,  if  they  had  not 
 fpoken  plainly  on  fuch  a  ftrange  perverfion  '^. 
 
 *  "  Account  of  what  paffed  at  the  Execution  of  the  late  Duke  of 
 Monmouth."   1685.  t  Ibid. 
 
1685]       BiJIjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        2  0 1 
 
 But  to  pafs  from  his  private  life  to  his  pubUc  ads  ; 
 Mr.  Fox  dwells  more  particularly  on  the  Divines 
 "  teazing  him  with  controverfy,  and  being  far  more 
 folicitous  to  make  him  profefs  what  they  deemed  the 
 true  creed  of  the  Church  of  England  (the  dodrlne  of 
 Non-refiftance)  than  to  foften  and  confole  his  forrows, 
 or  to  help  him  to  that  compofure  of  mind  fo  neceflary 
 for  his  fituation."*  Yet  he  himfelf  ihows  that  the  pri- 
 foner  flood  in  no  need  of  help  to  fuch  compofure  ;  he 
 lauds  his  equanimity  and  courage  on  the  fcafFold  :  and 
 in  the  publifhed  "  Account  "  we  have  Monmouth's  re- 
 peated declarations,  "  I  die  with  great  cheerfulnefs,  for 
 I  know  I  fhall  go  to  God  ;  I  have  no  fear,  as  you  may 
 fee  by  my  face ;  I  am  fure  I  fhall  go  to  God."  So  far 
 from  feeling  alarm  at  his  approaching  fate,  he  was  an 
 example  of  its  very  oppofite, — that  worfe  indifference, 
 againft  which  their  efforts  were  diredled.  He  was 
 infenfible  to  all  the  confiderations  that  would  have 
 crowded  in  upon  the  mind  of  a  true  penitent :  he 
 boafted  of  his  own  confidence,  "  God  be  praifed,  I 
 have  encouragement  enough  in  myfelf :"  "  I  die  with 
 all  the  joyfulnefs  in  the  world." 
 
 He  was  untouched  by  any  {^vS.^  of  the  confequences 
 of  his  rebellion.  Not  even  thofe  two  thoufand  vidlims 
 of  his  ambition,  —  his  deluded,  flaughtered  followers, 
 —  thofe  "wretched  fugitives,"  as  Fox  defcribes  them, 
 "  who  were  maffacred  in  ditches,  corn  fields,  and  other 
 hiding  places,"  f  moved  either  his  pity  for  their  fuf- 
 ferings,  or  remorfe  for  having  occafioned  them.  "  God 
 be  praifed,"  he  again  faid,  "  I  die  with  a  clear  con- 
 
 *  Fox's  Hiftory  of  James  II.,  p.  280.  f  Ibid,  p,  269. 
 
202  Life  (?/*  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 fcience  ;  /  have  wronged  no  man  /  "  "  How  Sir,"  was 
 the  anfwer,  "  no  man  ?  have  you  not  been  guilty  of 
 invafion,  and  of  much  blood  which  has  been  fhed  ?  it 
 may  be  the  lofs  of  many  precious  fouls  who  followed 
 you  ?  you  muft  needs  have  wronged  a  great  many." 
 Thefe  words  ftruck  him  with  feelings  of  compundlion. 
 "  I  am  forry  for  invading  the  kingdom  ;  for  the  blood 
 that  has  been  fhed ;  and  for  the  fouls  which  may  have 
 been  loft  by  my  means ;  I  am  forry  it  ever  happened : 
 this  he  fpoke  foftly."*  After  that  they  obtained  an 
 acknowledgment  from  him  of  "  repentance  for  all  his 
 fins,  known  and  unknown,  confefTed  or  not  confelTed." 
 This  was  all  they  defired,  —  a  heartfelt  expreilion  of 
 repentance  :  they  rejoiced  in  the  opportunity,  and  at 
 once  pronounced,  "  God  Almighty  of  His  infinite 
 mercy  forgive  you."  No  further  queftion  was  put  to 
 him  :  "  then  all  went  to  folemn  commendatory  prayers, 
 which  continued  for  a  good  fpace  ;  the  Duke  of  Mon- 
 mouth and  the  company  kneeling,  and  joining  in  them 
 with  great  fervency."  "  During  the  preparations  for 
 his  beheading  many  pious  ejaculations  were  ufed  by  thofe 
 that  afTifted  him,  with  great  fervency :  ex.  gr.  *  God 
 accept  your  repentance.  God  accept  your  imperfe6l 
 repentance  :  my  lord,  God  accept  your  general  repen- 
 tance. God  Almighty  fhow  his  omnipotent  mercy 
 upon  you.  Father,  into  thy  hands  we  commend  his 
 fpirit.  Lord  Jefus  receive  his  foul.'  Then  the  execu- 
 tioner proceeded  to  do  his  ofHce."-j- 
 
 Surely  the  prefence  of  thefe  holy  men  could  not  be 
 
 *  "  Account  of  what  paffed  at  the  Execution  of  the  late  Duke  of 
 Monmouth."   1650.  -j-  Ibid. 
 
1685]      BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         203 
 
 confidered  altogether  needlefs.  If  a  fenfe  of  paft  fin  be 
 of  any  avail,  Mr.  Fox  fiiould  applaud,  rather  than 
 cenfure,  a  zeal  that  at  length  produced  in  Monmouth's 
 mind  the  contrition  to  which  he  was  at  firft  a  ftranger. 
 Did  he  think  the  fufferer's  adherence,  in  the  hour  of 
 death,  to  the  principles  of  rebellion,  which  he  had  fo 
 long  adled  upon  againft  every  known  law,  human  and 
 divine,  more  praifeworthy  than  a  humble  and  contrite 
 fpirit  before  God  ?  or  his  natural  courage  and  com- 
 pofure  of  mind  more  availing  than  a  penitent  con- 
 fefiion  ? 
 
 We  have  no  defire  to  juftify  Ken  at  the  expenfe  of 
 his  friends,  the  Bifhop  of  Ely,  Dr.  Tenifon,  and  Dr. 
 Hooper,  companions  with  him  in  this  charitable  work. 
 We  have  reafoned  as  if  he  were  equally  refponfible 
 with  the  reft  for  all  that  is  contained  in  the  publifhed 
 '^  Account,"  and  which  carries  with  it  their  full  juftifi- 
 cation.  But  even  if  Mr.  Fox's  general  charge  againft 
 the  Divines  were  well  grounded,  we  might  claim  for 
 Ken  a  particular  exemption.  His  biographer  fays, 
 "  becaufe  I  have  lately  feen  fome  refle6lions  in  a  pam- 
 phlet, lately  crept  into  the  world,  under  the  fufpicious 
 title  of  a  *  Secret  Hiftory,'  wherein  Dr.  Ken  is  by 
 name  mentioned  to  teaze  the  Duke  of  Monmouth  in 
 vain  on  the  fcafFold  to  profefs  the  doftrine  of  Paftive 
 Obedience,  I  think  It  proper  boldly  to  affirm  that  our 
 Biftiop  never  a6led  or  affifted  there,  but  in  the  devo- 
 tional part  only.  And  this,  tho'  a  negative,  may  be 
 prov'd  to  fatisfadlon."*  Hawkins  muft  have  derived 
 this  authoritative  denial  from  the  Blftiop  himfelf,  who 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Bifhop  Ken,  p.  38, 
 
204  Z.//'^  ^ Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 was  his  uncle  -,  and  it  receives  confirmation  from  a 
 paflage  in  one  of  Ken's  own  letters,  written  to  Burnet 
 fome  years  after  :  "  Paffive  Obedience,"  he  there  fays, 
 <*  is  a  fubjed  with  which  I  very  rarely  meddled."* 
 
 It  muft  have  been  a  great  fhock  to  his  companionate 
 n  ature  to  be  a  compelled  witnefs  to  the  fcene  of  unufual 
 horror  that  followed,  —  to  ftand  within  a  hw  paces 
 of  the  unhappy  nobleman,  whofe  fufFerings,  owing  to 
 the  executioner's  unfkilfulnefs  and  want  of  nerve,  were 
 protraded  in  a  manner  too  painful  to  detail.  The 
 tragical  fight,  the  handfome  perfon,  the  youth  and 
 graceful  manners,  the  brave  bearing  in  his  laft  mo- 
 ments, of  this  mofl;  dear  fon  of  the  late  King,  whofe 
 memory  yet  lived  in  their  hearts,  excited  the  univerfal 
 compaflion  of  the  people.  The  immenfe  multitude 
 that  crowded  to  the  very  tops  of  the  furrounding  houfes 
 bemoaned  his  fate  with  tears  :  pofl:erity  fiiill  fympathizes 
 with  the  fufi^erer  in  fpite  of  his  faults,  which  we  have 
 been  compelled  to  remember  only  in  defence  of  four 
 Englifii  Prelates,'}'  unjufl:ly  charged  with  a  want  of 
 Chrifl:ian  tendernefs. 
 
 No  fooner  was  this  fad  fpedlacle  over,  than  Ken 
 hafliened  back  to  his  diocefe,  where  equally  mournful 
 fcenes  awaited  him.  The  ferocious  infl:ruments  of  the 
 King's  revenge  were  let  loofe  like  hungry  wolves  upon 
 his  defencelefs  flock.     James  had  refolved  to  ftrike 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Bifliop  Ken,  p.  33. 
 
 t  Dr.  Tenifon  was  afterwards  made  Archbifhop  of  Canterbury 
 by  William  III.,  and  Dr.  Hooper  Bifliop  of  St.  Afaph,  and  then  of 
 Bath,  by  Queen  Ann. 
 
 I 
 
1685]       Bijloop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        205 
 
 terror  into  the  minds  of  the  people  by  a  fevere  example 
 of  vengeance.     Neither  rank,  age  nor  fex  was  fpared  : 
 it  may  be  faid  that  no  page  of  our  hiftory  prefents 
 fiich   an    amount   of  indifcriminate   (laughter   as  the 
 "  Bloody  Affizes  "  of  the  Weft  of  England.     Chief 
 Juftice  Jefferies  was  fent  down  with  a  fpecial  commif- 
 fion  to  try  the  rebels.      Major   General   Kirke   was 
 ordered  to  attend  with  a  body  of  troops  to  keep  the 
 people  in  awe.     "  It  was  not  polTible  to  find  in  the 
 whole  kingdom   two  men   more  devoid   of  religion, 
 honour,  and  humanity  :  they  were  two  cruel  mercilefs 
 tigers,  that  delighted  in  blood."  *      Hume  defcribes 
 Jefferies  as  *'  a  wanton  in  cruelty  ;   he  fet  out  with  a 
 favage  joy,  as  to  a  full  harveft  of  death  and  deftrudion." 
 The  vidlims  found  no  mercy  at  his  hands  :  he  after- 
 wards boafted  that  he  had  hanged  more  men  than  all 
 the  Judges  of  England  fince  William  the  Conqueror. 
 He  had  his  reward  :  the  King  made  him  Lord  Chan- 
 cellor ; — his  death  bed  in  the  Tower  was  one  of  horror 
 and  defpair.    "  Kirke  was  a  foldier  of  fortune,  who  had 
 long  ferved  in  Tangier,  and  had  contracted,  from  his 
 intercourfe  with  the  Moors,  an  inhumanity  lefs  known 
 in  European  and  in  free  countries.     At  his  firft  en- 
 trance into  Bridgewater  he  hanged  nineteen  prifoners 
 without  the  leaft  enquiry  into  the  merits  of  their  caufe. 
 As  if  to  make  fport  with  death,  he  ordered  a  certain 
 number  to  be   executed,  while  he  and  his  company 
 fhould  drink  the  King's   health,  or  the  Queen's,  or 
 Judge  Jefferies's.     Obferving  their  feet  to  quiver  in 
 
 *  Rapin,  vol.  ii.  p.  750. 
 
2o6  Z///'^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 the  agonies  of  death,  he  cried  that  he  would  give  them 
 mufic  to  their  dancing,  and  he  immediately  commanded 
 the  drums  to  beat,  and  the  trumpets  to  found."  * 
 
 At  Bridgewater,  Taunton  and  Wells,  the  jails  were 
 crowded  with  the  unhappy  prifoners.  True,  they  had 
 been  engaged  in  open  rebellion  ;  but  they  were  af- 
 jflided,  hungry,  plundered,  and  under  the  terrors  of 
 death.  Thefe  were  unanfwerable  claims  to  the  fym- 
 pathy  of  Bifhop  Ken.  He  went  from  prifon  to  prifon, 
 miniftering  to  their  wants,  and  exercifing  all  the  offices 
 of  mercy.  Ten  years  afterwards,  when  he  was  a  de- 
 prived Bifhop,  being  fummoned  by  King  William's 
 Privy  Council  to  anfwer  to  a  charge  of  promoting 
 fubfcriptions  for  the  relief  of  the  non-juring  clergy, 
 he  modeftly  pleads  that  what  he  did  on  behalf  of  the 
 prifoners  in  Monmouth's  rebellion  then  gave  no  of- 
 fence to  the  court.  ^'  My  Lords,"  he  fays,  "  in  King 
 James's  time  there  were  about  a  thoufand  or  more  im- 
 prifoned  in  my  Diocefe,  who  were  engaged  in  the 
 rebellion  of  the  Duke  of  Monmouth,  and  many  of 
 them  were  fuch  which  I  had  reafon  to  believe  to  be  ill 
 men,  and  void  of  all  religion  :  and  yet,  for  all  that,  I 
 thought  it  my  duty  to  relieve  them.  It  is  well  known 
 to  the  Diocefe  that  I  vifited  them  night  and  day,  and 
 I  thank  God  I  fupplied  them  with  neceflaries  myfelf, 
 as  far  as  I  could,  and  encouraged  others  to  do  the 
 fame."  f 
 
 *  Hume's  Hiftory  of  England, 
 t   Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  52. 
 
1685]       BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         207 
 
 CHAPTER  XV. 
 
 Ken^s  '*  Expofition  of  the  Church  Catechipn  " — "  DireB'ions  for 
 Prayer  " — "  Prayers  for  the  ufe  of  perfons  who  come  to  the 
 Baths" — P erfecut'ion  of  the  French  Huguenots — Ken^ s  cha- 
 ritable difpofition — His  •z.eal  in  the  Pajioral  office. 
 
 jT  is  time  to  lead  Bifhop  Ken  from  thefe 
 fcenes  of  mifery  to  more  congenial  du- 
 ties. To  be  the  peaceful  guide,  the 
 f^^  teacher,  the  counfellor,  the  comforter, 
 the  friend,  the  cenfor,  when  need  was,  of  his  widely 
 fcattered  flock,  were  the  offices  that  would  beft  re- 
 create his  tried  fpirit.  In  thefe  he  exemplified  the 
 compaffionate  zeal  of  a  primitive  Bifhop  to  promote 
 the  welfare  of  his  people.  His  whole  thoughts  feem 
 to  have  been  engaged  in  prompting  them  to  Chriftian 
 holinefs,  efpecially  by  his  example  of  meeknefs,  charity, 
 felf  denial,  and  prayer.  He  lived  amongfl:  his  clergy, 
 knowing  that  fuch  a  refponfible  work,  to  be  effeftual, 
 muft  be  uniform  and  abiding.  "  It  was  frequently 
 faid,  by  many  of  eminence,  who  knew  him  well,  that 
 they  never  knew  any  perfon  fo  able,  and  earneft  to  do 
 good  in  fuch  a  ftation  as  he  was."  * 
 
 Among  the  firft  objedls  at  which  his  exertions  aimed 
 was  the  education  of  the  young.  In  this  he  had 
 already   fliown    his    zeal    by    the    publication   of  his 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  12. 
 
2o8  hife  (^Z' Thomas  Ken,  [1685 
 
 "  Manual  of  Prayer,"  for  the  ufe  of  the  Winchefter 
 fcholars  :  but  it  is  not  generally  known  that  he  was  one 
 of  the  earlieft  and  moft  fuccefsful  promoters  of  the 
 fyftem  of  Parifh  Schools, — now  again,  within  the  laft 
 thirty  years,  happily  revived  in  England.  "  He  found 
 fo  much  deplorable  ignorance  among  the  grov/n  poor 
 people,  that  he  feared  little  good  was  to  be  done  upon 
 them  :  but  faid  he  would  try  whether  he  could  not  lay 
 a  foundation  to  make  the  next  generation  better.  And 
 this  put  him  upon  fetting  up  many  fchools  in  all  the 
 great  towns  of  his  Diocefe,  for  poor  children  to  be 
 taught  to  read,  and  fay  their  Catechifm.  By  this 
 method  and  management  he  engaged  the  minifters  to 
 be  more  careful  in  catechizing  the  children  of  their 
 parifhes  ;  and  they  were  by  him  furnifned  with  a  ftock 
 of  neceffary  books  for  the  ufe  of  children.  And  we 
 may  now  judge  by  the  great  and  good  fuccefs  of  the 
 Charity-fchools,  which  are  now  fo  numerous,  what 
 great  and  good  ends  he  at  that  time  propofed."* 
 
 Thus  with  the  fyftem  of  Parifh  fchools  he  connects 
 the  pra6llce  of  catechizing  :  and  not  only  did  he  en- 
 force this  in  fchools,  but  in  Church  alfo,  as  a  duty 
 exprefsly  ordered  in  the  Rubric,  —  a  duty,  in  this  our 
 day  of  negledled  ordinances,  well-nigh  obfolete.  "  The 
 Church,"  he  fays,  "  has  enjoined  all  fathers  and  mothers, 
 matters  and  dames,  to  caufe  their  children,  fervants, 
 and  apprentices,  to  come  to  the  Church  at  the  time 
 appointed,  and  obediently  to  hear,  and  be  ordered  by 
 the  Curate,  until  fuch  time  as  they  have  learned  all 
 that  is  appointed  in  the  Catechifm  to  be  learned."  f 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  13. 
 
 t  Preface  to  the  "  Pradice  of  Divine  Love." 
 
1685]      Bijhop  of  Bath  a?td  Wells.         209 
 
 It  is  difficult  to  account  for  the  prevalent  negle(5t 
 of  that  exprefs  order  of  our  Church,  "  the  Curate 
 of  every  Parifh  fhall  diligently  upon  Sundays  and 
 Holy-days,  after  the  fecond  lefTon  at  Evening  Prayer, 
 openly  in  the  Church  inftrudl,  and  examine  the  chil- 
 dren in  fome  part  of  this  Catechifm."  It  cannot  be 
 that  our  Clergy  need  examples  in  their  predeceflbrs 
 for  enforcing  this  wholefome  order  :  they  have  Bifhops 
 Andrews,  Wilfon,  Bancroft,  and  Wake,  and  many 
 other  pious  and  learned  Prelates.  Wherever  the  prac- 
 tice has  been  reftored,  it  is  found  to  excite  a  lively 
 intereft,  not  in  the  minds  of  the  children  and  parents 
 only  but,  in  the  congregation  generally.  It  conveys 
 to  them  a  more  iimple  expofition  of  Scripture,  and  a 
 clearer  view  of  doftrine  than  they  gain  from  fermons : 
 for,  fays  George  Herbert  in  his  Country  Parfon,  ^'  there 
 is  in  fermons  a  kind  of  ftate ;  in  catechizing  there  is 
 a  humblenefs  very  fuitable  to  Chriftian  regeneration. 
 It  is  an  admirable  way  of  teaching,  wherein  the  cate- 
 chized will  at  length  find  delight,  and  by  which  the 
 catechizer,  if  he  once  get  the  fkill  of  it,  will  draw  out 
 of  filly  fouls  even  the  dark  and  deep  points  of  re- 
 ligion." * 
 
 That  he  might  more  efi^edlually  help  forward  this 
 great  duty,  the  Bifhop  at  once  put  forth  the  work 
 already  alluded  to,  "  An  Expofition  on  the  Church 
 Catechism,  or  the  Pra6lice  of  Divine  Love,  cornpofed 
 for  the  Diocefe  of  Bath  and  Wells."  We  are  able  to 
 fix  the  precife  date  of  its  publication  :  the  Imprimatur 
 was  granted  at  Lambeth,  Auguft  9,   1685, — being 
 
 *   The  Parfon' s  Catechizing. 
 P 
 
2IO  Life  of  Thomsis  Kciiy         [1685 
 
 lefs  than  a  month  after  his  attendance  on  the  fcaffold 
 with  Monmouth,  and  in  the  firft  year  of  his  Epifcopate. 
 Nothing  can  be  more  affectionate  and  perfuafive  than 
 his  exhortation  to  his  people  to  fecure  the  means  of 
 chriftian  inftrudion  to  themfelves,  and  their  children, 
 through  the  catechifm.  He  dedicates  it  by  "  An 
 Epiftle  to  the  Inhabitants  within  the  Diocefe  of  Bath 
 and  Wells,"  whom  he  addreffes  as  his  "  Dearly  Be- 
 loved in  the  Lord,"  calling  himfelf  "  Thomas,  your 
 unworthy  Bifhop,"  and  "  wifheth  them  the  Knowledge 
 and  Love  of  God." 
 
 "  Since  the  Providence  of  God,"  he  fays,  '^  who  is 
 wont  to  glorifie  His  ftrength  in  the  weaknefs  of  the 
 inftruments  He  ufes,  has  caught  me  up  from  among 
 the  meaneft  herdmen*  into  the  paftoral  throne,  and 
 has  been  pleafed  to  commit  you  to  my  care,  the  love 
 I  ought  to  pay  to  the  Chief  Shepherd  obliges  me  to 
 feed  all  his  lambs  and  his  fheep,  that  belong  to  my 
 flock,  and  according  to  my  poor  abilities,  to  teach 
 them  the  knowledge  and  the  love  of  God,  and  how 
 they  may  make  them  both  their  daily  ftudy  and  prac- 
 tice. One  thing  I  moft  earnefl:ly  beg  of  you  all, 
 whether  old  or  young,  that  ye  would  help  me  to  fave 
 your  own  fouls ;  that  ye  would  learn  and  ferioufly 
 confider,  again  and  again,  the  terms  on  which  your 
 falvation  is  to  be  had.  As  for  you  who  have  families, 
 I  befeech  you  to  inflil  into  your  children  and  fervants 
 their  duty,  both  by  your  teaching  and  your  example  : 
 in  good  earnefl  it  is  lefs  cruel  and  unnatural  to  deny 
 them  bread  for  their  mortal  bodies,  than  faving  know- 
 
 *  Amos  i.  I . 
 
1685]       BiJIjop  of  Bath  and  Wells .         211 
 
 ledge  for  their  immortal  fouls.  Ye  that  are  fathers, 
 or  mailers,  I  exhort  you  to  tread  in  the  fteps  of 
 Abraham,  the  father  of  the  faithfull,  and  the  friend  of 
 God,  and  like  him  to  command  your  children  and 
 houfeholds  to  keep  the  way  of  the  Lord.  Ye  that  are 
 mothers,  or  miftrefles,  I  exhort  you  to  imitate  that 
 unfeigned  faith,  which  dwelt  in  young  Timothy's 
 grandmother  Lois,  and  his  mother  Eunice,  who  taught 
 him  from  a  child  to  know  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which 
 were  able  to  make  him  wife  to  falvation  ;  and  like 
 them  to  bring  up  your  children  in  the  nurture  and 
 admonition  of  the  Lord.  God  of  his  Infinite  mercy 
 blefs  the  whole  to  his  glory,  and  to  your  edification, 
 through  Jefus  the  beloved.  Amen.  Amen." 
 
 Independent  of  its  merits  as  an  expofition  of  Ca- 
 tholic dodrlnes,  this  treatife  abounds  with  paflages 
 of  eminent  force  and  beauty.  They  are  fo  many 
 folemn  avowals  of  his  attachment  to  the  Anglican 
 Church,  for  which  he  afterwards  fufi^ered  imprifonment 
 under  one  king,  and  deprival  by  another.  They  ftamp 
 him,  as  he  has  ever  been  confidered,  one  of  the  moft 
 orthodox  and  holy  Prelates  of  any  age.  They  fhow 
 his  familiar  acquaintance  with  Scripture,  his  fervent 
 piety,  and  the  exa6lnefs  of  his  judgment,  by  which  he 
 weighed  every  dodrine  in  the  balance  of  the  divine 
 word.  Thefe  may  well  conftltute  him  a  fafe  guide, 
 and  as  It  were  a  laft  appeal,  on  queftions  of  dodrine 
 to  all  fincere  members  of  our  Church,  who  bring  to 
 the  ftudy  of  truth  an  unbiafTed  and  teachable  mind. 
 As  a  book  of  prayer,  it  Is  even  yet  more  admirable. 
 He  feems  to  pour  forth  a  continuous  ftream  of  adora- 
 tion and  penitent  love,  calculated  to  exalt  all  hearts  to 
 
212  Zy//'^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 a  foretafte  of  the  unclouded  joys  to  come.  His  whole 
 life  was  an  example  of  a  devout  fpirit,  which  may  be 
 faid  to  have  been  a  leading  feature  of  his  charadler. 
 We  have  already  feen  that  nothing  was  permitted  to 
 interrupt  "  his  clofet  addrefles  to  his  God,"  his  recrea- 
 tion, and  his  ftudies,  and  the  adlive  work  of  his  Diocefe, 
 being  all  made  fubfervient  to  this  higheft  duty  and 
 privilege,  and  how  he  accuftomed  himfelf  to  but  one 
 fleep,  and  rofe  often  at  one  or  two  o'clock  in'  the 
 morning,  and  fometimes  fooner,  to  join  the  angels  in 
 their  work  of  praife.* 
 
 It  was  in  this  fpirit  that  he  direded  the  Winchefter 
 fcholars,  "  as  foon  as  they  awoke  in  the  morning,  to 
 offer  the  firfl  fruits  of  the  day  to  God."  "  When  you 
 are  ready,  look  on  your  foul  as  ftill  undreft,  till  you 
 have  faid  your  prayers.  Remember  that  God  under 
 the  Law  ordained  a  lamb  to  be  offered  up  to  Him 
 every  morning  and  evening.  A  lamb  !  that  is  a  fit 
 emblem  of  youth  and  innocence  ;  think  then  that  you 
 are  to  refemble  this  lamb,  and  be  fure  every  day  to 
 offer  up  yourfelf  a  morning  and  an  evening  facrifice  to 
 God." 
 
 And  as  if  this  were  a  fubjedl  which  could  never  be 
 
 "  Wake,  and  lift  up  thyfelf,  my  Heart, 
 And  with  the  Angels  bear  thy  part. 
 Who  all  night  long  unwearied  fing. 
 Glory  to  the  Eternal  King. 
 
 I  wake,  I  wake,  ye  Heavenly  Choire ; 
 May  your  devotions  me  infpire. 
 That  I  like  you  my  age  may  fpend. 
 Like  you  may  on  my  God  attend." 
 
 Ken's  Morning  Hymn. 
 
1685]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         ii'}^ 
 
 exhaufted,  he  now  again  In  this  firft  year  of  his  Epifco- 
 pate,  compofed  for  the  fpecial  ufe  of  the  "  Poor  In- 
 habitants within  the  Diocefe  of  Bath  and  Wells,"  a 
 further  treatife  or  manual,  being  "  Directions  for 
 Prayer."  "  Sure  I  am,"  he  fays  to  them,  "  the  zeal 
 I  ought  to  have  for  your  falvation  can  fuggeft  to  me 
 nothing  more  conducing  to  the  good  of  your  fouls 
 than  to  exhort  and  befeech  you  all,  of  either  fex,  to 
 learn  how  to  pray.  I  do  not  only  inceflantly  pray  for 
 you  myfelf,  but  I  beg  of  you  all  to  pray  for  yourfelves, 
 and  I  befeech  you  to  read  the  following  Inftruftlons ; 
 or  If  you  cannot  read  yourfelves,  get  fome  honeft  cha- 
 ritable neighbour  to  read  them  often  to  you  ;  and  God 
 of  His  great  mercy  reward  the  charity  of  fuch  neigh- 
 bours. I  muft  feed  you  with  milk,  before  you  can  be 
 capable  of  ftrong  meat ;  and  I  muft:  look  upon  you  as 
 lambs  of  my  flock,  which  I  am  to  ufe  tenderly.  And 
 thefe  following  diredlons,  which  I  give  to  parents  for 
 the  training  up  of  their  children  in  piety,  I  do  equally 
 defign  for  the  training  up  of  you.  God  of  His  infinite 
 goodnefs  blefs  them  to  you  both.  I  exhort  all  you 
 who  are  parents  to  inftill  good  things  into  your  chil- 
 dren, as  foon  as  ever  they  begin  to  fpeak  :  let  the  firft: 
 words  they  utter,  If  it  be  poflible,  be  thefe,  *  Glory  be 
 to  God.'  Accuftom  them  to  repeat  thefe  words  on 
 their  knees,  as  foon  as  they  rife,  and  when  they  go  to 
 bed,  and  oft-times  in  the  day  ;  and  let  them  not  eat  or 
 drink  without  faying,  '  Glory  be  to  God'  The  fame 
 method  you  obferve  in  teaching  your  children,  the 
 fame  you  may  obferve  in  teaching  your  fervants,  ac- 
 cording as  you  fee  they  want  teaching  :  and  you  your- 
 felves will  reap  the  benefit  of  It,  as  well  as  your  fer- 
 
214  Life  of  Thom'3.s  Ken,  [1685 
 
 vants  ;  for  the  more  devout  fervants  they  are  of  God, 
 the  more  faithful  fervants  will  they  be  to  you." 
 
 Then  he  gives  them  "  A  Method  of  Daily  Prayer," 
 being  appropriate  forms  for  all  occafions.  "  As  foon  as 
 ever  you  awake,  offer  up  your  firft  thoughts  and  words 
 to  God."  "  As  you  are  rifing  fay  "  &c.  "  As  foon  as 
 you  are  drefled,  kneel  down,  as  our  Saviour  kneeled  at 
 His  prayers,  and  remember  you  are  in  God's  prefence, 
 and  fay  your  prayers  with  reverence  and  devotion." 
 "  After  the  like  manner  you  may  pray  at  night."  "  As 
 you  are  going  to  bed  fay"  &c.  "As  you  began  the 
 day,  fo  end  it  with  glorifying  God  ;  and  when  you  are 
 in  bed  fay"  &c.  Then  he  gives  ejaculations  "  at  going 
 out  or  coming  in,  at  meals,  at  work,  in  the  fhop  or 
 market,  in  temptation  or  danger,  at  any  time  of  the 
 day."  "  You  that  have  families  I  do  further  exhort 
 that,  befides  your  private  prayers,  you  would  offer  up 
 to  God  a  morning  and  evening  facrifice  in  your  families, 
 and  that  every  one  of  you  would  take  up  the  holy  re- 
 folution  of  Jofhua,  *  as  for  me  and  my  houfe,  we  will 
 ferve  the  Lord.'  And  the  prayers  I  advife  you  to  ufe 
 are  taken  out  of  the  Common  Prayer,  as  being  moft 
 familiar  and  of  greateft  authority  withal.*  God  of  His 
 infinite  mercy  blefs  thefe  inflrudtions  to  His  Glory,  and 
 to  the  furtherance  of  your  devotion,  through  Jefus  the 
 the  Beloved.      Amen.  Amen." 
 
 *  This  was  alfo  George  Herbert's  opinion  :  for  when  Mr.  Dun- 
 can came  to  vifit  him  in  his  laft  ficknefs,  at  the  inftance  of  his  friend 
 Nicholas  Farrer,  after  fome  difcourfe  of  Mr.  Farrer's  holy  life,  and 
 the  manner  of  his  conftant  fervingGod,  "  he  faid  to  Mr.  Duncan,  'Sir, 
 I  fee  by  your  habit  that  you  are  a  prieft,  and  I  defire  you  to  pray  with 
 me:'  which  being  granted,  Mr.  Duncan  afked  him  'what  prayers?' 
 
1685]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         215 
 
 He  confidered  his  work  ftill  incomplete,  fo  long  as 
 any  within  range  of  his  influence,  for  however  fhort  a 
 time,  could  be  found  unprovided  with  prayers,  fuited 
 to  their  peculiar  cafe.  Seeing  therefore  that  many  of 
 the  rich,  as  well  as  poor,  fuffering  under  various  di- 
 feafes,  came  to  the  Bath  waters  for  the  recovery  of  their 
 health,  he  put  forth  another  Manual,  being  "Prayers 
 for  the  ufe  of  all  perfons  who  come  to  the  Baths  for 
 cure."'!'  He  would  make  thefe  medicinal  waters,  re- 
 frefhing  fprings  of  fpiritual  confolation — "wells  of  wa- 
 ter fpringing  up  unto  everlafting  life." 
 
 Such  were  the  Bifhop's  unwearied  endeavours  to  make 
 men  prayerful.  He  feemed  to  fear  nothing  fo  much 
 as  to  lofe  irrevocable  opportunities  of  doing  good.  Yet 
 he  was  again,  more  than  once  in  the  courfe  of  this  year, 
 called  away  for  very  fhort  periods.  Parliament  had 
 been  prorogued  on  the  2nd  of  July,  in  confequence  of 
 Monmouth's  rebellion,  the  King  judging  it  needful 
 that  the  members  fhould  repair  to  their  refpedive  coun- 
 ties. They  were  appointed  to  meet  again  on  the  4th 
 of  Auguft,  when  the  Bilhop  was  prefent  in  the  Houfe 
 of  Lords,  but  only  for  one  day,  as  a  further  adjourn- 
 ment immediately  took  place  to  the  4th  of  November. 
 We  find  by  the  Journals  that  he  and  Sancroft  again  at- 
 tended from  the  i  ith  to  the  17  th  of  November.  On 
 the  20th  the  King,  finding  that  the  Houfes  were  much 
 
 To  which  Mr.  Herbert's  anfwer  was,  '  O,  Sir,  the  prayers  of  my 
 mother,  the  Church  of  England :  no  other  prayers  are  equal  to  them. 
 But  at  this  time,  I  beg  of  you  to  pray  only  the  Litany,  for  I  am  weak 
 and  faint." — Walton's  Life  of  George  Herbert. 
 
 *  See  Markland's  Edition  of  thefe  Prayers ;  prefixed  to  his  intereft- 
 ing  Life  of  Ken.     1849.     i2mo. 
 
2i6  Zy//'^  ^ Thomas  Ken,         [1685 
 
 difTatisfied  with  his  employing  Roman  Catholic  officers 
 in  the  army,  contrary  to  law,  again  adjourned  them  to 
 the  loth  of  February  :  but  he  never  permitted  them  to 
 meet  afterwards.  His  refolution  to  govern  without 
 Parliament  led  to  his  downfall.  Ken  returned  once 
 more  to  his  Diocefe,  and  to  renewed  energies  in  the 
 great  work  of  the  Paftoral  cure.  His  tendernefs  and 
 condefcenfion  conciliated  all  ranks  :  he  fpared  no  labour 
 or  perfuafion  to  eftablifh  a  unity  of  affedion  between 
 the  clergy  and  their  people.  No  minifterial  office  was 
 beneath  his  care.  Not  only  in  his  Cathedral  city  did 
 he  ordain,  confirm,  and  catechife ;  but  in  the  fummer 
 time  he  went  about  to  the  large  Parifh  Churches,  where 
 he  would  preach  twice,  and  catechize  the  children.* 
 Thefe  labours  made  him  venerable  in  the  eyes  of  all 
 men.  He  had  no  time  to  court  the  fociety  of  the  great, 
 being  intent  on  the  exad  fulfilment  of  his  duties,  in 
 which  he  always  ftill  thought  himfelf  defective.  His 
 own  felf-denial,  and  fl:ri6tnefs  of  life,  added  force  to  all 
 his  exertions  for  the  reftoration  of  ecclefiaftical  difcipline, 
 of  which  he  gave  a  faithful  account  to  his  Metropolitan, 
 Archbifhop  Bancroft. f 
 
 He  was  the  common  father  of  his  people  :  but  the 
 poor  in  Wells  (who  were  very  numerous)  were  the  ef- 
 pecial  objedls  of  his  Chriftian  fympathy.  "He  was  very 
 earneft  in  contriving  proper  expedients  of  relief  for  the 
 needy  ;  and  thought  no  defign  could  better  anfwer  all 
 the  ends  of  charity  than  the  fetting  up  a  workhoufe  in 
 that  place.  But  judging  it  not  pradicable  without  the 
 advice,  or  at  leaft  the  affiftance  of  the  Gentlemen,  he 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  1 4.       f  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  by  Round. 
 
1685]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         2 1 7 
 
 therefore  often  met  and  confulted  with  them.  In  this 
 he  had  a  double  view  ;  to  refcue  the  idle  from  vicious 
 pradlice  and  converfation,  and  the  induftrious  from  the 
 opprefTion  of  the  tradefmen,  who,  to  ufe  his  own  ex- 
 prefTion,  did  grind  the  face  of  the  poor,  growing  rich 
 by  their  labour,  and  making  them  a  very  fcanty  allow- 
 ance for  their  work."*  But  he  was  difappointed  in  his 
 charitable  wifhes  :  he  "  found  no  fuitable  encourage- 
 ment, and  was  forced  to  defift"  from  his  plan. 
 
 In  the  midft  of  thefe  peaceful  labours  of  the  Bifhop 
 for  the  good  of  his  own  people,  a  voice  of  lamentation 
 rofe  from  a  neighbouring  country,  fo  real  and  deep  that 
 it  compelled  the  attention  of  all  Europe.  The  Edi(5t 
 of  Nantes  had  for  nearly  a  century  fecured  to  the  French 
 Proteftants  a  relu6lant  toleration.  But  it  was  referved 
 to  France,  in  the  accomplifhed  and  luxurious  age  of 
 Louis  XIV.  to  commit  an  adl  of  infane  cruelty,  equalled 
 only  in  her  own  avenging  Revolution.  Louis,  confident 
 in  his  ambitious  projedts  for  univerfal  power,  and  prompt- 
 ed by  a  blind  fanaticifm  to  reduce  all  his  fubjeds  to  his 
 own  creed,  refolved  to  exterminate  the  Huguenots,  j* 
 They  were  opprelTed  by  a  feries  of  the  moft  cruel  mili- 
 tary perfecutions,  known  by  the  name  of  dragonnades ; 
 their  towns  defolated,  themfelves  put  to  the  moft  inge- 
 nious and  protradled  torture.  Thoufands  of  innocent 
 vi6lims  were  maftacred  without  fear  or  remorfe.  Thus 
 the  King  confummated  a  deed  of  treachery  and  ingrati- 
 tude, of  fo  dark  a  hue,  that  it  indelibly  ftains  his  own 
 charader,  and  the  hiftory  of  France  ; — treacherous,  be- 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  1 6. 
 
 t  The  Edift  of  Nantes  was  revoked  i8th  Od.  1685. 
 
21 8  Life  f?/"  Thomas  Ken,  [1686 
 
 caufe  it  violated  the  pledge  of  a  national  compad,  de- 
 clared to  be  irrevocable,  —  and  ungrateful  towards  a 
 brave  and  loyal  race,  whom  he  had  but  lately  thanked 
 and  applauded  for  their  fidelity  to  his  throne,  when 
 menaced  by  the  war  of  the  Fronde. 
 
 Ken's  warm  heart  kindled  at  the  fpedacle  of  50,000 
 vidlims  of  a  ftern  intolerance,  now  refugees  in  England. 
 Being  appointed  one  of  the  Preachers  at  Whitehall  in 
 the  following  Lent,  he  took  that  occafion  *  to  preach 
 "  a  moft  excellent  and  pathetical  difcourfe  on  the  6th 
 of  John,  V.  17,"  in  furtherance  of  fubfcriptions  for  the 
 opprefTed  exiles.  "  After  he  had  recommended  the  duty 
 of  failing,  and  other  penitential  duties,  he  exhorted  to 
 constancy  in  the  Proteftant  Religion,  deteftation  of  the 
 unheard-of  cruelties  of  the  French,  and  ftirring  up  a 
 liberal  contribution.  This  fermon  was  the  more  accept- 
 able, as  it  was  unexpected  from  a  Bifhop,  who  had  un- 
 dergone the  cenfure  of  being  inclined  to  Popery,  the 
 contrary  whereof  no  man  could  fhow  more."f 
 
 Amidfl  the  general  commiferation  for  the  perfecuted 
 Huguenots  James  and  his  counfellors  felt  fomething 
 more  than  indifference.  If  he  did  not,  as  fome  afTert, 
 congratulate  the  French  tyrant  on  this  "  vidtory  over 
 herefy,"  which  was  declared  by  writers  of  that  Church 
 to  be  "  greater  than  all  the  conquefls  of  Alexander  and 
 Caefar,"  he  took  every  means  to  fupprefs  a  knowledge 
 of  the  fadls.  He  even  caufed  a  tranflation  of  Monfieur 
 Claude's  book,  containing  an  account  of  the  barbarous 
 proceedings  in  France,  to  be  burned  at  the  Exchange 
 by  the  common  hangman  ; — at  once  an  outrage  on  the 
 
 *    14th  March,  1686.         f  Evelyn's  Diary,  Vol.  i.  p.  625. 
 
1 6  8  6]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  JVells.         2 1 9 
 
 generous  fympathy  of  his  people,  and  an  evidence  of 
 his  own  refolute  defigns  for  the  eftablifhment  of  Po- 
 pery. "  So  mighty  a  power  and  afcendant,"  fays  Eve- 
 lyn, "  had  the  French  ambafTador,  who  was  doubtlefs  in 
 great  indignation  at  the  pious  and  truly  generous  cha- 
 rity of  the  nation,  for  the  relief  of  thofe  miferable  fuf- 
 ferers,  who  came  over  for  fhelter." 
 
 James,  however,  thought  it  prudent  to  yield  to  the 
 call  of  the  nation,  and  iflued  his  letters  patent  to  the 
 Bifhops  for  a  general  colledtion  on  behalf  of  the  exiles. 
 Charitable  Ken  immediately  caufed  an  addrefs  to  be 
 circulated  through  his  Diocefe,  exhorting  the  Clergy 
 with  all  expedition,  afFe(5tionately  and  earneftly  to  per- 
 fuade  their  people  to  contribute  to  fo  good  a  work.  He 
 begins  his  addrefs,  as  ufual,  afcribing  "All  Glory  to 
 God."  "  I  befeech  you  for  the  love  of  God,  to  be 
 yourfelves  exemplary  liberal,  according  to  your  abi- 
 lity, remembering  how  blefled  a  thing  it  is  to  be  bro- 
 therly kind  to  ftrangers,to  Chriftian  ftrangers,  efpecially 
 fuch  as  thofe  whofe  diftrefs  is  very  great,  and  in  all  re- 
 fpedls  mofl  worthy  of  our  tenderefl:  commiferation,  and 
 how  our  moft  adorable  Redeemer  does  interpret,  and 
 does  proportionably  reward,  all  the  good  we  do  to  them, 
 as  done  to  Himfelf.  God  of  His  infinite  mercy  infpire 
 this  fraternal  charity  into  your  fouls,  and  into  the  fouls 
 of  all  your  Parifh.  Tho.  Bath  and  Wells. 
 
 "Wells,  April  15th,  1686." 
 
 We  might  expedt,  when  he  invited  his  Clergy  to  fct 
 their  parifhioners  a  liberal  example,  he  would  himfelf  be 
 foremoft  in  fuch  a  commifTion  of  charity.  Accordingly 
 we  have  a  remarkable  ad  of  munificence  recorded  of 
 
220  Life  f?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1686 
 
 him  at  this  jun6lure.  As  if  to  open  a  way  for  him  in 
 a  work  of  love  fo  near  his  heart,  he  opportunely  "  re- 
 ceived a  fine  of  four  thoufand  Pounds,  and  the  greater 
 part  was  given  to  the  French  Proteftants  !  fo  little  re- 
 gard had  he  to  future  contingencies."* 
 
 Unmeafured  as  was  his  bounty  to  a  whole  commu- 
 nity of  fufFerers,  and  earneft  as  he  was  in  advocating 
 their  caufe,  and  collecting  the  fubfcriptions,  he  ftill  found 
 time  to  be  gracious  and  charitable  to  the  meaneft  indi- 
 vidual. We  are  often  ready  enough  by  contributions 
 of  money,  which  occafion  us  no  fenfible  privation,  to 
 abfolve  ourfelves  from  the  harder  duty  of  giving  our 
 time  and  perfonal  care  to  thofe  who  are  in  need.  Ken 
 never  loft  the  opportunity  of  difcourfing  kindly,  and 
 patiently,  with  the  loweft  who  approached  him.  "He 
 had  a  very  happy  way  of  mixing  his  fpiritual  with  his 
 corporal  alms.  When  any  poor  perfon  begged  of  him, 
 he  would  examine  whether  he  could  fay  the  Lord's 
 Prayer  or  Creed."  f  He  had  a  very  tender  regard  for 
 every  fheep  of  his  flock.  "  The  fliepherd,"  fays  St. 
 Chryfoftom,  "  leaving  the  ninety  and  nine,  did  not  re- 
 turn till  he  had  completed  his  number,  by  recovering 
 that  flieep  that  was  loft.  Tell  me  not  it  is  only  one  : 
 remember  that  it  is  a  foul  for  which  all  things  vifible 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  22. 
 
 t  Ibid.  p.  12. — In  this,  as  in  many  other  particulars,  he  refembled 
 George  Herbert,  who  would  allow  no  thanks  to  himfelf  for  the  alms 
 he  beftowed ;  but  would  have  them  fay,  "  God  be  praifed,  God  be 
 glorified."  "  So  doth  he  alfo,  before  giving,  make  them  fay  their 
 prayers  firft,  or  the  Creed,  and  ten  commandments ;  and  as  he  finds 
 them  perfedl,  rewards  them  the  more.  For  other  givings  are  lay  and 
 fecular;  but  this  is  to  give  like  a  prieft." — The  Parfon's  Chnritj. 
 
1 6  8  6]       BiJJjop  of  Bath  a7id  Wells.        2  2 1 
 
 were  made;  for  which  laws  were  given,  miracles  wrought, 
 and  myfteries  efFefted ;  for  which  God  fpared  not  his 
 own  Son.  Think  how  great  a  price  has  been  paid  for 
 this  one  fheep,  and  bring  him  back  to  the  fold."  Cha- 
 ritable Dr.  Hammond  fays  "  Oh  what  a  glorious  thing, 
 how  rich  a  prize  for  the  expenfe  of  a  man's  whole  life, 
 were  it  to  be  the  inftrument  of  refcuing  one  foul ! " 
 
 The  rich  man's  barn,  it  is  faid,  is  the  poor  man's 
 ftorehoufe.  So  the  Blfhop  in  his  palace  was  the  boun- 
 tiful fteward  for  diftributing  to  every  clafs  a  portion  of 
 his  worldly  means.  He  fought  out  new  ways  of  cha- 
 rity, knowing  that  the  inequalities  of  life  are  ordained 
 for  the  probation  of  faith,  both  in  thofe  who  have  abun- 
 dance, and  thofe  who  want.  He  gave  largely,  for  he 
 loved  much :  he  difcerned  Chrift's  pierced  Hand  ever 
 ready  to  receive  the  gift,  difpenfed  to  the  leaft  of  His 
 poor  ones, — "  thefe  My  brethren,  anhungered,  athirft, 
 naked,  ftrangers  ; "  and  he  heard  the  voice,  "  thou  doeft 
 it  unto  Me."  His  benevolence  flowed  out  of  a  con- 
 defcending  fpirit,  that  made  it  an  offering  of  fpikenard, 
 very  precious  to  Him  who  giveth  the  grace  to  beftow, 
 and  the  reward.  "  When  he  was  at  home  on  fundays, 
 he  would  have  twelve  poor  men  or  women,  to  dine 
 with  him  in  his  hall  :  always  endeavouring,  whilfl:  he 
 fed  their  bodies,  to  comfort  their  fpirits  by  fome  chear- 
 ful  difcourfe,  generally  mixt  with  fome  ufeful  infl:ruc- 
 tion.  And  when  they  had  dined,  the  remainder  was 
 divided  among  them,  to  carry  home  to  their  families."* 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  14.  —  Such  was  George  Herbert's 
 courtefy.  "  The  poor  are  welcome  to  his  table ;  whom  he  fome- 
 times  purpofely  takes  home  with   him,  fetting  them  clofe  by  him. 
 
222  Life  <?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1686 
 
 Happily  this  ancient  hall  in  the  Palace  of  Wells  remains 
 as  it  was ;  and  there  hangs  a  portrait  of  the  good  Bi- 
 fhop,  with  the  benignant  fmile  *  that  beamed  from  his 
 countenance,  when  he  fat  in  "cheerful  difcourfe"  with 
 his  aged  guefts.  Thus  literally  did  he  fulfil  his  Maf- 
 ter's  injunction :  "  when  thou  makeft  a  dinner,  or  a 
 fupper,  call  not  thy  friends,  nor  thy  brethren,  neither 
 thy  kinfmen,  nor  thy  rich  neighbours,  left  they  alfo  bid 
 thee  again,  and  a  recompenfe  be  made  thee.  But  when 
 thou  makeft  a  feaft  call  the  poor,  the  maimed,  the  lame, 
 the  blind  :  and  thou  fhalt  be  blefled  ;  for  they  cannot 
 recompenfe  thee  :  for  thou  ftialt  be  recompenfed  at  the 
 refurredion  of  the  juft." 
 
 About  this  time  he  was  called  upon  for  another  Edi- 
 tion of  his  "  Practice  of  Divine  Love."  As  in  the  cafe 
 of  his  Manual  of  Prayers,  he  had  been  mifreprefented 
 in  "  a  Popifh  pamphlet "  to  hold  the  Roman  dodtrine 
 of  Invocation  of  Saints, — fo  now  they  claimed  him  as  a 
 believer  in  the  dogma  of  Tranfubftantiation.  He  thus 
 refutes  the  charge  in  a  preface  to  the  Second  Edition : 
 "  The  author  thinks  himfelf  obliged  to  declare  that  he 
 does  now,  and  always  did,  humbly  fubmit  this  Expofi- 
 tion  to  the  judgment  of  the  Church  of  England,  con- 
 formably to  whofe  Articles  he  defires  all  good  Chriftians 
 to  interpret  it :  and  to  prevent  all  mifunderftandings  for 
 
 and  carving  for  them,  both  for  his  own  humility,  and  their  comfort, 
 who  are  much  cheered  with  fuch  friendlinelles.  Having  then  in- 
 vited fome  of  his  parifli,  he  taketh  his  times  to  do  the  like  to  the  reft ; 
 fo  that,  in  the  compafs  of  the  year,  he  hath  them  all  with  him." 
 
 *  Granger,  fpeaking  of  the  refpeft  in  which  Ken  was  held  in  the 
 court  of  Charles  II.  for  his  unaffeded  piety,  fays  "  the  opennefs  of 
 his  countenance  correfponded  with  the  fimplicity  of  his  charafter." 
 
1 6  86]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         223 
 
 the  future,  he  has  in  his  revifing  it  made  fome  few  Httle 
 alterations,  not  at  all  varying  his  meaning,  but  his  ex- 
 preflions,  to  render  the  whole  as  unexceptionable  as  be- 
 comes a  book,  not  defigned  for  difpute,  but  for  devo- 
 tion." 
 
 It  will  be  feen  by  the  altered  pafTage  in  this  Edition 
 (publifhed  in  1686)  that  whilft  he  repudiates  the  Ro- 
 man error  of  Tranfubftantiation,  he  conveys  his  deli- 
 berate and  confirmed  adherence  to  the  Anglican  (becaufe 
 Catholic)  dodrine  of  the  "  Real  Prefence"  in  the  Holy 
 Eucharift. 
 
 1685. 
 O  God  Incarnate,  how  Thou 
 canft  "  give  us  Thy  Flefh  to  eat, 
 and  Thy  Blood  to  drink ; "  how 
 Thy  Flefh  is  meat  indeed,  and 
 Thy  Blood  is  drink  indeed ;  how 
 he  that  eateth  Thy  Flefh  and 
 drinketh  Thy  Blood  dwelleth  in 
 Thee,  and  Thou  in  him,  how  he 
 fhall  live  by  Thee,  and  be  raifed 
 up  by  Thee  to  hfe  eternal ;  how 
 Thou,  who  art  in  Heaven,  art 
 prefent  on  the  Altar,  I  can  by  no 
 means  explain ;  but  I  firmly  be- 
 lieve it  all,  becaufe  Thou  hall  faid 
 it,  and  I  firmly  rely  on  Thy  Love, 
 and  on  Thy  Omnipotence,  to 
 make  good  Thy  word,  though 
 the  means  of  doing  it  I  cannot 
 comprehend." 
 
 1686. 
 O  God  Incarnate,  how  the 
 bread  and  the  wine,  unchanged 
 in  their  fubftance,  become  Thy 
 Body  and  Thy  Blood  ;  after  what 
 extraordinary  manner  Thou,  who 
 art  in  Heaven,  art  prefent  through- 
 out the  whole  facramental  aftion 
 to  every  devout  receiver,  how 
 Thou  canft  give  us  Thy  Flefh  to 
 eat,  and  Thy  Blood  to  drink ; 
 how  Thy  Flefh  is  meat  indeed, 
 and  Thy  Blood  is  drink  indeed ; 
 how  he  that  eateth  Thy  Flefh, 
 and  drinketh  Thy  Blood,  dwel- 
 leth in  Thee,  and  Thou  in  him  ; 
 how  he  fhall  live  by  Thee,  and 
 be  raifed  up  by  Thee  to  life  eter- 
 nal, I  can  by  no  means  compre- 
 hend ;  but  I  firmly  believe  all 
 Thou  haft  faid,  and  I  firmly  rely 
 on  Thy  Omnipotent  Love  to 
 make  good  thy  word  ;  for  which 
 all  love,  all  glory  be  to  Thee." 
 
 No  one  who  carefully  reads  his  Expofition  of  the 
 
224  ^^f^  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1686 
 
 Catechirm  can  doubt  his  hearty  concurrence  in  the 
 purity  and  foundnefs  of  the  Faith,  taught  in  the  Church 
 of  England.  In  that  part  which  expounds  the  Creed, 
 he  fays,  "  Glory  be  to  Thee,  O  God,  Who  haft  made 
 me  a  member  of  the  particular  Church  of  England, 
 whofe  faith  and  government,  and  worfhip,  are  holy 
 and  Catholic,  and  Apoftolic,  and  free  from  the  ex- 
 tremes of  irreverence  and  fuperftition  ;  which  I  firmly 
 believe  to  be  a  found  part  of  the  Church  univerfal." 
 
 i 
 
i686]       Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         225 
 
 CHAPTER  XVI. 
 
 Meafures  ofjames  II.  for  ejiahlijhing  Romanifm — Ken's  Paf- 
 toral  Letter  to  his  Clergy  —  His  Sermon  at  JVhitehall^  up- 
 holding the  Church  of  England — Mis  boldnefs^  and  eloquence 
 as  a  Preacher — The  King's  Declaration  of  Indulgence. 
 
 UBLIC  jealoufy  and  difcontent  began 
 now  to  forebode  a  coming  ftorm,  which 
 called  the  Bifhop  from  the  Palace  at 
 Wells  to  a  more  ftlrring  fphere  of  ac- 
 tion. Notwithftanding  the  King's  open  profefTion  of 
 Romanifm,  the  people  had  been  at  firft  difpofed  to 
 truft  the  promife  of  his  coronation  oath,  that  he  would 
 maintain  the  integrity  of  the  Church  of  England. 
 Nothing  could  be  more  explicit  than  that  oath.  The 
 ceremony  is  thus  defcribed  by  Sandford. 
 
 Then  the  Petition  or  requeft  of  the  Bifhops  to  the 
 King  was  read  by  the  Bifhop  of  Gloucester  in  a  clear 
 voice,  in  the  name  of  the  reft  flanding  by. 
 
 Our  Lord  and  King ;  we  requeft  you  to  pardon 
 us  and  to  grant  and  preferve  unto  us,  and  the  churches 
 committed  to  our  charge,  all  canonical  privileges,  and 
 due  law  and  juflice,  and  that  you  will  protedt  and  de- 
 fend us,  as  every  good  King  in  his  kingdom  ought  to 
 be  Protecftor,  and  Defender  of  the  Bifhops  and  Churches 
 under  their  Government. 
 
 "  The  King  anfwered,  *  With  a  willing  and  devout 
 heart  I  promife  to  grant  you  my  pardon,  and  that  I 
 will  preferve  and  maintain  to  you,  and  the  churches 
 
 Q 
 
226  Life  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1686 
 
 committed  to  your  charge,  all  canonical  privileges, 
 and  due  law  and  juftice  :  and  that  I  will  be  your  Pro- 
 testor and  Defender,  to  my  power,  by  the  afliftance  of 
 God,  as  every  good  King  in  his  kingdom  ought  in 
 right  to  protect  and  defend  the  Bifhops,  and  churches 
 under  their  government.' 
 
 "  Then  the  King  rofe  from  his  chair,  and  being 
 attended  by  the  Lord  Great  Chamberlain,  and  fup- 
 ported  by  the  two  Bifhops  (Ken  and  Crew)  and  the 
 fword  of  ftate  carried  before  him,  he  went  to  the  altar, 
 and  laying  his  hand  upon  the  Evangelifts,  took  the 
 Oath  following.  '■  The  things  which  I  have  here  be- 
 fore promifed,  I  will  perform  and  keep.  So  help  me 
 God,  and  the  contents  of  this  Book.'  And  then  he 
 kifled  the  Book."* 
 
 His  zeal,  however,  for  the  Roman  Church  foon 
 prompted  him  to  violate  this  pledge,  and  engaged  him 
 in  an  enterprize  that  could  only  fucceed  by  proftrating 
 the  laws  and  liberties  he  had  fworn  to  maintain.  The 
 Houfe  of  Commons,  in  the  previous  reign,  had  pafled 
 refolutlons  to  exclude  him  from  the  fucceffion  on  the 
 ground  of  his  avowed  religion.  This  might  have  in- 
 dicated to  him  the  firm  refolve  of  the  people  to  main- 
 tain the  Anglican  faith.  But  he  would  rifk  all  rather 
 than  compromife  his  tenets  by  any  difguife.  No 
 fooner  was  he  feated  on  the  throne  than  he  bent  his 
 whole  mind  to  the  eflablifliment  of  what  he  confidered 
 the  only  true  Church ;  doubtlefs  from  a  vivid  fenfe 
 of  refponfibilities  that  lay  beyond  the  "  judgment  of 
 man's  day."    So  far  he  challenges  our  refped.     At  no 
 
 *  King  James's  Coronation:  by  Francis  Sandford,  folio,  1687. 
 
1 686]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  227 
 
 period,  before  or  after  his  dethronement,  did  he  fwerve 
 from  this  fixed  principle.  He  ftaked  his  crown  in  the 
 caufe  of  his  rehgion ;  and  fanatic  though  he  might  be, 
 and  tyrant  as  he  was,  his  felf-facrifice  was  an  a6l  of 
 perfonal  devotion.  In  one  of  his  letters,  when  Duke 
 of  York,  he  writes,  "  Pray,  once  for  all,  never  fay  any 
 thing  to  me  again  of  turning  Proteftant :  do  not  exped 
 it,  or  flatter  yourfelf  that  I  fliall  ever  be  it.  I  never 
 fhall ;  and  if  occafion  were,  I  hope  God  would  give 
 me  His  grace  to  fuffer  death  for  the  true  Catholic  re- 
 ligion, as  well  as  banifliment.  What  I  have  done  was 
 not  haftily,  but  upon  mature  confideration,  and  fore- 
 feeing  all,  and  more  than  has  yet  happened  to  me."  * 
 
 James  was  not  wanting  in  qualities  that  in  all  ages 
 have  fitted  men  to  bend  others  to  their  own  will.  Of 
 unqueftioned  courage  in  the  field,  untiring  in  attention 
 to  bufinefs,  frugal  of  his  revenue,  zealous  even  to 
 hardihood  in  the  purfuit  of  his  ends,  recklefs  of  the 
 means  for  their  attainment,  decifive  and  tenacioufly 
 firm  of  purpofe.  But  with  thefe  he  had  the  corref- 
 ponding  faults  ;  being  felf- confident,  regardlefs  of 
 counfel,  and  therefore  precipitate,  and  forgetful  of  the 
 lefTons  of  experience.  He  knew  not  the  art  to  govern 
 men  by  their  fympathies,  their  prejudices,  and  their 
 interefl:s :  and  he  was  fingularly  unobfervant  of  the 
 real  charader  of  thofe  about  him,  confiding  where  he 
 fhould  have  fufpedled,  —  miftruftful  where  he  might 
 have  repofed  the  fulleft  confidence. 
 
 Either  of  his  fondly  cheriflied  defigns  would  have 
 demanded  all  the  patience  and  fkill  of  a  confummate 
 
 *  Lord  Dartmouth's  MSS.  notes  on  Burnet,  vol.  i.  p.  358. 
 
228  Zy//^^  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1686 
 
 tadiclan  ;  —  one,  to  make  himfelf  an  abfolute  King 
 over  a  brave  people,  whofe  free  inftltutions  were  en- 
 deared to  them  by  chequered  but  fuccefsful  ftruggles  ; 
 —  the  other  to  re-eftablifh,  under  the  dominion  of 
 the  -Pope,  a  worfhip  that  had  been  rendered  odious 
 to  them  by  cruel  perfecutions.  The  influence  he  had 
 exercifed  in  the  foreign  policy  of  his  brother's  reign 
 tended  to  encreafe  the  public  prejudice  againfl:  him. 
 Even  his  own  naval  battles,  were  coldly  thought  of: 
 it  is  true  they  fuftained  the  Englifh  charadler  for  un- 
 daunted bravery,  but  were  directed  rather  to  weaken 
 their  Proteftant  allies,  the  Dutch,  than  to  humble  the 
 pride  of  Louis. 
 
 The  nation,  divided  between  attachment  to  the  pure 
 and  primitive  Church  of  England,  and  the  modern 
 fpirit  of  Puritanifm,  concurred  in  a  repugnance  to 
 Romifh  dodtrines  and  government.  All  were  roufed 
 to  a  deeper  averfion  by  the  King's  hafty  introdudlion  of 
 foreign  priefts  and  Jefuits,  and  of  pompous  ceremonials, 
 which  both  parties  conlidered  to  be  an  unreal  mockery 
 of  worfliip.  This  was  aggravated  by  a  folemn  but  futile 
 embafly  to  the  Pope,  for  the  avowed  purpofe  of  recon- 
 ciling the  three  kingdoms  to  the  Roman  fee.  The 
 Ambaflador,  moreover,  was  received  by  the  haughty 
 Pontiff  with  an  indifference  that  wounded  the  national 
 pride,  at  all  times  jealous  of  foreign  authority. 
 
 The  King  purfued  his  objects  with  infatuated  zeal. 
 He  not  only  difpenfed  with  the  affiflance  of  Parliament, 
 and  raifed  a  large  Handing  army,  but  yielded  himfelf 
 to  the  guidance  of  a  prieflly  junto,  and  the  interefted 
 counfels  of  Louis,  contrary  to  the  advice  of  the  Pope 
 
1 6  8  6]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        229 
 
 himfelf,  who  forefaw  the  fatal  refults  of  fo  unequal  a 
 conteft. 
 
 He  proceeded  at  firfl  with  comparative  caution  in 
 England,  where  his  movements  were  jealoufly  watched 
 by  a  more  powerful  ariftocracy,  and  a  more  enlightened 
 people.  But  in  Scotland  he  at  once  refolved  to  fet 
 himfelf  above  the  laws,  afluming  by  his  "  fovereign 
 authority,  prerogative  royal,  and  abfolute  power,  to 
 fufpend,  ftop,  and  difable  all  laws,  ftatutes,  or  acfls 
 of  Parliament,"  *  againft  the  Romanifts,  claiming  for 
 them  the  free  exercife  of  their  religion,  which  by  the 
 ftatutes  was  prohibited.  In  Ireland  his  meafures  were 
 taken  with  yet  greater  boldnefs :  the  Titular  Bifhops 
 had  been  authorized  to  hold  a  general  Convention  of 
 the  Romifh  Clergy  on  the  15th  of  May,  1686.  The 
 priefts  had  inftrudlions  from  their  refpedive  Bifhops 
 to  give  an  exa(5l  lift  of  all  the  men  in  their  parifties, 
 capable  of  bearing  arms ;  Lord  Clarendon,  the  Lord 
 Lieutenant,  was  ordered  to  difpenfe  with  the  Judges 
 taking  the  Oath  of  fupremacy  ;  nineteen  Romanifts 
 were  fworn  in  as  Privy  Counfellors  ; — the  corporations 
 were  filled  with  them  ; — all  the  Proteftant  officers  and 
 foldiers  were  difmifted  from  the  feveral  regiments,  and 
 Roman  Catholic  chaplains  appointed  ;  "  fo  that  I  doubt 
 not,  (fays  Lord  Clarendon  on  the  6th  of  July,  1686) 
 within  a  month,  or  little  more,  the  whole  army  will 
 be  compofed,  as  his  Majefty  would  have  it."  Thus 
 "300  officers  loft  their  commiffions,  and  above  5000 
 foldiers  were  fent  pilgrimizing,  having  nothing  to  truft 
 to  but  the  charity  of  others,  which  in  thofe  times  was 
 
 *   12th  February,  1687. 
 
230  Life  fi/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1686 
 
 very  cold,  anfwerable  to  the  feafon  of  the  year,  and  the 
 climate  of  the  country."  *  "  Sir  Alexander  Fitton,  a 
 perfon  detedled  of  forgery  both  at  Weftminfter  and 
 Chefter,  and  fined  by  the  Houfe  of  Lords,  was  brought 
 out  of  jail,  and  fet  over  the  higheft  court,  as  Lord 
 Chancellor  of  Ireland,  to  keep  the  King's  confcience, 
 having  no  other  quality  to  recommend  him  befides  his 
 being  a  converted  Papift,  and  is  a  renegade  to  his  re- 
 ligion and  country."!  To  complete  all.  Colonel  Tal- 
 bot, a  Papift,  a  mere  foldier  of  fortune,  infolent  and 
 unprincipled,  was  created  Earl  Tyrconnel,  and  fent 
 over  to  fuperfede  Clarendon  as  Lord  Lieutenant,  and 
 root  out  every  faith  but  the  Roman. 
 
 Emboldened  by  this  fuccefs,  James  made  further 
 advances  towards  the  eftablifhment  of  Popery  in  Eng- 
 land. Five  Roman  Catholic  Lords  were  admitted  to 
 the  Privy  Council.  The  Judges  were  called  upon  to 
 declare  from  the  bench  that  the  Crown  was  abfolute, 
 — that  the  penal  laws  were  powers  committed  to  the 
 King  for  the  execution  of  juftice,  but  not  to  bind  his 
 authority,  or  prevent  his  difpenfing  with  them.  This 
 was  preparatory  to  the  fame  ftep  he  had  taken  in  Scot- 
 land. He  fent  for  the  principal  members  of  both 
 houfes,  and  received  them  privately  in  his  clofet,  en- 
 deavouring to  perfuade  them  to  abjure  their  religion, 
 and  to  acquiefce  in  his  meafures.  The  chief  officers  of 
 ftate  who  refufed  compliance  were  removed.  Popifh 
 fheriffs  and  juftices  of  the  peace,  taken  from  the 
 loweft  of  the  people  were  appointed  in  the  counties,  as 
 
 *  Life  of  James  II.  8vo.  1702,  p.  145. 
 t  Clarendon's  Diary,  vol.  ii.  p.  151. 
 
1 6  8  6]        Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        2  3 1 
 
 fit  inftruments  of  his  purpofe.  All  of  every  clafs  who 
 had  courage  to  avow  their  attachment  to  the  Anglican 
 faith,  and  refufed  to  comply  with  his  arbitrary  mea- 
 fures,  were  difmifTed  from  their  employments.  Popifh 
 bifhops  were  publickly  confecrated  in  the  king's  chapel, 
 and  under  the  title  of  "  Vicars  Apoftolical,"  iflued 
 to  the  laymen  of  that  communion  paftoral  letters,  which 
 were  printed  at  the  royal  prefs. 
 
 But  the  meafure  which,  above  all  others,  brought 
 the  nation  to  a  full  fenfe  of  his  defigns  againft  the 
 Englifh  Church,  was  the  appointment  of  an  Eccle- 
 fiaftical  Court  of  Inquifition,  with  unlimited  powers  to 
 reform  all  abufes,  contempts,  and  offences  of  whatever 
 nature,  to  cite  before  them  ecclefiaftical  perfons  of 
 every  degree  or  dignity,  and  to  cenfure,  fufpend,  or 
 deprive  them  without  appeal ;  and  further  to  alter  the 
 ftatutes  of  the  Univeriities,  and  all  other  corporations, 
 civil  and  religious.  The  greater  part  of  the  Com- 
 miffioners  were  Roman  Catholics  ;  Lord  Chancellor 
 Jefferies,  "  of  nature  cruel,  and  a  flave  of  the  court," 
 was  appointed  always  to  prefide.  Thus  at  once  was 
 eftablifhed  an  authority,  more  extenfive  and  arbitrary 
 than  the  hated  Star  Chamber,  and  wielded  by  the 
 blood-ftained  hand  of  one  of  the  moft  infamous  of 
 men. 
 
 This  court  prohibited  the  clergy  from  controverting 
 the  do6lrines  of  Rome  in  their  fermons  ;  the  king 
 confidering  fuch  a  topic  to  be  a  refledlion  on  his  perfon 
 and  government.  He  had  already  iffued  an  order  to 
 the  Archbifhops  to  interdidl  preaching  on  difputed 
 points.  But  the  clergy  every  where  declared  them- 
 felves  boldly  againft  the  errors  of  the  Romifh  faith ; 
 
232  Life  ^y^  Thomas  Ken,         [1686 
 
 "  and  were  wonderfully  followed  by  the  people.  Not 
 one  confiderable  profelyte  was  made  in  all  this  time. 
 The  party  was  exceedingly  put  to  the  worft  by  the 
 preaching  and  writing  of  the  Proteftants  in  many  ex- 
 cellent treatifes,  evincing  the  dodlrine  and  difcipline  of 
 the  Reformed  religion,  to  the  manifefl:  difadvantage  of 
 their  adverfaries."* 
 
 Dr.  Sharp,  Re6bor  of  St.  Giles's,  and  Dean  of  Can- 
 terbury, having  made  himfelf  confpicuous  in  defence 
 of  the  Church,  the  King  required  Compton,  Bifhop  of 
 London,  immediately  to  fufpend  him  from  any  further 
 preaching  within  his  Diocefe,  for  "  prefuming  to  make 
 unbecoming  refledions,  and  infinuating  fears  and  jea- 
 loufies  of  our  government."  The  anfwer  of  the  Bifliop 
 was  worthy  of  his  refponfible  ftation  :  "  he  humbly 
 conceived  that  he  was  bound  to  proceed  according  to 
 law,  and  therefore  it  was  impoffible  for  him  to  comply, 
 becaufe  he  muft  aft  in  the  capacity  of  a  judge,  and  no 
 judge  condemns  any  man  before  he  has  knowledge  of 
 the  caufe,  and  has  cited  the  party."  Compton  had 
 already  rendered  himfelf  obnoxious  to  the  court ;  and 
 it  was  thought  that,  in  making  him  the  firft  vidim  of 
 their  exorbitant  power,  the  commiffioners  would  fhow 
 the  world  their  refolution  to  carry  out  the  King's  de- 
 figns.  Their  very  firft  ad  therefore  (on  the  6th  of 
 Auguft,  1686)  was  to  fummon  him  to  the  Council 
 Chamber  at  "Whitehall.  Compton  pleaded  the  illegality 
 of  the  court,  denied  their  jurifdi6lion,  and  was  fuf- 
 pended  from  all  epifcopal  fundlions,  on  pain  of  depri- 
 vation, and  removal  from  his  Bifhopric. 
 
 *   Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  636. 
 
1 6  8  6]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        233 
 
 While  the  Khig's  public  meafures  were  urged  on  by 
 an  intemperate  zeal  and  precipitancy  that  ruined  the 
 caufe  he  had  in  hand,  he  was  prompted  by  the  rafh 
 counfels  of  the  Queen  and  the  Jefuits  who  thronged 
 the  palace,  to  exhibit  to  the  wandering  people  the 
 moft  obnoxious  ceremonies  of  his  religion.  As  the 
 difpenfer  of  all  offices  of  honour  and  emolument,  he 
 might  perhaps  have  gained  over  many  profelytes  by  a 
 cautious  and  watchful  policy  :  but  his  harfh  and  im- 
 perious nature  could  brook  no  conditions,  or  limit  to 
 his  will.  Confident  in  the  foundnefs  of  his  creed,  ex- 
 travagant in  the  aflumption  of  his  prerogative,  and 
 relying  on  the  devotion  of  the  army,  he  ventured  to 
 rend  afunder  the  bond  of  union  between  himfelf  and 
 his  fubjeds.  The  moft  faithful  of  his  Proteftant  ad- 
 herents were  ftartled  by  a  public  celebration  of  Mafs 
 in  the  royal  chapel.  Evelyn  thus  defcribes  the  fcene : 
 "  I  went  to  hear  the  mufic  of  the  Italians  in  the  new 
 chapel,  now  firft  opened  publickly  at  Whitehall  for 
 the  Popifh  fervice.  Here  we  faw  the  (Roman  Catholic) 
 Bifhop  in  his  mitre  and  rich  copes,  with  fix  or  {^vQr\. 
 Jefuits  and  others,  in  rich  copes,  fumptuoufly  habited, 
 often  taking  off  and  putting  on  the  BIfhop's  mitre, 
 who  fate  In  a  chaire  with  armes  pontifically,  was  ador'd 
 and  cens'd  by  three  Jefuits  In  their  copes ;  then  he 
 v/ent  to  the  altar,  and  made  divers  cringes,  then  cenfing 
 the  images,  and  glorious  tabernacle  plac'd  on  the  altar, 
 and  now  and  then  changing  place :  the  crozler,  which 
 was  of  filver,  was  put  into  his  hand,  with  a  world  of 
 myfterious  ceremony,  the  mufic  playing,  with  finglng. 
 I  could  not  have  believed  1  fiiould  ever  have  it^n 
 fuch  things  In  the  King  of  England's  Palace,  after  It 
 
234  ^^f^  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 had  pleafed  God  to  enlighten  this  nation  ;  but  our 
 great  fin  has,  for  the  prefent,  echps'd  the  bleffing, 
 which  I  hope  He  will  in  mercy  and  His  good  time 
 reftore  to  its  purity."  * 
 
 The  clergy  perceived  that  the  full  eftablifhment  of 
 Popery  was  the  determinate  objed  of  all  the  King's 
 meafures.  They  had  ever  been  firm  adherents  of  the 
 throne,  —  even  to  the  length  of  paffive  obedience  and 
 non-refiftance.  But  thefe  ceafed  to  be  a  duty,  when 
 the  very  exiftence  of  the  reformed  religion  was  at 
 ftake  :  to  compromife  that  were  a  betrayal  of  the  Faith 
 they  had  vowed  to  uphold.  They  were  under  a  higher 
 obligation  of  obedience  than  any  lay  authority  could 
 challenge,  and  bound  to  undergo  all  fufferings  rather 
 than  violate  their  folemn  truft.  It  was  clear  to  them 
 that  an  attempt  was  made  to  reftore  by  the  fecular 
 arm  a  Church,  which  had  overlaid  the  Apoftolic  Creed 
 with  novel  articles  of  belief.  They  prepared  them- 
 felves  therefore  to  a  courageous  defence,  refolved  to 
 ftand  or  fall  as  champions  of  primitive  truth. 
 
 In  the  foremoft  rank  was  the  Bifhop  of  Bath  and 
 Wells.  He  had  lately,  on  the  approach  of  Lent,  ad- 
 dreffed  a  Paftoral  Letter  to  his  clergy  concerning  their 
 behaviour  during  that  feafon,  which  he  fays  "  has 
 been  anciently  and  chriftianly  fet  apart  for  penitent 
 humiliation  of  foul  and  body,  for  fafting,  and  weeping 
 and  praying."  He  pleads  his  Epifcopal  authority, 
 unworthy  as  he  was,  for  calling  upon  them  to  mourn 
 for  their  fins,  and  the  fins  of  the  nation.  He  juftifies 
 himfelf  by  the  example  of  St.  Cyprian,  who  from  his 
 
 *  Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  634,  29th  December,  1686. 
 
1687]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         235 
 
 retirement  wrote  an  excellent  Epiftle  to  his  Clergy. 
 He  exhorts  them  to  prayer,   and  mortification,  and 
 deeds  of  charity,  to  deal  their  bread  to  the  hungry, 
 and  to  Protefhant  ftrangers,  now  fled  hither  for  fanc- 
 tuary.      He  animates   them   to   the   greateft   zeal   in 
 private  and  public  prayers,  morning  and  evening,  in 
 their  families,  and  in  Church  —  "  This  I  might  enjoin 
 you  to  doe  on  your  canonical  obedience,  but  for  love's 
 fake  I  rather  befeech  you.     Be  not  difcouraged,  if  but 
 few  come  to  the  *  folemn  afTemblies : '  but  go  to  the 
 ^  houfe  of  prayer,'  where  '  God  is  well  known  for  a 
 fure  refuge  ; '  go,  though  you  go  alone,  or  but  with 
 one   befides  yourfelf.     '  Teach  publickly,  and  from 
 houfe  to  houfe,  and  warn  every  one  night  and  day 
 with  tears '  to  repent,  to  fafl:,  and  to  pray,  and  to  give 
 alms ;  warn  them  to  continue  ftedfaft  in  that  *  faith, 
 once  delivered  to  the  Saints,'  In  which  they  were  bap- 
 tized ;  to  keep  the  word  of  God's  patience,  that  God 
 may  keep  them  in  the  hour  of  temptation."    He  fliows 
 from  the  example  of  David,  who  *  wept  whole  rivers,' 
 of  Daniel  and  Paul,  how  the  greateft  faints  have  been 
 the  greateft  mourners.     He  alludes  to  the  public  pro- 
 vocations, and  the  public  judgments;  and  ends  with 
 a  prayer  that  "  the  God  of  all  grace  may   eftablifli, 
 ftrengthen,  fettle  you  in  the  true  Catholick,  and  Apof- 
 tolick  Faith,  profefs'd  In  the  Church  of  England." 
 "  Your  affedlionate  friend  and  brother, 
 
 "Tho.  Bath  and  Wells."* 
 
 From  the  Palace  in  Wells, 
 February  17,  1687. 
 
 *   "  A  Paftoral  Letter  from  the  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells."    4to. 
 1688. 
 
236  L,ife  <?/*  Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 Employments  fuch  as  this  were  beft  fuited  to  his 
 gentle  nature  ;  and  he  would  fain  have  referved  all  his 
 powers  to  promote  the  welfare  of  his  diocefe.  But  the 
 interefts  of  the  Church  now  required  him  to  put  afide 
 the  more  private  duties  of  confolation  and  inftrudion, 
 that  he  might  publickly  vindicate  her  dodlrines,  though 
 it  fhould  be  in  oppofition  to  the  orders  of  the  Court 
 of  Commiflion,  and  within  hearing  of  its  judges. — 
 Being  appointed  to  preach  at  Whitehall  on  the  13th 
 of  March,  1687  (the  5th  Sunday  in  Lent),  he  came 
 to  London,  refolved  to  bear  his  teftimony  to  the  truth. 
 The  fermon  was  preached  '^  before  the  Princefs  of 
 Denmark,  *  and  a  great  crowd  of  people,  and  at  leaft 
 thirty  of  the  greateft  nobility,"  of  whom  perhaps  fome 
 talebearer  would  report  his  words  to  the  King. 
 
 His  text  was  taken  from  the  Gofpel  of  the  day,  St. 
 John  vii.  46.  "  Which  of  you  convincethMe  of  fin,  and 
 if  I  fay  the  truth,  why  do  ye  not  believe  Me  ? "  "  He 
 defcribed  through  his  whole  difcourfe  the  blafphemies, 
 perfidy,  wrefting  of  Scripture,  preference  of  tradition 
 before  it,  fpirit  of  perfecution,  fuperftition,  legends 
 and  fables  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharifees,  fo  that  all  the 
 auditory  underftood  his  meaning  of  a  parallel  between 
 them  and  the  Romiih  Priefts,  and  their  new  Trent 
 religion.  He  exhorted  his  audience  to  adhere  to  the 
 written  word,  and  to  perfevere  in  the  faith  taught  in 
 the  Church  of  England,  whofe  doctrine  for  Catholic  and 
 Joundnejs  he  preferred  to  all  the  Communities  and 
 Churches  of  Chrifiians  in  the  world;  concluding  with 
 a  kind  of  prophecy  that,  whatever  it  fufFered,  it  fhould 
 
 *  Afterwards  Queen  Ann  :    flie  had   married  George,  Prince  of 
 Denmark. 
 
1687]      BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         237 
 
 after  a  fliort  trial  emerge  to  the  confufion  of  her  ad- 
 verfaries,  and  the  glory  of  God."*  It  does  not  ap- 
 pear that  he  received  any  reprimand  for  this  boldnefs, 
 as  he  did  afterwards,  on  a  like  occafion.  Evelyn  fays 
 "  the  fermon  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  manifeft 
 difadvantage  of  the  Popifh  intereft." 
 
 The  following  Sunday,  20th  March,  1687,  being 
 that  next  before  Good  Friday,  he  preached  again  at 
 St.  Martin's  Church,  on  Chrift's  agony  in  the  garden  : 
 his  text  was  St.  Matt.  xxvi.  ^^ — 40.  "  Then  cometh 
 Jefus  with  them  to  a  place  called  Gethfemane,"  &c. 
 Here  was  a  fubjedl  to  abforb  all  feelings  into  a  con- 
 templation of  the  myfterious  fufferings  of  the  Son 
 of  God.  At  that  facred  feafon,  when  the  Church 
 commemorates  the  approach  of  the  death  He  was  to 
 die  for  all,  who  could  enter  into  political  or  theo- 
 logical controverfy  ?  '^  The  crowd  of  people  was  not  to 
 he  exprejjedy  nor  the  wonderful  eloquence  of  this  admira- 
 ble preacher^  defcribing  the  bitternefs  of  our  blefled 
 Saviour's  agony,  the  ardour  of  His  love,  the  infinite 
 obligations  we  have  to  imitate  His  patience  and  refig- 
 nation,  the  means  by  watching  againft  temptations  and 
 over  ourfelves,  with  fervent  prayer  to  attain  it,  and 
 the  exceeding  reward  in  the  end.  Upon  all  which  he 
 made  moft  pathetical  difcourfes."  f 
 
 We  cannot  be  furprized  that  one  fo  high  in  ftation, 
 fo  eloquent  and  undaunted,  fhould  draw  crowds  of 
 people  to  hear  him  during  the  prevailing  excitement. 
 But  he  has  deeper  and  more  lafting  claims  to  the  con- 
 fidence of  the  Church  in  all  times.  It  was  not  merely 
 the  force  of  his  oratory,  his  noble  images,  and  moving 
 
 *  Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  637.  f  Ibid.  p.  638. 
 
238  Life  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 exhortations,  that  gathered  all  clafTes  round  him :  not 
 the  copioufnefs  of  his  invention,  nor  the  purity  of  his 
 language,  as  he  fet  before  them  the  promifes  and  threat- 
 enings  of  the  Gofpel.  Thefe  and  other  powers  had 
 gained  him,  even  from  King  James,  the  character  of 
 being  the  moft  eloquent  preacher  among  the  Pro- 
 teftants  :  but  there  was  much  beyond  thefe  qualities 
 in  all  he  faid.  The  fecret  of  his  perfuafivenefs  lay  in 
 the  fublime  myfterious  truths,  inculcated  in  every  dif- 
 courfe.  With  a  paternal  love  he  drew  men  to  defire 
 the  company  of  angels,  and  the  unclouded  happinefs 
 of  the  eternal  Kingdom.  Whilft  he  expreffed  a  deep 
 and  tender  concern  for  the  fpiritual  advancement  of 
 the  Church,  vindicating  the  truth  of  her  dodlrines,  and 
 exhorting  all  men  to  a  holy  constancy  in  her  defence, 
 he  reminded  them  that  the  Church  is  only  glorious, 
 becaufe  fhe  is  the  ordained  inftrument  for  drawing 
 men  to  Him  who  was  lifted  up  for  their  falvation. 
 
 On  thefe  occafional  vifits  to  London,  he  was  the 
 gueft  of  the  Bifhop  of  Ely,  who  had  his  palace  near 
 Holborn,  and  we  find  that  he  ufed  to  afTift  at  the 
 fervices  in  the  Bifhop's  Chapel.  It  was  about  this 
 time  that  the  Princefs  Ann  wrote  a  letter  to  Dr. 
 Turner  to  keep  her  a  place,  that  fhe  might  liften  to 
 him.  "  I  hear  the  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells  expounds 
 this  afternoon  in  your  Chapel,  and  I  have  a  great 
 mind  to  hear  him  ;  therefore  I  defire  you  would  do 
 me  the  favour  to  let  fome  place  be  kept  for  me, 
 where  I  may  hear  well,  and  be  the  leafl:  taken  notice 
 of:  for  I  will  bring  but  one  body  with  me,  and  defire 
 I  may  not  be  known.  I  finould  not  have  given  you 
 the  trouble,  but  that  I  was  afraid  if  I  fent  any  body. 
 
1687]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        239 
 
 they  might  have  made  fome  miftake.  Pray  let  me 
 know  what  time  it  begins  ?  "  *  We  may  well  believe 
 how  the  Chapel  was  crowded,  when  it  was  neceffary 
 for  the  Princefs  to  have  a  place  referved  for  her,  that 
 fhe  might  hear  the  eloquent  author  of  the  Expofition 
 of  the  Catechifm. 
 
 Urged  on  by  a  blind  and  fatal  confidence,  James  now 
 ventured  on  the  great  meafure  by  which  he  hoped  to 
 accomplish  all  his  ends;  —  the  fufpenfion  of  the  Teft, 
 and  other  penal  laws  againft  Romanifts  and  Diflenters. 
 Whatever  may  be  our  opinion  of  the  injuftice  of  fuch 
 laws,  it  is  obvious  that,  having  been  enadted  by  Parlia- 
 ment, the  King's  claim  to  fufpend  them  by  his  mere 
 authority  was  illegal.  This  had  been  fully  eftablifhed 
 in  the  reign  of  Charles  II,  who  had  made  a  Declaration 
 of  Indulgence  in  1672  :  but  on  the  remonftrance  of 
 both  Floufes  of  Parliament  cancelled  it,  tore  off  the  feal 
 himfelf,  and  acquainted  the  Houfes  that  he  had  done 
 fo,  with  this  further  affurance,  which  was  entered  upon 
 record  in  the  Journals  of  the  Lords,  "  that  it  fhould 
 never  be  drawn  into  example  or  confequence."f 
 
 James,  however,  would  be  reftrained  by  no  law  but 
 his  own  will.  Having  carried  his  point  in  Scotland 
 and  Ireland,  he  publifhed,  on  the  4th  of  April  1687,:}: 
 a  general  Declaration  of  liberty  of  confcience  to  all  his 
 fubjeds,  proclaiming  it  to  be  his  "  Royal  will  and  plea- 
 fure,  that  the  Oaths  of  fupremacy  and  allegiance,  and 
 alfo  the  feveral  tefts  and  declarations,  mentioned  in  the 
 
 *  Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  208. 
 
 t  Kennett's  Hift.  Vol.  iii.  p.  487.      8th  Nov,  1673. 
 
 X   London  Gazette  of  this  date. 
 
240  Life  (j/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 Ads  of  Parliament  in  the  25th  and  30th  years  of  the 
 reign  of  his  late  Royal  Brother,  fhould  not  at  any  time 
 be  required  to  be  taken  by  any  perfon,  employed  in  any 
 office  of  truft,  either  civil  or  military."  This  Declara- 
 tion, although  it  included  the  various  feds  of  Proteftant 
 Diflenters,  proceeded  from  no  fympathy  towards  them  : 
 it  was  an  endeavour  to  cloak  his  great  projed  of  intro- 
 ducing Romanifts  to  all  offices  of  truft,  under  cover  of 
 a  general  toleration. 
 
 But  the  DifTenters  received  it  as  a  princely  ad  of  cle- 
 mency :  fulfome  addreftes  poured  in  from  all  denomi- 
 nations ;  no  language  could  be  too  ftrong  to  exprefs 
 their  admiration  of  the  moft  enlightened  and  generous 
 of  Kings,  who  had  removed  all  reftraint  from  the  con- 
 fciences  of  his  people.  Their  triumph  was  exuberant ; 
 and  not  the  lefs  becaufe  they  thought  this  ad  of  tolera- 
 tion ftruck  at  the  afcendancy  of  the  Church.  James 
 feemed  to  enjoy  a  momentary  fuccefs  in  fomenting  the 
 fpirit  of  jealoufy  between  them.  He  hoped  to  make 
 their  difunion  a  ftepping  ftone  to  the  eftablifhment  of 
 his  own  creed.  The  Diflenters  were  ready  to  fall  into 
 the  fnare,  forgetting  that,  if  Popery  were  once  fet  up 
 on  the  ruins  of  the  Church  of  England,  they  themfelves 
 would  afterwards  be  an  eafy  prey.  But  the  artifice  did 
 not  long  efcape  detedion.  They  foon  perceived  that 
 this  fudden  toleration  was  but  a  pretence.  They  called 
 to  mind  the  long  period  of  their  flights  and  difabilities 
 at  the  inftigation  of  James,  and  how  he  had  always 
 teftified  his  repugnance  to  their  principles.  To  them 
 he  had  conftantly  afcribed  his  father's  death.  They 
 remembered  alfo  how  marked  a  preference  he  had  al- 
 ways fliown  to  the  members  of  the  Church,  praiflng 
 
1687]      Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         241 
 
 them  as  good  and  loyal  fubjedls,  faithfully  attached  to 
 the  monarchy.  They  could  not  but  refled:  that  a  Ro- 
 man Catholic  prince  muft  needs  labour  to  extirpate  the 
 tenets,  which  he  pronounced  to  be  heretical  ;  and  that 
 they  would  be  the  firft  to  feel  the  confequences  of  his 
 fuccefs.  The  Church  party  likewife  clearly  faw  that 
 the  King,  difappointed  of  their  expected  fupport,  wifhed 
 to  undermine  their  influence  by  pretending  a  liberality 
 wholly  foreign  to  his  nature.  Thefe  convi6lions  feemed 
 likely  to  foften  the  jealoufies  of  both,  and  might  have 
 led  to  more  charitable  fentiments  towards  each  other. 
 But  events  crowded  on  fo  fafl;  they  had  fcarcely  time 
 to  do  more  than  indicate  a  difpofition  to  mutual  for- 
 bearance, and  a  united  refiftance  to  the  eftablifliment  of 
 Romanifm.  The  whole  brunt  of  the  contefl  fell  on 
 the  Church,  and  nobly  did  fhe  fuftain  it. 
 
 The  King,  when  it  was  too  late,  perceived  that  he 
 had  overaded  his  part :  he  fays  "  he  had  much  height- 
 ened the  general  difaffecflion  by  the  great  countenance 
 he  fhowed  to  many  noted  Prefbyterians,  who  were  in 
 outward  fhow  grateful  for  their  prefent  eafe  ;  and  as  it 
 is  natural  for  a  Prince  to  be  pleas'd  with  thofe  who  are 
 pleas'd  with  him,  fo  they  were  well  looked  upon  at 
 Court,  and  their  counfel  made  ufe  of  in  the  manage- 
 ment of  feveral  private  affairs,  as  the  regulating  Cor- 
 porations, and  the  like  :  but  this  was  the  fequel  of  that 
 train,  which  his  treacherous  counfellors  had  traced  out 
 for  him,  to  fet  thofe  againft  him,  who  might  otherwife 
 have  been  his  friends,  and  to  court  thofe  who,  they  were 
 fure,  never  would."* 
 
 *  "  Memoirs  writ  of  his  own  hand."    Clarke,  Vol.  ii.  p.  165. 
 
 R 
 
242  hife  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 CHAPTER  XVII. 
 
 KerCs  Sermon  in  the  Abbey  Church  of  Bath — The  King  touches 
 for  the  Evil  in  the  Abbey  —  Ken  s  condiiSl  on  the  occafion  — 
 His  letters  to  Archbijhop  Bancroft. 
 
 fHE   Biihop,   having   preached   his   Lent 
 si"  Sermon  at  Whitehall,  returned  as  ufual 
 
 to  his  Diocefe  :  we  find  him  on  the  fol- 
 lowing Afcenfion  day  (5th  May,  1687) 
 in  the  Abbey  Church  of  Bath,  where  he  preached 
 on  Pfalm  xlvii.  5.  "  God  is  gone  up  with  a  fhout, 
 the  Lord  with  the  found  of  a  trumpet."  The  Sermon 
 itfelf  is  not  extant :  but  we  gather  fome  of  its  principal 
 points  from  a  fcarce  trad:,  publifhed  at  the  time  by  an 
 Irifh  Jefuit.  The  author  had  been  induced  by  fome 
 high  praifes  of  the  Bifhop's  eloquence  to  attend,  for 
 the  firft  time  in  his  life,  the  fervice  of  the  Reformed 
 Church,  being  "  no  lefs  curious  than  defirous  to  hear 
 him." 
 
 The  tra(5t  is  entitled,  "  Animadversions,  by  way 
 of  anfwer  to  a  Sermon,  preached  by  Dr.  Thomas 
 Kenne,  Lord  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  in  the  Ca- 
 thedral Church  of  Bath,  on  Afcention-day  laft,  being 
 the  5th  of  May,  1687  :  "  It  is  dedicated  to  the  King, 
 and  publifhed  "  with  allowance. "  It  begins,  "  I  was 
 honoured.  My  Lord,  with  being  one  of  your  Auditors 
 laft  Afcention-day,  in  the  afternoon,  at  the  cathedral 
 church  of  Bath.     Your   Lordfhip   does   not,  I  own, 
 
1687]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         243 
 
 want  the  parts  of  an  Orator,  and  of  an  Evangelical 
 one  too,  had  you  but  fuck'd  your  do6lrIne  (as  St. 
 John  hath  done)  '■  dejacro  'Dominici  peel  oris  font  e^'  that 
 is  to  fay  within  the  Bofom  of  his  only  true  Spoufe  on 
 Earth,  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  Mother  and  Miftrefs 
 of  all  vifible  churches." 
 
 The  writer  "  was  much  aftonifhed  at  the  odd  fight 
 of  a  preacher  beginning  a  Sermon  without  making  the 
 fign  of  the  crofs."  He  informs  us  that  the  Bifhop 
 "  was  a  full  hour  and  a  half  in  chair."  "  I  took  no- 
 tice that  your  Lordfhip  gave  a  fling  at  the  Pope's 
 Supremacy,  to  which  you  fhow'd  all  averfion  imagina- 
 ble, and  that  becaufe  he  is  calfd  Supream  Spiritual 
 Head  of  Chrifl's  Church  on  Earth.  We  call  His 
 Holinefs,  it  is  true,  Supream  Spiritual  and  Vifible  Head, 
 Vicar  of  Jefus  Chrift,  and  fuccefibr  to  St.  Peter,  the 
 firft  vifible  Head  our  Saviour  hath  ordained  in  his 
 Church.  I  remember  you  faid  that  Jefus  Chrifl:  was, 
 and  is,  the  only  Spiritual  Head  of  His  Church.  You 
 mufi;  needs  know  I  admir'd  *  much  your  vehemency 
 in  protefl:ing  againft  that  Church,  which  allows  of  any 
 Vifible  Spiritual  Head :  you  flew  to  fuch  eagernefs  of 
 contradidion  againfl:  this  Spiritual  Supremacy,  that  I 
 thought  you  had  fome  folid  authority  to  difprove  the 
 pretended  abufe,  till  at  lafl:  I  found  you  had  no  fuch 
 proof  in  nature." — 
 
 "  Let  us  now  come  to  the  controverfie  of  the  lafl: 
 part,  which  was  with  much  vehemency  againft  the 
 Real  Prefence.  I  did  no  fooner  hear  your  folemn 
 proteftation  againft  this  Holy  Sacrament,  than  imme- 
 
 *  i.  e.  was  much  aftonifhed  at. 
 
244  Ltfe  of  Thom2is  Ktn,         [1687 
 
 diately  I  fuppofed  you  were  an  abjurator,  ready  to 
 fwear  point  blank  that  Chrift's  moft  facred  Humanity 
 is  not  really  and  fubftantially  on  our  altars  in  virtue  of 
 the  facramental  words  :  for  I  faw  you  exhorted  with 
 paflion  your  People  '  not  to  be  tottered  by  every  blaft 
 of  wind,  that  fhall  fay  Chrifl  is  on  this  altar,  or  Chrift 
 is  on  that  altar,  for  Chrift  is  actually  in  Heaven,  and 
 fhall  continue  there  till  He  comes  to  judge  at  the  end 
 of  the  world.'  In  fine,  I  remember  your  Lordfhip 
 protefted  mightily  againft  Roman  Catholics  for  coining 
 and  forgeing  new  Articles  of  Faith,  as  well  in  relation 
 to  Tranfubftantiation,  as  the  Spiritual  Supremacy,  &c.* 
 This  is  the  fubftance,  my  Lord,  of  all  the  controvertible 
 points  I  took  notice  of  in  your  laft  Afcention  Sermon." 
 
 On  the  fubjedl  of  the  Real  Prefence,  he  fancies  that 
 he  has  made  a  difcovery  of  the  Bifhop's  contradiding 
 his  previous  writings.  "  You  are  not  conftant  to 
 yourfelf :  for  now  you  receive  Chrift's  Flefh  and  Blood 
 virtually,  now  figuratively,  another  time  fpiritually  by 
 Faith,  and  in  the  Expofition  of  your  Catechifm  you 
 contradidl  all.  Your  words,  my  Lord,  are  Catholick 
 enough  on  paper,  but  quite  contrary  to  what  you  teach 
 in  the  Pulpit ;  for  there  you  fay  that  the  Body  and 
 Blood  of  Chrift  is  verily  and  indeed  taken  by  the 
 Faithful,  and  here  you  fay  not  at  all  :  fometimes  one 
 way,  and  fometimes  another,  fpiritually  to-day  by  Faith 
 only,  and  virtually  to-morrow,  and  in  your  Catechifm 
 you  write  '  indeed  and  verily.' " 
 
 The  Jefuit  makes  another  fancied  difcovery,  and 
 therein  pays  a  tribute  to  the  Biftiop's  holy  life  at  the 
 expenfe  of  his  candour  :  "  unlefs  I  be  much  miftaken, 
 that  day's  controverfie  was  in  order  to  take  away  all 
 
1687]      Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         245 
 
 fufpicion  of  your  being  Roman  Catholickly  inclined : 
 for  your  Lordfhip  living  (as  Seneca  Ccdth.)  Jine  impedi- 
 mentOy  that  is  to  fay,  without  a  wife,  and  having  the 
 reputation  of  one  that  lives  morally  well,  which  is 
 enough  for  the  Rabble*  to  fay  you  arePopifhly  afFedbed, 
 you  undertook  that  day's  work  to  take  away  the  fcan- 
 dal,  which  had  no  other  ground  than  your  good  works  : 
 thank  then,  my  Lord,  your  own  Church  for  this  abufe, 
 which  proceeds  from  that  unhappy  Merit-killing  doc- 
 trine, which  drives  out  of  your  fchools  all  good  Worksj 
 and  meritorious  adlions." 
 
 It  appears  the  Jefuit  could  not  refift  his  curiofity  to 
 hear  once  more  the  eloquent  Bifhop  j  for  he  went  the 
 next  Friday  to  hear  him  preach  again  ;  he  beftows 
 only  a  fhort  notice  of  reprobation  on  that  fermon : 
 "  To  this  purpofe  (of  meritorious  adions)  I  remember 
 the  Friday  following  your  Lordfhip  ufed  all  the  means 
 in  your  Inftrudlion  of  Faith  to  perfuade  your  auditors 
 that  Abraham's  juftification  was  for  his  faith,  and  not 
 for  his  good  works  :  all  your  proof  was,  becaufe  Abra- 
 ham believed  before  he  was  circumcifed,"  &c.  "  I 
 think  I  cannot  deal  fairer  with  your  Lordfhip  than  re~ 
 mit  you  to  the  weftern  window  of  that  cathedral, 
 wherein  I  heard  you  preach,  and  there  you  will  find  in 
 capital  letters  your  own  judgment,  f  drawn  out  of  the 
 2nd  chapter  of  St.  James  v.  26.  *  For  as  the  body 
 without  the  fpirit  is  dead,  fb  Faith  without  good  Works 
 is  Dead  alfo.' " 
 
 *  Wood  fays  of  this  tradl,  "  never  was  fo  much  ignorance  and 
 impudence  in  fo  fmall  a  Pamphlet  expreffed,  as  the  true  fons  of  the 
 Church  of  England  ufually  faid."  f  i.  e.  refutation. 
 
246  Life  of  Thomsis  Ken,  [1687 
 
 It  is  difficult  to  fay  who  was  the  author  of  this 
 Trad.  He  publifhed  only  his  initials  F.  I.  R.,  defig- 
 nating  himfelf  "  a  moft  loyal  Irifh  fubjed,  of  the 
 Company  of  Jefuits."  No  doubt  he  was  an  attendant 
 of  the  Queen,  who  was  at  this  time  drinking  the  Bath 
 waters.  He  could  not  perform  a  more  dutiful  fervice 
 to  royalty  than  to  attack  fo  eminent  a  Bifhop  in  his 
 paftoral  chair  :  he  "  confecrates  himfelf,  and  this  little 
 paper,  together  with  all  the  faculties  of  his  foul  and 
 body,  to  His  moft  facred  Majefty's  fpiritual  and  tem- 
 poral fervice ;  "  and  prays  that  "  your  Majefty  and 
 your  Royal  Confort  may  be  fettled  on  a  Throne  of 
 Glory  in  Heaven,  after  living  a  full  century  of  years 
 in  all  profperity  on  earth,  to  the  perfedl  converfion  of 
 all  your  fubje6ts." 
 
 We  ftiall  fee  how  effedlually  James  thwarted  the 
 latter  part  of  this  good  wifh.  His  objed  now  was  to 
 perfuade  the  Parliament  to  confirm  by  ftatute  his  De- 
 claration of  Indulgence.  But  the  Members  remained 
 ftedfaft  :  he  mifcalculated  the  Englifh  charadler  in 
 fuppofing  that  they  would  barter  their  deareft  rights 
 for  the  empty  condefcenfions  of  the  royal  interviews, 
 which  ferved  rather  to  confirm  their  fenfe  of  the  public 
 danger,  than  to  win  their  concurrence.  If  the  only 
 high  way  to  his  favour  lay  through  Rome,  they  were 
 not  prepared  for  fuch  a  journey.  "  Moft  of  the  Par- 
 liament men  were  fpoken  to  in  His  Mj'y'^  clofet,  and 
 fuch  as  refufed,  if  in  any  place  or  office  of  truft,  civil 
 or  military,  were  put  out  of  their  employments.  This 
 was  a  time  of  great  trial,  but  hardly  one  of  them  af- 
 fented,  which  put  the  Popifh  intereft  much  backward."* 
 
 Evelyn's  Diary,  vol.  i.  p.  636. 
 
1687]      Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        247 
 
 The  King,  in  his  Memoirs,  fays,  "  the  generality  of 
 the  gentry  were  fo  byaced  againft  the  Declaration  of 
 Indulgence,  that  when  His  Majefty  thought  fit  to  afk 
 many  perfons  of  diftinftion  to  make  their  refolutions 
 therein,  he  found  a  much  greater  reludancy  than  could 
 well  have  been  imagined  ;  and  indeed  that  method 
 was  no  ways  relifh'd  by  the  people."* 
 
 The  King  therefore  diflblved  the  Parliament,  and 
 iffued  writs  for  a  new  eledlion.     He  then  fet  out  on  a 
 ftate  progrefs  through  the  Weftern  Counties,  in  hopes 
 that  the  royal  prefence  might  further  his  grand  projedt 
 of  a  new  and  more  compliant  Parliament.     Before  this, 
 however,  he  prepared  a  fplendid  pageant  for  the  edifica- 
 tion of  the  people.    The  Pope  was  no  friend  to  James's 
 chief  counfellors,  the  Jefuits,  and  had  great  mifgiving  of 
 their  manoevres  in  driving  on  to  a  hafty  crifis :  but  he 
 could  not  refift  the  invitation  to  appoint  a  nuncio  from 
 the  Holy  See.     He  hoped  perhaps  that  the  influence 
 of  this  recognized  Ambaflador  might  reftrain  the  reck- 
 lefs  zeal  of  the  King.    It  was  contrived  that  the  nuncio 
 fhould  be  publickly  received  at  Windfor  the  day  after 
 the  Diflblution  of  Parliament.     "  To  fill  up  the  cha- 
 radler  of  Nuncio  v/ith  more  pomp  and  luftre,  he  had 
 been  confecrated  Archbifhop  of  Amafia  in  the  royal 
 chapel   at  Whitehall,  f  by  the  Vicar  Apoftolical   in 
 England,   affifted  by  two  other  Roman  Catholic  Bi- 
 fhops.     He  was  now  to  make  his  public  entry  as  a 
 foreign   minifter,   and  the   government  itfelf  was   to 
 glory  in  the  account  of  it. 
 
 "  The  3rd  of  July,  Monfieur  Ferdinand  d'Adda, 
 
 *  Clarke's  Life  of  James  II.,  vol.  ii.  p.  143. 
 f   Ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.   116. 
 
248  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 Archbifhop  of  Amafia,  Domeftic  Prelate  and  afliftant 
 to  His  Holinefs  the  Pope,  and  Apoftolic  Nuncio,  had 
 public  audience  of  their  Majefties  at  Windfor,  being 
 conduced  by  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Grafton,  and  Sir 
 Charles  Cotterell,  one  of  the  Mafters  of  the  Ceremo- 
 nies, in  one  of  His  Majefty's  Coaches  with  all  the 
 honours  and  ceremonies  ufually  obferved  on  the  like 
 occafions,"  &c.  *  No  fuch  fight  having  been  feen  in 
 England,  for  about  an  hundred  and  fifty  years  before, 
 the  concourfe  of  people  on  this  occafion  was  without 
 example  :  yet  their  furprize  at  the  pomp  and  magnifi- 
 cence of  the  folemnity  was  furpafied  by  their  indigna- 
 tion to  behold  a  Reprefentative  of  the  Pope  in  all  his 
 Pontificals  preceded  by  a  Crofs-bearer,  and  attended 
 by  a  flock  of  priefts  and  monks  in  the  habits  of  their 
 refpeflive  orders. 'f" 
 
 All  now  proceeded  glorioufly  for  the  caufe  in  hand, 
 as  the  Jefuits  fuppofed.  The  King  fet  forward  on  his 
 progrefs,  accompanied  by  his  court,  his  Roman  Catho- 
 lic chaplains.  Father  Petre,  and  William  Penn  the 
 Quaker, — a  ftrange  yoking  of  motley  creeds.  Who 
 could  doubt  the  liberal  fentiments  of  the  royal  mind, 
 when  fuch  oppofite  profeflbrs  were  taken  into  favour  ? 
 And  that  he  might  render  himfelf  more  popular,  he 
 refolved  to  exercife  the  gift  of  touching  for  the  Evil. 
 
 It  is  furprifing  to  look  back,  and  fee  how  credulous 
 all  clafles  were  in  the  efficacy  of  this  princely  preroga- 
 tive. From  St.  Edward,  the  Confefibr,  to  the  licen- 
 tious Charles,  the  undlion  of  the  Royal  hand  was 
 fuppofed  to  convey   the  power  of  healing  the  moft 
 
 *   London  Gazette.  f  Rapin,  vol.  ii.  p.  760. 
 
1687]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  J^ells.       249 
 
 loathfome  ftrumous  difeafes :  the  lame  and  the  bhnd, 
 the  impotent  and  the  idiot  went  forth  from  the  King's 
 prefence  reftored  by  his  facred  touch.  We  have  it  on 
 record  from  one  of  "  His  Majefty's  Chirurgeons  in 
 Ordinary  "  in  a  marvellous  book,  (with  a  no  lefs  mar- 
 vellous title,*  containing  a  whole  alphabet,)  that  Charles 
 the  Second  touched  above  ninety  two  thoufand  perfons 
 for  the  Evil,  in  the  courfe  of  his  reign :  the  work  in 
 fadt  "  carried  more  of  Divinity  than  Majefty  in  it ; 
 the  art  of  phyfic  was  nonplus'd,  and  Chirurgery  tied 
 up ;  all  chirurgeons  whatfoever  muft  truckle  to  the 
 balfamic  power ;  more  fouls  have  been  healed  by  His 
 Majefty's  facred  hand  in  one  year,  than  have  been 
 cured  by  all  the  phyficians  and  chirurgeons  of  his 
 Three  Kingdoms  fince  his  happy  Reftauration  !  "  -j- 
 
 And  yet,  incredible  as  this  may  at  firft  feem,  it  is 
 capable  of  a  fatisfadtory  folution  :  for  this  touching  for 
 the  evil  was  attended  by  all  the  pomp  of  circumftance, 
 and  made  pre-eminently  infallible  by  each  of  the  fick 
 being  prefented  with  a  gold  medal,  ftrung  upon  a  white 
 filk  ribbon,  and  put  about  his  neck  by  the  princely 
 hand.  If  phyficians  now-a-days,  inftead  of  receiving, 
 were  to  pay  a  golden  fee  to  their  patients,  what  crowds 
 of  hypocondriacs  would  befet  their  doors  ! 
 
 *  Adenochoiradelogia  ;  or  An  Anatomick-Chirurgical  Treatife 
 of  Glandules  and  Strumaes,  or  Jl^itte0:=(IEl3iI=g)toclling0,  Together  with 
 the  Royal  Gift  of  Healing,  or  Cure  thereof  by  Contaft  or  Impofition 
 of  Hands,  performed  for  above  640  years  by  our  Kings  of  England, 
 Continued  with  their  admirable  effeds,  and  Miraculous  Events ;  and 
 concluded  with  many  wonderful  examples  of  Cures  by  their  Sacred 
 Touch.     By  John  Browne,  &c.  &c.  8vo.  1684. 
 
 t  Ibid.  Third  Book,  p.  81. 
 
250  L<tfe  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 Such  was  the  loyal  defire  of  the  people  to  behold 
 their  Sovereign's  perfon,  and  to  receive  the  "  falutife- 
 rous  faculty  "  of  the  royal  touch,  and  alfo  to  touch  the 
 gold  of  his  exchequer,  that  it  was  often  found  indif- 
 penfable  to  their  perfedl  cure  to  undergo  the  pleafing 
 ceremony  a  fecond  time.  Strange  to  fay,  many  igno- 
 rant people  made  the  miftake  of  "  looking  more  after 
 the  gold  than  the  cure :  " — nay  there  was  another  fort 
 fo  like  "  fnakes  in  the  grafs,  that,  making  it  their  ftudy 
 to  cheat  the  king  of  his  gold,  and  having  been  touched 
 and  received  the  gold,  they  were  ready  to  fell  and  part 
 with  it ;  and  were  not  this  true,  and  very  commonly 
 put  in  pradlice,  his  majefty's  touching  medals  would 
 not  be  fo  frequently  feen  in  goldfmiths'  fliops."* 
 
 When  the  King  intended  to  exercife  the  fanative 
 powers  inherent  in  him,  public  notice  was  given  of  the 
 time,  which  was  generally  on  a  Sunday  after  morning 
 prayer  :  the  phyficians  and  furgeons  in  ordinary  exa- 
 mined the  candidates,  and  delivered  out  certificates  of 
 their  being  fit  objeds  for  healing.  At  the  time  ap- 
 pointed, the  King  "  being  feated  in  his  royal  chair,  fur- 
 rounded  by  his  nobles,  and  many  fpedators,  the  chief 
 yeoman  of  the  guard  placed  the  fick  people  in  a  con- 
 venient order  to  avoid  noife  and  confufion ; — one  of 
 the  chaplains  now  read  part  of  the  Gofpels,  after  which 
 the  chief  furgeon  making  three  obeifances  brought 
 each  perfon  to  the  king  to  be  touched  ;  then  the  Clerk 
 of  the  Clofet,  on  his  knees,  delivered  to  the  King  the 
 gold  medals,  ready  ftrung  on  the  white  filk  ribbon, 
 which  the  King  would  put  round  the  neck  of  the  pa- 
 
 *  Ibid.  Third  Part,  p.  92. 
 
1687]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         251 
 
 tients.  After  this,  a  further  part  of  the  chapter  of  St. 
 John,  with  fome  refponfes  and  prayers,  were  read  by 
 the  chaplain,  concluding  with  the  "  Grace  of  our 
 Lord."  *  This  being  finifhed,  the  Lord  Chamberlain 
 and  two  other  nobles  prefented  the  King  with  linen, 
 and  the  bafon  and  ewer,  to  wafh  his  hands :  and  fo  he 
 took  leave  of  the  people,  and  they  "joyfully  and  thank- 
 fully returned  home,  praifing  God  and  their  good  King. 
 Many  of  which,  as  if  amazed  at  the  fpeedy  farewell  of 
 their  difeafes,  have  immediately  been  cured  to  admi- 
 ration, even  in  the  prefence,  before  they  have  got  out 
 of  the  Banquetting  Houfe  at  Whitehall."  This  was 
 the  ufual  place  of  the  ceremony,  when  performed  in 
 London  :  fometimes  it  was  at  Windfor ;  often  in  the 
 town  hall  or  other  public  building,  even  in  the  church, 
 of  the  place  where  the  King  might  be. 
 
 The  Royal  Gift  had  become  a  ufeful  engine  of  ftate 
 for  ftrengthening  the  people's  attachment  and  venera- 
 tion for  the  perfon  of  the  King.  He  appeared,  on 
 thofe  occafions,  like  "  the  riling  fun  over  his  people 
 diffufing  his  healing  rays."  Neither  the  facred  touch, 
 however,  nor  the  royal  gold,  appear  to  have  had  any 
 real  influence  in  mitigating  the  various  frightful  fymp- 
 toms  of  the  diforder  —  glandula,  nodus,  lippitudo, 
 bronchocheli,  atheroma,  fteatoma,  &c.  For  "  although 
 there  hath  been  fcarce  a  city  or  town,  or  fcarce  a  ftreet 
 in  this  populous  city,  that  hath  not  found  the  benefit  of 
 his  majefty's  hand  :  yet,  as  if  this  difeafe  did  get  a  new 
 birth  by  converfation,  it  meets  the  King  wherever  he 
 goes,  with  as  much  vigour  and  plenty  as  if  the  work 
 
 *  Ibid.  Third  Part,  p.  98. 
 
252  Life  (j/*  Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 were  now  to  begin.  And  as  a  very  ftrange  mark 
 hereof,  although  I  do  beheve  near  half  the  nation  hath 
 been  touched  and  healed  by  his  facred  Majefty  fmee 
 his  happy  reftauration,  yet  upon  any  new  appearance  of 
 a  frefh  healing,  they  are  feen  to  come  in  afrefh  and  as 
 faft  as  if  not  one  had  been  touched  by  him :  a  thing  as 
 ftrange  as  monftrous !  Indeed  fome  having  received 
 his  Majefty's  gracious  touch,  and  lofing  their  gold, 
 their  diftemper  has  de  novo  feized  them  again ;  and 
 thefe  alfo,  upon  gaining  a  fecond  touch,  and  new  gold\ 
 their  difeafes  have  been  i^tw  utterly  to  have  been  chafed 
 away,  and  they  themfelves  perfe6tly  cured."* 
 
 James,  in  his  progrefs  to  the  weft,  reached  Bath  to- 
 wards the  end  of  Auguft :  notice  was  given  that  he 
 would  touch  for  the  evil  in  the  Abbey  after  morning 
 prayer.  He  found  no  lack  of  candidates  for  the  pri- 
 vilege of  the  royal  gift.  That  all  who  approached 
 might  receive  their  cure  through  faith  in  the  BlefTed 
 Virgin's  interceflion,  a  new  form  of  Prayers  for  the 
 healing,  which  had  been  previoufly  publiftied  by  au- 
 thority, was  here  ufed.  The  Biftiop  was  at  Wells  : 
 hearing  of  what  was  going  forward,  he  was  in  doubt 
 what  courfe  he  ought  to  take.  He  found  himfelf  un- 
 expededly  placed  in  a  novel  fituation.  The  ad  of  the 
 King  in  touching  for  the  Evil, — the  ufe  of  a  popifti 
 office  of  prayer,  and  the  great  noife  and  confufion  of  a 
 concourfe  of  people,  violated  the  fanftity  of  the  Church. 
 Yet  it  was  quite  beyond  his  power  to  ftop  the  proceed- 
 ing,— the  very  attempt  would  have  created  an  uproar  : 
 he  chofe  therefore  to  yield  to  the  neceffity  of  the  mo^ 
 
 *  Ibid.  Third  Part,  pp.  105-6. 
 
1687]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         253 
 
 ment,  rather  than  hazard  a  greater  confufion  in  fo  fa- 
 cred  a  place. 
 
 But  for  fear  the  ufe  of  a  Roman  ritual  In  the  Abbey 
 fhould  be  mifunderftood,  or  the  opening  the  church 
 doors  for  any  other  offices  than  thofe  of  the  Church  of 
 England  be  drawn  into  precedent,  he  preached  a  fer- 
 mon,  the  following  Sunday,  to  explain  that  the  objedl 
 of  the  fervice,  being  one  of  charity,  might  qualify  the 
 otherwife  unfeemly  a6t.  It  is  probable  this  was  the 
 fermon  which  is  referred  to  in  the  traditionary  anecdote, 
 mentioned  by  Warner.  He  fays,  "  King  James  vifited 
 Bath  in  1687,  accompanied  alfo  by  Huddleftone,  his 
 confefTor.  After  decorating  the  altar  of  the  Abbey 
 Church,  Huddleftone  is  faid  to  have  denounced  the 
 heretics,  and  exhorted  them  to  an  immediate  change 
 of  their  errors.  Ken  was  prefent,  and  when  Huddle- 
 ftone concluded  mounted  the  pulpit,  and  expofed  his 
 fallacies  in  a  ftrain  of  fuch  impreffive  eloquence,  as 
 aftonifhed  and  delighted  his  congregation,  and  con- 
 founded Huddleftone,  and  the  royal  bigot."*  Mr. 
 Markland  f  reafonably  queftions  the  very  improbable 
 fad;  of  Ken  being  prefent.  Indeed  it  was  next  to  im- 
 poffible  that  the  Jefuit  ftiould  ever  have  preached  in 
 the  Abbey  at  all,  though  he  might  have  helped  to  deck 
 the  altar  on  the  occafion  of  touching  for  the  evil.  There 
 is  another  tradition  that  the  Biftiop's  voice  was  deep 
 and  fonorous,  and  could  be  dlftindlly  heard  throughout 
 the  Abbey.  This  receives  fome  confirmation  from 
 Perkins,  the  Poet  Laureat,  who  among  other  enco- 
 
 *  Warner's  Hift.  of  Bath,  p.  257. 
 
 t  Markland's  Life  of  Ken,  2nd  Edit.  p.  78. 
 
254  ^5^  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1687 
 
 miums  on  the  "  Famous  Bifhop,"  fays, 
 
 "  When  to  the  Bath  her  Royal  Highnefs  came, 
 KENN  made  the  Abbey-Church  refound  his  fame  ; 
 Floods  of  grave  eloquence  did  from  him  fall : 
 KENN  in  the  Pulpit  thunder'd  like  St.  PAUL."  * 
 
 He  appears  to  have  efteemed  it  the  duty  of  a  Blfhop 
 to  do  nothing  of  importance  without  the  advice  of  his 
 Primate :  that  he  might,  therefore,  be  prepared  to  ad: 
 with  authority,  if  the  fame  circumftance  fhould  ever 
 occur  again,  he  thus  writes  to  the  Archbifhop. 
 
 "  ALL  GLORY   BE  TO  GOD. 
 
 "My  very  good  Lord, 
 Though  I  have  always  been  very  tender  of  giving 
 your  Grace  any  trouble,  yett  I  thinke  it  my  duty,  hav- 
 ing this  opportunity  of  a  fafe  conveyance,  to  acquaint 
 you  with  one  particular,  which  happened  at  Bath,  and 
 to  begge  your  advice  for  the  future.  When  His  Ma- 
 jefty  was  at  Bath  there  was  a  great  healing,  and  with- 
 out any  warning,  unlefTe  by  a  flying  report :  the  office 
 was  performed  in  the  Church,  between  the  houres  of 
 prayer.  I  had  not  time  to  remonftrate,  and  if  I  had 
 done  it,  it  would  have  had  no  effeft,  but  only  to  pro- 
 voke :  befides  I  found  it  had  been  done  in  other  churches 
 before,  and  I  know  no  place  but  the  Church  which  was 
 
 *  A  Poem  (both  in  Englifh  and  Latin)  on  the  Death  of  the  R^ 
 Reverend  Father  in  God,  Thomas  Kenn,  fometime  Lord  Bifliop  of 
 Bath  and  Wells,  &c.  By  Mr.  Jofeph  Perkins,  the  Latin  Poet  Lau- 
 reat.  4to.  171 1. 
 
 "  Ad  Pontes  calidos  (memini)  cum  f  Filia  Regis 
 Venerat,  Hie  %  Templum  voce  §  boante  replet. 
 Eloquii  fluxit  facundo  flumen  ab  ore  : 
 In  roftris  tanquam  Paulus  et  alter  erat." 
 t  Her  R.  H.      |  The  Abbey  Church,      §  Tanquam  Boanerges. 
 
1687]       Bijljop  of  Bath  and  Wells .  255 
 
 capable  to  receive  fo  great  a  multitude  as  came  for 
 cure  :  upon  which  confideration  I  was  wholly  pafTive. 
 But  being  well  aware  what  advantage  the  Romanifts 
 take  from  the  leaft  feeming  complyances,  I  took  occa- 
 fion  on  Sunday  from  the  Gofpell,  the  fubje6l  of  which 
 was  the  Samaritan,  to  difcourfe  of  Charity,  which  I  faid 
 ought  to  be  the  religion  of  the  whole  world,  wherein 
 Samaritan  and  Jew  were  to  agree,  and  though  we  could 
 not  open  the  Church-doores  to  a  worfhip  different  from 
 that  we  paid  to  God,  yett  we  fhould  allwayes  fett  them 
 open  to  a  common  worke  of  Charity,  becaufe,  in  per- 
 forming mutuall  offices  of  Charity  one  to  another,  there 
 ought  to  be  an  univerfall  agreement. 
 
 "  This  was  the  fubftance  of  what  I  faid  upon  that 
 aftion,  which  I  humbly  fubmitt  to  your  Grace's  Judge- 
 ment ;  and  it  was  the  beft  expedient  I  could  thinke  of, 
 to  prevent  giving  fcandall  to  our  owne  people,  and  to 
 obviate  all  the  mifreprefentations  the  Romanifts  might 
 make  of  fuch  a  connivance.  I  am  very  fenfible  of  your 
 Grace's  burthen,  and  doe  befeech  Almighty  Goodnefle 
 to  fupport  you  under  It.  And  I  earneftly  crave  your 
 Bleffing,  being  ambitious  of  nothing  more  than  to  be 
 one  of  the  meaneft  of  your  Companions  in  your  King- 
 dome  and  Patience  of  Jefus. 
 
 '^  My  good  Lord, 
 Your  Grace's  moft  obedient  Son  and 
 humble  Servant, 
 
 "Aug.  26th,  1687.*"  Tho.  Bath  and  Wells." 
 
 We  fee  in  this  letter  the  courageous  fpirit  of  a  prl- 
 *  Bodleian  Tanner  MSS.  Vol.  xxix.  p.  65. 
 
256  hife  <?/"  Thomas  Ken,  [1687 
 
 mitive  Blfhop,  deeply  concerned  for  all  under  his  care, 
 unceafingly  watchful  and  a6live,  yet  without  noife ; 
 guided  by  a  holy  prudence,  while  fenfitive  to  any  mif- 
 conftrudion  that  might  wound  the  integrity  of  the 
 Church,  now  put  in  peril  by  the  higheft  authority  of  the 
 land. 
 
 Here  may  be  appropriately  noticed  two  other  letters 
 of  Ken,  addrefled  a  fhort  time  after  to  Archbifhop 
 Sancroft ;  one  dated  the  ift  of  Odober  1687,  in  which 
 he  fays  "  Many  of  the  Cures  in  my  DiocefTe  are  fo  very 
 fmall,  that  I  am  very  glad  to  gett  a  fober  perfon  to 
 fupply  them,  though  he  is  not  a  Graduate  ;  but  as  for 
 Ordinations,  Your  Grace  may  be  aflured  that  I  endea- 
 vour all  I  can  to  lay  hands  fuddenly  on  no  man.  I  am 
 very  fenfible  of  the  charitable  opinion  you  are  pleafed 
 to  have  of  me,  and  the  favourable  conftrudlionyou  make 
 of  my  adions :  God  grant  I  may  in  fome  meafure  an- 
 fwer  your  Grace's  juft  expectations.  I  befeech  God  of 
 His  infinite  goodneffe,  and  in  mercy  to  His  poore 
 Church,  to  give  you  a  fuper-effluence  of  His  H.  Spi- 
 rit, to  affifl:  and  fupport  you,  and  I  humbly  begge  your 
 benedidtion."* 
 
 The  other  letter,  dated  5th  December  1687,  ^^  a 
 meek  apology  to  the  Archbifhop  for  having  incurred 
 his  difpleafure  about  fome  paper,  which  had  not  been 
 returned  to  him. 
 
 "all  glory  be  to  god. 
 "  My  very  good  Lord, 
 *'  The   entire   veneration   I  have  ever  had  for  your 
 Grace  makes  your  difpleafure  the  more  afflidling,  efpe- 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  by  Round,  p.  39. 
 
1687]      Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         257 
 
 cially  fo  great  a  difpleafure  againfl:  me,  as  your  letter 
 exprefTes,  and  that  too  for  fuch  a  crime  which  I  abhorre, 
 no  lefs  than  infincere  dealing,  and  in  the  whole,  I  am  To 
 unhappy  as  to  be  fuppofed  guilty  by  your  Grace,  and 
 to  be  treated  by  you  as  if  I  were.  But  I  hope  your 
 Grace  will  have  that  charity  for  me,  to  believe  me  when 
 I  with  all  humble  fubmiffion  acquaint  you,  that  I  never 
 had  the  originall  you  mention.  And  if  I  had  had  it,  I 
 know  not  the  leafl;  temptation  imaginable  I  could  have 
 had  to  have  detained  it.  The  onely  copy  I  had  I  have 
 fent,  and  I  thought  it  was  the  fame  you  meant,  having, 
 as  I  understood  your  letter,  loft  the  other  :  and  I  fent  it 
 through  the  Bifhop  of  Ely,  becaufe  I  was  tender  of  giving 
 you  the  trouble  of  a  letter  which  might  be  fpared,  and 
 I  fent  it  with  a  particular  circumftance  of  duty  to  your 
 Grace,  that  my  old  friend  muft  needs  be  very  forget- 
 full,  if  he  gave  no  better  account  who  it  was  that  brought 
 it,  or  how  it  came  to  his  hands.  I  confefte  I  fhould 
 have  fent  your  paper  fooner,  and  fo  I  had  done,  had  not 
 the  perfons  with  whome  my  fecretary  was  to  tranfad: 
 bufinefte  difappointed  us,  and  this,  if  it  be  a  fault,  I 
 prefume  Is  a  venial  one.  But  how  much  foever  aftured 
 I  am  of  my  owne  innocence,  rather  than  tyre  you  with 
 a  tedious  vindication  of  myfelfe,  I  choofe  to  begge  your 
 pardon,  as  well  as  your  benedidlion. 
 ''  My  good  Lord, 
 Your  Grace's  moft  obedient  Son  and  Servant, 
 "December  5th,  1687."      Tho.  BatH  AND  Wells.* 
 
 *  Round,  p,  40. 
 
258  Liife  (j/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 CHAPTER  XVIII. 
 
 The  King  perfeveres  in  his  meafures  for  the  ejiablifhinent  of  Ro- 
 rnanifm — Ken' s  fermon  at  Whitehall^  for  which  he  is  reproved 
 by  'James — His  firm  reply. 
 
 HE  year  1688  dawned  upon  England  as 
 the  morning  of  an  eventful  ftruggle. 
 Juft  a  century  before,  Philip  of  Spain 
 had  threatened  the  religion  and  liberties 
 of  England.  But  how  different  then  was  the  fpirit  of 
 the  fovereign.  Elizabeth,  devoted  to  the  honour  and 
 interefts  of  the  Kingdom,  and  zealous  for  the  Reformed 
 faith,  riding  in  ftate  to  review  her  armies  at  Tilbury, 
 roufed  all  claffes  to  the  higheft  pitch  of  loyalty  and  pa- 
 triotifm.  James,  on  the  other  hand,  a  penfioner  of 
 France,  refolving  to  extirpate,  as  an  obftinate  herefy, 
 the  religion  in  which  he  had  been  brought  up,  and  to 
 bend  his  people  to  an  arbitrary  government,  encamped 
 his  army  on  Hounflow  Heath,  that  he  might  over-awe 
 them  into  an  unwilling  obedience. 
 
 The  fame  brave  and  vigorous  fpirit  animated  the 
 gentlemen,  the  clergy,  and  the  people  of  England  at 
 each  crifis.  It  is  no  vain  boaft  that  in  our  complex 
 fyftem  the  charadler  of  the  Englifh  gentry  moulds  and 
 governs  fociety.  Whatever  violates  the  fpirit  of  it  of- 
 fends the  public  mind.  The  Prince  himfelf  may  not 
 deviate  from  it ; — the  lower  claffes  know  how  to  appre- 
 ciate it  in  thofe  who  are  above  them,  and  confefs  to  its 
 
1 688]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         259 
 
 influence  ;  —  the  ariftocracy,  as  a  clafs,  are  its  beft  ex- 
 emplars. It  is  true,  indeed,  that  in  every  rank  of  life 
 we  have  many  fhades  of  evil :  in  all  nations  the  depraved 
 will,  the  felfifhnefs  of  the  human  heart,  the  deadening 
 power  of  indulgence,  exercife  a  fearful  fway.  Still, — 
 the  character  of  the  Engliifh  Gentleman  is  a  national 
 charader  :  it  cannot  be  defined, — it  forms  the  ftandard 
 which  all  afpire  to,  the  claim  that  every  man  of  birth  or 
 property  afferts,  and  the  denial  of  which  touches  him 
 moft  nearly. 
 
 Again,  throughout  the  land,  whether  we  regard 
 rank,  wealth,  education,  reach  of  intelledl,  purity  of 
 life,  enlarged  charity,  the  fpirit  of  forbearance,  the  noife- 
 lefs  tenour  of  a  Chriftian  courfe,  devoted  loyalty,  con- 
 fident patriotifm,  —  it  will  be  found  that  the  Church 
 of  England  (in  its  clofe  union  of  Clergy  and  Laity)  is 
 the  fandluary  of  England,  the  poor  man's  refuge, — the 
 rich  man's  fecurity,  the  ^gis  of  the  throne.  To  all 
 this  James  was  utterly  infenfible  :  his  every  meafure 
 was  oppofed  to  the  vigorous  good  fenfe  that  charac- 
 terized his  people.  He  was  completely  under  the  do- 
 minion of  a  flock  of  foreign  priefts  and  Jefuits,  who 
 vied  with  each  other  in  driving  him  forward  to  a  pure 
 defpotifm,  as  the  fureft  means  of  eftablifhing  a  Popifli 
 rule. 
 
 At  this  period  it  was  that  Ken,  once  more,  and  for 
 the  lafl;  time,  was  appointed  to  preach  the  Lent  fermon. 
 It  feems  fl;range  that  one  fo  conftant  to  the  interefl:s  of 
 the  Anglican  Church,  fo  brave  in  her  defence,  fo  un- 
 compromifing  in  the  exercife  of  the  pafl:oral  liberty,  fo 
 unlikely  to  flatter,  or  to  fpare,  fliould  be  permitted,  at 
 fuch  a  crifis,  to  denounce  the  errors  of  the  Court  re- 
 
26o  Life  <?/^  Thomas  Ken,  [1688 
 
 llgion,  even  within  the  King's  Chapel.  He  came  to 
 London,  that  he  might  take  his  prefcribed  duty  on 
 ''  Paffion  Sunday,"  the  ift  of  April  1688. 
 
 The  knowledge  that  he  was  to  be  the  Preacher  drew 
 together  a  vaft  concourfe  of  perfons,  eager  in  this  mo- 
 ment of  excitement  to  hear  the  moft  eloquent  of  men, 
 who  would  be  fure  to  make  a  bold  ftand  for  the  rights 
 of  the  Church.  Fearful  accounts  had  come  over  of  the 
 defpotlfm  eftablifhed  in  Ireland  by  the  new  Lord  Lieu- 
 tenant, Tyrconnel.  We  may  form  fome  judgment  of 
 this  from  the  recklefs  meafures  to  which  he  inftigated 
 the  Irifh  Parliament  in  the  following  year,  when  they 
 pafTed  an  A6t  to  attaint  two  Archbifhops,  one  Duke, 
 feventeen  Earls,  {qyqw  Countefles,  eighteen  Barons, 
 thirty-three  Baronets,  fifty-one  Knights,  eighty-three 
 Clergymen,  two  thoufand  and  eighty-two  Efquires  and 
 Gentlemen;  —  all  of  them  without  a  hearing  adjudged 
 guilty  of  high  treafon,  and  declared  worthy  to  fufFer  the 
 pains  of  forfeiture  and  death.*  The  King  already 
 feemed  prepared  for  the  fame  meafures  in  Ireland,  as 
 Louis  had  perpetrated  towards  the  Huguenots  in 
 France.  He  foon  afterwards  employed  thofe  two 
 French  barbarians,  Rofen  and  Mammo,  who  had  dra- 
 gooned the  Proteftants  of  Languedoc,  and  afterwards 
 commanded  the  maffacres  before  Derry. 
 
 Every  faithful  paftor,  therefore,  was  bound  to  wit- 
 nefs  for  the  truth  of  the  Anglican  Church, — to  run  all 
 rifks,  that  he  might  keep  the  people  ftedfaft  to  their 
 
 *  The  State  of  the  Proteftants  of  Ireland,  under  the  late  King 
 James's  Government.  By  Dr.  William  King,  Archbifliop  of  Dub- 
 lin.—  4to.  3rd  Edition,  1691. 
 
1 68  8]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         261 
 
 faith.  Ken  could  not  be  indifferent  or  paflive  in  fuch 
 an  emergency  :  he  might  be  refponfible,  in  his  meafure, 
 for  the  ruin  of  all  he  held  moft  dear,  if  he  abftained 
 from  explicitly  warning  his  hearers  of  the  prefent  dan- 
 ger. His  part  was  not  to  preach  up  rebellion  againft 
 the  royal  authority,  but  to  inculcate  ftedfaftnefs,  and 
 penitence  for  the  public  fins,  which  had  called  down  the 
 prefent  judgments  upon  the  nation.  The  fcene  in  the 
 Chapel  at  Whitehall  on  this  occafion  was  an  extraor- 
 dinary one.  *^  The  Morning  Sermon  was  preached 
 by  Dr.  Stillingfleet,  on  the  loth  Luke,  41,  42.  The 
 Holy  Communion  followed ;  but  was  fo  interrupted 
 by  the  rude  breaking  in  of  multitudes,  zealous  to  hear  the 
 Jecond  Jermon  to  be  -preached  (in  the  afternoon  fervice) 
 by  the  BiJJiop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  that  the  latter  part  of 
 that  Holy  Office  could  hardly  be  heard,  or  the  facred 
 elements  be  diflributed  without  great  trouble,"*  The 
 doors  of  the  Chapel  were  not  clofed  between  the  fer- 
 vices,  owing  to  the  crowds  who  preffed  in  before  the 
 time  to  fecure  feats.  At  length  the  Princefs  Ann,  with 
 her  attendants,  having  at  the  appointed  hour  taken  her 
 place  in  the  Royal  Gallery,  on  the  left  hand  of  the 
 King's  Chair,  which  was  empty,  and  the  prayers  being 
 ended,  the  Bifhop  went  up  into  the  pulpit.  "  He 
 preached  on  7th  Micah,  8.  9.  io,t  defcribing  the  ca- 
 lamity of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Judah  under  the 
 
 *  Evelyn's  Diary,  Vol.  i.  p.  647. 
 
 f  "  Rejoice  not  againfi  me,  O  mine  enemy  j  when  I  fall,  I  Jhall 
 arife  ,•  when  I  fit  in  darknefs,  the  Lord  Jhall  be  a  light  unto  me.  I 
 will  hear  the  indignation  of  the  Lord,  becaufe  I  have  finned  againfi 
 Him,  until  He  plead  my  caufe,  and  execute  judgement  for  me  :  He  will 
 bring  me  forth  to  the  light,  and  I  fhall  behold  His  Righteoufnefs ." 
 
262  Life  (^Z' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 Babylonian  perfecution,  for  her  fins,  and  God's  delivery 
 of  her^  on  her  repentance  ;  that,  as  Judah  emerged,  fo 
 fhould  the  now  Reform'd  Church,  however  infulted  and 
 perfecuted.  He -preach' d  with  his  accujlomed  aSiion^  zealy 
 and  energy ;  fo  that  people  flock'  d  from  all  quarters  to  hear 
 
 The  principal  points  of  his  difcourfe  were  the  fins  of 
 the  "Reformed  Church  of  Judah," — her  permitted  fuf- 
 ferings  under  the  Babylonifh  captivity ;  the  reproachful 
 joy  of  the  Edomites  at  her  defolation ;  her  repentance 
 under  this  vifitation  ;  her  patient  fubmilTion,  and  con- 
 fidence that  God  would  one  day  plead  her  caufe  ;  the 
 judgments  executed  on  Belfhazzar,  and  his  idolatrous 
 Court ;  the  punifhment  inflidled  on  the  apoftate  Edo- 
 mites, by  the  hands  of  the  very  Babylonians,  whom 
 they  had  encouraged  and  affifled  againft  her  ; — the  de- 
 liverance of  Judah  from  her  captivity  ;  and  laftly  her 
 joy  in  being  brought  by  God  to  his  true  light,  and  per- 
 mitted to  behold  His  righteoufnefs,  which  made  peni- 
 tent, patient.  Reformed  Judah  not  only  vidorious,  but 
 triumphant. 
 
 Under  the  figure  of  Reformed  Judah  was  repre- 
 fented  the  Church  of  England  -y  the  Babylonians  were 
 the  Romanifts,  the  Edomites  the  DifTenters  :  the  na- 
 tional fins  of  Judah, — her  calamities  under  the  yoke 
 of  her  enemies, — her  repentance  and  fubmifiion, — her 
 deliverance  and  triumph,  are  held  out  to  "  Protefliant 
 Reformed  England  "  as  her  warning,  her  infl:rud;ion, 
 and  her  confolation. 
 
 The  Biftiop  was  not  unconfcious  of  the  dangers  at- 
 
 *  Evelyn's  Diary,  Vol.  i.  p.  647. 
 
i688]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         263 
 
 tendant  on  the  fubjedl  he  had  chofen.  The  King  had 
 peremptorily  forbid  the  clergy  to  preach  on  the  con- 
 troveriies  of  the  day :  he  was  at  that  moment  attend- 
 ing mafs  in  another  part  of  the  palace  ;  but  would  be 
 fure  to  hear  of  all  that  pafled.  Neverthelefs  Ken  had  a 
 duty  to  difcharge,  higher  than  to  any  earthly  authority, 
 and  though  it  had  been  at  the  hazard  of  his  life,  he 
 dared  not  flirink  from  it. 
 
 He  opens  at  once  on  the  meaning  and  fcope  of  the 
 text.  **  Every  one  that  hears  this  pafTage  of  Scripture 
 will  foon  perceive  what  the  Prophet  intends,  namely  a 
 reprefentation  of  the  Church  of  Judah  under  the  Ba- 
 bylonlili  Captivity."  He  then  fhows  how  the  Pro- 
 phets of  old  were  wont  to  declare  boldly  the  counfels 
 of  God,  and  alludes  to  the  abfence  of  the  King,  which 
 expofed  the  preacher  to  the  rifk  of  having  his  words 
 mifreprefented.  "As  the  Prophet,"  he  fays,  "dlredled 
 his  difcourfe  to  the  Church,  to  the  Reformed  Church  in 
 general,  fo  he  applied  himfelf  to  all  degrees  of  men 
 in  particular.  He  preach'd  not  only  to  the  people, 
 and  to  the  priefts,  but  to  the  Court ;  '  to  the  heads  of 
 the  Houfe  of  Jacob,  and  to  the  Princes  of  the  Houfe  of 
 Ifrael : '  nay,  to  King  Hezekiah  himfelf;  in  whofe  pre- 
 fence  he  delivered  that  direful  prophefy,  warning  the 
 king  and  the  court  of  the  danger  they  would  certainly 
 bring  down,  unlefs  prevented  by  a  national  repentance." 
 
 "It  was  a  bold  undertaking  to  denounce  God's  judge- 
 ments to  the  king,  and  to  the  court ;  and  to  tell  them 
 that  the  king's  palace,  and  the  whole  city  of  Jerufalem, 
 fhould  be  utterly  deftroyed  :  fuch  mortifying  fubjedls 
 as  thefe  courts,  above  all  others,  are  not  willing  to  hear 
 of     But  true  Prophets,  in  the  delivery  of  their  mef- 
 
264  Life  of  Th.Qm3.s  Ken,  [1688 
 
 fages,  fear  none  but  God,  and  dare  fay  anything  that 
 God  commands  them.  And  there  are  times  when  Pro- 
 phets cannot,  muft  not,  keep  filence  ;  when  the  watch- 
 men ought  to  blow  the  trumpet,  to  give  the  warning 
 of  repentance  to  the  whole  land ;  or  if  the  land  will 
 not  take  the  warning,  to  free  their  own  fouls." 
 
 "  Amos  was  originally  neither  Prophet  nor  Prophet's 
 fon,  but  a  poor  herdfman  of  Tekoa  ;*  yet  when  God 
 fent  him,  he  had  courage  from  above  to  prophefy 
 againft  Ifrael,  againft  King  Jeroboam,  and  againfl  the 
 worfhip  of  the  Calves ;  to  prophefy  terrible  things, 
 even  at  Bethel,  which  was  the  King's  chapel,  and  the 
 King's  court ;  and  to  prophefy  in  fpite  of  Amaziah, 
 the  Prieft  of  Bethel,  who  falfely  accufed  him  to  Jero- 
 boam for  '  confpiring  againft  him  ; '  adding  '  that  the 
 land  was  not  able  to  bear  all  his  words : '  as  if  a  true 
 zeal  for  God  had  been  rebellion  againft  the  King." 
 
 Speaking  of  the  Prophet,  whofe  words  wrought  fo 
 fuccefsfully  on  Hezekiah,  he  fays,  "  happy  was  it  for 
 the  King  that  he  fo  devoutly  attended  to  the  Prophet : 
 happy  was  it  for  the  Prophet  that  he  had  the  oppor- 
 tunity of  preaching  to  the  King  himfelf.  Had  he 
 preached  thefe  fevere,  though  necefi'ary,  truths  in  ano- 
 ther congregation,  where  a  fort  of  men,  fuch  as  the 
 Pfalmift  complains  of,  came  on  purpofe  to  wreft  his 
 words,  and  with  thoughts  againft  him  for  evil,  w/iat 
 tragical  relations  had  been  made  of  his  Jermon  !  But 
 the  Prophet  was  fafe  under  the  king's  gracious  protec- 
 tion, and  in  having  the  king  himfelf  for  his  auditor, 
 
 *  This  is  in  reference  to  his  own  elevation  from  a  humble  ftation 
 to  the  Epifcopal  chair. 
 
i688]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  JVells.         265 
 
 who  being  like  an  angel  of  God,  liked  the  preacher 
 the  better  for  the  confcientious  difcharge  of  his  pro- 
 phetick  duty," 
 
 After  defcribing  the  Babylonians  as  cruel  and  mer- 
 cilefs ;  a  bitter  and  a  hafty  nation,  very  heavily  laying 
 their  yoke  on  God's  people,  he  proceeds  ;  "  I  need  fay 
 no  more  of  them  than  this,  that  St.  John,  Vv'hen  he 
 was  to  draw  a  prophetick  defcription  of  the  great  Anti- 
 chrift  under  the  Gofpel,  was  diredled  by  the  Spirit  of 
 God  to  make  Babylon  the  type,  and  to  paint  fcriptural 
 Babylon  in  the  colours  of  the  temporal  ;  as  if  no  na- 
 tion under  heaven  were  infamous  and  wicked  enough 
 to  furnifh  him  with  idolatry  and  pride,  and  unclean- 
 nefs,  and  covetoufnefs,  and  cruelty,  and  impiety  in  full 
 perfedlion,  fit  to  refemble  the  Man  of  Sin,  but  only 
 the  Babylonian." 
 
 Of  the  Edomites,  he  fays,  "  They  were  the  chil- 
 dren of  Efau,  and  originally  of  the  fame  blood,  and  of 
 the  fame  religion  with  Judah,  though  they  revolted 
 from  the  Church  of  God  ;  and  thofe  feemed  to  have 
 derived  from  Efau,  their  father,  his  perverfenefs,  which 
 he  remarkably  {how'd  to  his  aged  mother  ;  infomuch 
 that  Jofephus  gives  them  this  charader,  that  they  were 
 a  turbulent  and  unruly  nation,  always  prone  to  commo- 
 tions, and  rejoicing  in  changes."  But  their  animofity 
 againft  Judah  feemed  to  be  hereditary  ;  the  lofs  of  the 
 birth-right,  and  of  the  bleffmg  in  their  father,  entail'd 
 revenge  on  all  his  pofterity.  And  they  were  all  along 
 the  natural  enemies  of  the  children  of  Jacob.  And 
 when  they  faw  Judah  affaulted  by  the  Babylonians,  they 
 fided  with  Judah's  enemies,  and  thirfted  to  have  a  fhare 
 in  the  deftrudtion  of  God's  Church.     Such  were  the 
 
266  Liife  <?/' Thomas  Ken,  [1688 
 
 enemies  of  affl idled  Judah  ;  and  God  in  his  juft  indig- 
 nation againft  Judah's  fins,  gave  both  thefe  enemies 
 their  defir'd  fuccefs  ;  fuccefs  that  was  able  to  fatiate  the 
 moft  impetuous  and  revengeful  cruelty." 
 
 "  Rejoice  not,  O  ye  Edomites  ;  for  in  infulting  over 
 me,  ye  infult  over  your  own  miferies,  as  well  as  mine. 
 Our  God  has  commanded  the  Jew  not  to  abhor  an 
 Edomite,  for  he  is  his  brother.  Why  fhould  not  this 
 command  be  mutually  obferved  on  both  fides  ?  Why 
 fhould  the  Edomite  abhor  his  brother  Jew  ?  If  both 
 fides  had  been  to  blame,  why  fhould  not  their  common 
 danger  have  reconciled  them  ?  Ah  !  had  Judah  and 
 Edom  reviv'd  that  brotherly  affedion  which,  before 
 the  lofs  of  the  birth-right,  harbour'd  in  the  breafts  of 
 their  fathers,  Jacob  and  Efau  ;  had  they  both  join'd  for 
 the  common  fafety  againft  the  Babylonian,  the  common 
 enemy,  humanly  fpeaking,  both  might  have  preferv'd 
 their  liberty  :  but  Edom  will  be  an  eafy  prey  to  the 
 Babylonian,  now  her  neighbour  Judah  is  led  captive. 
 Rejoice  not,  then,  againft  captive  Judah ;  fince  every 
 wound  you  give  to  Judah  makes  Edom  bleed." 
 
 He  exhibits  great  copioufnefs  of  invention  In  defcrib- 
 ing  the  faith  of  penitent  Judah  in  God's  tendernefs  and 
 mercy,  though  His  countenance  feemed  to  be  with- 
 drawn from  them.  *'  Nor  was  Judah,"  he  fays,  "  only 
 confident  of  deliverance,  but  of  fupport  alfo  in  the 
 meantime  :  '  when  I  fit  in  darknefs,  the  Lord  will  be  a 
 light  unto  me  ! '  and  this  confidence  was  grounded  on 
 the  ufual  condu6t  of  propitious  Providence.  For  in 
 Micah,  and  the  reft  of  the  Prophets,  when  God  de- 
 nounces judgements  againft  his  people,  his  threats  are 
 intermingled  with  promifes  of  blefiings,  either  temporal 
 
i688]      Bipop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         267 
 
 or  evangelical.     Well,  then,  might  penitent  Judah  fay, 
 
 *  when  I  fit  in  darknefs  the  Lord  will  be  a  light  unto 
 me.'  When  I  am  depriv'd  of  all  the  comforts  of  life, 
 abandon'd  by  all  worldly  fuccours ;  *  when  God  him- 
 felf  feems  to  defert  me,  and  fufFer  me  to  lie  70  years 
 together  in  a  vexatious  captivity ;    when  God  feems 
 
 *  to  cover  himfelf  with  a  cloud,  that  my  prayer  fhould 
 not  pafs  through  ; '  then  will  the  Lord  be  a  light  unto 
 me ;  at  midnight  I  fhall  fee  a  clear  funfhine.  In  the 
 multitude  of  the  forrows  I  fhall  then  have  in  my  heart, 
 God's  comforts  fhall  refrefh  my  foul.  My  infulting 
 enemies  hinder  my  other  friends,  but  cannot  hinder 
 God,  who  is  my  beft  friend,  from  vifiting  me.  When 
 poor,  captive,  exile,  penitent  Judah,  lies  chain'd  in  a 
 Babylonifh  dungeon,  dark  as  hell ;  yet  the  rays  of  the 
 divine  benignity  can  pierce  through  the  thickeft  dark- 
 nefs, to  enlighten  and  revive  me.  My  chains  will  then 
 be  more  eligible  than  liberty  ;  Babylon  will  make  me 
 forget  Sion.  My  very  dungeon  will  be  heaven  upon 
 earth,f  when  I  enjoy  God  there.  No  fad  thought  fhall 
 arife,  but  I  can  take  fandiuary  in  one  of  his  gracious 
 promifes,  which  fhall  inftantly  difpel  it.  If  this  be 
 captivity,  by  becoming  a  Babylonifh  flave  to  become 
 the  Lord's  freeman,  O  may  my  captivity  laft  not  fe- 
 venty,  but  feventy  times  feven  years.     No  time,  O 
 
 *  This  paflage  is  applicable  to  himfelf  in  the  after  period  of  his 
 life,  when  he  was  deprived  of  his  Bifhoprick. 
 
 f  "  Heav'n  is,  dear  Lord,  where'er  Thou  art, 
 O  never  then  from  me  depart ; 
 For  to  my  foul  'tis  Hell  to  be. 
 But  for  one  moment,  without  Thee." 
 
 Ken's  Morning  Hymn. 
 
268  Life  (p/*  Thomas  Ken,  [1688 
 
 Lord,  is  long;  eternity  itfelf  is  not  tedious,  that  is  fpent 
 in  thy  fruition.  O  Almighty  Goodnefs,  thou  only  canft 
 make  captivity  defirable  :  welcome,  then,  darknefs ; 
 there  will  I  fit,  defiring  to  fee  no  light  but  what  comes 
 from  thy  countenance  ;  for  thou  art  light,  and  liberty, 
 and  joy,  and  all  in  all  to  thofe  who,  for  thy  fake,  are 
 content  for  awhile  to  fit  in  darknefs." 
 
 In  this  fimple  faith,  he  exhorts  the  Church  to  patience, 
 and  non-refifl;ance,  waiting  till  the  Lord  fiiould  plead 
 the  caufe  of  His  Church.  "  God  commanded  Judah 
 to  ferve  the  King  of  Babylon  ;  and  afiiir'd  them,  that 
 if  they  ferv'd  him,  they  fhould  live.  A  nd  they  were 
 to  *  pray  for  the  peace  of  that  city  ;  that  in  the  peace 
 thereof  they  might  have  peace.'  So  that  all  Judah 
 was  enjoin'd  by  God  patient  fubmiffion  to  that  king. 
 They  were  to  fubje6l  their  perfons  to  the  Babylonifh 
 government,  but  not  to  proftitute  their  confciences  to 
 the  Babylonifii  idolatry,  whenfoever  the  commands  of 
 God,  and  of  the  king  of  Babylon,  flood  in  competition. 
 To  have  then  obey'd  the  king  had  not  been  alle- 
 giance, but  apoftacy.  In  fuch  cafes  the  true  Ifraelites 
 would  always  be  martyrs,  but  never  rebels  ;  they  refo- 
 lutely  chofe  to  obey  God,  and  patiently  to  fuffer  the 
 lions'  den,  the  fiery  furnace,  and  the  extremity  of  the 
 king's  difpleafure." 
 
 It  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  our  language  a  finer 
 fpecimen  of  bold,  empaffioned  eloquence  than  his  rapid 
 defcription  of  the  punifhment  that  fell  on  the  Babylo- 
 nians, when  the  time  was  come  for  Judah's  deliverance. 
 "  The  Judgment  God  executed  for  his  people  was  in 
 all  circumfl:ances  moft  remarkable.  For  vengeance 
 furpriz'd  Babylon,  when  the  great  Belfiiazzar,  and  his 
 
i688]       Bifljop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         269 
 
 court  and  his  concubines,  were  gorging  themfelves  at 
 a  luxurious,  idolatrous  feaft ;  ^  drinking  themfelves 
 drunk'  in  the  vefTels  of  the  Temple,  and  wallowing  in 
 their  own  loathfome  vomits.  It  was  then  the  King 
 faw  the  fatal  hand-writing  on  the  wall ;  '  at  which  his 
 countenance  fell,  and  his  thoughts  troubled  him,  and 
 the  joints  of  his  loins  were  loofed,  and  his  knees  fmote 
 one  againft  another.'  Then  it  was,  in  the  depth  of 
 their  fecurity,  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  that  Belfhazzar 
 was  {lain,  the  city  was  taken,  and  Darius  feized  the 
 kingdom.  The  Babylonians  were  destroyed  in  the 
 midft  of  a  debauch ;  in  the  height  of  their  impiety 
 they  all  went  drunk  to  Hell,  and  their  fouls  and  bodies 
 perifh'd  both  together." 
 
 Then  follows  a  glowing  defcription  of  Judah's  pro- 
 vidential releafe  from  her  captivity  :  "  Hitherto  fhe 
 endur'd  a  long  night  of  affliction,  with  fome  lightfome 
 gleams  only  to  refrefh  her  :  now  God  takes  her  up  out 
 of  the  dungeon,  and  brings  her  to  open  day  :  and  He 
 brings  her  out,  without  any  of  her  own  contrivance,  or 
 endeavour ;  without  anything  on  her  part,  but  repen- 
 tance and  patient  fubmifflon ;  and  on  a  fudden,  to 
 convince  all  the  world  it  was  His  own  work,  it  was 
 the  Lord,  it  was  only  the  Lord,  who  at  the  expiration 
 of  70  years,  ftirr'd  up  the  fpirit  of  Cyrus,  to  make 
 that  tranfporting,  that  furprifing  decree  for  building 
 the  Temple,  and  for  the  refloration  of  captive  Judah. 
 Then  was  fhe  brought  forth  to  the  light  in  full  fplen- 
 dour  ;  the  dawnings  of  which,  all  along,  were  to  the 
 faithful  Ifraelites  the  folace  of  their  captivity,  and  in 
 all  their  cheerful  intervals  the  fubjedt  of  their  fongs  , 
 when  they  took  down  their  harps  from  the  willows. 
 
270  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 and  by  the  waters  of  Babylon  ftrove,  with  the  defcrip- 
 tions  of  future  Sion,  to  forget  the  paft." 
 
 She  faw  herfelf  happy,  and  her  God  moft  juft,  be- 
 nign and  merciful ;  and  her  happinefs  being  founded 
 on  afflidion,  ihe  relifhed  it  the  better  ;  fhe  did  the 
 better  tafte  and  fee  that  the  Lord  was  gracious  ;  fhe 
 experimentally  felt,  and  confefs'd,  and  lov'd,  and  ador'd 
 *  the  righteoufnefs  of  God,'  which  made  penitent,  pa- 
 tient Judah  not  only  vidlorious  but  triumphant.  She 
 rode  in  triumph  over  the  once  infulting  Babylon ;  in 
 triumph,  the  moft  illuftrious  that  ever  was  ;  in  triumph, 
 fuch  as  the  good  angels  kept  above,  at  the  defeat  of 
 Lucifer  and  his  apoftate  fpirits,  when  they  faw  the  ac- 
 curfed  rebels  falling  headlong  from  Heaven,  down  to 
 the  place  of  endlefs  torments,  and  heard  them  fhriek- 
 ing  and  howling  all  the  way  they  fell ;  and  the  loyal 
 hoft,  in  the  mean  time,  full  of  the  mighty  joys  of 
 vidlory,  exulted  in  the  juft  damnation  of  the  rebellious 
 legions,  and  fang  triumphant  hymns  to  the  Lord  of 
 Hofts,  by  whofe  Arm  they  had  been  conquerors.  For 
 thus  the  faithful  triumphed  over  Babylon  :  '  how  art 
 thou  fallen  from  Heaven,  O  Lucifer,  fon  of  the  morn- 
 ing ! '  So  certain  was  the  vi6lory,  fo  glorious  was 
 the  triumph,  with  which  penitent  patient  Judah  was 
 honour'd  by  God,  who  was  her  moft  tender  advocate, 
 to  plead  her  caufe  ;  her  moft  juft  avenger,  to  execute 
 judgment  for  her  ;  her  moft  mighty  deliverer,  to  bring 
 her  forth  to  the  light ;  and  her  moft  indulgent  patron, 
 to  make  her  behold  His  righteoufnefs." 
 
 His  hearers  could  not  but  apply  to  the  Romanifts 
 and  Diflenters  this  vivid  defcription  of  the  Babylo- 
 nians and  Edomites,  to  whom  God,  in  His  juft  indig- 
 
1 688]  ^     Bipop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        271 
 
 nation  againft  Judah's  fins,  gave  the  power  of  a  long 
 oppreffion.  Ken,  however,  did  not  mean  the  applica- 
 tion to  be  made  to  them,  other  than  as  a  warning  to  all 
 clafies,  left,  indentifying  themfelves  with  fuch  perfe- 
 cutors,  they  fhould  partake  of  the  judgments  that 
 were  to  follow.  *'  Hitherto,"  he  fays,  *'  I  have  only 
 infifted  on  the  cafe  of  Judah.  And  in  making  the 
 application  (fince  we  have  not  that  happinefs  which 
 Micah  had,  to  have  the  King  him/elf  for  our  auditor ,  in 
 whoje  royal  candour  a  faithful  preacher  might  be  fecure) 
 to  prevent  all  mifreprefentations,  by  which  the  moft 
 innocent  difcourfe,  and  the  very  Scripture  itfelf,  may 
 by  infidious  men  be  perverted,  and  charged  with  odious 
 infinuations,  I  befeech  you  to  obferve  that,  as  to  Ba- 
 bylon, it  lies  in  St.  John's  Vifions  under  fo  many  de- 
 teftable  charadlers  ;  the  Prophefies  concerning  it  are  fo 
 obfcure,  and  the  interpretations  of  them  are  fo  various, 
 fome  of  them  fo  uncertain,  fome  of  them  fo  forc'd,  that 
 I  confefs  they  are  abftrufenefles,  which  I  do  not  fuffi- 
 ciently  underftand,  and  therefore  forbear  particularly 
 to  apply. 
 
 "  As  to  Edom  :  their  father  Efau  is  made,  in  the 
 New  Teftament,  the  idea  of  a  prophane  perfon,  of  an 
 apoftate,  of  one  hated  by  God,  and  of  a  reprobate  : 
 and  God  forbid  I  fhould  beftow  fuch  names  as  thefe, 
 on  any  one  Communion  of  Chriftians  whatfoever.  But 
 if  we  meet  with  any  fuch  in  the  world,  who  profeffing 
 chriftianity  in  words,  do  fo  far  deny  it  in  their  works, 
 as  to  reach  thofe  characters  which  the  fcripture  gives 
 of  Babylon  and  Edom  ;  we  are  to  deplore  them,  to  pray 
 to  God  to  turn  their  hearts,  and  to  warn  all  people  to 
 come  out  from  thence,  that  they  be  not  partakers  of 
 
272  ^^f^  ^Thomas  Ken,      '  [1688 
 
 their  fins,  and  that  they  receive  not  of  their  plagues. 
 And  whenever  fuch  enemies  as  thefe  attempt  the  ruin 
 of  God's  Church,  our  Saviour  has  taught  His  followers 
 how  to  encounter  them.  *  Love  your  enemies  ;  blefs 
 them  that  curfe  you ;  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you ; 
 and  pray  for  them  which  defpitefully  ufe  you,  and 
 perfecute  you.'  St.  John  has  taught  all  chriftians  how 
 to  overcome  them ;  '  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  by 
 the  word  of  their  teftimony,  and  by  not  loving  their 
 lives  even  unto  death.'  Judah  has  taught  all  the 
 faithful  how  to  weather  out  a  captivity  under  them, 
 by  repentance  and  patient  fubmiflion.  And  my  defign 
 in  this  difcourfe  is,  from  penitent,  patient.  Reformed 
 Judah,  to  draw  an  example  for  the  Reformed  Church 
 of  England  to  imitate,  as  far  as  their  conditions  may  in 
 any  way  agree."  "  In  a  word,  I  earneftly  exhort  you  to 
 a  uniform  zeal  for  the  Reformation,  that  as,  blefTed 
 be  God,  you  are  happily  reform'd  in  your  Faith,  and 
 in  your  worfhip,  you  would  become  wholly  reform'd 
 in  your  lives.  From  fuch  a  reformation  as  this,  we 
 may  confidently  hope  for  a  bleffing  :  and  whatfoever 
 enemies  our  Church  may  at  any  time  have ;  fhould 
 they  be  as  infulting  as  the  Babylonian,  or  as  revengeful 
 as  the  Edomite ;  nay  fhould  they  for  a  while  be  never 
 fofuccefsful,  yet  penitent,  patient  Reform'd  England 
 may  then  fay  with  penitent,  patient  reform'd  Judah ; 
 '  Rejoice  not  againft  me,  O  mine  enemy  :  when  I  fall 
 I  fhall  rife  ;  when  I  fit  in  darknefs,  the  Lord  fiiall  be 
 a  light  unto  me.  I  will  bear  the  indignation  of  the 
 Lord,  becaufe  I  have  finned  againft  Him  ;  until  He 
 plead  my  caufe  and  execute  judgment  for  me.     He 
 
1 6  8  8  ]       Bifid  Op  of  Bath  and  Wells .         273 
 
 will  bring  me  forth  to  the  light ;  and  I  fhall  behold 
 His  Righteoufnefs." 
 
 The  Court  rang  with  comments  on  this  memorable 
 fermon  :  Ken  had  foretold,  too  truly,  that  he  would  be 
 charged  by  "  infidious  men  "  with  perfonally  reproach- 
 ing the  King.  The  deep  and  tender  concern  he  ex- 
 prefTed  for  the  Reformation,  and  his  fervid  calls  to  a 
 holy  dread  and  awe  of  the  national  fins,  were  fo  many 
 emphatic  reflections  on  the  enemies  of  the  public 
 peace  :  they  made  "  tragical  relations  "  to  the  royal 
 ear  of  thefe  "  neceflary  though  fevere  truths."  It 
 appears  from  Hawkins's  account  that,  "  although  many 
 of  his  fermons  were  framed  againft  the  Church  of 
 Rome,  the  King  fo  far  entertained  hopes  of  his  ab- 
 folute  obedience  to  his  will  and  pleafure,  that  it  was 
 thought  worth  while  to  attempt  to  gain  him  over  to 
 that  party  at  court.  But  fo  inefi^eftually,  that  upon 
 the  preaching  of  this  fermon  in  the  King's  own  chapel 
 at  Whitehall  (which  feems  wholly  intended  againft 
 both  the  Popifh  and  Fanatic  fadtions,  then  united  at 
 court)  and  it  being  mifreprefented  to  the  King,  who 
 had  not  been  prefent  at  divine  fervice,  but  fending  for 
 the  Bifhop,  and  clofeting  him  on  the  occafion,  received 
 nothing  in  anfwer  but  this  fatherly  reprimand,  *  that 
 if  His  Majejiy  had  not  negle5led  his  own  duty  of  being 
 ■prefent^  his  enemies  had  miffed  this  opportunity  of  accu- 
 fing  him.'     Whereupon  he  was  difmiffed."  * 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  i8. 
 
274  Life  (9/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 CHAPTER  XIX. 
 
 The  King  s  Declaration  of  Indulgence — Order  of  Council  to  have 
 it  read  in  all  Churches  —  Petition  of  Archbijhop  Bancroft^ 
 Ken^  and  five  other  Bijhops  againfl  the  Order.     They  are 
 fent  to  the  Tower. 
 
 (HE  fermon  at  Whitehall  muft  have  been 
 fo  obnoxious  to  the  King,  that  Ken  could 
 hardly  expedl  to  efcape  with  impunity. 
 No  doubt  he  was  difmifled  from  the 
 prefence  with  ftrong  expreffions  of  refentment ;  moft 
 probably  with  fome  threat  that  means  would  be  found 
 to  filence  the  Clergy,  and  bring  them  to  obedience. 
 Such  indeed  had  been  already  determined  on.  For  on 
 the  28  th  of  the  fame  month  the  King  made  a  frefh  De- 
 claration for  liberty  of  confcience.  This  State  paper  is 
 drawn  with  confiderable  fkill.  It  fets  out  with  an  in- 
 timation that  the  King  was  refolved  to  be  obeyed  : 
 "  our  condudl  has  been  fuch  at  all  times  as  ought  to 
 have  perfuaded  the  world  that  we  are  firm  and  conftant 
 in  our  refolutions :  yet,  that  eafy  people  may  not  be 
 abus'd  by  the  malice  of  crafty  wicked  men,  we  think 
 fit  to  declare  that  our  intentions  are  not  changed."  It 
 ftates  that  it  had  been  his  principal  care  to  fecure  the 
 benefits  of  Indulgence  to  all  his  fubjedls,  who  had  tef- 
 tified  by  multitudes  of  addrefles  their  fatisfa6lion  and 
 duty  :  that  liberty  of  confcience  would  be  a  public  be- 
 
1 68  8]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        275 
 
 nefit  to  future  ages,  and  for  the  general  good  of  the 
 whole  kingdom  :  that  offices  and  employments  of  the 
 ftate  ought  to  be  the  reward  of  fervices,  fidelity  and 
 merit,  not  fubjedl  to  Oaths  and  Tefts,  as  muft  be  ap- 
 parent to  all  who  felt  concerned  in  the  encreafe  of  the 
 wealth  and  power  of  thefe  kingdoms,  which  above  all 
 others  are  moft  capable  of  improvements,  and  of  com- 
 manding the  trade  of  the  world  :  that  the  late  changes 
 both  of  civil  and  military  officers  were  for  the  purpofe 
 of  eftablifhing  the  peace  and  greatnefs  of  the  country, 
 as  all  unbyafs'd  men  might  fee  by  the  condition  of  the 
 fleet  and  armies,  which  fhould  be  conftantly  the  fame, 
 and  greater,  if  the  fafety  and  honour  of  the  nation  re- 
 quired it :  that  he  had  been  during  the  three  years  of 
 his  reign  the  Father  of  his  people,  not  their  opprefibr  : 
 and  it  concludes  by  urging  all  to  lay  afide  private  ani- 
 mofities  and  jealoufies,  and  to  choofe  fuch  members  of 
 Parliament  as  would  do  their  parts  for  the  advantage 
 of  the  monarchy,  promifing  to  call  them  together  in 
 November  next  at  fartheft. 
 
 To  give  the  fuUeft  publicity  to  this  Proclarnation, 
 and  to  fhow  that  he  was  refolved  to  carry  out  the  mea- 
 fure,  an  order  of  Council  was  made  on  the  4th  of  May, 
 direding  the  Bifhops  to  have  it  fent  to  their  refpedtive 
 Diocefes,  and  read  in  every  church  and  chapel  through- 
 out the  kingdom.  This  order  appears  to  have  excited 
 more  furprife  and  oppofition  than  the  Declaration  itfelf. 
 Yet  it  was  not  fo  great  a  ftretch  of  prerogative  ;  for 
 the  authority  of  the  crown  to  have  its  Proclamations 
 read  from  the  pulpit  appears  to  have  been,  and  ftill  is, 
 recognized.    It  had  been  obeyed  feveral  times  by  San- 
 
276  Life  (9/^ Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 croft  himfelf  in  the  late  reign  ;*  and  appears  to  be  pro- 
 vided for  in  the  Ad  of  Uniformity,  prefixed  to  the 
 Book  of  Common  Prayer.  But  in  this  cafe  acquiefcence 
 would  have  given  the  fandlion  of  the  Clergy  to  an  illegal 
 aft,  which  the  Indulgence  clearly  was.  The  Bifhops 
 at  once  perceived  that  it  was  not  only  levelled  againft 
 the  Church,  but  was  intended  to  mortify  them,  and  de- 
 grade them  in  the  public  efteem  :  their  concurrence 
 would  make  them  parties  to  an  a6l  that  would  be  con- 
 ftrued  into  their  fandlion  of  the  Indulgence,  and  muft 
 have  paved  the  way  to  further  encroachments. 
 
 But  more  than  this,  and  apart  from  all  political  con- 
 fiderations  of  prudence,  and  legal  fecurity,  they  thought 
 that  to  publifh  during  divine  fervice,  what  they  con- 
 fcientioufly  believed  to  be  a  toleration  of  error,  would 
 be  contrary  to  the  interefts  of  religion :  to  proclaim  in 
 the  public  aflemblies  of  the  Church  the  lawfulnefs  of 
 fchifm  would  in  their  judgment  violate  the  principle  of 
 unity :  to  juftify  by  an  epifcopal  a6l  the  fetting  up  of 
 Papal  and  Prefbyterian  worfhip  againft  the  altar  of  the 
 true  Church,  would  violate  its  fandlity,  and  compromife 
 their  clear  duty.  Archbifhop  Bancroft,  whofe  courage 
 and  zeal  were  equal  to  the  emergency  which  now  threat- 
 ened the  Church,  was  at  once  difpofed  to  make  a  ftand  : 
 he  held  many  confultations  with  the  Bifhops  who  were 
 near  at  hand,  and  feveral  of  the  moft  diftinguifhed  of 
 the  London  clergy,  in  order  to  afcertain  the  general 
 feeling.  By  their  advice  a  circular  was  fent  to  the  ab- 
 fent  Prelates,  inviting  them  to  attend  at  Lambeth. 
 
 Ken,  who  had,  as  ufual,  returned  to  his  Diocefe  as 
 
 *  Kenneth,  Vol.  iii,  pp.  388,  408,  and  Echard. 
 
1 68  8]       Bip^op  of  Bath  and  Wells.        277 
 
 foon  as  his  duty  in  London  had  been  performed,  re- 
 ceived the  following  letter  from  the  Archbifhop. 
 
 "  My  Lord, 
 This  is  only  in  my  own  name,  and  in  the  name  of 
 fome  of  our  Brethren,  now  here  upon  the  place,  ear- 
 neftly  to  defire  you,  immediately  upon  the  receipt  of 
 this  letter,  to  come  hither  with  what  convenient  fpeed 
 you  can,  not  taking  notice  to  any  that  you  are  fent  for. 
 Wifhing  you  a  profperous  journey,  and  us  all  a  happy 
 meeting,  I  remain 
 
 Your  very  loving  brother, 
 
 William  Cantuar." 
 
 He  came  at  once  to  London,  and  arrived  on  the 
 evening  of  the  1 7  th  of  May,  with  his  friend  Trelawney, 
 Bifhop  of  Briftol.  On  the  following  morning  a  general 
 meeting  was  held  at  Lambeth  Palace.  They  began  by 
 invoking  the  Divine  aid  to  guide  and  influence  their 
 deliberations.  Seldom,  if  ever,  fince  the  Reformation 
 had  there  been  a  more  critical  moment  for  the  Church 
 of  England  :  moderate  counfels,  combined  with  a  col- 
 ledled  energy  of  aftion,  could  alone  avert  the  danger. 
 The  Bifliops  confidered  that  they  were  entitled  to  offer 
 advice  to  the  Crown  in  all  matters  purely  ecclefiafl:ical.* 
 In  the  prefent  infl:ance  the  exercife  of  their  privilege  was 
 bound  upon  them  by  the  duty  they  owed  to  their  flocks  ; 
 for  the  natural  defenders  of  the  honour  and  dignity  of 
 the  Church,  were  now  commanded  to  fl:rike  a  blow 
 againfl:  her  dearefl;  intereflis.  They  refolved,  therefore, 
 to  make  a  humble  appeal  to  the  King  by  Petition, 
 
 *  Gutch's  Colleftanea  Curiofa,  Vol.  i.  p.  364. 
 
278  Life  (?/ Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 couched  in  the  moft  refpeftful  terms  of  duty  and  at- 
 tachment. They  declared  that  in  a  matter  of  fuch  great 
 moment  and  confequence  to  the  whole  nation,  they 
 could  not  in  prudence,  honour,  or  confcience  fo  far 
 make  themfelves  parties  to  His  Majefty's  Declaration 
 of  indulgence,  as  to  publifh  it  in  God's  houfe,  and  in 
 the  time  of  divine  fervice  ;  therefore  they  humbly  and 
 earneftly  befought  him  not  to  infift  upon  their  doing  fo. 
 The  Bifhops  were  unanimoufly  agreed  that  they 
 fhould  take  on  themfelves  the  exclufive  refponfibility 
 of  whatever  might  happen,  fo  that  others  might  be 
 clear  of  an  aft  which  would,  in  all  probability,  expofe 
 them  to  the  King's  refentment.  The  Petition  was  drawn 
 up  in  the  handwriting  of  the  Archbifhop,  to  fecure  the 
 utmoft  fecrecy,  and  was  figned  by  himfelf  and  all  the 
 Bifhops  prefent,  except  Compton,  who  had  been  fuf- 
 pended.     Thefe  were 
 
 St.  Afaph   -     -  Lloyd.         Chichefter    -    Lake. 
 Ely  -     -     -     -  Turner.       Briftol    -     -   Trelawney. 
 Bath  and  Wells-Ken.  Peterborough -White. 
 
 They  had  no  time  to  lofe,  as  the  Declaration  was  to 
 be  read  in  the  London  Churches  the  next  day  but  one  ; 
 fo  they  refolved  immediately  to  prefent  the  paper  in 
 perfon  to  the  King  :  but  the  Archbifhop,  being  forbid 
 to  appear  at  Court,  was  not  to  accompany  the  other  fix. 
 
 It  was  a  moment  of  deep  and  folemn  intereft,  when 
 thefe  courageous  men  pafTed  over  the  river  in  the  Arch- 
 bifhop's  barge  from  Lambeth  to  Whitehall.  Only  the 
 meafured  found  of  the  oars  was  heard  :  all  around  them 
 was  hufhed  into  filence  ;  for  it  was  now  ten  o'clock  at 
 night.     The  inhabitants  of  the  town,  unconfcious  of 
 
i688]       BipDOp  of  Bath  and  Wells.        279 
 
 the  impending  ftruggle  for  their  deareft  rights,  had 
 gone  to  reft.  •  As  they  landed  at  Whitehall  ftairs,  none 
 were  to  be  feen  but  the  fentinels  at  their  poft.  The 
 King,  having  been  informed  by  Lord  Sunderland  that 
 they  requefted  an  audience,  gave  orders  that  they  fhould 
 be  immediately  admitted  into  his  Clofet.  "  He  took 
 them  into  the  room  within  the  bed  chamber,"  where 
 the  Bifhop  of  St.  Afaph,  with  the  reft,  all  upon  their 
 knees,  delivered  the  Petition. 
 
 The  King  at  firft  received  them  gracioufly,  and 
 opening  the  Petition,  faid,  "  This  is  ray  Lord  of  Can- 
 terbury's own  hand."  As  foon,  however,  as  he  had 
 read  it  over,  he  folded  it  up,  and  faid,  "  This  is  a  great 
 furprize  to  me  :  here  are  ftrange  words.  I  did  not  ex- 
 pert this  from  you.  This  is  a  ftandard  of  rebellion." — 
 His  own  account  is  that  "  The  King  was  much  ftartled 
 at  this  addrefs,  and  told  them  that  tho'  he  had  heard  of 
 their  defign,  he  did  not  believe  it ;  nor  did  he  exped 
 fuch  ufage  from  the  Church  of  England,  efpecially  from 
 fome  of  the  Petitioners ;  that  he  had  the  charity  for 
 moft  of  them  to  think  they  were  not  fenfible  of  the 
 harme  they  did,  him  and  themfelves,  but  that  they  had 
 been  impofed  upon  by  ill  men,  who  defigned  his  and 
 their  ruin  ;  that  it  was  a  founding  of  Sheba's  trumpet, 
 and  that  the  feditious  preachings  of  the  Puritans  in  the 
 year  '40  was  not  of  fo  ill  confequence  as  this ;  that 
 they  had  rais'd  a  devil  they  could  not  lay,  and  that 
 when  it  was  too  late  they  would  fee  their  errour,  and 
 would  be  the  firft  that  would  repent  it."* 
 
 *  "  Memoirs  writ  by  liis  own  hand."  Clarke's  Life  of  James  II. 
 Vol.  i.  p.  155. 
 
28o  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 TheBIfhopof  St.  Afaph,  and  fome  of  the  reft,  replied, 
 that  they  had  adventured  their  lives  for  His  Majefty, 
 and  would  lofe  the  laft  drop  of  their  blood,  rather  than 
 lift  up  a  finger  againft  him. 
 
 'The  King.  I  tell  you  this  is  the  ftandard  of  rebellion. 
 I  never  faw  fuch  an  addrefs. 
 
 Bijhop  of  Bath.  Sir,  I  hope  you  will  give  that  liberty 
 to  us,  which  you  allow  to  all  mankind. 
 
 The  King,  infifting  upon  the  tendency  of  the  Peti- 
 tion to  rebellion,  faid  he  would  have  his  Declaration 
 publifhed. 
 
 Bi/Iiop  of  Bath.  We  are  bound  to  fear  God,  and  ho- 
 nor the  King.  We  defire  to  do  both  :  we  will  honor 
 you  ;  we  muft  fear  God. 
 
 The  King.  Is  this  what  I  have  deferved,  who  have 
 fupported  the  Church  of  England,  and  will  fupport  it  ? 
 I  will  remember  you,  that  you  have  figned  this  paper. 
 I  will  keep  this  paper  ;  I  will  not  part  with  it.  I  did 
 not  exped  this  from  you.  I  will  be  obeyed  in  publifh- 
 ing  my  Declaration. 
 
 Bijhop  of  Bath.   God's  will  be  done. 
 
 The  King.  What's  that  ? 
 
 Bifiop  of  Bath.  God's  will  be  done. — And  fo  faid  the 
 Biihop  of  Peterborough. 
 
 The  King.  If  I  think  fit  to  alter  my  mind,  I  will  fend 
 to  you.  God  hath  given  me  this  difpenfing  power,  and 
 I  will  maintain  it.  I  tell  you  there  are  7000  men,  and 
 of  the  Church  of  England  too,  that  have  not  bowed  the 
 knee  to  Baal. 
 
 And  fo  they  were  difmiffed. 
 
 The  few  fignificant  words  of  Ken  ought  to  have 
 convinced  James  that  nothing  could  fhake  the  refolu- 
 
1 6  8  8]      Bipop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         2  8 1 
 
 tion  of  men,  who  told  him  to  his  face  that  the  fear  of 
 God  was  a  higher  duty  than  honour  to  kings.  But 
 he  "  gave  a  worfe  interpretation  to  their  refiftance, 
 than  that  it  was  meerly  fcruple  of  confcience :  he  thought 
 that,  finding  the  people  difpofed  to  follow  the  cry  they 
 heard  from  the  altar,  and  that  they  could  whiflle  up 
 the  winds,  they  were  refolved  to  raife  a  ftorm,  though 
 they  feemingly  pretended  to  lay  it."*  This  motive 
 was  imputed  to  them  by  the  bigotry  of  his  counfellors, 
 and  by  falfe  friends,  who  urged  him  on  to  dangerous 
 meafures  for  the  purpofe  of  alienating  from  him  the 
 mind  of  the  nation :  "  fycophants,"  as  he  calls  them, 
 "  who  covered  his  eyes  from  the  light."  He  fays, 
 himfelf,  "  according  to  human  prudence  his  Majefty 
 had  done  better  in  not  forcing  fome  wheels,  when  he 
 found  the  whole  machine  ftop ;  but  his  too  great  at- 
 tention to  what  he  thought  juft  and  reafonable  hinder'd 
 him  from  refleding  on  what  (to  be  fure)  had  been 
 more  fafe,  as  the  cafe  then  ftood  ;  but  it  was  the  King's 
 misfortune  to  give  too  much  ear  to  the  pernicious  ad- 
 vice of  thofe  who  put  him  upon  fuch  dangerous  coun- 
 fels,  with  intent  (as  was  fufpefted)  to  widen  the  breach, 
 and  therefore  encouraged  his  perfifting  in  thofe  ways, 
 which  he  might  have  {z^w  would  not  go  down  with  the 
 multitude."  f  What  added  to  his  pertinacity  was  the 
 perfuafion  that  nothing  had  proved  more  injurious  to 
 his  brother,  and  efpecially  to  his  father  Charles  I.  than 
 their  yielding  temper  ;  and  as  the  Petition  had  only 
 
 *  His  own  Memoirs.     Clarke's  Life  of  James  2nd,  vol.  ii.  p.  156. 
 t  Ibid. 
 
282  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 been  figned  by  feven  of  the  Bifhops,  he  did  not  ima- 
 gine the  others  would  refufe  compliance. 
 
 The  next  morning  the  fadl  of  the  Bifhops  having 
 waited  upon  the  King  was  fpread  abroad.  As  ufual, 
 many  verfions  of  the  ftory  being  given,  great  excite- 
 ment prevailed  in  the  town.  There  was  a  general  feel- 
 ing of  fympathy  with  the  Prelates,  whofe  conduct  was 
 highly  applauded.  They  appeared  venerable  in  the 
 eyes  of  all  men  as  brave  champions  of  the  Church.  On 
 the  following  Sunday,  when  the  Declaration  was  read 
 in  a  very  few  of  the  Churches,  the  people  with  one  ac- 
 cord rofe  from  their  feats.  In  the  Abbey  nobody  could 
 hear  it  for  the  great  murmur  which  arofe,  and  before  it 
 was  finifhed  no  one  was  left  in  the  choir  but  a  few  pre- 
 bendaries, the  chorifters,  and  the  Weftminflier  fcholars. 
 "Within  a  few  days,  fix  more  of  the  Bifhops,  and  many 
 of  the  moft  diftinguifhed  clergy,  exprefled  to  the  Arch- 
 bifhop  in  writing  their  concurrence  in  the  Petition. 
 
 The  King  now  feemed  in  doubt  what  fteps  to  take. 
 The  advice  of  the  Lord  Chancellor  Jefferies,  and  other 
 violent  men,  prevailed.  On  the  27  th  the  Bifhops  re- 
 ceived notice  to  appear  before  the  Council  on  the  8  th 
 of  June,  to  anfwer  for  a  mifdemeanour  in  publifhing  a 
 libel  on  the  King.  The  intermediate  time  was  now 
 fpent  in  confultations,  among  themfelves  and  friends,  at 
 Lambeth  as  to  the  courfe  they  ought  to  purfue.  Lord 
 Clarendon,  in  his  Diary,  fays,  "  On  the  evening  of 
 the  5th  of  June  the  Bifhops  of  Ely  and  Bath  and 
 Wells,  were  with  me:  I  advifed  them  to  confult 
 with  the  befl  lawyers  how  to  behave  themfelves  at 
 the  Council  board;  that  the  time  drew  near;  and  that 
 they  fhould  not  come  unprepared  to  anfwer  any  quef- 
 
i688]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         283 
 
 tlons  that  might  be  aflced  them  upon  their  Petition." 
 "  The  next  day,  in  the  evening,  the  Bifhops  of  Ely, 
 Bath  and  Wells,  Peterborough,  and  St.  Afaph,  were 
 with  me,  and  defired  to  borrow  fome  Parliamentary 
 Journals,  which  they  thought  might  be  ufeful  to  them, 
 and  which  I  lent  them."  Again  :  "  On  the  feventh, 
 in  the  evening,  the  Bifhops  were  with  me,  and  told 
 me  they  had  taken  advice  with  the  beft  counfel,  and 
 hoped  they  (hould  have  good  fuccefs  to-morrow.  I 
 afked  them  if  they  had  well  confidered  what  to  do  or 
 fay,  in  cafe  they  fhould  be  required  to  find  bail  for 
 their  further  appearance  (for  fuch  a  thing  was  whifpered) 
 and  found  they  had  not,  whereupon  I  earneftly  prefled 
 them  to  go  this  very  evening,  and  advife  with  Sir 
 Robert  Sawyer,  who  could  beft  inftrud  them  what 
 power  the  Council  board  now  had ;  and  fo  they  left 
 me,  refolving  to  go  prefently  to  him."  * 
 
 "  On  Friday,  June  8  th,  at  5  in  the  afternoon,  the 
 King  came  to  the  Privy  Council.  About  half  an  hour 
 after,  the  Archbifhop  and  the  fix  Bifhops,  who  were 
 in  attendance  in  the  next  room,  were  called  into  the 
 Council  Chamber,  and  gracioufly  received  by  his  Ma- 
 jefty.  On  being  afked  if  the  Petition  was  written  and 
 figned  by  his  Grace,  the  Archbifhop  anfwered  :  "  Sir,  I 
 am  called  hither  as  a  criminal,  which  I  never  was  be- 
 fore in  my  life ;  and  little  thought  I  ever  fhould  be, 
 efpecially  before  your  Majefty  :  but  fince  it  is  my  un- 
 happinefs  to  be  fo  at  this  time,  I  hope  your  Majefty 
 will  not  be  offended  that  I  am  cautious  of  anfwering 
 queftions.     No  man  is  obliged  to  anfwer  queftions  that 
 
 *  Clarendon's  Diary,  vol.  ii.  p.  175. 
 
284  Life  of  Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 may  tend  to  the  accufing  of  himfelf."  *  "  Thereupon 
 they  were  ordered  to  withdraw  ;  and  being  called  in  a 
 fecond  time,  they  made  the  fame  anfwer  to  the  fame 
 queftion :  but  at  the  third  coming  in,  the  Chancellor 
 preffing  them  to  own  or  difown  the  paper,  the  Arch- 
 bifhop  confelTed  that  it  was  written  with  his  own  hand  ; 
 and  the  reft  acknowledged  that  they  had  figned  it,  ad- 
 ding withal  that  they  had  done  nothing  but  what  they 
 were  ready  to  juftify.f  They  were  then  afked  if  any 
 others  were  prefent  at  the  framing  of  it.  To  which 
 they  anfwered  :  *'  It  is  our  great  infelicity  that  we  are 
 here  as  criminals  ;  and  your  Majefty  is  fo  juft  and  ge- 
 nerous, that  you  will  not  require  us  to  accufe  either 
 ourfelves  or  others."  jl  "  The  Lord  Chancellor  fell  into 
 anger  and  reproaches,  and  pretended  to  endeavour  to 
 make  them  fenfible  of  the  ill  confequences  of  their  difo- 
 bedience,  which  tended  todiminifh  the  King's  authority, 
 and  to  difturb  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  ;  and  then  at 
 laft  aflced  them  whether  they  would  give  their  recog- 
 nizances to  appear  before  the  Court  of  King's  Bench 
 to  anfwer  their  high  mifdemeanour  ?  This  they  all 
 refufed  to  do,  infifting  on  the  privilege  of  their  Peer- 
 age, which  they  were  refolved  to  maintain,  as  well  as 
 the  rights  of  the  Church  ;  being  equally  bound  by  their 
 callings  to  oppofe  all  innovations,  both  in  government 
 and  religion.  This  bold  anfwer  put  the  whole  Coun- 
 cil into  fome  amazement ;  and  the  Chancellor  Jefferies 
 threatened  to  fend  them  to  the  Tower,  unlefs  they  did 
 
 *  Doyly's  Life  of  Sancroft,  vol.  i.  p.  275. 
 f  Kennet,  vol.  3,  p.  51 1. 
 X  Doyly,  vol.  i.  p.  274. 
 
1 6  8  8]       BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  JVells,        285 
 
 immediately  recant  and  withdraw  their  Petition.  They 
 unanimoufly  anfwered,  that  they  were  ready  to  go 
 whitherfoever  his  Majefty  would  pleafe  to  fend  them  ; 
 they  hoped  the  King  of  kings  would  be  their  protedlor 
 and  their  judge  :  they  feared  nothing  from  men ;  for, 
 having  adled  according  to  law  and  their  own  confciences, 
 no  punifhment  fhould  ever  be  able  to  fhake  their  refb- 
 lutions."* 
 
 They  were  urged  again  and  again,  then  ordered  to 
 retire,  and  once  more  brought  in  before  the  Council. 
 They  promifed  to  appear  at  any  time  to  anfwer  to  the 
 charge,  but  refufed  to  give  bail,  infifting  that  there  was 
 no  precedent  for  it,  that  any  member  of  the  Houfe  of 
 Peers  fhould  be  bound  in  recognizance  for  a  mifde- 
 meanour.f  The  laft  time  they  went  in  "  they  found 
 the  King  vanifh'd,  and  Jefferies  in  the  chair,  who  ufed 
 them  very  roughly.":};  They  were  ordered  once  more 
 •to  withdraw.  At  laft,  being  all  refolved,  a  Serjeant- 
 at-Arms  came  out  to  them  from  the  Council  with  a 
 warrant  figned  with  14  hands,  to  carry  the  Prelates  to 
 the  Tower,  and  another  warrant  figned  by  1 9,  and  feals 
 annexed,  addrefled  to  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Tower  to 
 keep  them  in  fafe  cuftody.  At  the  fame  time  an  Or- 
 der in  Council  was  made,  dire6ling  the  Attorney  and 
 Solicitor-Generals  to  profecute  them.§ 
 
 Whilft  this  fcene  was  adling  within,  the  greateft  ex- 
 citement prevailed  amongft  the  crowds  of  people  who 
 
 *  Kennett,  vol.  iii.  p.  512. 
 f  Doyly's  Life  of  Sancroft,  vol.  i.  p.  285. 
 
 X  Rapin,  vol.  ii.  p.  763,  On  the  authority  of  the  Bifhop  of  Dur- 
 ham. 
 
 §  Doyly,  vol.  i.  p.  285. 
 
286  Z///'^  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 waited  without  the  Palace.  Thefe  looked  on  the  Bi- 
 fhops  as  the  great  aflertors  of  liberty,  and  martyrs  for 
 their  religion.  The  many  times  they  were  recalled  to 
 the  Council,  and  urged  to  give  bail  for  their  appear- 
 ance, fhowed  how  anxious  the  King  was  to  avoid  the 
 extreme  meafure  of  fending  them  to  the  Tower.  In 
 his  memoirs,  he  imputes  to  them  a  defire  to  force  him 
 to  their  imprifonment,  and  fays  he  would  have  taken 
 their  word  for  their  appearance, — but  they  refufed  :  * 
 whereas  the  Archbifhop  exprefled  their  readinefs  to 
 appear,  without  recognizance,  at  any  time  they  were 
 called  upon.f  Some  three  years  afterwards,  in  a  letter 
 to  Lloyd  of  Norwich,  complaining  of  a  pamphlet  of 
 that  day,  which  charged  them  with  {landing  on  nice- 
 ties, Bancroft  fays :  "  We  profer'd  y'  Ks  our  words, 
 as  honeft  men,  and  Chriftians,  and  Churchmen,  to  ap- 
 pear to  his  profecution,  whenever  he  fhould  afTign  us 
 a  day  ;  but  the  Council  infifted  upon  it  that  we  fhould 
 enter  a  recognizance  to  that  purpofe  ;  To  which,  when 
 we  anfwered  that  our  counfell  advis'd  us  (and  indeed 
 divers  of  y^  Peers  had  alfo  privately  warn'd  us)  by  no 
 means  to  doe  it,  for  that  would  be  to  betray  y^  privi- 
 lege of  y''  peerage,  and  thereupon  befought  the  King 
 y*^  he  would  take  our  words,  w^  he  could  not  think 
 we  would  falfify  to  noe  purpofe  at  all, — we  were  com- 
 manded to  withdraw,  and  foon  after  a  meffenger  came 
 out  with  a  warrant  to  carry  us  to  y^  Tower."  ^ 
 
 *  Clarke's  Life  of  James  2nd,  vol.  ii.  p.  159. 
 f  Doyly,  vol.  ii.  p.  285. 
 
 X  MSS.  Colleftion  of  Letters  in  the  pofleffion  of  Dr.  Williams, 
 Warden  of  New  College,  Oxford. 
 
i688]      Bijhop  of  Bath  mid  Wells.         287 
 
 To  prevent  the  tumult  that  might  be  occafioned  by 
 their  paflage  to  the  Tower  through  the  ftreets,  they  were 
 ordered  to  be  fent  away  by  water.  The  populace  find- 
 ing out  this  projedt,  went  round  to  the  river  fide,  and 
 teftified  by  their  acclamations  the  moft  lively  intereft 
 in  their  fate,  and  even  on  their  knees  begged  a  parting 
 blefling.  The  fame  concern  was  exprefTed,  as  the  barge 
 arrived  at  the  Tower  wharf.  Here  again  a  great  crowd 
 was  aflembled  to  receive  them  :  they  were  no  fooner 
 landed  than  moft  of  the  officers  and  foldiers  fell  on 
 their  knees  to  beg  their  bleffing.* 
 
 Hume  gives  a  moft  graphic  defcription  of  the  fcene  : 
 "  The  people  were  already  aware  of  the  danger  to  which 
 the  prelates  were  expofed ;  and  were  raifed  to  the 
 higheft  pitch  of  anxiety  and  attention  with  regard  to 
 the  ifTue  of  this  extraordinary  affair.  But  when  they 
 beheld  thefe  fathers  of  the  Church  brought  from  Court 
 under  the  cuftody  of  a  guard,  when  they  faw  them 
 embarked  in  veftels,  on  the  river,  and  conveyed  towards 
 the  Tower,  all  their  affection  for  liberty,  all  their  zeal 
 for  religion,  blazed  up  at  once ;  and  they  flew  to  be- 
 hold this  affeding  fpedtacle.  The  whole  fliore  was  co- 
 vered with  crowds  of  proftrate  fpedlators,  who  at  once 
 implored  the  bleffing  of  thofe  holy  paftors,  and  ad- 
 dreffed  their  petitions  towards  Heaven  for  protection 
 during  this  extreme  danger,  to  which  their  country  and 
 their  religion  ftood  expofed.  Even  the  foldiers,  feized 
 with  the  contagion  of  the  fame  fpirit,  flung  themfelves 
 on  their  knees  before  the  diftreffed  prelates,  and  craved 
 the  benedidlion  of  thofe  criminals  whom  they  were  ap- 
 
 *  Kennett,  vol.  iii.  p.  512. 
 
288  Life  ^/Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 pointed  to  guard.  Some  perfons  ran  into  the  water, 
 that  they  might  participate  more  nearly  in  thofe  blef- 
 fings,  which  the  prelates  were  diftributing  on  all  around 
 them.  The  Bifhops  themfelves,  during  this  triumph- 
 ant fufFering,  augmented  the  general  favour  by  the 
 moft  lowly  fubmiflive  deportment ;  and  they  ftill  ex- 
 horted the  people  to  fear  God,  honour  the  King,  and 
 maintain  their  loyalty ;  expreilions  more  animating 
 than  the  moft  inflammatory  fpeeches.  And  no  fooner 
 had  they  entered  the  precindls  of  the  Tower  than  they 
 hurried  to  chapel,  in  order  to  return  thanks  for  thofe 
 afflidions,  which  Heaven,  in  defence  of  its  holy  caufe, 
 had  thought  them  worthy  to  endure."* 
 
 The  fecond  leflbn,  appointed  by  the  Calendar  for  that 
 evening's  fervice,  was  fo  applicable  to  their  circumftances 
 that  it  was  looked  upon  by  the  people  as  providential, 
 to  fuftain  their  courage  ;  being  2  Cor.  vi.  "  We  then 
 as  workers  together  with  Him,  befeech  you,  &c.  that 
 in  all  things  ye  approve  yourfelves  as  the  Minifters  of 
 God  in  much  patience,  in  afflictions,  in  neceflities,  in 
 diftrefles,  in  ftripes,  in  imprifonments,  in  tumults,  in 
 labours,  in  watchings,  in  faftings,"  &c.  &c.  Thefe 
 words,  no  doubt,  imparted  to  the  prifoners  a  higher  af- 
 furance  of  fupport  than  any  fympathy  of  the  people. 
 They  had  their  confolation  from  the  fame  fource  as  St. 
 Paul  and  Silas,  when  they  were  thruft  into  the  inner 
 prifon.  On  the  next  day  but  one,  being  Trinity  Sun- 
 day, they  all  received  the  Holy  Communion  in  the 
 Tower  Chapel. 
 
 The  fame  State  prifon  had  formerly  witnefled  the 
 
 *  Hume's  Hiftoiy,  vol.  ix,  p.  449. 
 
1 6  8  8]       Bijhop  of  Bath  a?id  JVells,         289 
 
 fufferings  of  Lady  Jane  Grey,  Intrepid  Raleigh,  and 
 other  vi6tlms  of  defpotic  power,  whofe  names  were  ftlll 
 engraved  on  the  walls.  But  to  thefe  prelates  a  deeper 
 intereft  was  imparted  by  the  memory  of  Archblfhop 
 Laud,  and  of  the  ten  Bifhops,  imprifoned  there,  near 
 half  a  century  before,  by  order  of  the  Long  Parliament. 
 \\\  1 64 1  the  then  Bifliop  of  Bath  was  the  vi6lim  of  a 
 Puritan  democracy,  that  denounced  him  as  "  a  Papal 
 mifleader,  and  altarian  innovator :  "  and  now  his  fuc- 
 cefTor  in  the  See  was  fent  through  the  fame  "  Traitor's 
 Gate,"*  charged  as  a  promoter  of  fedition.  One  was 
 imprifoned  for  figning  a  Petition  to  an  intolerant  Houfe 
 of  Commons,  the  other  for  a  Petition  to  an  unjuft  ty- 
 rannical King :  each  in  his  day  a  fufferer  for  the  fame 
 Church. 
 
 The  Bifhops  were  not  left  in  folltude  or  negled  : 
 they  were  allowed  the  freedom  of  the  Tower  within 
 the  walls,  and  their  friends  had  leave  to  fee  them. 
 Evelyn  records  his  vifit  to  the  Archblfhop  and  Ken. 
 Lord  Clarendon  alfo  went  to  call  upon  them,  and 
 found  "  multitudes  of  people  going  in  and  coming 
 out."  "  Perfons  of  all  ranks,  from  the  higheft  to  the 
 loweft,  flocked  thither  in  crouds,  to  proffer  their  fer- 
 vices,  and  condole  with  them  in  their  fufferings  ;  to 
 exprefs  their  gratitude  and  admiration,  and  to  exhort 
 them  to  firm  perfeverance  in  the  courfe  they  had  fo 
 nobly  begun.  Among  the  reft,  ten  non-conforming 
 minifters  went  to  pay  them  a  vifit,  which  the  King 
 
 "  On  through  that  Gate  mifriam'd,  thro'  which,  before. 
 Went  Sidney,  Raleigh,  Ruffell,  Cranmer,  More." 
 
 Wordsworth. 
 
290  Liife  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 took  fo  heinoufly  that  he  Tent  for  four  of  them  to  re- 
 primand them ;  but  their  anfwer  was,  that  they  could 
 not  but  adhere  to  the  prifoners,  as  men  conftant  and 
 firm  to  the  Proteftant  Faith.  The  very  foldiers  that 
 kept  guard  would  frequently  drink  good  health  to 
 the  Bifhops.  The  conftable  fent  orders  to  the  captain 
 of  the  guard  to  fee  that  it  was  done  no  more  :  but  the 
 anfwer  he  received  was,  that  they  were  doing  it  at  the 
 very  inftant,  and  would  drink  that,  and  no  other  health, 
 whilft  the  Bifhops  were  there."* 
 
 A  letter  from  Dr.  Nalfon,  written  at  the  time,  is 
 very  exprefTive  of  the  general  concern  that  was  felt 
 for  them.  "  Our  fpiritual  fathers,"  he  fays,  "  are  under 
 confinement :  a  trial  of  patience  fo  great,  that  it  were 
 cruelty  to  expert  we  fhould  not  bemoan  ourfelves ; 
 but  if  it  be  a  crime  to  lament,  innumerable  are  the 
 tranfgrefTors  ;  for  ever  fince  the  black  Friday  fentence, 
 the  nobles  of  both  fexes  keep  their  conflant  court  at 
 the  Tower,  where  every  day  vaft  multitudes  of  all 
 conditions  run  perpetually,  all  in  tears,  to  beg  the 
 holy  men's  bleffmgs :  the  fouldiers  wait  as  mourners, 
 and  become  fo  devout,  that  though  the  fcene  be  truly 
 fad,  the  end  I  hope  will  be  the  faving  of  many,  and  a 
 glorious  confirmation  of  the  truth,  and  the  facrednefs 
 of  our  religion,  which  feems  to  be  now  brought  on  a 
 public  flage,  that  all  the  world  may  fee  more  clearly 
 her  conformity  to  what  the  firfl  confefTors  embraced, 
 and  recommended  fo  very  tenderly  to  mankind's  care 
 and  afTedion.  Thanks  be  to  God,  who  gives  us 
 Paflors  that  will  not  (nor  by  a  criminal  filence  give 
 
 *  Rerefby's  Memoirs. 
 
1 6  8  8  ]       BiJIjop  of  Bath  a?id  Wells .         291 
 
 others  encouragement  to)  lead  us  aftray.  I  need  not 
 tell  you  how  much  this  integrity  of  the  Bifhops  has 
 ferved  to  convince  their  cenfurers  of  rafh  and  unchari- 
 table conceits,  nor  how  fenfible  people  grow  of  the 
 fatal  confequences  of  weakening  the  eftablifhed  Church 
 by  a  humourfome  dread  of  her  feverity.  I  am  willing 
 to  hope  that  the  ftorme  that's  grown  fo  loud,  and 
 feems  ftill  to  denounce  terrible  things,  will  end  in  a 
 glorious  calme ;  it  will  do  fo  to  all  that  are  wife  and 
 true  of  heart.  To-morrow  it's  thought  our  illuftrious 
 confeflbrs  will  be  fent  for  to  Weftminfter  ;  they  will 
 not  be  foHtaryes  there."  * 
 
 *  State  Trials,  vol.  xii.  p.  465. 
 
292  Life  of  Thomsis  Kcn^         [1688 
 
 CHAPTER  XX. 
 
 Birth  of  a  Prince  of  JVales  —  The  Bifliops  are  releafed  from 
 the  Tower  —  Their  trial  for  a  Seditious  Libel^  and  Acquittal 
 — The  foy  of  the  People — The  Bijhops  encourage  their  focks 
 to  remain  firm  to  the  Church  of  England. 
 
 J  WO  days  after  the  imprifonment  of  the 
 Bifhops,  an  event  occurred  that  filled 
 W^^  the  Palace  with  joy,  but  ftruck  difmay 
 ^J^^^^  into  the  hearts  of  the  people  ; — the  birth 
 of  a  Prince  of  Wales.  This  caufed  the  King's  party 
 to  triumph  in  the  profped  of  a  Romifh  fuccefTion,  — 
 on  the  other  hand  it  knit  in  clofer  bonds  the  whole 
 energies  of  the  country  to  rejedl  the  perpetuating  a 
 Popifh  rule.  The  authenticity  of  the  birth  was  dif- 
 believed  :  it  was  treated  as  an  impofture  —  another 
 Popifh  Plot.  —  The  moft  abfurd  ftories  were  propa- 
 gated to  prove  the  child  fuppofititious.  The  King 
 was  exafperated  at  fo  vile  an  accufation,  refledling  dif- 
 honour  on  himfelf  and  the  Queen.  He  calls  it  "  a 
 deteftable  calumny,  of  their  having  put  a  fuppofed 
 Prince  on  the  nation."  Thus  an  event  that  generally 
 cements  the  allegiance  of  fubjedls,  widened  ftill  further 
 the  breach  between  himfelf  and  his  people.  Coming 
 at  fuch  a  moment,  it  increafed  the  general  alarm  for 
 the  fafety  of  their  religion.  The  Bifhops  were  more 
 than  ever  regarded  as  heroic  martyrs  for  the  truth  of 
 the  Protectant  Faith.  "  The  whole  Church,"  writes 
 d'Adda,  the  Pope's  Nuncio,  "  efpoufes  the  caufe  of  the 
 
1 6  8  8  ]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         293 
 
 Bifhops.  There  is  no  reafonable  expe6tation  of  a  di- 
 vifion  amongfl:  the  Anglicans,  and  our  hopes  from  the 
 Nonconformifts  are  vanifhed."*  James  in  his  memoirs 
 fays,  "  the  birth  of  the  Prince,  as  it  was  an  argument 
 of  the  greateft  joy  to  the  King  and  Queen,  and  to  all 
 thofe  who  wifhed  them  well,  fo  it  gave  the  greateft 
 agonys  imaginable  to  the  generality  of  the  kingdom."'}' 
 The  nation  indeed  was  roufed,  almoft  as  one  man, 
 to  a  fenfe  of  the  danger  that  now  threatened  their 
 common  liberties :  even  the  DifTenters  perceived  the 
 King's  real  objedl  to  be  a  toleration  of  Romanifm.  How 
 indeed  could  they  exped  a  permanent  indulgence  for 
 themfelves,  when  a  confcientious  and  humble  petition 
 from  the  Biftiops,  praying  to  be  excufed  from  an  illegal 
 aft,  drawn  up  with  fuch  fecrecy  that  no  copy  was 
 allowed  to  be  taken  in  any  writing  but  the  Arch- 
 bifhop's,  and  delivered  into  the  King's  own  hand,  in 
 the  royal  clofet  at  night,  and  on  their  knees,  was  de- 
 nounced as  the  publication  of  a  feditious  libel  ?  What 
 fecurity  could  there  be  for  others,  if  in  the  perfons  of 
 thefe  Prelates  the  privileges  of  Peers,  and  the  fandlity 
 of  the  higheft  religious  order,  were  publicly  violated  ? 
 James  exprefles  great  bitternefs  againft  the  Diflenters 
 for  fo  foon  turning  againft  him  after  the  Declaration  of 
 Indulgence,  and  adopting  the  belief  that  "  all  the  mi- 
 tigations to  them  were  only  for  the  fake  of  the  Papifts. 
 They  foon  therefore  join'd  hands  and  voices  with  the 
 Church  of  England  partie,  fo  far  at  leaft  as  to  rail 
 againft  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  talk  of  nothing  but 
 
 *   Mackintofh's  Hiftory,  p.  253. 
 t  Clarke's  Life,  vol.  ii.  p.  161. 
 
294  Life  of  Th.om3.s  Kgu,  [1688 
 
 fire  and  fagot,  as  if  Smithfield  had  been  all  in  a  blaze. 
 This  might  be  catalogued  amongft  their  other  thankfull 
 returns  for  the  King's  fnatching  them  out  of  the  fire, 
 and  loofing  his  credit  with  the  Church  partie,  for 
 haveing  gather'd  thofe  Vipers  from  the  dunghill  where 
 the  laws  had  lay'd  them ;  and  cherifhing  them  in  his 
 bofome  till  they  ftung  him  with  reproaches,  as  falfe  as 
 they  were  vilanous  and  ungrateful."  * 
 
 The  other  meafures  of  the  King,  his  appointment 
 of  a  Roman  Catholic  Council,  filling  the  army  with 
 Popifh  officers,  annulling  the  Charters  of  corporate 
 cities,  eftablifhing  the  Ecclefiaftical  Commiflion,  forci- 
 bly invading  the  rights  of  the  Univerfities,  his  arbitrary 
 and  cruel  meafures  in  Ireland,  all  feemed  of  minor 
 importance  to  this  laft  adl  of  violence  on  men  of  fo 
 holy  a  charadter,  and  now  fuftaining  the  part  of  patient, 
 humble,  loyal  fufferers  in  the  caufe  of  truth. 
 
 James  and  his  advifers  began  ferioufly  to  apprehend 
 the  confequences  of  their  precipitancy  :  even  Jefferies 
 affedled  to  deplore  the  prefent  crifis,  charging  it  on  his 
 mailer's  determined  will,  and  exprefiing  a  hope  that 
 more  moderate  counfels  would  prevail.  He  fent  an 
 obliging  mefiage  to  the  Bifhops  in  the  Tower.  Sun- 
 derland, who  all  this  while,  under  cloak  of  devotion 
 to  the  King,  was  confiftently  following  out  his  real 
 purpofe  of  rendering  his  mafter  odious  to  the  people, 
 difclaimed  any  fhare  in  the  meafure.  But  a  judicial 
 blindnefs  had  come  over  the  King.  At  one  moment 
 he  feemed  willing  to  change  his  policy,  at  another  to 
 fear  retracing  one  ftep ;  —  urged  forward  by  the  Je- 
 
 *  His  own  Memoirs.      Clarke's  Life  of  James  II.  vol.  ii.  p.  170. 
 
1 6  8  8]     Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  295 
 
 fuits,  he  thought  any  thing  better  than  to  falter,  and 
 fo  plunged  deeper  into  the  maze,  in  which  he  had  en- 
 tangled himfelf. 
 
 The  Bifhops  remained  a  week  in  the  Tower :  du- 
 ring that  time  their  friends,  and  counfel,  were  adllvely 
 engaged  in  preparing  for  their  defence.  On  the  15th 
 of  June  they  were  brought  by  water  to  the  Court  of 
 King's  Bench  at  Weftminfter,  to  plead  to  a  charge  of 
 high  mifdemeanour  againft  the  King's  authority.  The 
 river  on  both  fides  was  lined  by  fpedlators,  greeting 
 them  with  acclamations,  and  on  their  landing,  the 
 people  made  a  lane  for  them  to  pafs  through  to  the 
 Palace  Yard,  begging  their  benedidions  as  before, 
 and  thinking  it  a  happinefs  to  kifs  their  hands,  or  their 
 robes.  The  Nuncio  who  was  a  witnefs  of  the  fcene 
 defcribes  "  the  immenfe  concourfe  of  people  who  re- 
 ceived them  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  the  majority  in 
 their  immediate  neighbourhood  were  on  their  knees. 
 The  Archbifhop  laid  his  hands  on  the  heads  of  fuch  as 
 he  could  reach,  exhorting  them  to  continue  ftedfaft  in 
 their  faith ;  they  cried  aloud  that  all  fhould  kneel, 
 while  tears  flowed  from  the  eyes  of  many."  * 
 
 Being  brought  into  the  Court,  they  were  each  called 
 upon  to  plead  to  the  indidment,  which  they  did  feve- 
 rally. 
 
 Clerk.  My  Lord  Archbiihop  of  Canterbury,  is  your 
 Grace  Guilty  of  the  matter  charged  againft  you  in  the 
 indldment,  or  not  Guilty  ? 
 
 Archbijhop  of  Canterbury.  Not  Guilty. 
 
 Clerk.   My  Lord  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  is  your 
 
 *  MackintoHi's  Hiftory,  p.  262. 
 
296  Z.//^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 Lordfhip  Guilty  of  the  matter  charged  agalnft  you  in 
 the  information,  or  not  Guilty  ? 
 
 Bi/Jiop  of  Bath.     Not  Guilty. 
 And  fo  with  the  other  five. 
 
 A  fortnight  was  given  them  to  prepare  for  trial. 
 The  Attorney  General  was  inftrufted  to  difpenfe  with 
 bail,  taking  credit  for  not  wifhing  to  infill  on  anything 
 that  fhould  look  like  hardfhip.  They  were  accor- 
 dingly fet  at  liberty,  on  their  own  recognizance  to 
 appear  again  in  Court  on  the  29th,  and  "  fo  were  dif- 
 mified  to  lie  in  their  own  beds  that  night."*  Such 
 was  the  univerfal  joy  at  feeing  the  Bifhops  releafed, 
 that  they  could  fcarcely  efcape  from  the  crowd  who 
 followed  them  with  continued  fhouts.  "  When  the 
 Archbifhop  arrived  at  Lambeth,  the  Grenadiers  of 
 Lord  Lichfield's  regiment,  though  pofled  there  by  his 
 enemies,  received  him  with  military  honours,  made  a 
 lane  for  his  pafiage  from  the  river  to  his  palace,  and 
 fell  on  their  knees  to  afk  his  blefTmg."  Ken  probably 
 accompanied  the  Archbifhop,  as  he  certainly  did  after- 
 wards, when  the  trial  was  over,  for  he  was  flaying  at 
 Lambeth  Redlory  with  his  friend Hooper.f  The  Bifhop 
 of  St.  Afaph,  detained  in  the  Palace  Yard  by  a  multitude, 
 who  kiffed  his  hands  and  garments,  was  delivered  from 
 their  importunate  kindnefs  by  Lord  Clarendon,  who 
 taking  him  into  his  carriage,  found  it  neceffary  to  make 
 a  circuit  through  the  park  to  efcape  from  the  bodies 
 of  people  by  whom  the  flreets  were  obflru6led.  ijl  At 
 night  the  public  rejoicings  were  continued,   bonfires 
 
 *  Ellis's  Correfpondence,  vol.  i.  p.  350.         f  Proufe's  MSS. 
 I  Clarendon's  Djgry. 
 
i688]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        297 
 
 were  made  in  the  ftreets,  and  the  health  of  the  {^yz^ 
 heroic  Bifhops  was  drunk  with  enthufiaftic  joy.* 
 
 As  the  day  of  trial  approached  the  anxiety  of  the 
 Court,  and  the  intereft  of  the  people,  deepened  in  in- 
 tenfity.  The  more  moderate  of  the  King's  advifers 
 urged  him  to  make  the  birth  of  a  young  Prince  of 
 Wales  the  pretext  for  a  general  pardon,  to  include  alfo 
 the  Bifhops.  Had  he  followed  their  advice,  it  might 
 have  allayed  the  popular  excitement,  and  have  pre- 
 vented the  confequences  that  followed.  "  He  was  at 
 one  time  refolved  to  let  the  bufinefs  fall,  and  not  to 
 proceed  againft  them  :  but  fome  men  would  hurry  the 
 King  to  his  deftrudion."  f  He  faultered  only  for  a 
 moment :  a  lafl;  faint  gleam  of  wifdom  flickered  on  his 
 path  ;  but  every  confideration  yielded  to  his  earneft 
 defire  for  a  verdi6l  againft  them,  which,  if  gained, 
 would  only  have  increafed  his  difficulties.  The  pun- 
 ifhment  of  the  Bifhops  by  heavy  fines,  imprifonment 
 and  deprivation,  or  fufpenfion,  would  have  aggravated 
 flill  more  the  public  mind,  and  alienated  even  thefe 
 faithful  counfellors,  to  whom  he  afterwards  reforted  in 
 the  extremity  of  his  fortunes.  He  might  have  bor- 
 rowed from  their  loyalty  and  peaceful  demeanour  an 
 example  of  moderation,  that  would  even  now  have 
 conciliated  his  people.  But  not  being  fufceptible  of  a 
 lenient  judgment  of  other  men's  confclences,  a  hard 
 inflexibility  of  purpofe  prevailed  to  his  own  undoing. 
 He  had  recourfe  to  every  expedient  which  might  fecure 
 
 *  Doyly's  Life  of  Sancroft,  vol.  i.  p.  288. 
 
 t  His  own  Memoirs.     Clarke's  Life  of  James  IL 
 
298  Life  (?/ Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 the  condemnation  of  the  Bifhops.  Sir  Samuel  Aftrey, 
 who  was  to  ftrike  the  jury,  had  the  King's  perfonal 
 inftru6lions  how  to  manage  it :  Sir  Robert  Clarke, 
 and  the  Lord  Chancellor  JefFeries,  were  bufy  in  the 
 matter.  Lord  Dartmouth  was  fent  to  the  Bifhop  of 
 Ely,  to  perfuade  him  to  make  application  to  the  King, 
 — but  in  vain  ;  he  was  "  very  fteady,"  and  would  not 
 detach  himfelf  from  his  brethren. 
 
 On  the  29th  of  June,  the  day  appointed  for  the 
 trial,  the  Bifhops,  attended  by  thirty-five  Lords,  and  a 
 concourfe  of  other  friends,  took  their  feats  in  Weft- 
 mlnfter  Hall.  The  Court  was  thronged  with  a  mul- 
 titude of  anxious  fpedators  :  every  eye  feemed  rivetted 
 on  thefe  ftedfaft  aflerters  of  the  Church's  rights,  as 
 they  fat  in  front  of  the  Bench,  confcious  of  their  inno- 
 cence, cheered  by  an  univerfal  fympathy,  and  prepared 
 to  incur  any  penalty  that  might  be  inflicted  upon 
 them  in  the  caufe  of  truth.  The  Judges  had  already 
 declared  the  King's  prerogative  to  be  above  all  law. 
 One  of  them  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  the  Lord 
 Chief  Juftlce  a  creature  of  the  Court.  But  at  every 
 ftage  of  the  trial,  which  lafted  ten  hours,  whenever  the 
 Crown  lawyers  failed  of  their  proof,  or  any  other  cir- 
 cumftance  occurred  advantageous  to  the  prifoners,  the 
 Court  refounded  with  a  fhout  of  laughter,  or  an  excla- 
 mation of  joy,  from  the  crowded  audience,  which  all 
 the  menaces  of  the  Judge  could  not  reprefs. 
 
 The  trial  ended  at  feven  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
 when  the  jury  retired  to  confider  their  verdid.  Three 
 loud  cheers  were  given  for  the  Bifhops,  who  retired 
 with  all  the  privacy  they  could  to  their  houfes  ;  but 
 
1 68  8]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         299 
 
 wherever  the  people  met  with  them,  "  they  huzza'd 
 and  humm'd  them  in  great  abundance."* 
 
 One  of  their  friends  wrote  a  note  to  the  Archbifhop, 
 dated  6  o'clock  the  next  morning,  before  the  Court 
 opened  ;  he  fays,  "  We  have  watched  the  jury  all  night, 
 carefully  attending  without  the  door,  on  the  flair  head. 
 They  have,  by  order,  been  kept  all  night  without  fire 
 or  candle,  bread,  drink,  tobacco,  or  any  other  refrefh- 
 ment  whatever,  fave  only  fome  bafons  of  water  and 
 towels  this  morning  about  4.  The  officers,  and  our 
 own  fervants,  and  others  hired  by  us  to  watch  the  offi- 
 cers, have  and  fhall  conftantly  attend,  but  mufl  be  fup- 
 plied  with  frefh  men  to  relieve  our  guards,  if  need  be. 
 I  am  informed  by  my  fervant  that  about  midnight  they 
 were  very  loud  one  among  another  :  and  the  like  hap- 
 pened about  three  this  morning  ;  which  makes  me  col- 
 .le6t  they  are  not  yet  agreed  :  they  beg  a  candle  to  light 
 their  pipes,  but  are  denied."  In  a  poftfcript  he  fays, 
 "  jufl  now  the  officer  brings  me  word  they  are  all  agreed, 
 and  are  fending  to  my  Lord  Chief  Juftice  to  know 
 when  he  pleafes  to  take  their  verdidl."! 
 
 At  ten  o'clock  the  Bifhops,  attended  as  before,  and 
 the  Judges,  took  their  feats  in  Court  to  hear  the  all-im- 
 portant verdidl.  It  is  impoffible  to  defcribe  the  keen 
 interefl  that  held  all  parties  in  breathlefs  fufpenfe,  as 
 the  crier  called  over  the  names  of  the  jury.  The  caufe 
 not  of  the  Bifhops  only,  but  of  the  nation,  feemed  to 
 hang  on  the  next  few  minutes :  the  fafety  of  the  Re- 
 formed religion, — the  vitality  of  the  law — the  very  ex- 
 
 *  State  Trials,  vol.  xii.  p.  478. 
 
 t  Gutch's  Colled.  Curiofa,  Vol.  i.  p.  374. 
 
300  Life  (?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 iftence  of  liberty  were,  perhaps,  involved  in  the  refult. 
 The  Prelates  in  a  fimple  and  thoughtful  colledlednefs 
 of  mind,  the  objeds  of  an  intenfe  folicitude,  the  Judges, 
 and  other  dependents  of  the  Court,  the  Counfel,  and 
 the  multitude  of  fpedlators, — were  hufhed  into  filence. 
 
 Sir  Samuel  Aftrey.  Gentlemen,  are  you  agreed  on 
 your  verdi(5l  ? 
 
 Jury.  Yes. 
 
 Sir  Samuel  Aftrey.  Who  fhall  fay  for  you  ? 
 
 Jury.  Our  foreman. 
 
 Sir  Samuel  AJirey.  Do  you  find  the  Defendants  or 
 any  of  them  Guilty  of  the  mifdemeanour,  whereof  they 
 are  impeached,  or  not  Guilty  ? 
 
 Foreman.  Not  —  guilty. 
 
 The  firft  word  was  enough ; — the  laft  was  almofl: 
 drowned  in  a  tumultuous  and  eager  burft  of  irrepref- 
 fible  triumph:  — "  there  was  a  moft  wonderful  fhout,. 
 that  one  would  have  thought  the  Hall  had  crack'd."* 
 "  Not  Guilty  !  Not  Guilty"  !  refounded  from  fide  to 
 fide,  with  loud  and  long  huzzas,  which  were  re-echoed 
 from  without.  *'  It  pafied  with  eledrical  rapidity  from 
 voice  to  voice  along  the  infinite  multitude  who  waited 
 in  the  ftreets.  It  reached  the  Temple  in  a  few  minutes. 
 For  a  fhort  time  no  man  feemed  to  know  where  he  was. 
 No  bufinefs  was  done  for  hours.  The  Solicitor  General 
 Informed  Lord  Sunderland,  in  the  prefence  of  the  Nun- 
 cio, that  never  within  the  remembrance  of  man  had 
 there  been  heard  fuch  cries  of  applaufe,  mingled  with 
 tears  of  joy."  f  "The  acclamations,"  fays  Sir  John 
 Rerefby,  "  were  a  very  rebellion  in  noife." 
 
 *  Lord  Clarendon,  Vol.  ii.  p.  179. 
 t  Mackintofli,  p.  275. 
 
i688]       BiJiDOp  of  Bath  and  JVells,       301 
 
 James  in  his  Memoirs,  relates  that  "  as  foon  as  the 
 Verdid:  of  Acquittal  was  given,  there  were  fuch  pro- 
 digious acclamations  of  joy,  as  feemed  to  fet  the  King's 
 authority  at  defiance :  it  fpread  itfelf  not  only  into  the 
 City,  but  even  to  Hounflo  Heath,  where  the  foldiers, 
 upon  the  news  of  it,  gave  up  a  great  fhout,  though  the 
 King  was  then  adually  at  dinner  in  the  Camp ;  which 
 furprifed  him  extreamly,  not  on  account  of  the  Bifhops' 
 acquittal, — but  what  gave  his  Majefty  great  difquiet  was 
 to  fee  fuch  induftry  ufed  to  inflame  the  multitude,  and 
 fet  the  people's  heart  againfl  him,  and  that  this  infec- 
 tion had  fpread  itfelf  even  amongft  thofe,  from  whom 
 he  expeded  his  chief  fecurlty."  Startled  at  the  accla- 
 mations of  the  army,  he  fent  Lord  Feverfham  out  to 
 know  what  was  the  matter.  The  Earl  came  back,  and 
 told  the  King  It  was  nothing  but  the  foldiers  fhouting 
 upon  the  news  of  the  Bifhops  being  acquitted.  The 
 King  replied  "  And  do  you  call  that  nothing  ?  but  fo 
 much  the  worfe  for  them."* 
 
 The  jury  were  received  with  the  loudeft  applaufe ; 
 hundreds,  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  embraced  them  as 
 deliverers.  The  Bifhops  efcaped  from  the  huzzas  of 
 the  people  as  privately  as  pofTible,  and  exhorted  them 
 to  fear  God  and  honour  the  King.  *^  Ken  came  with 
 the  Archbifhop  of  Canterbury,  in  his  Coach  to  Lam- 
 beth, over  London  Bridge  and  through  Southwark, 
 which  took  them  up  feveral  hours,  as  the  concourfe  of 
 the  people  were  innumerable,  the  whole  way  hanging 
 upon  the  Coach,  and  infifting  on  the  being  bleffed  by 
 thofe  two  Prelates,  who  with  much  difficulty  and  pa- 
 
 *  His  own  Memoirs.    Clarke's  Life  of  James  II.  Vol  ii.  p.  163. 
 
302  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 tience  at  laft  got  to  Lambeth  Houfe."*  James  accufes 
 the  Bifliops  of  "  heightening  the  difcontent  by  all  their 
 little  artifices  to  render  his  intentions  fufpeded  :  for  as 
 they  went  through  Weftminfter  Hall,  the  people  falling 
 on  their  knees  in  mighty  crowds  to  afke  their  bleffing, 
 they  cry'd  out  to  them  ^  Keep  your  religion.' "  f 
 
 It  had  been  well  for  him  if  he  could  more  truly  have 
 appreciated  their  motives,  or  more  clearly  have  traced 
 to  their  caufe  thefe  tokens  of  fympathy  between  the 
 Bifhops  and  the  people, — an  affedion  for  their  common 
 religion.  But  all  his  meafures  proclaimed  that  he  was 
 no  longer  his  own  mafter.  The  treacherous  or  fanatical 
 counfellors  to  whom  his  confidence  was  given,  main- 
 tained him  in  the  fame  extravagant  expec5lations,  the 
 fame  unyielding  fpirit,  and  a  more  entire  belief  that 
 conciliation  after  defeat  would  compromife  his  autho- 
 rity. He  had  a  ftanding  army  of  30,000  men  to  over- 
 awe the  Kingdom  : — this  in  his  opinion  was  a  ftronger 
 bulwark  than  the  hearts  of  his  people. 
 
 The  rejoicings  in  London  and  the  neighbourhood 
 continued  for  fome  days — medals  were  ftruck  to  com- 
 memorate the  happy  event,  and  portraits  of  the  Bifhops 
 were  multiplied  through  the  town.  As  the  news  fpread 
 into  the  country  the  ringing  of  bells  and  bonfires  pro- 
 claimed a  jubilee,  efpecially  in  the  Cathedral,  and  other 
 large,  towns.  One  of  the  abfent  Prelates  thus  writes  to 
 the  Archbifhop. 
 
 "  Norwich,  2nd  July,  1688. 
 
 "  May  it  pleafe  your  Grace 
 "  To  give  me  leave,  among  the  thoujands  in  thefe  parts, 
 
 *  Proufe  MSS. 
 
 f  His  own  Memoirs.    Clarke's  Life  of  James  II.  Vol.  ii.  p.  164. 
 
1 68 8]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        303 
 
 heartily  to  congratulate  with  you,  and  your  late  com- 
 panions in  trouble,  for  the  moft  joyful  and  moft  accep- 
 table news  we  had  this  day  by  the  poft  ;  namely,  your 
 acquittal  from  the  crime  endeavoured  to  be  fixed  upon 
 you.  I  do  affure  your  Grace  it  hath  mightily  revived 
 our  drooping  fpirits  ;  and  I  befeech  God  to  make  us 
 all  truly  fenfible  of,  and  fincerely  thankful  for  fo  great 
 a  mercy.  I  know  your  Grace  hath  now  work  enough 
 upon  your  hands  ;  and  therefore  it  would  be  the  great- 
 eft  impertinency  to  interrupt  you  in  thofe  great  affairs  : 
 wherefore  I  heartily  blefs  God  for  your  fafety,  and 
 thereby  for  His  great  and  fingular  mercies,  vouchfafed 
 to  His  Church,  and  am,  as  in  duty  bound, 
 "  Your  Grace's 
 Moft  obedient  Servant  to  command, 
 William  Norwich."* 
 
 Another  letter  to  the  Archbiftiop  from  Scotland  fays, 
 "  It  will  doubtlefs  be  ftrange  news  to  hear  that  the  Bi- 
 fhops  of  England  are  in  great  veneration  amongft  the 
 Preft)yterians  of  Scotland,  and  I  am  glad  that  reafon 
 has  retained  fo  much  of  its  old  empire  amongft  them. 
 But  I  hope  it  will  be  no  news  to  your  Grace  to  hear 
 that  no  man  was  more  concerned  in  the  fafetie  of  your 
 confciences  and  perfons,  than 
 
 "  May  it  pleafe  your  Grace, 
 
 Your  Grace's  moft  humble  fervant, 
 Geo.  Mackenzie. "t 
 What  then  muft  have  been  the  joy  at  Bath,  —  and 
 ftill  more  amongft  the  people  at  Wells,  to  know  that 
 
 *  Gutch's  Colleftanea  Curiofa,  Vol.  i.  p.  383. 
 t  Ibid. 
 
304  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 their  cheerful  and  loving  Bifhop,  fo  juftly  dear  to  them 
 all,  was  to  be  reftored  to  his  paftoral  rule  ?  They  who 
 had  partaken  of  his  charity,  and  liftened  to  his  teaching, 
 and  fuffered  fo  much  at  his  imprifonment,  and  thought 
 to  have  loft  him,  were  now  relieved  of  their  anxious 
 forebodings.  Above  all  an  univerfal  releafe  was,  in  this 
 great  event,  proclaimed  to  the  anxious  clergy.  Their 
 own  liberty  of  adlion,  the  very  exiftence  of  the  Anglican 
 Church,  feemed  to  depend  on  the  iffue  of  the  conteft 
 in  Weftminfter  Hall.  The  battle  had  been  fought  for 
 them,  and  won.  It  was  natural  that  they  fhould  thank- 
 fully refpond  to  the  note  of  triumph,  which  reached  them 
 from  the  capital. 
 
 Well  might  the  Biftiop  of  Norwich  anticipate  that 
 Sancroft  had  "  enough  work  on  his  hands."  Whilft 
 James  was  laviftiing  all  his  attentions  on  the  army  at 
 Hounflow,  the  Archbifhop  and  his  Brethren  prepared 
 to  refift  with  other  arms.  The  King's  angry  and  haugh- 
 ty bearing,  and  the  threats  of  his  bigoted  advifers,  for- 
 told  a  greater  crifis  yet  to  come.  Their  courage  prompt- 
 ed them  to  more  energetic  meafures  for  the  fafety  of 
 the  Church,  now  that  his  hoftility  and  violence  were  fo 
 openly  brought  out  to  view.  The  facred  truft,  com- 
 mitted to  their  keeping,  was  yet  more  endeared  to  them, 
 in  proportion  to  the  difficulties  that  feemed  gathering 
 round.  All  the  proceedings  of  the  King  indicated  that 
 their  Trial  was  but  the  prelude  to  a  more  extended  plan 
 for  uprooting  the  national  faith.  The  progrefs  of  Tyr- 
 connel  in  Ireland,  Sunderland's  lately  avowed  conver- 
 fion  to  Romanifm,  the  undifguifed  joy  of  the  Jefuits 
 at  the  birth  of  a  Prince,  to  be  brought  up  in  their 
 tenets,  the  continued  appointment  of  Popifh  officers  to 
 
1 6  8  8  ]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .         305 
 
 the  army,  were  evidences  of  this.  Again  the  prolonged 
 vacancy  of  feveral  Englifh  and  Irifh  fees,  efpecially  that 
 of  York,  fuppofed  to  be  kept  open  for  Father  Petre, 
 with  other  encroachments  of  the  fame  nature,  were  de- 
 cifive  proofs  of  the  fixed  purpofe  of  James  and  his 
 Council. 
 
 Bancroft,  therefore,  at  once  fet  himfelf  to  draw  up 
 twelve  articles  of  inftrudion,  or  "  Heads  of  things  to 
 be  more  fully  infifted  upon  by  the  Bifhops,  in  their  ad- 
 drelTes  to  the  Clergy,  and  people  of  their  refpedive 
 diocefes."*  Amongft  other  exhortations  the  Clergy 
 were  called  upon  to  ufe  their  utmoft  endeavour  both 
 in  their  fermons,  and  by  private  applications  to  prevail 
 with  fuch  of  their  flocks  as  were  of  competent  age,  to 
 receive  frequently  the  Holy  Communion.  They  were 
 in  their  fermons  to  inform  the  people  (four  times  a  year 
 at  the  leaft,  as  the  Canon  requires)  that  all  ufurped  and 
 foreign  judifdidion  was,  for  moftjuft  caufes,  taken  away 
 and  abolifhed  in  the  realm,  —  and  no  manner  of  obe- 
 dience or  fubmiffion  was  due  to  any  that  pretended  to 
 ad  by  virtue  of  it :  but  on  all  occafions  to  perfuade  the 
 people  to  loyalty  and  obedience  to  his  Majefty  in  all 
 things  lawful^  and  to  patient  fubmiffion  in  the  reft.  They 
 were  to  maintain  a  fair  correfpondence,  full  of  the  kind- 
 eft  refpe6ts,  with  the  gentry  and  perfons  of  quality  in 
 their  neighbourhood, —  to  exhort  all  to  ftedfaftnefs  in 
 their  moft  Holy  Faith,  and  conftancy  to  their  profef- 
 fion, — to  take  heed  to  all  feducers,  and  efpecially  Popifti 
 emiffaries,  who  are  now  in  great  numbers  gone  forth 
 amongft  the  people,  and  more  bufy  and  adlive  than  ever. 
 
 *  State  Trials,  Vol.  xii.  p,  480. 
 X 
 
3o6  Life  of  Thomas  KtHj  [1688 
 
 "  And  forafmuch  as  thofe  Popifli  emifTaries,  like  the 
 old  Serpent,  are  wont  to  be  moft  bufy  and  trouble- 
 fome  to  our  people  in  time  of  ficknefs,  and  the  hour 
 of  death,  the  clergy  are  to  be  efpecially  vigilant  to 
 comfort  the  fick  in  their  forrows  and  fufferings,  pray- 
 ing often  with  them  and  for  them,  and  preparing  them 
 for  the  Holy  Eucharift,  the  pledge  of  their  happy  Re- 
 furredlion :  thus  with  their  utmoft;  diligence  watching 
 over  every  fheep  within  their  fold,  left  thofe  evening 
 wolves  devour  them." 
 
 They  were  alfo  to  "  walk  in  wifdom  towards  all  thofe 
 not  of  our  Communion,  conferring  with  them  in  the 
 fpirit  of  meeknefs,  feeking  by  all  good  ways  and  means 
 to  win  them  over :  more  efpecially  that  they  have  a 
 very  tender  regard  to  our  Brethren,  the  Proteftant 
 Diffenters  ;  that,  upon  occafion  offered,  they  vifit  them 
 at  their  houfes,  and  receive  them  kindly  at  their  own, 
 difcourfing  calmly  and  civilly  with  them."  That  they 
 take  all  opportunities  of  affuring  and  convincing  them 
 that  the  Bijhops  of  this  Church  are  really  and  fmcerely 
 irreconcilable  enemies  to  the  errors^  fuperjiitions,  idola- 
 tries, and  tyrannies  of  the  Church  of  Rome :  and  that 
 they  warmly  and  moft  affedlionately  exhort  them  to 
 join  with  us  in  daily  fervent  prayer  to  the  God  of 
 Peace  for  an  univerfal  bleffed  union  of  all  Reformed 
 Churches,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  againft  our  com- 
 mon enemies ;  that  all  they  who  do  confefs  the  holy 
 name  of  our  dear  Lord,  and  do  agree  in  the  truth  of 
 his  holy  word,  may  alfo  meet  in  one  holy  Communion, 
 and  live  in  perfect  unity  and  godly  love." 
 
 If  the  Bifhops  were  imprifoned  for  joining  In  a  hum- 
 ble petition  to  the  King  to  be  excufed  reading  the  De- 
 
i688]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         307 
 
 claration  of  Indulgence,  what  punifliment  might  they 
 not  expedl  for  pubUfhing  thefe  Articles,  openly  de- 
 nouncing the  Popifh  EmifTarles  as  ^  Evening  Wolves,' 
 and  the  Romifh  Church,  as  '  the  common  enemy,'  ^  full 
 of  errors,  fuperftitions,  idolatries  and  tyrannies  ! '  The 
 Ecclefiaftical  Commiffioners,  with  Jefferies  at  their  head, 
 were  ftill  thundering  forth  their  orders  to  have  the  De- 
 claration read,  and  threatening  with  heavy  penalties  all 
 who  negledled.  But  whilft  they  claimed  from  their 
 clergy  a  dutiful  obedience  to  the  King  *  in  all  tilings 
 lawful^'  no  Court  of  Inquifition  could  filence  their  re- 
 monftrances  againft  the  ufurped  authority  of  Rome. 
 
 It  was  no  fudden.  Irregular  fervour,  kindled  by  a 
 recent  triumph,  that  prompted  them  to  make  a  ftand. 
 We  have  feen  how,  within  the  King's  chapel,  almoft 
 within  his  hearing  Ken  had  '^  with  wonderful  eloquence 
 defcrlbed  the  blafphemies,  perfidy,  wrefting  of  Scrip- 
 ture, fuperftition  and  legends  of  the  Romifh  Priefts, 
 and  their  new  Trent  religion."  But  now  he  was  called 
 to  adl  as  well  as  preach  in  proof  of  his  uncompromifing 
 fidelity  to  the  Church  of  England. 
 
 The  Pope  had  appointed  four  Romifh  Bifhops,  who 
 flyled  themfelves  Vicars  Apoftolical.  They  made  their 
 circuits  through  the  country,  dividing  England  into 
 four  Provinces,  according  to  printed  maps,  and  exer- 
 cifing  an  open  ecclefiaftical  jurifdidion,  fimilar  to  that 
 of  the  Englifh  Bifhops.  They  had  publifhed  an  ad- 
 drefs  to  the  lay  Roman  Catholics,  with  the  title  of  a 
 Paftoral  Letter,  in  which  they  claimed  fpiritual  autho- 
 rity over  the  nation.  It  feems  fcarcely  credible  that 
 the  King's  advifers  fhould  have  precipitated  a  meafure 
 of  this  kind  ;  —  a  meafure  futile  in  itfelf,  and  tending 
 
3o8  Life  <5/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 to  bring  his  Government  into  contempt,  becaufe  of 
 the  very  few  perfons  who  profefled  the  Roman  faith, 
 — yet  fo  open  an  infringement  of  the  law  as  to  excite 
 the  greateft  alarm. 
 
 James  in  his  Memoirs  admits  that  even  the  recep- 
 tion of  a  Nuncio  from  Rome  was  an  error  of  judgment. 
 **It  proved,"  he  fays,  "one  of  the  firft  {tumbling  blocks : 
 it  was  His  Majefty's  misfortune  to  think  that  a  Pope's 
 Nuncio  would  render  people  lefs  averfe  to  fuffer  the 
 exercife  of  Catholic  religion  amongft  them,  by  fami- 
 liarizing the  nation,  not  only  to  the  ceremonies  of  the 
 Church  of  Rome,  but  the  Court  of  Rome  too  ;  this 
 made  his  Majefty,  befides  the  folemn  fervices  he  had 
 in  his  own  chapel,  permit  the  Monks  in  St.  James's  to 
 wear  their  habits,  and  admit  a  Nuncio  from  the  Pope, 
 according  to  the  formes  pradlifed  in  the  moft  Catholick 
 Countrys."*  It  had  been  well  for  him  if,  even  at  this 
 late  period,  he  had  receded  from  the  perilous  conteft 
 before  him,  and  returned  within  the  bounds  of  his  pre- 
 rogative. But  he  ventured  ftill  deeper  into  hazardous 
 meafures,  whofe  only  certain  refult  was  the  entire 
 alienation  of  his  people,  at  a  moment  when  a  fecret 
 and  extenfive  plot  was  maturing  to  bring  over  a  foreign 
 Prince,  and  to  wreft  from  him  his  crown  and  kingdom. 
 
 *  Clarke's  Life  of  James  II.,  vol.  ii.  p.  Ii6. 
 
1 688]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.       309 
 
 CHAPTER  XXI. 
 
 Invafion  of  England  by  the  Prince  of  Orange  —  Meafures  of 
 the  King  to  oppofe  him — Ken  and  other  Bijhops  advife  fames 
 to  call  a  Parliament  —  He  refufes  :  the  defertion  of  his  offi- 
 cers :  he  withdraws  to  France — William  calls  a  Convention 
 Parliament. 
 
 MIDST  all  this  confufion  there  was  one 
 who  kept  a  fteady  watch  on  every  turn 
 of  the  King's  wayward  policy — his  ne- 
 phew, and  Ton  in  law,  the  Prince  of 
 Orange.  Until  the  birth  of  a  Prince  of  Wales,  which 
 now  prompted  him  to  a  forward  movement,  William 
 had  been  content  to  wait  till  the  natural  courfe  of 
 events  fhould  realize  his  claims  to  the  chief  controul  in 
 England.  He  had  engaged  in  no  violent  cabals,  which 
 might  endanger  his  interefts  with  the  King  :  but, 
 holding  a  wary  intercourfe  with  fuch  of  the  Englifh 
 nobility  as  were  difaffedled,  he  knew  all  that  was  pafT- 
 ing,  and  the  exacft  temper  of  the  people.  In  this  he 
 followed  the  advice  of  Lord  Hallifax,  "  to  ftand  firm 
 and  quiet,  neither  to  yield,  nor  to  give  advantage  by 
 adling  unfeafonably."  "  Accidents  come,"  faid  that  in- 
 telligent counfellor,  "  which  either  relieve,  or  at  leaft 
 help  to  keep  off  for  a  longer  time,  the  things  we  fear ; 
 and  that  is  no  fmall  matter  in  the  affairs  of  the  world."* 
 
 *   Dalrymple  Appendix,  p.  i86. 
 
3IO  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 Each  well  confidered  ftep  of  William  was  marked  by 
 the  fame  adroitnefs,  which  had  diftinguifhed  him  from 
 his  youth.  We  have  feen  how  his  good  fenfe,  fobriety 
 of  judgment,  immoveable  calmnefs  of  temper,  and 
 untiring  perfeverance,  had  conduced  him  through  a 
 complicated  path  of  policy  to  be  leader  of  a  great  Eu- 
 ropean confederacy.  Although  chief  of  a  Prefbyterian 
 Republic,  and  of  the  Proteftant  caufe  in  Europe,  he 
 had  been  able  to  perfuade  the  Emperor  of  Germany, 
 King  of  Spain,  and  other  Roman  Catholic  Princes,  — 
 and  even  the  Pope  himfelf, — to  combine  with  him  for 
 their  common  defence  againft  the  ambitious  defigns  of 
 Catholic  France.  This  projedt  took  effedl  in  the 
 League  of  Augfburg.*  By  the  exercife  of  the  fame 
 addrefs  he  now  brought  the  various  parties  in  England 
 to  regard  him  as  the  difinterefted  champion  of  their 
 liberties,  and  the  protedor  of  their  religion. 
 
 The  birth  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  which  might  ex- 
 clude all  hope  of  his  wife's  fucceffion,  was  the  fignal  to 
 him  for  more  decifive  interference  in  Englifh  politics. 
 His  fchemes  were  conduced  under  cover  of  the  na- 
 tional ferment  on  the  trial  of  the  Bifliops.  The  clan- 
 deftine  correfpondence,  which  he  had  for  fome  time 
 maintained  with  the  popular  leaders,  now  afTumed  a 
 more  definite  character.  Amid  the  joyful  peals  that 
 fhook  the  village  fteeples,  and  the  blaze  of  bonfires 
 lighting  up  the  hills  throughout  England,  they  planned 
 the  downfall  of  James.  The  well-known  letter  of 
 invitation  to  William,  to  come  over  with  an  armed 
 force,  was  dated  the  very  day  the  Bifhops  were  ac- 
 
 *   In  1687. 
 
i688]      Bipdop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         3 1 1 
 
 quitted :  it  was  a  voice  more  ominous  to  the  King, 
 becaufe  more  fecret,  than  the  fhouts  of  his  army  on 
 Hounflow  Heath. 
 
 William's  two  great  projects,  to  curb  the  power  of 
 Louis  XIV.  and  to  depofe  James,  fo  far  from  clafhing, 
 mutually  aided  each  other.  Under  pretence  of  pro- 
 moting the  objedts  of  the  League  againft  France,  he 
 was  able  to  bring  together  extenfive  naval  and  military 
 forces  for  the  invafion  of  England.  Meanwhile  he 
 difclaimed  all  hoftile  thoughts  againft  his  father  in  law, 
 profefTing  towards  him  profound  refpecfl,  and  that  he 
 "  wifhed  paflionately  for  occafions  to  teftify  his  attach- 
 ment to  his  interefts,"  *  —  when,  in  fa6l,  his  meafures 
 for  dethroning  him  were  filently  nearing  their  accom- 
 plifhment.  The  confederate  powers,  forming  the 
 League  of  Augft^urg,  were  fenfible  how  greatly  it 
 would  aid  their  caufe,  if  he  fhould  gain  the  afcendant 
 in  England.  They  did  not  believe  that  he  afpired  to 
 the  crown.  He  was  able  to  conceal  this  cherifhed 
 objedl  under  the  guife  of  zeal  for  the  common  caufe 
 of  Europe.  On  the  eve  of  his  coming  to  England,  he 
 wrote  to  the  Emperor,  that  he  "  had  not  the  leaft  in- 
 tention to  do  any  hurt  to  his  Britannic  Majefty,  or  to 
 thofe  who  have  a  right  to  pretend  to  the  fucceftion  of 
 his  kingdoms ;  and  ftill  lefs  to  make  an  attempt  upon 
 the  crown,  or  to  defire  to  appropriate  it  to  himfelf."f 
 "  He  had  the  peculiar  felicity,  from  the  ftate  of  public 
 affairs,  to  make  his  reftlefs  temper,  and  unbounded 
 ambition,  feem  purely  the  refult  of  neceflity,  and  not 
 of  choice  :    the  glorious  pretenfions  of  reftoring  the 
 
 *   Dalrymple  Appendix,  p.  185.  f  Ibid.  p.  256. 
 
312  Life  ^^Z' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 balance  of  Europe,  and  the  invaded  liberties  of  op- 
 preffed  nations,  gave  at  leaft  a  beautiful  varnifh  to  all 
 his  undertakings."  * 
 
 Louis,  who  penetrated  thefe  defigns,  had  conftantly 
 and  emphatically  warned  James  of  his  danger  ;  and 
 offered  to  help  him  with  40,000  men,  and  a  large  fum 
 of  money,  if  he  would  a6l  vigoroufly  in  his  own  de- 
 fence :  for  he  knew  that  William's  fuccefs  would  turn 
 the  whole  force  of  England  againfl:  himfelf.  James 
 dallied  with  this  offer  ;  —  he  would,  and  yet  he  would 
 not,  accept :  he  was  reftrained,  partly  by  an  ill-timed 
 Englifh  pride,  and  partly  by  a  millruft  of  his  French 
 ally.  It  would  have  been  more  to  his  honour,  if  his 
 pride  and  mifgivings  had  prompted  him  conftantly  to 
 rejed:  the  aid  of  Louis  :  but  he  had  long  fince  conde- 
 fcended  to  receive  fupplies  of  money  from  the  French 
 King,  and  even  urgently  to  entreat  their  payment, 
 when  in  arrear.f  Had  he  followed  the  advice  of  Louis 
 with  decifion,  he  would  have  defeated  the  confpiracy, 
 now  formed  againft  him,  though  he  might  have  en- 
 countered an  almoft  equal  danger,  from  the  admiffion 
 of  a  French  army  into  the  heart  of  his  kingdom.  But, 
 as  the  notion  of  an  alliance  with  France  was  diftafteful 
 to  the  Englifli,  he  feared  the  prejudices  it  might  excite, 
 and  difavowed  the  exiftence  of  any  treaty,  when  it  was 
 charged  upon  him  ;— yet  he  was  not  believed.  \  Thus 
 halting  between  two  difficulties,  he  chofe  the  greater. 
 
 *  Echard's  Hiftory,  vol.  iii.  p.  878. 
 f  Dalrymple  Appendix,  pp.  103,  146. 
 
 X  Letter  of  Louis  XIV.  to  Barillon.      Dalrymple  Appendix. 
 296. 
 
1 6 8  8]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         3 1 3 
 
 Moreover^  he  was  lulled  into  a  fatal  fecurity  by  reliance 
 on  his  own  prerogatives,  and  his  large  {landing  army  : 
 nor  could  he  bring  himfelf  to  believe  that  his  daughter, 
 and  her  hufband,  really  intended  to  deprive  him  of  his 
 crown.  Lord  Sunderland,  and  others,  accomplifhed 
 in  the  arts  of  perfidious  intrigue,  betrayed  his  meafures 
 to  the  enemy.  The  further  they  advanced  in  their 
 fcheme  of  the  Prince's  invafion,  the  more  confidently 
 they  ridiculed  the  idea  that  any  fuch  exifted.* 
 
 The  Revolution  of  1688  has  been  mif-called  "  glo~ 
 rious."  Doubtlefs,  it  faved  the  country  from  a  Popifh 
 domination  ;  and  eftablifhed  conftitutional  principles, 
 on  which  the  complex  interefts  of  the  State  have  been 
 moulded  into  their  prefent  admirable  form  of  govern- 
 ment. But  the  immediate  means  and  inftruments, 
 which  brought  it  about,  were  fordid  and  inglorious. 
 
 Looking  at  the  adlors  in  this  great  drama  of  the 
 Revolution,  we  have, — on  the  one  hand  a  king,  fuch  as 
 James's  own  adls  have  declared  him, — on  the  other  his 
 neareft  relatives,  —  fons  in  law  profefiing  towards  him 
 a  devoted  allegiance,  daughters  bound  to  him  by  every 
 tie  of  filial  gratitude,  trufted  counfellors  fworn  to  up- 
 hold his  power,  nobles  and  commanders  paying  him 
 obfequious  court, — friends  loaded  by  him  with  benefits, 
 — all  combining  to  thruft  him  from  his  throne,  and 
 transfer  their  allegiance  to  another.  If  this  be  glorious 
 to  England,  unfwerving  juftice  and  unfullied  honour 
 may  be  no  more  recognized  in  the  dealings  of  man 
 with  man  :  —  let  the  law  of  a  heartlefs  felfifhnefs,  that 
 ''  the  end  will  jufl:ify  the  means,"  be  the  adopted 
 motto  of  politicians. 
 
 *  Dalrymple  Appendix,  p.  283. 
 
314  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 But  this  cannot  be  :- — there  are  principles  implanted 
 in  our  nature,  which  refpond  to  all  that  is  noble  and 
 truthful  in  condud;,  and  afTent  to  the  condemnation  of 
 meannefs  and  treachery.  However,  in  the  confufed 
 ftruggle  of  interefts,  men  are,  for  a  moment,  blinded 
 to  a  fenfe  of  truth  and  right,  thefe  are  the  ftandard 
 by  which  all  adlions  muft  be  eventually  tried  at  the 
 bar  of  even  human  judgment. 
 
 And  now  abundantly  appeared  the  bitter  fruit  of  a 
 previous  finful  reign.  Three  years  fince,  and  Charles 
 had  been  cut  ofF  in  the  midft  of  his  revels  :  but  the 
 influence  of  his  profligate  example  outlived  him.  In 
 banifhing  from  his  court  the  principles  of  virtue,  the 
 only  fure  bond  of  a  nation's  permanent  welfare,  he  had 
 undermined  his  brother's  throne  : — a  wholefome  warn- 
 ing to  Rulers,  if  they  will  profit  by  it.  The  moral 
 habit  of  the  nobility  was  lowered ;  the  manly  virtues 
 that  give  fl:rength  to  a  kingdom  had  deferted  the  pre- 
 cin6ls  of  the  palace.  Bribery,  intrigue,  gaming,  fen- 
 fuality,  fpread  their  corrupting  influence  over  all  within 
 its  fphere.  When  princes  are  profligate,  unbelieving, 
 unfcrupulous,  they  reproduce  their  own  vices  in  their 
 attendants.  So  long  as  they  have  gifts  to  befl:ow,  or 
 power  to  controul,  they  are  ferved  with  a  languid  and 
 felfifh  allegiance  :  no  fooner  is  their  fortune  on  the 
 wane,  than  the  corrupt  minions  of  their  favour  are  the 
 firfl;  to  feek  another  mafl:er.  James  eftimated  the 
 faithfulnefs  of  thofe  around  him  by  the  ftandard  of 
 fubferviency  to  his  own  will :  to  this  he  won  or  forced 
 them  by  all  the  allurements,  or  compulfions,  within  the 
 power  of  a  King.  He  might  have  known  that,  jufl:  in 
 the  meafure  of  their  readinefs  to  facrifice  principle  to 
 
1 6  8  8]      BiJ}jop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         3 1 5 
 
 felf-aggrandlzement,  his  courtiers  would  be  willing,  on 
 occafion,  to  betray  his  interefts. 
 
 Towards  the  end  of  September,  James  was  brought 
 to  a  full  fenfe  of  the  danger  which  threatened  him. 
 Louis  fent  him  certain  intelligence  that  the  Dutch 
 Minifter,  being  preiTed  to  avow  the  real  objects  of  the 
 Prince  of  Orange  in  colleding  fo  great  a  naval  and 
 military  force,  had  acknowledged  to  the  French  Am- 
 baiTador  at  the  Hague  that  it  was  defigned  againft 
 England ;  and  further,  that  feveral  Englifh  Lords  and 
 gentlemen  had  crofled  the  fea,  and  lay  privately  in 
 Holland,  ready  to  accompany  him  in  his  expedition. 
 On  reading  this  letter  the  King  turned  pale,  and  for  a 
 while  remained  fpeechlefs.  One  of  his  courtiers  fug- 
 gefting  that  the  Prince  might  ftill  be  diverted  from  his 
 intention,  or  be  defeated  in  the  attempt,  he  anfwered, 
 "  I  know  my  fon  in  law's  charadler  fo  well,  that  if  he 
 undertakes  any  defign,  he  will  go  through  with  it ;  he 
 will  never  be  diverted,  and  may  hardly  be  defeated."* 
 
 James's  perfonal  courage  was  unqueftionable  :  he 
 had,  in  early  life,  ferved  with  honour  under  Turenne, 
 who  had  a  great  efteem  for  him  ;  and  again  in  the 
 Spanifh  army  before  Dunkirk.  In  1665  he  fhowed 
 great  calmnefs  and  intrepidity  in  his  naval  engage- 
 ments with  the  Dutch,  expofing  his  perfon  in  the 
 thickeft  of  the  fights  ;  and  he  now  prepared  himfelf 
 with  fpirit  to  meet  the  invading  force.  It  was  not 
 until  he  faw  himfelf  deferted  by  the  great  majority  of 
 his  officers,  and  of  the  nation,  that  he  loft  his  prefence 
 of  mind.     Urged  now  by  neceffity,  he  proclaimed  an 
 
 *  Echard's  Hiftory  of  the  Revolution,  p.  140. 
 
3i6  Life  f?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 order  for  the  meeting  of  Parliament  (which  had  only- 
 fat  eleven  days  in  the  laft  three  years)  and  avowed  his 
 purpofe,  not  very  fincere,  we  may  believe,  to  maintain 
 the  Church  of  England.  He  declared  his  willlngnefs 
 that  Roman  Catholics  fhould  remain  incapable  of  being 
 eledled  to  the  Houfe  of  Commons.  Had  he  kept  to 
 his  pledge  of  a  Parliament,  his  perfon,  and  the  fuccef- 
 fion  of  his  rightful  heirs.  If  educated  in  the  Anglican 
 faith,  would  have  been  held  facred.  The  nation  had 
 not  yet  forgotten  the  miferies  of  the  former  rebellion  : 
 men  feared  nothing  fo  much  as  another  civil  ftruggle. 
 Whatever  had  been  the  King's  errors,  the  people  at 
 large  had  not  fuffered  in  perfon,  or  property,  by  his 
 arbitrary  proceedings  :  the  fentiments  of  loyalty,  and 
 attachment  to  the  throne,  are  deeply  implanted  in  the 
 minds  of  Engliihmen. 
 
 It  was  equally  certain,  however,  that  a  Parliament 
 would  not  only  declare  againft  his  power  to  difpenfe 
 with  the  laws,  but  would  curb  his  prerogative  within 
 the  wholefome  limits  of  the  conftitutlon.  It  would 
 confirm  the  exclufion  of  Romanifts  from  any  ftate  em- 
 ployment, and  efpecially  provide  againft  a  Popifh  heir 
 to  the  Crown.  James,  therefore,  notwithftanding  his 
 proclamation  for  a  Parliament,  determined  to  try  every 
 expedient,  ere  he  would  hazard  fo  formidable  an  en- 
 counter. It  appeared  to  him  an  eafier  alternative  to 
 advife  with  the  Bifhops,  whom  he  had  fo  lately  tried 
 to  opprefs,  hoping  through  their  influence  to  efi^edl  fome 
 compromife.  Bifhop  Ken  received  a  letter  from  Lord 
 Sunderland  to  fay  that,  "  the  King  thinking  it  requlfite 
 to  fpeak  with  fome  of  the  Bifliops,  he  had  it  in  com- 
 mand to  require  his  attendance  on  the  2  8thof  Septem- 
 
1 6  8  8]       Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         3 1 7 
 
 ber."  Accordingly  he  came  at  once  to  London.  The 
 Archblfhop,  being  unwell,  could  not  attend.  Ken  and 
 five  others  were  admitted  to  the  audience  at  Whitehall. 
 But  James,  yielding  to  treacherous  counfellors,  had 
 already  changed  his  mind ;  and  appeared  to  have  no 
 fixed  objedl  in  fending  for  them.  They  hoped  he 
 would  have  given  them  an  opportunity  of  offering  him 
 free  advice  on  the  meafures  which  his  own  fafety,  and 
 that  of  the  kingdom,  manifeftly  required  :  but  he  only 
 declared,  in  very  general  terms,  his  favourable  views 
 towards  the  Church  of  England,  reminding  them  of 
 their  duty  and  loyalty  to  his  perfon.  Ken,  and  others 
 of  the  Bifhops,  had  come  from  a  great  diftance  in 
 obedience  to  his  fummons :  they  were  grieved  that  it 
 was  to  fo  little  purpofe.  Ken  exprefled  to  the  King 
 this  difappointment,  faying  that  "  His  Majefty's  incli- 
 nations towards  the  Church,  and  their  duty  to  him, 
 were  fufficiently  underflood  and  declared  before,  and 
 would  have  been  equally  fo,  if  they  had  not  ftirred 
 one  foot  out  of  their  Diocefes."  *  The  King  intimated 
 that  he  had  no  leifure  to  enter  into  particulars,  and  fo 
 difmifled  them. 
 
 The  Archbifhop,  hearing  how  little  good  had  been 
 effeded  by  the  interview,  went  to  the  King  the  fol- 
 lowing day,  to  requefl  another  meeting  with  the 
 Bifhops,  that  they  might  explain  themfelves  on  the 
 prefent  emergency  of  his  affairs.  James  accordingly 
 appointed  the  3rd  of  Odiober.  Meanwhile  he  pub- 
 lifhed  in  the  Gazette  a  notice  of  the  Prince's  intended 
 invafion,  and  appealed  to  all  his  loving  fubjedls  to 
 
 *  Hiftory  of  the  Defertion  :  State  Tradls,  vol.  i.  p.  46,  folio. 
 
3i8  Zy//^  (^Z' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 defend  their  country  with  the  valour  and  courage  of 
 true  Englifhmen.  Yet,  fuch  was  his  fatuous  blindnefs, 
 in  the  very  fame  document  he  recalled  his  writs  for 
 the  Election  of  Members  to  Parliament,  on  the  plea 
 that  *'  this  ftrange  and  unreafonable  attempt  from  our 
 neighbouring  country  was  defigned  to  divert  his  gra- 
 cious purpofes/'  —  which,  fo  far  from  being  a  reafon 
 againft  the  meeting  of  Parliament,  ought  to  have  con- 
 vinced him  it  was  the  only  effedlual  meafure  for  uniting 
 all  clafTes  in  defence  of  his  juft  rights. 
 
 In  fadl,  his  enemies  feared  nothing  fo  much  as  his 
 heartily  throwing  himfelf  on  the  allegiance  of  his  peo- 
 ple by  this  return  to  the  principles  of  a  reprefentative 
 Government.  They  knew  it  would  reafTure  all  honeft 
 men  of  his  being  difpofed  to  liften  to  reafon.  Sunder- 
 land, therefore,  and  others  of  his  council,  perfuaded 
 him  to  break  his  folemn  pledge.  They  had  no  doubt 
 Parliament  would  at  once  turn  them  out  of  their 
 offices ;  and,  as  his  perfonal  prefence  with  his  army 
 was  indifpenfable,  they  made  him  believe  that  he  could 
 not  controul  the  probable  encroachments  on  his  prero- 
 gative. 
 
 On  the  3rd  of  Odlober  the  Bifliops  again  waited  on 
 the  King :  having  permiffion  to  exprefs  themfelves 
 on  the  prefent  crifis,  the  Archbifhop  read  the  paper 
 they  had  drawn  up. — It  confifted  of  lo  articles.  They 
 recommended  him 
 
 I  ft.  To  put  the  adminiftration  of  government  into 
 the  hands  of  fuch  of  the  nobility  and  gentry  as  were 
 legally  qualified  for  it. 
 
 2nd.  To  annul  the  Ecclefiaftical  Commiffion. 
 
 3rd.  To  withdraw,  and  in  future  withhold,  all  dif- 
 
 I 
 
i688]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         319 
 
 penfatlons,  under  which  any  perfon  not  lawfully  quali- 
 fied had  been,  or  might  be,  put  into  offices  of  truft  and 
 preferment  in  Church  or  State,  or  in  the  Univerfities, 
 efpecially  fuch  as  have  cure  of  fouls  annexed  to  them, 
 and  particularly  to  reftore  the  Prefident  and  Fellows 
 of  Magdalen  College. 
 
 4th.  To  withdraw  all  licenfes  for  Roman  Catholics 
 to  teach  in  public  fchools. 
 
 5th.  To  defift  from  the  difpenfing  power,  until  that 
 point  had  been  freely  and  calmly  debated,  and  fettled, 
 in  Parliament. 
 
 6th.  To  prohibit  the  four  foreign  Bifhops,  who 
 ftiled  themfelves  Vicars  Apoftolical,  from  further  in- 
 vading the  ecclefiaftical  jurifdicflion,  which  is  by  law 
 vefted  in  the  Bifhops  of  the  Englifh  Church. 
 
 7th.  To  fill  the  vacant  Bifhopricks,  and  other  eccle- 
 fiaftical promotions  in  England  and  Ireland,  and  in 
 particular  the  Archiepifcopal  chair  of  York,  which  had 
 been  fo  long  vacant,  and  on  which  a  whole  Province 
 depended. 
 
 8th.  To  reftore  the  ancient  Charters  of  the  Corpo- 
 rations, which  had  been  forfeited. 
 
 9th.  To  ifTue  writs  with  all  convenient  fpeed  for 
 calling  a  free  and  regular  Parliament,  for  fecuring  the 
 uniformity  of  the  Church  of  England,  due  liberty  of 
 confcience,  and  the  liberties  and  properties  of  the  fub- 
 je6t,  and  for  eftablifhing  between  himfelf  and  all  his 
 people  a  mutual  confidence  and  good  underftanding. 
 
 loth.  To  permit  the  Biftiops  to  offer  to  His  Ma- 
 jefty  fuch  motives  and  arguments  as  might,  by  God's 
 grace,  be  effedlual  to  perfuade  him  to  return  to  the 
 Communion  of  the  Church  of  England,  into  whofe 
 
320  Zy//^  y  Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 moft  Holy  Catholic  Faith  he  had  been  baptized  and 
 educated,  to  which  it  was  their  earneft  prayer  to  God 
 that  he  might  be  reunited. 
 
 "ThefejSir,"  concluded  the  addrefs,  "  are  the  humble 
 advices,  which,  out  of  confcience  of  the  duty  we  owe 
 to  God,  to  your  Majefty,  and  our  country,  we  think 
 fit  at  this  time  to  offer  to  your  Majefly,  as  fuitable  to 
 the  prefent  flate  of  your  affairs,  and  moft  conducive  to 
 your  fervice  -,  and  fo  we  leave  them  to  your  Princely 
 confideration,  &c. 
 
 The  paper  was  figned  by  the  Archbifhop,  Ken,  and 
 feven  other  Prelates.  It  was  dictated  by  the  fame  bold 
 fpirit  of  candour  towards  the  King,  and  of  zeal  for  the 
 public  fervice,  as  their  former  petition,  for  which  he 
 had  fent  them  to  the  Tower.  They  advocate  no  new 
 principles  or  theories  of  government,  no  line  of  policy 
 adverfe  to  his  real  interefts,  but  fimply  a  return  to  the 
 juft  limits  of  the  law,  as  already  exifting,  and  a  Parlia- 
 ment, as  the  acknowledged  inftrument  of  redrefTmg 
 prefent  grievances.  James  was  prompted  by  his  fears 
 to  adopt  their  advice  in  feveral  particulars  :  but  as  to 
 the  meeting  of  Parliament,  which  was  the  turning 
 point  of  his  fafety,  he  ftoutly  refolved  againft  it. 
 
 Bifhop  Ken,  having  fulfilled  the  duty,  for  which  he 
 was  fummoned  to  London,  returned  at  once  to  Wells, 
 and  to  his  fpiritual  offices.  He  faw  that  the  King  was 
 fpell-bound,  as  it  were,  by  the  influence  of  Jefuits  and 
 other  advifers,  urging  him  on  to  fatal  meafures  in  fur- 
 therance of  their  own  fchemes  ;  and  it  was  already 
 known  that  many,  who  were  moft  loud  in  their  hollow 
 profeffions  of  loyalty,  would  be  the  firft  to  defert  him. 
 He  felt  himfelf  unfitted   for   fuch   fcenes  :    he  could 
 
1 6  8  8]       Bijhop  of  Bath  a?id  Wells.         3  2 1 
 
 neither  flatter  the  King,  nor  throw  himfelf  into  the 
 broil  of  political  feuds.  The  only  courfe  open  to  him 
 was  to  exert  his  influence  in  maintaining  the  King's 
 interefts  within  the  fphere  of  his  own  diocefe,  to  en- 
 courage the  fliedfafl;,  confirm  the  wavering, — if  pofTible, 
 to  bring  back  thofe  who  were  giving  themfelves  to  the 
 caufe  of  rebellion.  His  paflioral  cure  was  the  loved 
 refuge  and  folace  to  him  in  every  trial ;  his  people 
 were  his  only  family ;  in  keeping  them  true  to  their 
 allegiance  he  could  not  err.  He  held  calmly  on  his 
 way  under  the  guidance  of  an  inner  light  —  gentle, 
 moderate,  humble,  —  but  immoveably  fl:eadfafl:  to  his 
 own  principles. 
 
 The  following  week  he  received  a  form  of  prayer, 
 drawn  up  by  the  Archbifliop,  which  he  caufed  to  be 
 read  in  the  cathedral,  and  all  other  churches.  It  was 
 to  befeech  God  to  give  his  holy  angels  charge  over  the 
 King,  to  preferve  his  royal  perfon  in  health  and  fafety, 
 to  infpire  him  with  wifdom  and  jufliice,  and  to  fill  his 
 princely  heart  with  a  fatherly  care  of  all  his  people. 
 To  this  was  added  another  prayer  "  for  peace,  and  the 
 prevention  of  Chrifl:ian  bloodflied  in  the  land,  for  re- 
 concilement of  all  diflentions,  for  the  prefervation  of 
 our  holy  religion,  our  ancient  laws  and  government, 
 and  for  univerfal  charity  in  the  fame  holy  worfliip  and 
 communion." 
 
 While  the  Stadtholder  was  hurrying  on  his  enter- 
 prize,  encouraged  by  frefli  promifes  from  England, 
 James  did  not  negled:  the  means  of  his  defence.  Yet 
 they  were  difproportioned  to  the  dangers  that  fur- 
 rounded  him,  —  or  rather  they  were  ill  diredled.  In- 
 fl:ead  of  concentrating   all   his  energies   to  bring  his 
 
 Y 
 
322  Liife  ^Thomas  Ken,  [1688 
 
 army  into  the  field,  and  at  once  to  put  himfelf  at  their 
 head,  he  loft  much  valuable  time  in  colledling  detailed, 
 and  irrefragable  evidence  to  prove  before  the  Privy- 
 Council  the  reality  of  the  Prince  of  Wales's  birth.  As 
 if  to  provoke  ftill  further  the  public  diftruft,  he  chofe 
 to  have  the  child  folemnly  baptized  into  the  Romifh 
 communion,  the  Pope,  by  his  Nuncio,  ftanding  God- 
 father. The  fa6t  of  the  Queen's  delivery  is  now  un- 
 difputed :  but  great  pains  were  taken  to  perfuade  the 
 people  that  it  was  an  impofture,  managed  by  the  Je- 
 fuits.  William,  in  the  public  Declaration  which  he 
 had  put  forth,  explaining  the  motives  and  objeds  of 
 his  coming  over,  laid  great  ftrefs  on  a  fuppofititious 
 birth,  as  a  topic  well  fuited  to  inflame  the  prejudices 
 of  the  nation.  If  he  really  believed  the  calumny,  it 
 was  not  creditable  to  his  judgment ;  if  he  difbelieved 
 it  (as  fubfequent  fads  would  feem  to  prove),  fo  foul 
 an  imputation  on  the  honour  of  his  father  in  law,  and 
 of  the  Queen,  compromifes  at  once  his  veracity  and 
 manlinefs. 
 
 At  length,  on  the  5th  of  November,  he  efFeded 
 his  landing  in  Torbay.  But  he  met  with  a  cold  and 
 timid  welcome,  which  damped  the  ardour  of  his  hopes. 
 The  terrible  punifhment  inflided  on  the  infurgents  in 
 Monmouth's  rebellion  was  ftill  frefh  in  all  memories 
 throughout  the  weft  of  England ;  and  fo  few  joined 
 his  ftandard,  that  he  entertained  ferious  thoughts  of  re- 
 turning. Had  James  at  once  marched  his  army  to 
 meet  him,  it  is  difficult  to  fay  what  might  have  been 
 the  refult :  but  he  committed  the  fatal  error  of  re- 
 maining twelve  days  in  London,  during  which  many 
 of  the  nobility  and  gentry  went  over  to  the  Prince. 
 
1 6  8  8  ]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         323 
 
 A  civil  war  appeared  inevitable  :  it  was  the  conftant 
 opinion  of  all  the  King's  real  friends,  that  even  now 
 the  only  hope  of  avoiding  this  calamity  was  to  call  a 
 free  Parliament.  The  Archbifhop,  therefore,  and  fuch 
 of  the  Prelates  as  were  in  town,  with  feveral  of  the 
 Peers,  refolved  once  more  to  reprefent  to  him  the 
 danger  of  the  prefent  diftradlions  by  reafon  of  their 
 grievances,  and  to  befeech  him  with  all  fpeed  to  adopt 
 this  meafure.  It  has  been  erroneoufly  ftated  that  Ken 
 was  again  in  London  on  this  occafion.  But  he  thought 
 he  could  be  of  more  ufe  in  the  country.  The  refult 
 verified  his  opinion  ;  for  a  part  of  the  invading  army 
 came  to  Wells,  which  made  it  neceflary  for  him  to 
 take  meafures  of  precaution  for  the  public  fervice,  in 
 obedience  to  the  King's  Proclamation.  He  alfo  fore- 
 faw  that  nothing  would  divert  James  from  his  refolu- 
 tion,  which  was  proved  by  his  anfwer  to  the  Petition 
 of  the  Peers :  "  My  Lords,"  he  faid,  "  What  you  aik 
 of  me  I  moft  paflionately  defire  ;  and  /  promife  you 
 upon  the  faith  of  a  King,  that  I  will  have  a  Parliament, 
 and  fuch  a  one  as  you  aik  for,  asfoon  as  ever  the  Prince 
 of  Orange  has  quitted  this  Realm :  for  how  is  it  pofli- 
 ble  a  Parliament  fhould  be  free  in  all  its  circumftances, 
 as  you  petition  for,  whilft  an  enemy  is  in  the  kingdom, 
 and  can  make  a  return  of  near  a  hundred  voices  ?  " 
 
 Thus  he  facrificed  everything  to  a  blind  confidence 
 in  his  falfe  counfellors.  He  left  London  the  fame 
 evening,  (the  17th  November)  to  join  his  army  at 
 Salifbury  ;  accompanied  by  Prince  George  of  Den- 
 mark, Lord  Churchill,  and  others.  He  arrived  at 
 Salifbury  on  the  1 9th,  but  being  deferted  by  the  unprin- 
 cipled Churchill,  and  many  of  his  chief  officers,  and 
 
324  Liife  <?/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 fearing  he  might  be  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  the 
 enemy,  he  retreated  to  Andover  on  the  24th."  *  Ken 
 mentions  this,  with  other  circumstances,  in  a  letter  of 
 the  fame  date  to  Bancroft. 
 
 "  For  his  Grace  the  Archbifhop  of  Canterbury. 
 
 "all  glory  be  to  god. 
 '^  May  it  pleafe  your  Grace, 
 **  Before  I  could  return  any  anfvver  to  the  letter  with 
 which  your  Grace  was  pleafed  to  favour  me,  I  received 
 intelligence  that  the  Dutch  were  juft  coming  to  Wells, 
 upon  which  I  immediately  left  the  town,  and  in  obe- 
 dience to  his  Majefty's  generall  commands,  took  all 
 my  coach  horfes  with  me,  and  as  many  of  my  faddle 
 horfes  as  I  could,  and  took  fhelter  in  a  private  village^ 
 in  Wiltfhire,  intending  if  his  Majefty  had  come  into 
 my  country,  to  have  waited  on  him,  and  have  paid 
 him  my  duty.  But  this  morning  wee  are  told  his  Ma  : 
 is  gone  back  to  London,  fo  that  I  only  wait  till  the 
 Dutch  have  paiTed  my  diocefe,  and  then  refolve  to  re- 
 turn thither  againe,  as  being  my  proper  ftation.     I 
 
 *  A  fhrewd  writer  of  the  day  obferves,  "  'twas  no  wonder  after 
 this  if  the  King  began  to  miflruft  everybody,  which  made  him  on  a 
 fudden  leave  his  army  at  Salifbury,  in  order  to  confider  his  condition 
 more  fecurely  at  London.  And  here  I  muft  obferve  his  ill  fortune 
 in  depending  on  his  army  at  firft  too  much,  and  now  at  laft  too 
 little.  For  'tis  very  probable  that  his  foldiers,  if  once  blooded, 
 would  have  gone  on  with  him,  and  have  beaten  the  Prince  of 
 Orange,  juft  as  they  had  done  before  the  Duke  of  Monmouth :  the 
 nature  of  Englifhmen  being  like  that  of  our  game  cocks ;  they  love 
 no  caufe,  nor  man,  fo  well  as  fighting,  even  fometimes  without  any 
 caufe  at  all."     Addl.  MSS.  Brit.  Muf.  9393. 
 
 f  No  doubt  Poulfhot,  a  fmall  village  near  Devifes,  of  which  his 
 nephew,  Ifaak  Walton  junior,  was  Redor. 
 
1 68  8]        Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        325 
 
 would  not  have  left  the  Diocefe  in  this  jundlure,  but 
 that  the  Dutch  had  feas'd  houfes  within  ten  miles  of 
 Wells  before  I  went,  and  your  Grace  knows  that  I, 
 having  been  a  fervant  to  the  Princefs,  and  well  ac- 
 quainted with  many  of  the  Dutch,  I  could  not  have 
 ftaid  without  giving  fome  occafion  of  fufpicion,  which 
 I  thought  it  moft  advifable  to  avoid  ;  refolving  by 
 God's  grace  to  continue  in  a  firm  loyalty  to  the  King, 
 whome  God  diredt  and  preferve  in  this  time  of  danger  ; 
 and  I  befeech  your  Grace  to  lay  my  moft  humble  duty 
 at  his  Majefty's  i^tt^  and  to  acquaint  him  with  the 
 reafon  of  my  retiring,  that  I  may  not  be  mifunderftood. 
 God  of  his  infinite  mercy  deliver  us  from  the  calamitys 
 which  now  threaten  us,  and  from  the  finnes  which 
 have  occafioned  them. 
 
 "My  very  good  Lord, 
 Your  Graces  very  affed: :  fervant  and  B"". 
 
 Tho.  Bath  and  Wells."* 
 
 "  Nov.  24,  1688." 
 
 Very  different  from  thefe  loyal  fentiments  was  the 
 fcene  of  treachery  which,  on  the  fame  day,  was  pafilng 
 in  the  Court  at  Andover,  within  the  difl:ance  of  twenty 
 miles  from  Poulfhot.  The  King  halted  there  on  his 
 retreat  from  Salifbury.  His  fon  in  law.  Prince  George 
 of  Denmark,  the  Duke  of  Ormond,  and  others  fupped 
 with  him, — loyalty  and  devotion  on  their  lips,  perfidy 
 in  their  hearts  :  for  immediately  after  fupper  they  took 
 horfe  to  join  the  Prince  of  Orange  at  Sherborne. 
 Prince  George  might,  at  leafl:,  have  had  the  decency 
 to  abftain  from  his  father's  table,  which  he  polluted  by 
 
 *  Round's  Profe  Works  of  Thomas  Ken. 
 
326  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,  [1688 
 
 his  prefence,  and  from  which  he  rofe  only  to  perpetrate 
 his  long  meditated  treachery.  He  left  behind  him  a 
 mean  letter  to  the  King,  beginning,  "  With  a  heart 
 full  of  grief  am  I  forced  to  write  what  prudence  will 
 not  permit  me  to  fay  to  your  face,"  and  figned  himfelf 
 "  Your  Majeftys  moft  obedient  and  humble  fervant 
 and  fon."  He  was  a  poor  creature,  as  weak  in  intel- 
 ledl  as  in  principle.  James  declares,  in  his  memoirs, 
 that  "  he  was  more  troubled  at  the  unnaturalnefs  of 
 the  aftion  than  the  want  of  his  fervices,  for  that  the 
 lofs  of  a  good  trooper  would  have  been  of  greater 
 confequence."  *  His  only  anfwer  to  the  letter  was  to 
 fend  his  fervants  and  equipage  after  him,  which,  if  the 
 Prince  had  a  fpark  of  feeling,  muft  have  been  a  keen 
 and  contemptuous  reproof,  f 
 
 On  the  24th  of  November  the  King  continued  his 
 retreat  :  he  gave  orders  to  diftribute  his  forces  in  the 
 different  villages  between  Windfor  and  London,  and 
 arrived  the  next  day  at  Whitehall,  weary  and  enfeebled 
 in  body,  diftradled  and  haraffed  in  fpirit.  He  might 
 hope  at  lead  to  find,  if  only  for  a  fhort  interval,  the 
 refrefhing  fenfe  of  tendernefs  and  affed;ion  in  his  family 
 circle.  Scarcely,  however,  had  he  received  the  firft 
 welcome  of  the  Queen,  when  his  enquiries  for  the 
 Princefs  Anne,  to  whom  he  had  ever  been  an  indul- 
 gent parent,  were  met  by  the  intelligence  that  fhe  had 
 
 *  His  own  Memoirs.     Clarke's  Life  of  James  II.  vol.  ii.  p.  225. 
 
 f  He  had  a  filly  trick  of  expreffing  his  wonder  on  every  occafion 
 by  "  eft  il  poffible."  When  the  King  heard  in  the  morning  that  he 
 had  followed  the  example  of  others  in  efcaping  to  the  enemy,  he 
 faid  fneeringly,  "  fo  eft  il  pojftble  is  gone  too."     Ibid,  in  the  note. 
 
i688]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        327 
 
 fecretly  left  the  palace  the  night  before,  in  a  hackney 
 coach,  with  the  Bifhop  of  London  and  Lady  Church- 
 hill,  and  was  gone  to  meet  the  Prince  of  Orange. 
 Well  might  the  father's  heart  fink  within  him  at  this 
 aftounding  news  :  —  the  bitter  cup  of  adverlity  was 
 now  well  nigh  full.  He  burft  into  tears.  His  own 
 daughter,  forgetting  all  the  tendernefs  of  her  fex,  the 
 inftin6ts  of  nature,  the  motives  of  filial  gratitude,  duty, 
 allegiance  and  piety — clandeflinely  fled  from  his  palace 
 to  aid  the  fuccefsful  invader  of  his  throne !  Nor  was 
 this  from  any  fudden  impulfe  of  duty  to  her  hufband  ; 
 for  fhe  had  long  known,  and  acquiefced  in,  the  propofed 
 invafion,  and  fome  days  previous  to  the  flight  of  Prince 
 George  had  written  to  William,  exprefling  her  impa- 
 tience to  join  him.  It  might  be  that  her  attachment 
 to  the  Anglican  Church  fuperfeded  all  other  affedtions. 
 Let  charity  offer  this  palliation ;  it  can  never  jufl:ify 
 the  unnatural  and  irreligious  a6l. 
 
 "  It  was  on  this  occafion,"  fays  James  in  his  Me- 
 moirs, "  that  finding  himfelf  in  the  like  circumflances 
 with  King  David,  he  cry'd  out  with  him,  *  Oh  if  my 
 enemys  only  had  curs'd  me,  I  could  have  borne  it : ' 
 but  it  was  an  inexpreffible  grief  to  fee  thofe  he  had 
 favour'd,  cherifli'd,  and  exalted,  nay  his  own  children, 
 rife  thus  In  oppofition  againft  him.  This  was  what 
 required  a  more  than  natural  force  to  fupport :  thofe 
 fl:rokes  had  been  lefs  fenfible,  had  they  come  f^om 
 hands  lefs  dear  to  him ;  but  being  delivered  over  to 
 all  the  contradidlions  that  malice  or  ingratitude  could 
 throw  in  his  way,  he  faw  no  hopes  of  redrefs,  fo  turned 
 his  whole  attention  how  to  fave  the  Queen,  and  the 
 
328  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 Prince  his  forij  and  caft  about  which  way  to  do  it  with 
 moft  fecurity  and  fecrecy."  * 
 
 We  may  haften  over  the  next  fix  weeks,  full  as  they 
 were  of  ftirring  events,  and  offering  to  the  hiftorical 
 reader  one  of  the  moft  interefting  and  inftruftive  epochs 
 in  the  annals  of  England.  The  King,  having  returned 
 to  London,  at  length  iffued  a  Proclamation  for  the 
 meeting  of  Parliament.  Had  he  done  this  earlier,  or 
 even  now  caufed  the  two  Houfes  to  meet,  he  might 
 have  preferved  his  throne  :  for  though  he  had  himfelf 
 violated  the  Conftitution,  they  would,  no  doubt,  have 
 maintained  his  rights.  The  great  bulk  of  the  nation, 
 in  joining  the  Prince,  intended  only  to  guard  their  re- 
 ligion and  liberties.  But  James's  advifers  knowing 
 the  meafure  would  feal  their  downfall  and  difgrace, 
 perfuaded  him,  rather  than  fubmit  to  any  compromife, 
 to  throw  himfelf  into  the  arms  of  the  French  King, 
 who  would  foon  enable  him  to  return  with  a  powerful 
 army  to  recover  his  throne.  In  an  evil  hour  he  adopted 
 this  advice.  He  had  already  fent  over  the  Queen  and 
 the  young  Prince ;  and  on  the  i  ith  of  December,  to 
 the  joy  of  the  Stadtholder,  and  the  amazement  of  the 
 nation,  he  withdrew  fecretly  from  Whitehall,  and  made 
 for  the  coaft.  He  fays,  "  things  were  come  to  that 
 extremity,  by  the  general  defection  of  the  nobility, 
 gentry,  and  clergy  ;  by  the  fcandalous  defertion  of  the 
 chief  officers  and  others  in  the  army,  as  gave  little 
 reafon  to  truft  thofe  who  remained ;  fo  that  no  other 
 counfel   could  reafonably  be  embraced,   but   to   quit 
 
 *  Clarke's  Life  of  James  II.,  vol.  ii.  p.  229. 
 
1 68  8]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         329 
 
 the   kingdom   with  as   much   fecrecy   as   he   poiTibly 
 could."  * 
 
 He  was  difcovered  at  Feverfham  by  fome  fifhermen, 
 and  very  roughly  handled  by  the  mob  :  but  the  next 
 day  thefe  tidings  being  brought  to  the  council,  they  Tent 
 a  detachment  of  troops  to  protedt  his  perfon,  and  in- 
 vite his  return.  Accordingly  on  the  i  ^th,  by  one  of 
 thofe  ftrange  viciffitudes  which  baffle  all  calculation,  he 
 made  his  entry  again  into  London  amidft  the  loud 
 welcomes  of  the  inconftant  populace.  Bonfires,  peals 
 of  bells,  and  all  imaginable  marks  of  love  and  efteem, 
 made  it  wear  the  appearance  of  a  day  of  triumph. 
 Thefe  exprefTions  of  regard  were  prompted  by  a  mo- 
 mentary, but  generous  feeling  of  pity  at  hearing  of  his 
 ill  treatment. 
 
 The  Prince,  who  had  advanced  his  army  without 
 oppofition  to  Windfor,  hearing  of  this  unfettled  tem- 
 per of  the  people,  could  not  reftrain  his  refentment 
 againft  thofe  who  had  promoted  the  King's  return. 
 He  now  had  recourfe  to  unworthy  expedients  to  force 
 him,  by  fears  for  his  perfonal  fafety,  to  fly  once  more. 
 The  foreign  guards  were  ordered  to  take  up  their 
 quarters  at  Whitehall.  James  retired  to  reft  in  the 
 midft  of  them  :  but  at  midnight,  whilft  he  was  in  bed, 
 a  warrant  was  delivered  to  him  from  the  Prince,  order- 
 ing him  to  leave  the  palace  before  ten  o'clock  the  next 
 morning,  the  i8th  December.  The  full  fenfe  of  his 
 danger  prompted  him  once  more  to  the  conviction  that 
 his  only   courfe  was  to  efcape  to   France.     He  was 
 
 *  His  own  Memoirs.  Clarke's  Hiftory  of  James  II.,  vol.  ii.  p. 
 241. 
 
330  Liife  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 allowed  to  proceed  to  Rochefter,  from  whence,  by 
 William's  order,  every  facility  of  efcape  was  afforded 
 him;  and  on  the  25th  he  for  ever  left  England  to 
 take  refuge  with  a  foreign  Prince.  The  generous 
 long-enduring  fympathy  of  Louis  exhibited  a  forcible 
 contraft  to  the  felfifh  and  inflexible  ambition  of  his 
 own  fon  in  law. 
 
 Within  a  few  days  of  the  King's  removal  from 
 London  William  came  to  the  palace  with  his  Dutch 
 troops,  the  rabble  crowding  and  fliouting  round  him, 
 as  they  had  done  a  few  days  before  for  James.  The 
 Courtiers  who,  as  but  yefterday,  waited  on  the  King, 
 now  haflened  to  pay  their  duty  to  the  ufurper  of  his 
 throne.  William,  aftoniflied  at  their  ficklenefs,  re- 
 folved  not  to  truft  them,  until  he  had  adjufted  the 
 clafhing  interefts  of  all  parties  to  the  prefent  pofture  of 
 his  fortunes.  In  contraft  with  his  own  intentnefs  of 
 purpofe  he  difcerned  the  inconfiftency  of  thofe  he  had 
 to  deal  with.  He  conduced  himfelf  with  admirable 
 difcretion  and  calmnefs :  he  faid  little ;  and  by  no  ac5l 
 did  he  overftep  the  pofition  of  a  provident  general, 
 quartering  his  army  in  and  near  the  capital  of  a  friendly 
 nation  he  was  come  to  refcue  from  oppreffion.  This 
 was  the  turn  he  fucceeded  in  giving  to  the  public  mind, 
 which  he  had  the  tacSt  to  feem  always  to  follow,  rather 
 than  lead. 
 
 On  the  20th  the  Sheriffs,  and  a  deputation  from  the 
 city,  had  an  audience  to  exprefs  their  fenfe  of  gratitude 
 and  attachment.  On  the  25th  the  Lords,  having  met 
 in  their  own  Houfe,  voted  an  addrefs,  defiring  his 
 Highnefs  to  take  upon  him  the  temporary  manage- 
 ment of  affairs,  and  to  caufe  letters  to  be  written,  fub- 
 
1 6  8  8]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  tVelh.        3  3 1 
 
 fcrlbed  by  himfelf,  to  the  counties,  unlverfities  and 
 towns,  diredling  them  to  choofe  members  who  fhould 
 aflemble  in  Parliament.  The  Prince  did  not  coniider 
 their  authority  fufficient,  without  an  equal  fandtion 
 from  the  Commons  ;  and  before  he  would  return  any 
 anfwer  he  invited  all  who  had  ferved  in  any  of  the 
 Parliaments  of  Charles  II.,  alfo  the  Lord  Mayor  and 
 Aldermen,  and  fifty  of  the  Common  Council,  to  wait 
 upon  him.  Accordingly  160  members,  with  the  citi- 
 zens, came  to  St.  James's  on  the  26th,  and  being  made 
 acquainted  with  the  ftate  of  affairs,  were  defired  to 
 meet  for  deliberation  in  the  Houfe  of  Commons  in 
 Weftminfter.  This  they  immediately  did,  made  choice 
 of  their  fpeaker,  and  concurred  in  the  addrefs  of  the 
 Lords.  Under  this  joint  authority,  the  Prince  iffued 
 his  fummons  for  the  meeting  of  a  Convention  on  the 
 22nd  of  January.  The  30th  of  December,  being 
 Sunday,  he  received  the  Holy  Communion  according 
 to  the  rites  of  the  Church  of  England. 
 
22^  Z///^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1688 
 
 CHAPTER  XXII. 
 
 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  Revolu- 
 tion  confidered. 
 
 HE  Hlftory  of  James  II.  prefents  to  us 
 the  fpedacle  of  a  king,  facrificing  his 
 inherited  crown,  and  all  that  life  had  to 
 offer  of  power,  honour,  or  happinefs,  to 
 the  vain  hope  of  re-eftablifhing  Romanifm,  which  had 
 long  been  rejedled  by  the  nation.  Mr.  Fox  imputes 
 to  him  the  love  of  arbitrary  power,  as  his  mafter  paf- 
 fion  :  we  may  rather  afcribe  his  afts  to  a  fincere  attach- 
 ment to  his  religion,  and  the  di6lates  of  confcience. 
 The  whole  hiftory  of  the  world  teems  with  examples 
 of  errors,  and  even  crimes,  committed  under  the  fanc- 
 tion  of  a  miftaken  confcience.  The  aflaffin  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  caufe  of  the  Catholic  religion,  it  would 
 tend  to  the  glory  of  God.  Oliver  Cromwell's  con- 
 fcience, if  we  are  to  believe  his  own  aflertions,  prompt- 
 ed him  to  bring  Charles  to  the  block.  The  religious 
 perfecutions  of  all  fedls,  in  all  times, — and  the  alternate 
 yoke  of  opprefTors,  in  whatever  caufe,  have  been  de- 
 fended on  the  fame  falfe  plea.    Confcience  has  a  varying 
 
1 6  8  8 ]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         333 
 
 ftandard  in  every  individual  mind, — true,  when  fhe 
 prompts  us  to  the  exercife  of  Chriftian  love,  but  a 
 fubtle  betrayer,  whenever  fhe  would  juftify  the  a6ls  of 
 a  violent  or  felfifh  will.  James's  confcience  was  in  the 
 keeping  of  Father  Petre,  and  Signor  D'Adda,  "  a  fine 
 fhowy  fop,  making  love  to  the  ladies."  *  Under  their 
 guidance  he  would  have  impofed  a  yoke  on  England, 
 in  the  confidence  that  he  could  interpret  the  Divine 
 Will,  which  he  was  confcientioufly  refolved  to  accom- 
 plifh  by  his  own  means, — and  fo  forfeited  the  kingdom 
 for  himfelf  and  his  pofterity. 
 
 It  may  be  well  afked  what  became  all  this  time  of 
 the  Jefuits,  Monks,  and  Roman  Counfellors,  who  had 
 been  the  adlive  agents  of  mifchief,  and  the  immediate 
 caufe  of  the  King's  downfall.  They  were  abfolutely 
 put  to  the  rout :  fome  efcaped  to  France,  others  hid 
 themfelves  ;  their  chapels  were  burnt  or  pillaged  by 
 the  mob.  A  letter  from  Father  Con  to  the  Provincial 
 of  the  Jefuits  at  Rome  gives  a  lively  pidlure  of  their 
 confufion,  and  of  their  own  folly  that  brought  it 
 about. 
 
 *  Father  Con's  letter.  Clarendon's  Correfpondence  and  Diary, 
 vol.  ii.  p.  506.  In  his  after  Memoirs  the  King  admits  that  D'Adda 
 was  very  ill  chofen  as  Nuncio,  "  being  but  a  young  man,  who  had 
 appear'd  at  court  for  fome  time  in  a  fecular  capacity,  and  therefore 
 very  improper  to  draw  that  reverence  and  refpedl  which  is  due  to 
 fuch  a  charadler,  efpecially  from  a  people  of  a  different  religion,  and 
 who  being  apt  to  turn  the  moft  facred  things  into  ridicule,  would 
 hardly  be  perfuaded  that,  by  a  man's  entering  into  orders,  gravitie, 
 experience,  learning,  and  all  other  qualifications  fit  for  a  Bilhop, 
 would  be  confer'd  in  an  inftant,  as  in  the  Apoftles'  time."  Clarke's 
 Life  of  James  II.,  vol.  ii.  p.  117. 
 
334  Zy//'^  <?/' Thomas  Ken,  [1688 
 
 "  London,  lo  Dec.  1688. 
 
 "  Honour'd  Father  William, 
 "  There  is  now  an  end  of  all  the  pleafing  hopes  of 
 feeing  our  holy  religion  make  a  progrefs  in  this  coun- 
 try. The  King  and  Queen  are  fled,  their  adherents 
 are  left  to  themfelves,  and  a  new  Prince,  with  a  foreign 
 army,  has  got  pofleflion  without  the  leaft  refiftance. 
 It  is  a  thing  unfeen,  unheard  of,  unrecorded  in  hiftory, 
 that  a  king  in  peaceful  pofleffion  of  his  realm,  with 
 an  army  of  30,000  fighting  men,  and  40  fhips  of 
 war,  fliould  quit  his  kingdom  without  firing  a  piftol. 
 The  foreigners  themfelves  who  have  got  pofleflion  are 
 aftonifhed  at  their  own  fuccefs,  and  laugh  at  the  Englifli 
 for  their  cowardice  and  difloyalty  to  their  Prince.  It 
 looks  as  if  heaven  and  earth  had  confpired  againfl  us. 
 But  this  is  not  all ;  the  great  evil  comes  from  our- 
 felves ;  our  own  imprudence,  avarice,  and  ambition 
 have  brought  all  this  upon  us.  The  good  king  has 
 made  ufe  of  fools,  knaves,  and  blockheads  ;  and  the 
 great  minifter  that  you  fent  hither  has  contributed  alfo 
 his  fhare.  Inftead  of  a  moderate,  difcreet  and  faga- 
 cious  minifter,  you  fent  a  mere  boy,  a  fine  fiiowy  fop  to 
 make  love  to  the  ladies ; 
 
 Egregiam  verb  laudem,  et  fpolia  ampla  tuliftis. 
 
 But  enough  on  this  head,  my  dear  friend  ;  the  whole 
 affair  is  over.  I  am  only  forry  that  I  made  one  among 
 fo  many  madmen,  who  were  incapable  of  either  dire(5l- 
 ing  or  governing.  I  now  return,  as  I  can,  with  the 
 little  family  *  to  a  land  of  Chriftians :  this  unhappy 
 voyage  cofl:s  me  dear  :  but  there  is  no  help  for  it. 
 
 *  i.  e.  the  Jefuits. 
 
1 6 8  8]        Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        335 
 
 The  profpe(5l  was  fair,  if  the  bufinefs  had  been  in  the 
 hands  of  men  of  fenfe  ;  but,  to  our  difgrace,  the  helm 
 was  held  by  rogues.  I  have  already  paid  the  compli- 
 ments of  the  new  year  to  our  patrons  ;  and  I  now  do 
 the  fame  to  you  and  to  all  friends.  If  God  grants  me 
 a  fafe  pafTage  beyond  fea,  you  fhall  hear  from  me. 
 
 "  I  remain  as  ufual. 
 "  A  Scotch  gentleman  named  Salton  who  is  arrived 
 here  from  P.  D.  O.  fends  his  refpedls  to  you,  and 
 Signore  Tomafo.  The  confufion  here  is  great,  nor  is 
 it  known  what  is  likely  to  be  the  event,  much  lefs 
 what  it  will  be  :  but  for  us  there  is  neither  faith  nor 
 hope  left.  We  are  totally  put  to  the  rout  this  time, 
 and  the  Fathers  of  our  Holy  Company  have  contri- 
 buted their  part  towards  this  deftrudlion.  All  the  reft 
 Bifhops,  Confeflbrs,  Friars  and  monks  have  aded 
 with  little  prudence."  * 
 
 As  foon  as  it  was  known  that  the  King  had  gone 
 away  the  fecond  time,  Archbifhop  Bancroft  wrote  to 
 Ken,  Lloyd,  and  others,  requiring  their  attendance. 
 "  My  Lord ;  the  great  Revolutions,  which  have  of 
 late  been  here,  and  y^  perplext  eftate  of  affairs,  con- 
 fequent  thereupon,  have  made  it  not  only  mine,  but 
 the  opinion  of  all  our  Brethren  here,  that  you  fhould 
 make  all  convenient  haft  up  hither,  Wiftiing  you  a 
 profperous  journey. 
 
 I  remain  Y""  very  affe6t.  Brother 
 
 "  Lambh.  H.  Dec.  18,  1688."  W.  CanT."! 
 
 The  letter  reached  Ken  within  48  hours  of  the  time 
 
 *  Lord  Clarendon's  Correfpondence  and  Diary,  vol.  ii.  p.  506. 
 t  MSS.  Dr.  Williams's  Colleftion. 
 
336  Life  of  Thomsis  Ken y         [1688 
 
 he  was  to  hold  an  Ordhiation  in  his  cathedral.  He 
 did  not  hefitate  in  deciding  which  was  his  paramount 
 duty :  he  proceeded  with  the  appointed  work  of  the 
 Church.  Chriftmas  and  the  following  days  being  holy 
 Feftivals,  he  was  not  difpofed  to  mix  in  political  tur- 
 moils, and  promifed  to  come  up  as  foon  as  the  weather 
 would  permit.* 
 
 The  Prince  maintained  an  impenetrable  referve  as 
 to  his  next  movements :  but  his  friends  and  partizans 
 were  encouraged  to  prepare  the  public  mind  for  his 
 taking  poffeffion  of  the  throne :  they  "  marfhail'd 
 him  the  way  that  he  was  going,"  loudly  proclaiming 
 his  virtues,  and  the  debt  of  gratitude  the  nation  owed 
 him  for  their  deliverance  from  tyranny  and  Popery. 
 The  prefs  teemed  with  laudatory  trails,  and  argu- 
 ments to  prove  his  title  to  the  crown.  "  The  Prince 
 of  Orange,  who  had  more  intereft  than  any  in  what 
 was  to  follow,  feemed  the  only  perfon  in  England  un- 
 concerned amidft  the  univerfal  ferment.  He  went 
 little  abroad  :  he  was  difficult  of  accefs.  When  accefs 
 was  obtained,  he  appeared  civil,  but  not  cordial,  liftened 
 with  attention,  but  anfwered  not ;  and  the  few  ques- 
 tions he  afked  feemed  to  proceed  only  from  the  com- 
 mon curiofity  of  a  ftranger.  He  even  went  a  hunting, 
 and  dined  at  a  private  gentleman's  houfe  in  the  country, 
 two  days  before  the  Convention  was  to  take  the  great 
 queftion  of  the  Settlement  into  confideration.  In  the 
 whole  of  his  behaviour  he  not  only  kept,  but  affeded 
 to  fhow  that  he  kept,  his  inclinations  concerning  the 
 future  meafures  of  the  Convention  a  myftery ;  either 
 
 *  Tanner  MSS.  vol.  xxviii.  p.  299. 
 
1 688]       Bifi)Op  of  Bath  and  Wells.         3  37 
 
 from  grandeur  of  mind,  or  from  the  affedlation  of  it ; 
 or  perhaps  from  a  defire  to  fee  the  character  and  ac- 
 tions of  the  Englifh  in  their  native  colours."  * 
 
 The  Declaration  of  the  Prince,  before  his  landing, 
 led  the  world  to  believe  that  he  aimed  at  nothing  be- 
 yond a  Regency  :  it  explicitly  ftates  that  "  he  had  no 
 other  view  than  to  eftablifh  the  lawful  Government, 
 according  as  a  free  Parliament  fhould  find  neceffary 
 for  the  peace,  honour  and  fafety  of  the  Kingdom,  fo 
 that  there  may  be  no  more  danger  of  its  falling  at  any 
 time  hereafter  under  arbitrary  government."  'f  This 
 is  confirmed  by  his  reference  to  the  rights  of  the  Prin- 
 cefs,  intimating  that  ihe  was  entitled  to  the  fuccefTion 
 after  her  father's  death.  Clarendon  fays  that  fo  late  as 
 the  4th  of  December,  at  Salifbury,he  was  told  by  Monfr. 
 Bentinck,  the  mofl  confidential  friend  of  the  Prince,  that 
 "  his  Highnefs  had  adled  in  conformity  with  his  De- 
 claration throughout ;  though  there  are  not  evil  men 
 wanting,  who  give  it  out  that  the  Prince  afpires  at  the 
 Crown,  which  is  the  moji  wicked  infinuation  that  could 
 be  invented ;  that  though  three  Kingdoms  would  be  a 
 great  temptation  to  other  men,  yet  it  would  appear 
 the  Prince  preferred  his  word  before  all  other  things 
 in  the  world,  and  would  purfue  his  Declaration,  in 
 endeavouring  to  fettle  all  matters  here  upon  a  true 
 foundation."  It  is  certain  that,  before  James  withdrew 
 from  the  kingdom,  the  great  majority  of  the  nobles 
 and  gentry,  bifhops  and  clergy,  entertained  no  other 
 thoughts  than  a  Regency  :   it  was  not  until  after  the 
 
 *  Dalrymple's  Memoirs,  p.  257. 
 f   Hiftory  of  the  Defertion,  p.  72. 
 Z 
 
338  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 King  had  gone  away  that  the  ulterior  views  of  the 
 Prince  began  to  unfold  themfelves. 
 
 Ken,  being  fummoned  to  the  Houfe  of  Lords,  did 
 not  fail  to  be  prefent  on  fo  folemn  an  occafion,  when  the 
 interefts  of  the  Church  and  of  the  Crown  were  at  ftake. 
 He  could  hardly  doubt  that,  in  the  perplexed  difcuf- 
 fions  and  jarring  interefts  of  party  men,  he  would  have 
 to  take  a  line  adverfe  to  the  Prince,  who  was  in  all 
 probability  to  wear  the  crown.  This  caufed  him  no 
 indecifion  :  there  was  no  feeblenefs  of  purpofe  in  any 
 courfe  he  had  ever  purfued.  His  frank  fimplicity  was 
 one  of  the  main  elements  of  his  calmnefs  in  all  emer- 
 gencies :  he  felt  no  anxiety  to  ingratiate  himfelf  with 
 thofe  in  power  by  a  compromife  of  principle.  He 
 was  at  Lambeth  Palace  on  the  loth  of  January  1689, 
 Bancroft  being  very  defirous  to  have  the  advice  of  the 
 Bifhops  at  the  prefent  crifis.  We  have  a  letter  from 
 Dr.  Turner,  Bifhop  of  Ely,  apologizing  for  his,  and 
 his  Brethren's  unwelcome  importunities  with  the  Arch- 
 bifhop,  who  appears  to  have  exprefTed  his  unwillingnefs 
 to  attend  the  Convention.  In  this  he  perfevered  to 
 the  end  :  he  was  ready  to  fuftain  the  King's  rights  by 
 his  counfel,  and  to  fufFer  for  the  caufe  of  the  Crown  ; 
 but  he  could  not  be  perfuaded  to  take  his  feat  in  the 
 Houfe  of  Peers.  It  was  a  great  difappointment  to  the 
 legitimifts  that  one  of  his  virtue,  ability,  and  rank  in 
 the  State,  who  had  fo  ftrong  a  hold  on  the  reverence 
 of  the  people,  fhould  appear  to  be  wanting  in  deci- 
 fion,  when  the  queftions  at  ifTue  might  be  powerfully 
 influenced  by  his  public  avowal  of  the  principles  of 
 allegiance. 
 
 Ken  had  been  requefted  to  flcetch  out  **  a  draft  of 
 
1689]       Rijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        339 
 
 certain  propofitions  againft  depofing,  eleding,  or  break- 
 ing the  fucceffion,"  which,  after  revifion,  might  be 
 prefented  to  the  Convention  as  the  general  voice  of 
 the  Prelates  in  favour  of  the  King's  title.  This  was 
 fent  to  the  Archbifhop,  as  "  a  little  paper  of  hints," 
 which  he,  "  being  better  verfed  in  the  repofitories  of 
 canons,  and  ftatutes,"  was  requefted  to  form  and  put 
 in  order.  "  I  fee  nothing,"  fays  Turner,  "  fo  likely 
 as  this  reprefentation  to  unite  us,  and  fatisfy  all  good 
 men,  who  are  now  waiting,  and  fixing  their  hopes  on 
 us  as  the  body  to  make  a  ftand,"  * 
 
 The  Bifhops,  efpecially  thofe  whom  James  had  im- 
 prifoned,  did  not  confider  that  his  departure  from  the 
 kingdom  made  a  forfeit  of  his  constitutional  rights. 
 They  held  themfelves  bound  by  their  oaths  to  adhere 
 to  him.  Evelyn  fays,  "  I  vifited  the  Archbifhop  on 
 the  15th,  where  I  found  the  Bifhops  of  Ely,  Bath 
 and  Wells,  and  others.  After  prayers,  and  dinner, 
 divers  ferious  matters  were  difcourfed  concerning  the 
 prefent  flate  of  the  public ;  and  I  was  forry  to  find 
 (from  them)  there  was  yet  no  accord  in  the  judgment 
 of  thofe  of  the  Lords  and  Commons  who  were  to  con- 
 vene :  fome  would  have  the  Princefs  of  Orange  made 
 Queen  without  any  more  difpute  ;  others  were  for 
 a  Regency  :  there  was  a  Tory  party  (as  then  fo  call'd) 
 who  were  for  inviting  His  Majefty  again  upon  condi- 
 tions ;  and  there  were  Republicans,  who  would  make 
 the  P.  of  Orange  like  a  Stadtholder.  The  Romanifts 
 were  bufy  amongft  thefe  feveral  parties,  to  bring  them 
 into  confufion;  moft  for  ambition,  or  other  intereft, 
 
 *  Doyly's  Lite  of  Sancroft, 
 
340  Life  (^/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 few  for  confclence,  and  moderate  refolutlons.  I  found 
 nothing  of  all  this  in  the  afTembly  of  Bifhops,  who 
 were  pleafed  to  admit  me  into  their  difcourfes  ;  they 
 were  all  for  a  Regency,  thereby  to  falve  their  oaths, 
 and  fo  all  public  matters  to  proceed  in  his  Mj'y'^  name, 
 by  that  to  facilitate  the  calling  of  a  Parliament,  ac- 
 cording to  the  laws  in  being."* 
 
 On  the  22nd  of  January  the  two  Houfes  met  at 
 Weftminfter  to  decide  this  great  queftion.  Hardly 
 ever  was  there  a  day  more  important  to  the  future  in- 
 terefts  of  England.  Their  firft  ad;  was  an  order  for  a 
 public  thankfgiving,  on  the  31  ft,  for  their  deliverance 
 from  Popery,  and  arbitrary  power.  They  afterwards 
 concurred  in  an  addrefs  to  the  Prince  of  Orange,  as 
 the  "  glorious  inftrument,  next  to  God,  of  fo  great  a 
 blefting,"  and  requefted  him  to  continue  the  govern- 
 ment of  all  public  affairs,  which  he  had  hitherto  fo 
 prudently  condudled.  The  Bifhops  were  requefted  to 
 frame  appropriate  prayers  for  the  day  of  thankfgiving. 
 Thus  William  was  juftified  by  the  voice  of  the  nation. 
 
 The  Convention  continued  to  deliberate  until  the 
 1 2th  of  February:  both  Houfes  were  engaged  in 
 lengthy  debates,  conflifting  propofals,  amendments, 
 and  conferences,  —  whether  the  Throne  was  really 
 vacant,  and  whether  William  ftiould  be  only  Regent, 
 or  be  invefted  with  full  fovereignty.  All  this  time 
 the  Prince  lived  in  feclufion  at  St.  James's.  His  pride 
 and  independence  could  not  ftoop  to  win  the  crown  by 
 courtly  arts,  for  which,  indeed,  he  was  very  little 
 qualified  by  his  inflexible  temper,  and  diftant  manners. 
 
 *  Diarv,  vol.  ii,  p.  i. 
 
1689]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         3  4 1 
 
 He  well  knew  the  dilemma  in  which  the  country  flood  ; 
 and  he  was  refolved  to  leave  them  no  alternative  be- 
 tween his  own  coronation,  or  the  recall  of  James. 
 This  latter  he  had  no  occafion  to  fear :  he  faw  the 
 vaft  majority  of  the  nation  already  exulting  in  their 
 efcape  from  thraldom.  The  laft  afts  of  the  King, 
 even  in  the  moment  of  departure,  had  fhown  his  fixed 
 attachment  to  the  Roman  faith ;  and  what  could  the 
 nobles  expedl  from  fo  arbitrary  a  monarch,  but  a  fevere 
 retribution  for  their  late  defertion  of  him,  if  he  fhould 
 ever  return  at  the  head  of  a  French  army  ? 
 
 William's  decifion  of  chara6ter  was  not  likely  to  be 
 relaxed  by  his  triumphant  march  through  the  heart 
 of  the  kingdom.  The  confident  leader  of  confederate 
 kings,  accuftomed  through  life  to  furmount  difficulties, 
 now  clearly  determined  his  own  path  amid  the  irrefolute 
 counfels  of  a  Parliament,  bound  to  him  by  an  acknow- 
 ledgment of  his  fervices.  As  he  had  fo  largely  flaked 
 his  reputation  and  fafety  on  a  mature  calculation  of  the 
 chances,  he  was  not  difpofed  to  yield  the  game,  when 
 it  v/as  in  his  own  hands.  The  Houfes  had  already 
 been  three  weeks  in  debate  :  he  was  no  longer  difpofed 
 to  brook  this  delay,  and  doubtful  balancing  of  the  fu- 
 ture. He  fent,  therefore,  to  fome  of  the  Lords  who 
 had  invited  him  over ;  he  told  them  plainly  he  did 
 not  wifh  to  interfere  in  their  meafures  ;  but  he  would 
 have  it  underflood  that  he  did  not  mean  to  be  Regent 
 of  England  :  he  had  rather  go  back  with  his  army  to 
 Holland.  He  would  be  nothing  lefs  than  King.  He 
 even  defired  that  the  Princefs  fhould  only  be  Queen 
 Confort,  and  the  whole  executive  power  vefled  in  him- 
 felf.    This  was  too  much  to  bear  :  there  was  fomething 
 
342  Life  t?/' Thomas  Ken,  [1689 
 
 un-Englifh  in  the  idea  of  dirpoflefTing  Mary  of  her 
 birthright.  After  all  he  was  but  a  foreigner,  —  and 
 the  nation,  though  largely  his  debtor,  loved  their  own 
 Princefs,  from  whom  alone  he  derived  his  right  of  in- 
 terference. The  Houfes  were  prepared  to  give  him 
 the  joint  fovereignty  with  herfelf,  and  to  leave  the  ex- 
 ecutive in  his  hands  :  a  conceflion  beyond  which  they 
 would  not  go.  This  led  to  a  compromife  ;  and  it  was 
 at  length  agreed  to  beftow  the  crown  on  the  Prince 
 and  Princefs  conjointly  for  their  lives,  and  to  the  fur- 
 vivor  ;  —  and  that  William  fhould  enjoy  the  full  ex- 
 ercife  of  power  in  his  own  name,  and  that  of  Mary. 
 
 Practically  the  fettlement  of  the  nation  could  not 
 have  been  accomplifhed  under  a  Regency,  which  always 
 implies  a  limit  of  duration.  If  William  was  to  govern 
 effedtually,  it  could  only  be  as  King.  The  fame  au- 
 thority that  would  have  beftowed  the  Regency  might 
 at  any  time  withdraw  it  on  fome  fpecious  pretext. 
 The  machinery  of  fuch  a  government  could  not  have 
 held  together  under  the  prefTure  of  contending  factions : 
 it  would  have  had  no  lafting  ftrength,  if  fubjeft  to  the 
 breath  of  popular  feeling,  at  all  times  uncertain,  and 
 in  England  liable  to  fudden  changes.  William  was  at 
 once  too  fagacious,  and  too  independent,  to  fubmit  to 
 any  fuch  hazard.  At  the  very  beft  he  was  entering  on 
 a  tafk  of  much  intricacy  and  toil  :  nothing  but  the 
 ftrong  prerogatives  of  the  crown,  founded  on  ancient 
 law  and  ufage,  could  have  controlled  a  jealous  Houfe 
 of  Commons  on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  a 
 proud  ariftocracy,  at  all  times  divided  into  parties,  and 
 forward  to  claim  a  large  fhare  in  power  and  influence. 
 Even  after  he  had  become  king  he  was  fo  harafled 
 
1689]       BiJ}jop  of  Bath  and  Wells.       343 
 
 and  chagrined  by  the  contefts  of  Whig  and  Tory  fac- 
 tions, of  enthufiafts  for  a  Republic,  and  partizans  of 
 James,  that  he  more  than  once  formed  the  proje6t  of 
 returning  to  Holland,  and  leaving  the  Queen  to  govern 
 a  people  he  could  neither  conciliate  nor  coerce.  As 
 Regent  he  could  never  have  fuftained  a  power,  whofe 
 ftrong  hold  muft  have  been  the  perfonal  attachment  of 
 the  people,  for  he  was  devoid  of  thofe  winning  qualities 
 which  would  reconcile  a  jealous  nation  to  a  foreign  rule. 
 He  exhibited,  therefore,  a  found  judgment  in  refufing 
 impra6licable  limits  and  conditions  of  government. 
 
 Archbifhop  Bancroft  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to 
 attend  any  part  of  thefe  difcuffions.  His  friends  ur- 
 gently entreated  him  to  do  fo  ;  and  it  was  thought  his 
 prefence  would  have  turned  the  fcale  in  the  Houfe  of 
 Lords,  where  the  numbers  were  very  evenly  balanced. 
 On  the  great  queftion  whether  the  Prince  fhould  be 
 Regent  or  King,  the  latter  was  carried  only  by  a  ma- 
 jority of  two ;  fifty-one  againft  forty-nine.  Bancroft 
 had  refolved  in  his  own  mind  never  to  change  his  alle- 
 giance :  but,  perhaps  doubting  the  legality  of  the  Con- 
 vention, and  forefeeing  the  refult  of  the  debates,  he 
 was  unwilling  by  his  prefence,  as  Primate,  to  give  even 
 a  fhadow  of  pretence  for  faying  that,  having  fhared  in 
 them,  he  was  bound  by  the  ad  of  the  majority.  Ken, 
 on  the  other  hand,  is  recorded  in  the  minutes  of  the 
 Houfe  to  have  been  prefent  on  each  day  without  a 
 fingle  omiffion.  He  voted  on  all  the  queftions,  but 
 took  no  part  in  the  debates.  At  length  when  the 
 Peers,  by  a  majority  of  fifteen,  concurred  with  the 
 Commons  in  beftowing  the  crown  upon  William  and 
 Mary,  he  joined  with  the  minority  in  a  proteft  againft 
 
344  Zy//^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 the  Refolution,  and  then  altogether  withdrew.  Both 
 thefe  holy  men  a6ted  from  a  fenfe  of  duty :  they  dif- 
 fered in  judgment,  not  only  on  this,  but  afterwards 
 on  other  material  points,  affeding  the  interefts  of  the 
 Church,  and  the  line  of  right  they  were  called  to  purfue. 
 
 The  Convention,  in  conferring  the  crown  upon 
 William,  did  not  negled  the  opportunity  to  fettle  the 
 bounds  of  the  Royal  prerogative,  and  to  fecure  to 
 the  nation  the  full  eftablifhment  of  their  religion,  and 
 liberties.  The  Ad:,  therefore,  which  made  over  the 
 crown,  began  with  a  recital  of  the  arbitrary  meafures 
 of  James,  contrary  to  the  known  laws,  and  ftatutes, 
 and  freedom  of  the  Realm.  It  fets  forth  a  Declara- 
 tion OF  Rights  comprifed  in  thirteen  Articles,  which 
 muft  ever  be  confidered  a  grand  and  confpicuous  work, 
 the  feal  of  our  liberties,  and  a  monument  of  the  wif- 
 dom  and  energy  of  our  anceftors.  The  fame  day 
 that  this  Adl  and  Declaration  were  made,  the  Princefs 
 Mary  arrived  from  Holland,  and  was  received  with 
 every  mark  of  affedion.  William  had  delayed  her 
 coming  until  he  faw  that  his  path  to  the  throne  was 
 clear  of  every  difficulty.  This  is  an  additional  proof 
 that  he  would  have  carried  out  his  threat  of  returning 
 to  Holland,  rather  than  accept  the  Regency. 
 
 It  is  due  to  his  a6live  and  fagacious  genius  to  fay, 
 that  every  meafure  in  preparing  and  accomplifhing 
 his  defigns  was  fo  adapted  to  the  end  in  view,  fo  well 
 timed,  and  fo  fortified  againft  every  contingency,  as 
 to  eftablifh  his  claim  to  a  mafterly  political  forefight. 
 He  is  entitled  to  the  merit  of  having,  by  his  judicious 
 and  moderate  condut5l,  courage,  and  fecrecy,  prevented 
 the  long  train  of  evils  which  ufually  accompany  a  forced 
 
1689]      BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         345 
 
 change  of  dynafty.  He  prefents  a  rare  inftance  of  an 
 afpiring  invader,  controlling  every  event,  yet  feeming 
 to  fubmit  the  exercife  of  his  power  to  the  will  of  thofe 
 he  meant  to  govern.  Landing  with  a  fmall  force  on 
 a  foreign  fhore,  to  dethrone  a  king  in  command  of  a 
 much  larger  army  than  his  own,  he  threw  himfelf  with 
 entire  confidence  amidft  a  brave  people,  who  had  for 
 years  been  engaged  in  obftinate  wars  with  his  own 
 countrymen  :  and  now,  by  plaufible  appeals  to  their 
 prejudices,  and  by  adapting  his  whole  condu6l  to  their 
 known  chara6ter  and  needs,  he  at  once  roufed  them  to 
 a  deeper  fenfe  of  the  wrongs  they  had  fuffered,  and 
 convinced  them  that  he  was  the  only  proper  and  effec- 
 tual inftrument  of  their  deliverance. 
 
 He  induced  them  to  believe  that  he  claimed  nothing 
 for  himfelf,— aimed  at  no  conqueft, — defired  no  other 
 title  than  that  of  mediator  between  them  and  their  de- 
 luded king.  He  prudently  refrained  from  every  a6l 
 which  they  did  not  themfelves  appear  to  prompt. 
 Their  outraged  religion  and  laws  were  the  theme  on 
 which  he  dilated  :  he  offered  them  his  fympathy,  and 
 his  aid,  in  fecuring  to  them  a  juft  and  legal  govern- 
 ment, defiring  only,  in  return,  that  they  fhould  rightly 
 appreciate  his  motives,  and  give  him  the  meed  of  their 
 approval.  In  the  name  of  his  "  beloved  confort,"  an 
 Englifh  Princefs,  he  claimed  the  confidence  of  the  na- 
 tion, with  whofe  interefts  he  was  identified  :  he  ex- 
 preffed  no  paffion  but  the  love  of  liberty,  which  he 
 had  fuccefsfully  vindicated  in  his  own  country  ;  and  in 
 the  fame  caufe  he  was  now  ready  to  hazard,  as  in  the 
 face  of  Europe,  his  perfon  and  good  name. 
 
 William  muft  ever  be  confidered  in  the  light  of  a 
 
346  L^ife  (j/ Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 fuccefsful  ufurper  :  but  his  ufurpation  fecured  to  Eng- 
 land the  free  exercife  of  her  religious  and  civil  rights. 
 He  violated  the  firft  principles  of  the  moral  law  in  de- 
 throning a  fovereign,  who  had  a  peculiar  claim  to  his 
 refpedl  and  duty  :  but  it  was  the  general  voice  of  the 
 nation  itfelf  that  proclaimed  him  king.  He  was  falfe 
 to  his  own  Declaration,  which  difclaimed  any  defire  to 
 feize  the  crown :  but  when  he  attained  it,  he  exercifed 
 its  powers  with  moderation. 
 
 Many  learned  works  have  been  written  on  the  abftrad 
 principles  of  government,  involved  in  the  hiftory  of 
 this  period  ;  —  the  divine  right  of  kings,  the  law  of  na- 
 ture, the  original  compa6t  between  prince  and  people, 
 the  obHgation  of  kings  to  conform  to  their  oaths,  the 
 right  of  forcible  refiftance  to  the  tyranny  of  rulers, 
 paflive  obedience,  the  effedt  of  an  abdication  on  the 
 rights  of  a  legitimate  heir,  born  at  the  time,  have  been 
 varioufly  difcuffed.  Great  authorities  might  be  quoted 
 as  advocates  on  either  fide.  But  the  fate  of  kingdoms 
 and  people  in  times  of  emergency  do  not  depend  on 
 fine-drawn  theories  of  government.  The  prejudices 
 and  pafiions,  the  interefts  and  refolves  of  men  have 
 ever  fwept  away  all  fuch  reftraints  :  pra6lically,  whether 
 right  or  wrong,  neceffity  impofes  her  own  law.  This 
 at  leaft  may  be  faid,  that  in  England  the  caufes  of 
 confufion,  if  traced  to  their  fource,  will  generally  be 
 found  to  lie  with  the  exifting  rulers,  or  their  prede- 
 ceflbrs.  Such  undoubtedly  was  the  cafe  in  the  Revo- 
 lution of  1688. 
 
1689]       Bifhop  of  Bath  andlVells,        347 
 
 CHAPTER  XXV. 
 
 Ken^  and  other  Bijhops^  refufe  to  take  the  Oath  of  Allegiance 
 to  William  and  Mary.  ASi  of  Parliament  for  their  fufpen- 
 fton  and  deprival.  ^uejiion  of  Pajfive  Obedience.  Ken's 
 confijlent  ConduSl.  The  Non-juring  Bijhops  publi/h  a  Vin- 
 dication of  the?nfelves. 
 
 HE  life  of  Ken,  if  not  unchequered,  had 
 hitherto  been  one  of  continued  and  ad- 
 vancing ufefulnefs  in  the  feveral  offices 
 of  the  Church  :  the  world  fmiled  upon 
 him,  honoured  his  piety,  admired  his  eloquence,  loved 
 him  for  his  charities.  Henceforward  his  character  is  to 
 be  viewed  under  a  new  afpe(5l.  He  was  mifunderftood, 
 mifreprefented,  forced  into  retirement  and  poverty : 
 **  fufFering  deprivation"  (to  ufe  his  own  words)  "  not 
 only  of  honour,  but  of  income ;  fufficiently  ridiculed, 
 and  expofed  to  the  world  as  a  man  of  no  confcience, 
 particulars  out  of  which  may  be  framed  an  idea  very 
 deplorable."^'  Still,  the  inner  man  was  unchanged — 
 in  every  a6t  we  find  the  fame  fimplicity,  blending  with 
 an  undaunted  firmnefs  that  could  not  yield  up  of  prin- 
 ciple one  fpan's  breadth. 
 
 His  future  path  was  to  be  more  difficult,  becaufe 
 every  ftep  was  befet  with  entangled  queftions  of  per- 
 fonal  confiftency,  which  to  a  fenfitive  mind  are  deeply 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  35. 
 
348  L/fe  of  Thomd^s  Ken,         [1689 
 
 anxious ; — more  refponfible,  becaufe  it  tended  to  fepa- 
 rate  him  from  the  great  body  of  the  Englifh  Church, 
 which  he  fo  much  loved,  as  the  ordained  inftrument 
 and  channel  of  the  true  worihip  of  God.  Having 
 joined  in  the  laft  ftruggle  in  the  Houfe  of  Lords  to 
 maintain  the  rights  of  the  King,  he  was  foon  called  to 
 decide  a  point,  on  which  would  depend  the  whole  tenor 
 of  his  after  life.  At  his  confecration  he  had  fworn,  as 
 in  the  prefence  of  God,  that  James  was  the  rightful 
 King,  and  that  he  would  bear  true  faith  to  him,  and 
 his  heirs: — -a  pledge  impofed  by  Parliament.  The 
 fame  power  now  required  him  to  forego  this  oath,  and 
 to  fwear,  with  equal  folemnity,  that  he  would  hold 
 allegiance  to  William  and  Mary,  who  had  thruft  James 
 from  his  throne.  This,  if  oaths  have  any  meaning, 
 was  fufficient  to  raife  ferious  fcruples  of  confcience. 
 
 He  found  himfelf  in  a  ftrait  between  opposing  diffi- 
 culties. No  doubt  the  late  King  had  violated  his 
 coronation  oath,  that  he  would  maintain  unimpaired 
 the  Church  of  England, — to  Ken  the  mod  facred  of 
 all  things  upon  earth.  On  the  faith  of  that  oath  he, 
 and  all  the  Clergy,  had  fworn  allegiance  to  him.  Had 
 not  James  broken  this  mutual  compadl  ^  Ken  himfelf 
 had  joined  in  thanks  to  the  Prince,  as  the  inftrument 
 of  their  deliverance  from  Popery  :  the  eftates  of  the 
 realm  had  declared  the  crown  to  be  forfeited  by  the 
 one,  and  their  decree  had  already  placed  the  other  in 
 pofTefTion.  Could  he  fet  up  his  own  fenfe  of  their 
 refpedive  rights,  againft  the  voice  of  the  nation,  mak- 
 ing himfelf  judge  on  the  difficult  points  of  cafuiftry, 
 involved  in  the  claims  of  a  King  de  fadlo,  and  a  King 
 de  jure,  with  the  other  political  queftions  that  followed 
 
1689]      Bijhop  of  Bath  a?td  Wells,         349 
 
 in  their  train  ?  Again,  the  refufal  of  the  new  oath 
 would  involve  him  in  an  unequal  conteft  with  the 
 temporal  power,  feparate  him  from  his  flock, — deprive 
 him  of  all  influence  in  preferving  true  do6trine  through- 
 out his  extenflve  diocefe.  It  would,  perhaps,  expofe 
 him  to  perfecution  and  imprifonment,  certainly  reduce 
 him  to  poverty — above  all,  lead  to  a  fchifm  in  the 
 Church.  Here  were  his  love  of  peace,  the  law  of 
 obedience,  long  cheriflied  friendfliips,  his  own  perfonal 
 fafety  and  interefts,  and  efpecially  the  caufe  of  unity, — 
 prompting  him  to  fubmit.  Thefe,  in  their  feveral  de- 
 gree, had  induced  the  majority  of  the  Bifliops,  and 
 the  great  mafs  of  the  Clergy  to  yield  acquiefcence. 
 
 One  Ample  fa6l,  however,  to  his  mind,  outweighed 
 them  all.  If  he  fliould  forfeit  his  oath  of  fidelity  to 
 James,  by  transferring  an  allegiance,  which  he  confci- 
 entioufly  believed  to  be  irrevocable,  he  would  peril  his 
 own  foul.  His  plighted  faith  was  not  his  own  to 
 barter  away  at  any  price  ;  the  awful  words  "  fo  help 
 me  God,"  fealed  on  the  holy  Evangeliflis,  were  regif- 
 tered  in  heaven,  beyond  the  difpenfing  power  of  man. 
 All,  therefore,  was  as  dufl:  in  the  balance  againfl:  the 
 folemn  fenfe  of  his  duty,  and  of  his  account  hereafter 
 to  be  rendered.  No  interefts  could  fwerve  him — no 
 terrors  fliake  him — no  perfuafions  feduce  him  to  do 
 evil  that  good  might  come.  There  was  a  moral  com- 
 pulfion  that  bound  him  indiflblubly.  Archbifliop 
 Sancroft,  and  feven  other  Bifliops  adopted  the  fame 
 views. 
 
 Innumerable  were  the  pamphlets,  fermons,  and  books 
 of  controverfy  that  ifTued  from  the  prefs,  to  prove  the 
 legal  obligation  to  take  the  new  oath  ;  and  many  were 
 
350  hife  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 the  arguments,  refervations,  limits,  and  juftifying  pleas 
 before  magiftrates,  under  which  the  Clergy  in  general 
 were  permitted,  and  even  perfuaded  fo  to  do.  The 
 greater  number  took  the  oath,  on  the  ground  that 
 James  had  vacated,  and  forfeited  the  throne  ;  many 
 confidered  that  by  human  and  divine  law  allegiance 
 was  due  to  a  King  in  adtual  pofTeffion  ;  fome  were 
 brought  to  acquiefce  on  the  lower  ground  of  living 
 peaceably  and  quietly ;  others  confidered  it  as  a  tem- 
 porary oath,  fubjedt  to  recall  if  ever  James  fhould  re- 
 cover his  kingdom.  All  this  the  Non-jurors  thought 
 to  be  indefenfible :  it  was  contrary  to  their  fenfe  of 
 plain  dealing,  and  they  were  content  to  fuffer  for  the 
 truth.  It  might  be  hard  to  make  the  world  believe 
 they  adled  only  from  religious  motives  :  that  was  but 
 of  fecondary  importance  ;  they  refolved  at  all  hazards 
 to  witnefs  a  good  confeffion  of  what  they  thought 
 right. 
 
 As  the  great  bulk  of  the  nation  in  numbers,  influ- 
 ence, and  wealth  were  willing  to  complete  the  work  of 
 the  Revolution  by  taking  the  oaths,  it  might  be  thought 
 a  very  little  matter  to  the  Government  whether  the 
 reft  concurred,  or  not :  but  the  fadl  was  otherwife. 
 All  ranks  of  people  felt  a  generous  fympathy  in  the 
 fate  of  the  Biftiops,  who  had  fo  manfully  withftood 
 the  late  King's  illegal  a6ls.  Parliament  had  recog- 
 nized the  value  of  their  ftedfaftnefs  by  an  unanimous 
 vote  of  thanks.*  It  was  felt  that  in  their  refiftance  to 
 Popery  they  had  aded  as  true  Englifl^men,  heartily 
 devoted  to  their  country. 
 
 Gutch's  Coll.  Curiofa,  vol.  i.  p.  46. 
 
1689]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .        351 
 
 Their  inflexible  adherence,  in  the  former  reign,  to 
 the  faith  they  profefled  would  have  rendered  them 
 illuftrlous  in  any  age :  for  what  {Ironger  tefl:imony 
 could  men  bear  to  the  truth  than  to  fufl^er  imprifon- 
 ment,  as  they  had  done,  and  incur  the  danger  of  de- 
 prival,  if  not  a  worfe  fate,  under  a  tyrant,  backed  by 
 corrupt  judges,  and  an  irrefiftible  military  power  ? 
 Their  prefent  fcruples  were  known  to  be  founded  on 
 a  fenfe  of  duty,  to  which,  as  before,  they  were  now 
 again  refolved  to  facrifice  their  dearefl  interefts.  It 
 was  impoffible  not  to  admire  fuch  an  example  of  forti- 
 tude, however  men  might  difi^er  as  to  the  neceflity  for 
 it.  They  were  bright  ornaments  of  the  Church  :  and 
 the  Church  of  England  is  dear  to  Engliflimen ; — and 
 ever  will  be,  whatever  their  rulers,  or  fedtarians,  or 
 feceders,  may  think :  it  wants  only  occafions,  which 
 may  bring  her  into  danger,  to  prove  this.  She  may 
 yet  have  to  fuftain  the  aflaults  of  an  Eraftian  power, 
 that  would  fain  fubje6l  her  to  a  Parliamentary  rule ; 
 but  fhe  bears  a  charrhed  life ;  for  fhe  is  founded  upon 
 a  rock, — and  that  Rock  is  Chrift. 
 
 William,  too,  remembered  the  courageous  endurance 
 of  thefe  Bifhops  at  the'critical  moment,  when  they  were 
 moil  conducive  to  the  fuccefs  of  his  own  projedls. 
 Their  prefent  condu6l,  though  adverfe  to  his  views, 
 commanded  his  refpeft.  We  have  feveral  examples  of 
 his  forbearance  and  magnanimity,  in  forgiving  adls 
 of  treachery,  even  where  he  might  have  looked  for  a 
 faithful  attachment :  he  was  not  likely  to  be  wanting 
 in  the  fame  fpirit  towards  men,  who  openly  refufed  to 
 ferve  him  from  a  regard  to  confcience.  Above  all,  it 
 was  his  intereft  to  conciliate  every  clafs  :   he  knew  the 
 
352  hife  t?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 hold  thefe  eminent  men  had  on  the  public  mind,  and  de- 
 fired  by  a  popular  ad  of  grace,  to  fecure  their  influence. 
 He  had  no  reverence  for  prelacy,  which  he  aboliflied 
 in  Scotland,  though  he  defired  to  maintain  it  in  Eng- 
 land, Moreover,  he  had  a  fincere  love  for  religious 
 freedom.  If  he  could  obtain  a  repeal  of  the  Teft,  and 
 the  admiffion  of  all  Proteftants,  whether  Churchmen  or 
 Diffenters,  to  offices  of  truft,  he  would  willingly  dif- 
 penfe  with  the  oaths  of  the  Bifhops.  He  endeavoured 
 to  attain  both  thefe  objedls  by  claufes  in  the  Bill  for 
 fettling  the  new  oaths.  It  was  propofed  that  the 
 Bifhops  fhould  be  relieved  from  taking  them,  unlefs 
 tendered  by  the  King  in  Council,  which  would  both 
 fatisfy  their  confciences,  and  give  him  an  effedlual  re- 
 ftraint  on  their  condu6t,  if  at  any  time  they  fhould  in- 
 terrupt the  peace  of  his  government.  This  projedt  was 
 fruftrated  by  the  mutual  animofity  of  parties  in'  the 
 two  houfes ;  the  Tories  would  not  abandon  the  Teft 
 to  favour  the  Diflenters ;  the  Whigs  retaliated  by 
 rejecting  the  claufes  in  favour  of  the  Bifhops.  The 
 only  boon  obtained  was  an  authority  to  the  crown  to 
 referve  for  their  ufe  one  third  part  of  their  revenues, 
 after  they  were  deprived.  The  Adl  finally  required 
 the  Clergy  to  take  the  oath  by  the  firft  of  Auguft, 
 1689,  on  pain  of  fufpenfion  from  their  offices  :  if  they 
 continued  to  refufe  till  the  firft  of  February,  1690,  they 
 were  to  be  abfolutely  deprived. 
 
 The  news  of  this  A(5t  having  pafTed  reached  Ken  in 
 his  Diocefe,  where  he  had  been  engaged,  as  ufual,  in 
 the  calm  and  zealous  exercife  of  his  paftoral  duties.* 
 It  made  no  change  in  his  views  or  condudl.     The  lay 
 
 *  Clarendon's  Diary,  vol.  ii.  p.  267. 
 
1689]     BifJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  353 
 
 power  might  afFed:  the  temporalities  of  his  See ;  but 
 could  not  annul  his  fpiritual  office.  It  is  true,  the 
 Church  by  being  engrafted  into  the  State  is  endowed 
 with  fecular  immunities,  privileges  and  revenues  :  thefe 
 are  temporal  acceffories,  and  may  be  withdrawn  by  the 
 power  which  conferred  them.  The  ftatute,*  fubjed:- 
 ing  the  Clergy  to  the  King's  authority,  amongft  other 
 provifions,  places  the  nomination  of  Bifhops  in  his 
 hands,  and  none  can  be  chofen  or  confecrated  without 
 his  fandion.  The  State,  which  framed  the  oath  of  alle- 
 giance, to  be  taken  by  all  Englifh  Bifhops  and  Clergy, 
 had  equal  right  now  to  enforce  a  like  fecurity  :  but 
 no  fecular  authority  could  ever  depofe  them  from  their 
 authority  in  the  word  and  facraments. 
 
 The  maxims  of  politicians,  lawyers,  and  Eraftian 
 writers,  lay  or  clerical,  on  this  point  are  fimply  null. 
 The  State,  not  having  the  power  to  confer  Holy  Or- 
 ders, can  neither  fufpend  nor  abrogate  them.  What, 
 indeed,  is  the  fufpenfion  of  their  exercife,  but  their 
 virtual  annulment  ?  If  the  civil  power  is  competent  to 
 to  this  in  one  country,  it  is  fo,  in  its  degree,  throughout 
 the  world ;  and  then  where  are  the  Apoftles,  and  all 
 miffions,  where  is  the  Church  Catholic,  until  Conftan- 
 tine  ?  The  fpiritual  truft  is  derived  from  a  Commiffion 
 above  all  earthly  rulers,  and  therefore  inalienable  by 
 any  other  fentence  than  that  of  the  Church.  For 
 fecular  offences  the  Clergy  may  be  punifhed  by  the 
 magiflrate  ;  for  fpiritual  offences  the  Church  alone,  by 
 due  fynodical  ad,  can  deprive  Bifhops  of  their  fpiritual 
 office.     This  mutual  affinity  of  Church  and  State  ex- 
 
 *   34  Henry  VIII. 
 A  A 
 
354  ^^f^  <?/" Thomas  Ken,  [1689 
 
 ifts  under  their  feveral  well  defined  limits.  It  has  for 
 its  objedl  the  maintenance  of  true  religion,  and  through 
 that  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  welfare  of  all  people. 
 Neither  the  Crown,  nor  Parliament,  of  England  can 
 enadt  articles  of  belief,  nor  even  the  ceremonials  of 
 religion,  without  confent  of  the  Clergy  in  Convocation  ; 
 nor  can  one,  or  both,  repeal  thefe  fpiritual  offices, 
 which  are  committed  to  Chrift's  fervants,  confecrated 
 by  His  command. 
 
 Ken,  therefore,  purfued  his  quiet  courfe  in  the  per- 
 formance of  his  office.  He  filled  up  the  vacant  bene- 
 fices, where  he  had  the  right  to  prefent ;  and  collated 
 to  others.*  He  confidered  the  day  of  death,  and  the 
 day  of  judgment,  to  be  as  certain  as  the  ift  of  Auguft, 
 and  the  ift  of  February,  and  acfled  accordingly  :  f  his 
 account  was  to  be  rendered  to  a  higher  than  any  earthly 
 tribunal.  We  never  find  him  making  loud  avowals  of 
 principle,  nor  even  entering  into  any  public  defence  of 
 his  conduft,  except  once  or  twice  when  fome  particular 
 emergency  compelled  him  ;  and  then  it  was  always  in 
 a  few  words  of  fadl.  He  fays  in  one  of  his  letters,  "  I 
 find  it  much  eafier  filently  to  endure  the  paffion  of 
 others,  than  to  endeavour  to  mitigate  it."  Such  was 
 the  temperatenefs  of  his  views,  that  he  was  ftated  in 
 one  of  the  anonymous  pamphlets  of  the  day  to  have 
 "  been  heard  to  declare  that,  although  he  could  not 
 fatisfy  his  own  fcruples,  yet  he  thought  the  Englifh 
 nation  would  be  fools,  if  ever  they  fuffered  King  James 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  28. 
 
 t  Defence  of  the  ProfefTion,  &c.  of  Lake,  Bifhop  of  Chichefter, 
 1690,  p.  9. 
 
1689]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         355 
 
 to  return  ;  and  hence  it  was  concluded  that  he  heartily 
 wifhed  he  could  be  of  the  fame  mind  with  the  reft  of 
 his  brethren."  *  This  was  difproved  by  a  long  life  of 
 voluntary  fufFering,  which  he  might  at  any  time  have 
 changed  for  his  former  ftate  of  honour  and  affluence. 
 He  was  in  friendly  intercourfe  with  Bancroft  and  the 
 other  nonjuring  Bifhops,  though  he  could  not  entirely 
 concur  with  them :  and  feveral  of  the  Prelates  who 
 took  the  oaths  endeavoured  to  perfuade  him  to  follow 
 their  example.  From  the  former,  he  fays,  "  I  dif- 
 fered in  fome  things,  but  without  breach  of  friendfhip, 
 endeavouring  to  a(5t  uniformly  to  the  moderate  fenti- 
 ments,  which  I  could  not  exceed :  "  with  the  latter  it 
 was  impoflible  he  could  agree ;  though  he  gave  them 
 credit  for  a6i:ing  confcientioufly. 
 
 Two  of  his  nonjuring  friends,  the  Bifhops  of  Wor- 
 cefter  and  Chichefter,  were  foon  called  away  from  the 
 troubles  that  were  gathering  round  them.  Their  dy- 
 ing declarations  may  be  taken  as  the  index  of  his  own 
 willingnefs  to  fuffer  any  extremity,  rather  than  com- 
 promife  his  duty.  Dr.  Thomas,  Bifhop  of  Worcefter, 
 having  called  Dr.  Hickes  to  his  bed  fide,  fpoke  thus 
 to  him ;  "  Mr.  Dean,  I  was  glad  when  I  heard  you 
 was  come  home,  for  I  longed  to  fpeak  with  you  before 
 I  dyed ;  for  I  perceive  that  I  have  but  a  fhort  time  to 
 live.  I  blefs  God  that  I  have  twice  fuffered  in  the 
 fame  righteous  caufe,  and  it  is  time  for  me  now  to 
 dye,  who  have  outlived  the  honour  of  my  religion, 
 and  the  liberties  of  my  country.  It  hath  been  a  great 
 comfort  to  me  in  this  general  apoftacy  of  my  Clergy, 
 
 *  State  Trails,  vol.  ii.  p.  360. 
 
356  Life  of  ThoYn3.s  Ken )         [1689 
 
 whom  I  have  endeavoured  to  keep  upright  and  fteady 
 to  their  principles,  that  you  have  not  forfaken  me, 
 but  keep  conftant  with  me  to  the  fame  principles.  I 
 have  read  all  the  books  written  for  taking  the  oath  ; 
 in  which  I  find  the  authors  more  Jefuits  than  the 
 Jefuits  themfelves :  and  if  my  heart  deceive  me  not, 
 and  the  grace  of  God  fail  me  not,  /  think  I  could  burn 
 at  a  Jiake,  before  I  took  this  new  oath.  I  pray  God 
 blefs  you,  and  reward  your  conftancy.  I  defire  your 
 daily  prayers."* 
 
 Dr,  Lake,  of  Chichefter,  declared  himfelf  ftill  more 
 emphatically,  and  in  writing  : 
 
 "  Being  called  by  a  fick,  and  I  think,  a  dying  bed, 
 and  the  good  hand  of  God  upon  me  in  it,  to  take  the 
 laft  and  beft  viaticum,  the  Sacrament  of  my  dear 
 Lord's  body  and  blood,  I  take  myfelf  obliged  to  make 
 this  fhort  recognition  and  profeflion  : 
 
 "  That  whereas  I  was  baptized  into  the  religion  of 
 the  Church  of  England,  and  fucked  it  in  with  my  milk, 
 and  have  conftantly  adhered  to  it  through  the  whole 
 courfe  of  my  life  ;  and  now,  if  fo  be  the  will  of  God, 
 fhall  dye  in  it :  and  /  had  rejohed,  through  God's  grace 
 ajjijiing  me^  to  have  dyed  Jo ^  though  at  a  fiake.  And 
 whereas  that  religion  of  the  Church  of  England  taught 
 me  the  doctrine  of  non-refiftance,  and  pafTive  obe- 
 dience, which  I  have  accordingly  inculcated  upon 
 others,  and  which  I  took  to  be  the  diftinguifhing 
 chara6ter  of  the  Church  of  England,  I  adhere  no  lefs 
 firmly  and  fteadfaftly  to  that,  and  in  confequence  of  it 
 have  incurred  fufpenfion  from  the  exercife  of  my  office, 
 
 *  Life  of  Kettlewell,  8vo.  171 8,  p.  199. 
 
1689]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells ,        i^j 
 
 and  expedled  a  deprivation.  I  find  in  fo  doing  much 
 inward  fatisfa6lion,  and  if  the  oath  had  been  tendered 
 at  the  peril  of  my  life^  1  could  only  have  obeyed  by  Juf- 
 fering  : 
 
 "  I  defire  you,  my  worthy  friends  and  brethren,  to 
 bear  witnefs  to  this  upon  occafion,  and  to  believe  it, 
 as  the  words  of  a  dying  man,  and  who  is  now  engaged 
 in  the  moft  facred  and  folemn  adl  of  converiing  with 
 God  in  this  world,  and  may,  for  ought  he  knows  to 
 the  contrary,  appear  with  thefe  very  words  in  his 
 mouth  at  the  dreadful  tribunal :  manu  propria  fub- 
 fcripfi. 
 
 "  Johannes  Cicestrensis."* 
 
 We  cannot  fay  how  thefe  two  devoted  men  would 
 have  aded  in  the  after  differences  of  the  nonjurors, 
 had  they  lived :  but  their  laft  words  fpoke  the  mind 
 of  Ken,  not  only  in  their  refolve  againft  the  oath,  and 
 their  attachment  to  the  Church  of  England,  to  which 
 he  afterwards  bore  equal  teftimony  in  his  own  memo- 
 rable will,  but  alfo  in  their  adherence  to  the  dodlrine 
 of  PaJ/ive  obedience.  The  publifhing  their  death  bed 
 avowals  added  yet  more  intenfity  to  the  difputes  already 
 fo  rife  on  this  dogma :  it  was  thought  to  be  a  diredt 
 reproach  to  thofe  who  had  taken  the  oath,  and  called 
 forth  the  whole  pamphleteering  forces  of  the  prefs, 
 which  teemed  with  a  phalanx  of  Animadverfions,  De- 
 fences, Sermons  and  Letters  from  all  fides. 
 
 PafTive  obedience  and  Non-refiftance  were  avowed 
 
 *  Dr.  Jenkins's  Defence  of  the  ProfefTion,  which  the  Right  Rev. 
 late  Lord  Bifhop  of  Chicheller  made  upon  his  death-bed,  &c.  1 690, 
 p.  7. 
 
358  Z///^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 principles  in  theology  and  politics,  not  in  England 
 only,  or  the  times  of  the  Stuarts,  but  throughout  the 
 univerfal  Church,  as  a  pradlical  Chriftian  duty,  incul- 
 cated by  the  law  of  the  Gofpel.  Endurance  of  wrongs, 
 forbearance,  gentlenefs,  peace,  fubjedlion  to  the  powers 
 that  be,  are  eternal  laws  of  the  Crofs,  and  as  fuch, 
 bound  upon  all  men,  lay  or  clerical.  But  beyond  this, 
 it  was  an  eflential  tenet,  almoft  univerfally  received  in 
 England  after  the  Rebellion.  A  fpecific  oath,  enforcing 
 the  do(5lrine,  had  been  incorporated  into  feveral  A6ls 
 of  Parliament  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.*  and  fo  late 
 as  1675  the  Houfe  of  Lords  pafTed  a  Bill,  making  it 
 imperative  on  every  one,  invefted  with  office,  to  take 
 an  oath,  which  was  called  the  *  Oath  of  Abhorrence 
 againft  the  traiterous  pofition  of  taking  arms  againft 
 the  King."'t 
 
 The  principle  of  Paffive  obedience,  whether  right 
 or  wrong,  was  recognized,  not  by  the  Clergy  only, 
 but  by  all  eftates  of  the  realm.  It  was,  in  fadl,  a  po- 
 litical maxim,  highly  in  fafhion  after  the  reftoration  of 
 the  monarchy, — a  recoil  from  the  republican  theories, 
 which  had  gained  head  under  Cromwell.  It  exemplified 
 the  fudden  extremes  which  will  find  expreffion,  when 
 the  body  politic  is  fmarting  under  by-gone  wrongs. 
 Viewed  with  proper  reftridtions,  it  is  a  wholefome 
 principle  of  government,  —  taken  without  limits,  it  is 
 utterly  untenable.  Bancroft  by  his  own  condudl  had 
 proved  it  impradlicable  on  a  fudden  emergency  :  when 
 James  fled  from  London  he  hurried  into  the  city,  and 
 agreed  with  the  Council  of  Peers  in  defiring  the  Prince 
 
 *  Rapin,  vol.  ii,  pp.  628,  629.  f   Ibid.  p.  ^j"]. 
 
1689]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells .         359 
 
 of  Orange,  then  at  the  head  of  an  invading  army,  to 
 take  meafures  for  the  fafety  of  the  kingdom.  He 
 and  Ken,  and  the  other  Bifhops,  were  wilHng  to  con- 
 cur in  a  Regency,  though  it  would  have  been  an  un- 
 queftionable  blow  againft  the  prerogative,  and  an 
 abandonment  of  the  abftrad  principle  of  Paffive  obe- 
 dience. To  what  precife  point  Ken  profefled  this 
 do(5lrine  we  are  not  told :  in  his  letter  to  Burnet,  he 
 fays,  "  it  was  a  point  with  which  I  very  rarely  med- 
 dled."* We  have  already  (cen  that,  when  James  was 
 at  the  height  of  his  power,  he  pra6tically  withstood  it : 
 but  when  it  was  altogether  cried  down,  and  he  would 
 have  been  a  gainer  by  abfolving  himfelf  from  it,  he 
 could  not  alter  his  judgment  of  its  binding  force. 
 
 To  fhow  how  eafy  it  was  for  men  to  difavow,  when 
 it  was  unpopular,  the  doctrine  they  had  upheld,  when 
 in  vogue,  we  need  only  point  to  the  cafe  of  Dr.  Til- 
 lotfon.  At  the  condemnation  of  Lord  William  RuiTel, 
 in  1683,  for  the  Rye  Houfe  Plot,  Tillotfon  was  Dean 
 of  Canterbury,  and  a  perfonal  friend  of  his :  as  fuch 
 he  attended  him  to  the  fcaffold.  During  his  previous 
 vifits  to  him  in  the  Tower,  he  found  that  Lord  RufTel 
 was  fo  great  a  lover  of  truthfulnefs,  that  he  preferred 
 to  die  a  martyr  to  his  principles  of  liberty,  rather  than 
 acknowledge  the  dodlrine  of  Non-refiftance,  which  he 
 did  not  hold.  It  was  thought,  if  he  yielded  this  point, 
 Charles  would  grant  him  a  pardon :  but  Ruflel  was 
 immoveable.  The  Dean,  on  the  other  hand,  held  that 
 the  Chriftian  religion  plainly  forbids  the  refiflance  of 
 authority,  and  as  one  of  Lord  RufTeFs  fpiritual  com- 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  33. 
 
360  Life  of  Thomas  Kqu,  [1689 
 
 forters  he  thought  it  eflential  to  his  true  repentance 
 before  death,  to  acknowledge  this.  RufTel  had  re- 
 ceived the  Sacrament  in  a  calm  and  devout  temper ; 
 but  Tillotfon,  under  the  apprehenfion  that  his  peace 
 of  mind  was  not  well  grounded,  wrote  him  a  letter,  as 
 more  likely  to  weigh  with  his  deliberate  thoughts  than 
 a  tranfient  difcourfe. 
 
 "  The  law,"  he  fays,  "  which  eftablifhes  our  religion 
 declares  that  it  is  not  lawful  upon  any  pretence  whatjo- 
 ever  to  take  up  arms^'  &c  :  "  the  law  of  nature,  and 
 the  general  rules  of  Scripture,  tie  the  hands  of  fubjefts  : 
 becaufe  the  government  and  peace  of  fociety  could  not 
 well  fubfift,  if  they  were  left  at  liberty :  this  is  the 
 declared  doctrine  of  all  Proteflant  Churches.  And  I 
 beg  your  Lordfhip  to  confider  how  it  will  agree  with 
 an  avowed  afTerting  of  the  Proteftant  religion,  to  go 
 contrary  to  the  general  dodlrine  of  the  Proteftants. 
 My  end  in  this  is  to  convince  your  Lordfhip  that  you 
 are  in  a  very  great  and  dangerous  miftake,  and  being 
 fo  convinced,  that  which  before  was  a  fin  of  ignorance, 
 will  appear  of  a  much  more  heinous  nature,  as  in  truth 
 it  is,  and  call  for  a  very  particular  and  deep  re- 
 pentance ;  which  if  your  Lordfhip  fincerely  exercife 
 upon  the  fight  of  your  error,  by  a  penitent  acknow- 
 ledgment of  it  to  God  and  men,  you  will  not  only 
 obtain  forgivenefs  of  God,  but  prevent  a  mighty  fcan- 
 dal  to  the  reformed  religion."*  If  Tillotfon 's  creed, 
 under  the  Stuarts,  was  grounded  on  this  law  of  nature, 
 the  rule  of  Scripture,  the  Chriftian  religion,  and  the 
 declared  doflrine  of  all  Proteftant  Churches,  what  be- 
 
 *  Birch's  Life  of  Tillotfon,  pp.  109,  iio. 
 
1689]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        361 
 
 came  of  his  friend  VV^illiam's  title  to  the  Crown, 
 founded  on  an  ufurpation  which  overthrew  them  all  ? 
 But  when  James  was  driven  from  the  throne,  the 
 Dean  was  to  be  Archbifhop  of  Canterbury  :  that  could 
 never  have  been,  unlefs  he  yielded  up  his  principles  of 
 non-refiftance,  which  he  accordingly  did. 
 
 The  fame  change  had  come  over  the  political  vifion 
 of  Burnet.  In  the  time  of  Charles,  when  the  Stuarts 
 were  in  the  afcendant,  the  Do6lor  was  a  champion  for 
 Paflive  Obedience ;  but  when  it  became  convenient  to 
 wear  the  Orange  fcarf,  and  be  made  Bifhop  of  Salifbury, 
 he  was  a  very  Knight  errant  againft  every  comer  who 
 fhould  uphold  that  principle.  No  doubt  Ken  had  an 
 eye  to  both  thefe  Prelates  when  he  wrote  thus  to 
 Burnet ;  "  many  perfons  of  our  own  coat^  for  feveral 
 years  together  preached  up  Paffive  Obedience  to  a 
 much  greater  height  than  ever  I  did,  and  on  a  fudden, 
 without  the  leaft  acknowledgement  of  their  pafl  error, 
 preach'd  and  adted  the  quite  contrary."  * 
 
 There  is  no  ground  for  denying  to  Tillotfon  the 
 right  of  adopting  new  opinions ;  only  let  our  good 
 Bifhop,  and  his  fufFering  Brethren,  enjoy  an  equal 
 liberty  of  confcience  in  maintaining  theirs  unchanged, 
 at  the  facrifice  of  every  worldly  advantage.  And  let 
 the  truth  be  underftood,  that  Paffive  Obedience  was 
 the  rule,  not  the  exception  in  the  previous  reigns. 
 
 To  return  to  the  Oath  of  Allegiance  :  there  were 
 moments  when  Ken  had  mifgivings  as  to  the  corre6l- 
 nefs  of  his  own  views  in  reje6ling  the  new  oath.  This 
 may  ferve  to  exemplify  the  difficulty  of  the  queftion. 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  33. 
 
362  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 and  the  candour  of  his  mind,  which  did  not  obftinately 
 difregard  the  reafons  to  be  adduced  on  the  other  fide. 
 The  deeds  of  fearful  cruelty  perpetrated  in  Ireland  by 
 James,  and  the  afliftance  of  armed  forces  lent  him  by 
 Louis,  caufed  a  report  to  be  fpread  that  he  had  by  a 
 fpecial  inftrument  given  over  that  country  to  France. 
 This  appears  to  have  made  Ken  waver :  he  thought 
 fuch  an  a6t  would  for  ever  difiblve  the  bond  of  union 
 between  James  and  all  his  fubjeds.  Burnet  fays  he 
 came  with  his  Chaplain  to  London,  and  refolved  to  go 
 to  the  Houfe  of  Lords  and  take  the  oaths.  He  after- 
 wards received  a  letter  from  Burnet,  exprefTing  great 
 concern  that  his  ftanding  out  againfl;  the  allegiance  to 
 William  "  was  likely  to  prove  fatal  to  the  interests  of 
 the  Church,  as  depriving  them  of  one,  who  had  ferved 
 it  with  fo  much  honour,  efpecially  at  a  moment  when 
 there  were  fair  hopes  of  reforming  feveral  abufes." 
 He  charged  him  with  having  advifed  others  to  take 
 the  oath  which  he  refufed  himfelf :  "  others  have  told 
 me  they  read  a  Paftoral  Letter,  which  you  had  pre- 
 pared for  your  Diocefe,  and  were  refolved  to  print  it ; 
 but  when  you  went  to  London,  your  Lordfhip,  it 
 feems,  changed  your  mind."     Ken  writes  in  reply  : 
 
 "   ALL   GLORY   BE  TO   GOD." 
 
 *'  My  Lord,  I  am  obliged  to  your  Lordfhip  for  the 
 continued  concern  you  exprefs  for  me,  and  for  the 
 kind  freedom  you  are  pleafed  to  take  with  me ;  and 
 although  I  have  already  in  public  fully  declared  my 
 mind  to  my  Diocefe  concerning  the  Oath,  to  prevent 
 my  being  mifunderftood  ;  yet  fince  you  feem  to  expedl 
 it  of  me,  I  will  give  fuch  an  account,  which  if  it  does 
 
1689]       Bijljop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         363 
 
 not  fatisfy  your  Lordfhip,  will  at  leaft  fatisfy  myfelf. 
 I  dare  aflure  you,  I  never  advifed  any  one  to  take  the 
 oath ;  though  fome  who  came  to  talk  infidioufly  with 
 me  may  have  rais'd  fuch  a  report :  fo  far  have  I  been 
 from  it,  that  I  never  would  adminifler  it  to  any  one 
 perfon,  whom  I  was  to  collate.  And  therefore  before 
 the  adl  took  place,  I  gave  a  particular  commifHon  to 
 my  Chancellor,  who  himfelf  did  not  fcruple  it ;  fo  that 
 he  was  authorized,  not  only  to  inftitute,  but  to  collate 
 in  my  ftead.  If  any  came  to  difcourfe  with  me  about 
 taking  the  oath,  I  ufually  told  them  I  durft  not  take  it 
 myfelf.  I  told  them  my  reafons,  if  they  urged  me  to 
 it,  and  were  of  my  own  Diocefe  :  and  then  remitted 
 them  to  their  ftudy  and  prayers  for  further  diredlion. 
 I  did  prepare  a  Paftoral  Letter,  which,  if  I  had  feen 
 reafon  to  alter  my  judgment,  I  thought  to  have  pub- 
 lifh'd  ;  at  leaft  that  part  of  it,  on  which  I  laid  the 
 greateft  ftrefs,  to  juftify  myfelf  to  my  Flock;  and  be- 
 fore I  went  to  London,  I  told  fome  of  my  friends,  that 
 if  that  proved  true,  which  was  affirmed  to  us  with  all 
 imaginable  afTurance  (and  which  I  think  more  proper 
 for  difcourfe  than  a  letter)  it  would  be  an  inducement 
 to  me  to  comply :  but  when  I  came  to  town,  I  found 
 it  was  falfe  ;  and  without  being  influenced  by  any  one, 
 or  making  any  words  of  it,  I  burn't  my  paper,  and 
 adher'd  to  my  former  opinion." 
 
 Burnet  in  his  letter  had  faid  that  **  fome  were  fo 
 fevere  as  to  fay  that  other  motives  than  conjcience  were 
 at  the  bottom  of  his  refujal :  "  to  which  Ken  replies, 
 "  if  people  who  are  very  difcerning,  and  know  my 
 own  heart  better  than  myfelf,  have  pronounc'd  fentence 
 upon  me,  that  there  is  fomething  elfe  than  confcience 
 
364  Liife  f?/*  Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 at  the  bottom  ;  and  if  your  Lordfhip  gives  credit  to 
 the  many  mifreprefentations  which  are  made  of  me, 
 and  which  I  being  fo  us'd  to,  can  eafily  difregard,  you 
 may  reafonably  enough  be  in  pain  for  me  :  for  to  fee 
 one  of  your  Brethren  throwing  himfelf  headlong  into 
 a  wilful  Deprivation,  not  only  of  honor,  and  of  in- 
 come, but  of  a  good  confcience  alfo,  are  particulars 
 out  of  which  may  be  framed  an  idea  very  deplorable. 
 But  though  I  do  daily  in  many  things  betray  great 
 infirmity,  I  thank  God  I  cannot  accufe  myfelf  of  any 
 infincerity  ;  fo  that  Deprivation  will  not  reach  my  con- 
 fcience, and  I  am  in  no  pain  at  all  for  myfelf.  I  perceive 
 that  after  we  have  been  fufficiently  ridicul'd,  the  laft 
 mortal  ftab  defign'd  to  be  given  us  is  to  expofe  us  to 
 the  world  as  men  of  no  confcience ;  and  if  God  is 
 pleafed  to  permit  it.  His  moft  holy  will  be  done ; 
 though  what  that  particular  corrupt  nature  is,  which 
 lies  at  the  bottom,  and  which  we  gratify  in  lofing  all 
 we  have,  will  be  hard  to  determine." 
 
 He  could  not  clofe  his  letter  to  Burnet,  who  exer- 
 cifed  a  powerful  and  pernicious  influence  in  ecclefiafl:ical 
 matters,  without  an  appeal  to  him  on  behalf  of  the 
 Church  of  Scotland.  Its  fate  had  been  already  de- 
 cided, and  was  at  the  date  of  this  letter  in  the  very  a6l 
 of  being  accomplifhed.  Ken  fays,  "  I  heartily  join 
 with  your  Lordfhip  in  your  defires  for  the  peace  of 
 this  Church  ;  and  I  fhall  conceive  great  hopes,  that 
 God  will  have  compaflion  on  her,  if  I  fee  that  fhe 
 compaflionates  and  fupports  her  fiflier  of  Scotland.  I 
 befeech  God  to  make  you  an  infl:rument  to  promote 
 that  peace,  and  that  charity  ;    I  can  myfelf  only  con- 
 
1689]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  365 
 
 tribute  to  both  by  my  prayers,  and  by  my  deprecations 
 againft  fchifm,  and  againft  facrilege, 
 
 "  Tho.  Bath  and  Wells." 
 
 "  Odober  5,  1689." 
 
 This  letter  exhibits  the  moral  habit  of  Ken's  mind, 
 a  fimple  courage,  ready  for  every  trial  in  the  line  of 
 his  duty, — "  in  no  'pain  at  all  for  himjelf ;" — a  tender 
 confcience,  and  willingnefs  to  retradt  any  erroneous 
 opinions,  —  a  candid  regard  for  the  honeft  fcruples  of 
 others  who  might  differ  from  him.  Of  all  this  we 
 have  about  the  fame  time  another  ftriking  inftance  in 
 what  paffed  between  himfelf  and  his  old  friend  Dr. 
 Hooper.  He  was  {laying  at  Hooper's  houfe,  in  Lam- 
 beth, fliortly  after  the  Revolution  ;  the  general  fubje6l 
 of  converfation  was  the  Oath  of  Allegiance,  and  fub- 
 miffion  to  the  new  government,  to  which  Dr.  Hooper 
 earneftly  endeavoured  to  perfuade  the  Bifhop.*  "  On 
 parting  one  night  to  go  to  bed,  the  Bifhop  feemed  fo 
 well  fatisfied  with  the  arguments  Dr.  Hooper  urged  to 
 him,  that  he  was  inclined  to  take  the  Oaths."  f  But 
 the  next  morning  he  ufed  thefe  expreffions  to  him ; — 
 "  I  queftion  not  but  that  you,  and  feveral  others  have 
 taken  the  oaths  with  as  good  a  confcience  as  myfelf 
 fhall  refufe  them ;  and  fometimes  you  have  almoft 
 perfuaded  me  to  comply  by  the  arguments  you  have 
 ufed  ;  but  I  beg  you  to  urge  them  no  further ;  for 
 fhould  I  be  perfuaded  to  comply,  and  after  fee  reafon 
 to  repent,  you  would  make  me  the  moft  miferable 
 man  in  the  world."  if     Upon  which  the  Dr.  faid  he 
 
 *  Prowfe's  MS.  Life  of  Hooper.  f  Ibid. 
 
 X  Hawkins,  p,  30. 
 
366  Life  <?/*  Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 would  never  mention  the  fubjedl  any  more  to  him,  for 
 God  forbid  he  fhould  take  them."  * 
 
 Sancroft,  and  the  other  non-juring  Bifhops,  were 
 much  alarmed,  left  Hooper's  influence  might  induce 
 Ken  to  take  the  oath.  Turner  writes  to  the  Arch- 
 bifhop  on  Afcenfion  Day,  1689,  "  when  I  took  my 
 leave  yefternight  I  had  no  thought  of  waiting  upon 
 you  till  this  day  fen'ight ;  but  when  I -came  home  I 
 found  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Gregg  from  the  Bp.  of  B.  and 
 W.  and  this  advertifement  in  it  for  me.  '■  Tell  my 
 friend  I  will  meet  him  at  dinner  at  Lambeth,  upon 
 Sunday.'  I  fuppofe  he  does  not  know  Your  Grace 
 has  left  off  dining  publicly,  as  you  have  great  reafon 
 to  do.  But  fince,  my  Lord,  you  are  pleafed  to  give 
 every  one  of  your  fons  a  day,  as  you  obligingly  ex- 
 prefs  it,  I  muft  needs  fay,  the  fooner  we  meet  our 
 brother  of  Bath  the  better,  for  I  muft  no  longer  in 
 duty  conceal  from  your  Grace,  tho'  I  befeech  you  to 
 keep  it  in  terms  of  a  fecret,  that  this  very  good  man 
 is,  I  fear,  warping  from  us,  and  the  true  interefts  of 
 the  Church  of  England,  towards  a  compliance  with 
 the  new  Government.  I  received  an  honeft  letter 
 from  him,  and  a  friendly  one,  wherein  he  argues  very 
 wrong  to  my  underftanding,  but  promifes  and  protefts 
 he  will  keep  himfelf  difengaged  till  he  debates  things 
 over  again  with  us,  and  that  he  was  coming  up  again 
 for  that  purpofe.  My  Lord  Biftiop  of  Norwich  has 
 feen  fuch  another  letter  from  him  to  my  Lord  of 
 Gloucefter ;  and  upon  the  whole  matter  our  Biftiop  of 
 Norwich,  if  your  Grace  thinks  fit,  will  meet  us  on 
 
 *  Prowfe's  MS.  Life  of  Hoooer. 
 
1689]        Bip^op  of  Bath  and  Wells.        367 
 
 Saturday.  I  muft  needs  wifh  my  Lord  of  Chichefter 
 would  be  there  to  help  us ;  for  it  w'^  be  extremely 
 unhappy  fhould  we  at  this  pinch  lofe  one  of  our  num- 
 ber. I  apprehend  that  parfon  of  Lambeth  has  fuper- 
 fined  upon  our  brother  of  B.  and  W.  and  if  he  lodges 
 again  at  his  houfe,  I  fhall  doubt  the  confequence,  for 
 which  reafon  I'll  come  over  on  Saturday  morning  to 
 invite  him  to  my  country  houfe." 
 
 As  the  time  drew  on  for  his  deprival,  the  people  of 
 his  Diocefe  became  more  deeply  affedied  at  the  thought 
 of  lofing  their  revered  Paftor.  His  zeal  for  their  wel- 
 fare, and  his  mild  and  loving  government  of  them, 
 were  the  more  valued,  the  nearer  their  danger  of  lofing 
 him.  The  Clergy  therefore  united  in  an  earneft  Peti- 
 tion to  the  King  on  behalf  of  himfelf,  the  Archbifhop, 
 and  the  other  Prelates  under  cenfure,  praying  that  "they 
 might  not  be  deprived  of  their  revenues  and  dignity, 
 but  reftored  to  the  adminiftration  of  their  fundtions." 
 It  fets  forth  "  the  great  reafon  the  Petitioners  had  to 
 blefs  God  for  thofe  their  ecclefiaftical  Governors,  by 
 whofe  ghoftly  wifdom  and  diredtions  they  have  been 
 all  along  greatly  edified,  and  by  whofe  religious  con- 
 duct and  exemplary  conftancy  they  were,  through  the 
 providence  of  God,  fo  lately  preferved  in  perilous 
 times,  and  for  whofe  fufferings  and  imminent  dangers 
 they  were  then  deeply  afflidled.  We  cannot  but  en- 
 tertain fo  much  filial  tendernefs  and  dutiful  affedlion 
 for  them,  as  paffionately  to  entreat  that  the  Church 
 may  not  fuffer  fo  great  a  lofs  as  to  be  deprived  of 
 them,  nor  they  be  wholly  excluded  from  the  comforts 
 of  the  great  deliverance  which  we  owe  to  your  Ma- 
 jeftie,  to  which  they,   by  a  generous  and  feafonable 
 
368  L//^^  <?/ Thomas  Ken,         [1689 
 
 expofing  themfelves  for  the  common  fafety,  did  emi- 
 nently contribute."^ 
 
 If  this  ever  reached  the  King's  hands,  it  was  not 
 likely  to  carry  much  weight.  The  queftion  of  the 
 deprivals  refted  on  other  grounds  :  like  every  thing 
 elfe,  it  was  to  be  tefted  and  refolved  by  political  expe- 
 diency. William  calmly  held  the  balance  between  the 
 oppofite  weights  of  party  ;  of  whofe  violence  we  may 
 form  fome  notion  from  the  heat  and  rancour  of  the 
 pamphlets  which  were  constantly  appearing.  Many 
 bufy  perfons,  and  efpecially  thofe  who  rejoiced  in  any 
 attack  on  the  Church,  endeavoured  to  inflame  the 
 public  againfl:  the  Bifhops.  Still  their  caufe  rather 
 gained  ground  at  Court,  as  well  as  in  the  country. 
 William  had  already  been  galled  by  the  oppofition  of 
 his  former  friends  :  he  faw  amidft  the  jarring  elements 
 of  political  {Irife  the  felfifhnefs  that  made  the  general 
 interefts  fecondary  to  the  perfonal  objeds  of  each. 
 Contracted  with  this,  the  confcientious  fcruples  of  the 
 Non-jurors,  however,  in  his  opinion  miftaken,  feemed 
 to  claim  indulgence.  He  was  convinced  that,  if  they 
 could  be  conciliated,  they  would  greatly  promote  the 
 {lability  of  his  Government.  When  he  firft  came  over 
 to  England,  he  could  have  known  little  of  Epifcopacy, 
 except  in  the  Roman  Catholic  form,  which  was  mofl: 
 repugnant  to  his  ideas :  allowance  is  to  be  made  for 
 early  prejudices,  which  were  afterwards  modified  by  his 
 intercourfe  with  the  Englifh  Bifhops.f    When  he  dif- 
 
 *   Bowles,  vol.  ii.  p.  194. 
 
 f  Trevor's  Life  of  William,  vol.  ii.  p.  84. 
 
1 6  go]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         369 
 
 folved  his  firft  Parliament,  early  in  1690,  Lord  Cla- 
 rendon faySj  "  feveral  of  my  friends  were  with  me  in 
 the  afternoon,  and  told  me  the  King  had  declared 
 himfelf  for  the  Church  of  England,  and  had  given 
 public  encouragement  to  all  gentlemen,  who  took  leave 
 of  him  upon  going  into  the  country  to  choofe  Church 
 of  England  men."  *  At  the  opening  of  the  new  Par- 
 liament, he  declares  in  his  fpeech,  penned  by  himfelf, 
 that  "  the  Church  of  England  is  one  of  the  greateft 
 fupports  of  the  Proteftant  religion  in  general,  for  the 
 defence  whereof  I  am  ready  again  to  venture  my  life."f 
 
 The  Queen  was  firmly  attached  to  the  Church ; 
 fhe  had  a  perfonal  regard  for  Ken,  her  former  Chap- 
 lain at  the  Hague,  and  the  higheft  efteem  for  Bancroft's 
 character.  Notwithstanding  all  queftions,  "  the  Arch- 
 bifhop  was  permitted  to  continue  at  Lambeth  Palace, 
 where  he  maintained  the  fame  attendance  and  fplen- 
 dour  of  eftablifhment  he  had  formerly  done ;  and 
 during  the  whole  of  this  period  he  constantly  received 
 vifits  from  the  nobility,  and  others  with  whom  he  had 
 lived  In  habits  of  Intercourfe,  and  was  treated  with 
 marks  of  refpedt  by  perfons  of  every  rank."  J 
 
 The  I  ft  of  February,  1690,  was  already  paft,  within 
 which  the  law  required  the  Clergy  to  take  the  new 
 oath  of  allegiance  to  William :  ftill  no  meafures  were 
 adopted  againft  the  Bifhops  to  enforce  the  penalty  : 
 they  were  left  in  quiet  pofTeffion  of  their  revenues,  in 
 the  hope  that  they  might  come  round.     But  an  incl- 
 
 *  Clarendon's  Diary,  vol.  ii.  p.  299. 
 
 t  Trevor's  Life  of  William,  vol.  ii.  p.  88. 
 
 X  Doyly's  Life  of  Sancroft,  vol.  i.  p.  449. 
 
 B  B 
 
370  Zy//'^  (?/^  Thomas  Ken,  [1690 
 
 dent  occurred  foon  after,  likely  to  injure  them  in  the 
 judgment  of  all  lovers  of  peace.      A  day  of  national 
 faft  had  been  proclaimed  for  the  1 2th  of  March  ;  to 
 be  repeated  on  the  third  Wednefday  of  every  month, 
 for  the  fuccefs  of  the  forces  in  Ireland.    Special  prayers 
 were   appointed  for  the  perfonal   fafety  of  William, 
 who  was  to  take  the  command.      Either  fome  Roman 
 Catholics,  or  fome  violent  Jacobites,  took  this  occafion 
 to  diftribute  many  thoufand  copies  of  a  form  of  prayer 
 for  King  James,  as  a  fubftitute  for  the  other.     It  does 
 not  mention  him  by  name  ;   but  the  whole  tenor  of  the 
 paper  fufficiently  expofed  its  real  object.     Amongft 
 other  things,  it  prays,  "  Reftore  to  us  the  public  wor- 
 fhip  of  thy  name,  the  reverend  adminiftration  of  thy 
 Sacraments ;  raife  up  the  former  government  both  of 
 Church  and  State,  that  we  may  be  no  longer  without 
 King,  without  Prieft,  and  without  God  in  the  world. 
 Send  forth  thy  light  and  thy  truth,  and  let  them  pre- 
 ferve  us.     Proteft  and  defend  thy  fervant,  our  Sove- 
 reign Lord  the  King.     Be  thou  unto  him  a  helmet  of 
 falvation,  &c.     Give  him  the  neck  of  his  enemies,  and 
 alfo  every  day  more  and  more  the  hearts  of  his  fub- 
 je6ls.     As  for  thofe  that  are  implacable,  clothe  them 
 with  fhame  ;  but  upon  himfelf  and  his  Pofterity  let 
 the  Crown  flourifh."* 
 
 The  prayers  would  feem  to  bear  internal  evidence 
 of  being  penned  by  a  Roman  Catholic  :  they  fpeak  of 
 reftoring  public  worfhip,  and  the  reverend  adminiftra- 
 tion of  the  Sacraments,  which  in  the  Englifti  Church 
 had  never  been  fufpended ;   and  infinuate  that  the  na- 
 
 *  State  Trads,  vol.  ii.  p.  95. 
 
1690]       Bijhop  of  Bath  ajid  Wells.         371 
 
 tion  had  no  longer  a  Priefthood,  which  was  obvioufly 
 untrue,  as  applied  to  any  other  than  the  Romifh 
 Church,  whofe  worfhip,  and  Sacraments,  and  Prieft- 
 hood  had  all  been  fupprefled.  The  Bifhops,  how- 
 ever, were  accufed  by  party  writers  of  being  the  au- 
 thors or  abettors  of  this  new  Liturgy.  They  did  not 
 think  it  necefTary  to  put  forth  any  denial  of  the  charge, 
 until  the  appearance,  fome  months  afterwards,  of  a 
 fcurrilous  pamphlet,  which  included  this  accufation, 
 with  others  ftill  more  improbable. 
 
 The  title  was  ^  A  Modest  Enquiry  into  the  pre- 
 fent  difafters :  and  who  they  are  that  brought  the 
 French  fleet  into  the  Englifh  Channel  defcrib'd.'  It 
 was  full  of  outrageous  charges  againft  the  peaceful 
 Bifhops,  who  are  called  "  the  Reverend  Club  of  Lam- 
 beth," '^  the  Holy  Jacobite  Club,"  "  our  high  flown 
 Paflive  Obedience  men,"  "  the  CEcumenick  Council 
 of  the  whole  party,  &c."  The  author  was  inconteflia- 
 bly  a  furious  diflenter.  He  attacks  the  Prelates  (more 
 mifliked  for  their  Prelacy  than  their  perfons)  becaufe 
 they  would  not  take  the  oath  ;  but  is  equally  fcan- 
 dalized  at  the  Clergy  who  did,  and  whom  he  accufes 
 "  of  cheating  the  world  with  ridiculous  and  foolifh 
 diftindions,  and  playing  fail  and  loofe  with  Almighty 
 God."  Li  another  part,  fpeaking  of  the  Clergy  as  a 
 clafs,  he  calls  them  "  wretches,  great  contrivers  and 
 managers  of  cabals,  who  by  their  Profeffion  are  for 
 the  moft  part  extraordinarily  credulous."  He  trium- 
 phantly reminds  the  Bifhops,  whom  he  calls  "  our 
 High  Priefl,  and  the  reft  of  the  Gang^'  of  their  "  be- 
 loved 'power  to  trample  on  the  DiJfenterSy  who  are  now 
 out  of  their  clutches y 
 
Ij^  Life  ^p/' Thomas  Ken,         [1690 
 
 This  energetic  writer  calls  the  new  prayers  "  the 
 great  guns  "  of  the  Bifhops — who  were  "  marfhalling 
 a  great  many  of  King  James'  officers  and  cafhier'd 
 gentlemen,"  and  "  levying  no  inconfiderable  fums  of 
 money  for  a  final  infurreftion."  Amongft  the  collec- 
 tors for  the  "  Holy  Club,"  "  there  muft  be  one  Fellow 
 that  eat  King  William's  bread,"  (meaning  Ken  at  the 
 Hague)  and  "  one  of  his  arts  was  to  perfuade  filly 
 old  women  to  tell  down  their  dufl:  for  carrying  on  fo 
 pious  a  work,"  namely,  "  to  work  a  mine  under  ground, 
 in  order  to  a  general  aflault." 
 
 But  '■'•  the  great  gun,"  which  thefe  foldlers  in  lawn 
 were  "  thus  furioufly  playing,"  was  no  lefs  than  inviting 
 over  the  French  King,  and  holding  conftant  corref- 
 pondence  with  Monfieur  de  Croifie.  The  Modeft  En- 
 quirer gives  a  copy  of  a  fuppofed  addrefs  to  Louis 
 XIV.  fent  over  by  our  high  Prieft  and  the  refl:  of  the 
 gang,  which  he  fays  "  was  difcovered  of  late  by  a 
 certain  perfon."  It  begins,  "  Great  and  invincible 
 Monarch  !  The  refplendent  rays  of  your  Majefl:y's 
 virtues  have  render'd  all  the  world  your  adorers !  and 
 that  inherent  goodnefs  of  which  your  Majefliy  ftands 
 fo  tranfcendently  pofi^eft,  does  render  you  the  only 
 fanduary  of  all  the  diftrefi; : "   &c.  &c. 
 
 We  need  not  follow  the  libel  much  farther  :  but  it 
 deferved  a  notice  for  the  fake  of  the  anfwer  put  forth 
 to  it.  The  writer's  objedl  ekes  out  in  his  fuggefiiion 
 that  the  Bifiiops  fiiould  be  "  Be  JVitted"  —  that  is 
 treated  in  the  fame  way  as  the  De  Witts,  whom  the 
 mob  at  Amfterdam  had  mafiacred  in  1672,  dragging 
 their  bodies  about  the  town,  on  the  falfe  charge  of  a 
 plot  againft  the  life  of  William,  foon  after  he  had  been 
 
1690]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  JVells.         373 
 
 eledted  Stadtholder.  Hence  the  ofFenfive  term  came  to 
 be  well  underftood  in  Holland  and  England  to  mean 
 maflacred.  "  The  truth  is,"  (fays  the  Modeft  Enquirer) 
 "  it  is  a  wonder,  theEnglifh  nation,  upon  the  affront  that 
 has  befallen  them,  in  being  forced  to  turn  their  backs 
 to  the  French  at  fea,  have  not  in  their  fury  De  Witted 
 fome  of  thefe  men,  who  have  brought  all  this  upon 
 us.  And  I  muft  tell  them  that  the  crimes  of  the  two 
 unhappy  brothers  in  Holland  (which  gave  rife  to  that 
 word)  were  not  fully  fo  great  as  fome  of  theirs." 
 
 The  pamphlet  made  a  great  noife  ;  and  as  the  Form 
 of  Prayer,  or  New  Liturgy,  with  other  grave  charges, 
 were  thus  openly  brought  againft  the  Bifhops,  it  be- 
 hoved them,  as  lovers  of  peace,  to  give  an  unqualified 
 denial.  Ken,  at  leaft,  was  no  member  of  the  imaginary 
 "  Lambeth  Club."  He  had  remained,  where  he  mofl 
 loved  to  be,  in  his  Diocefe,  except  for  fhort  intervals, 
 when  his  advice  was  required  by  his  Brother  Bifhops. 
 Indeed  about  this  time  he  appears  to  have  been  drink- 
 ing the  Bath  waters  :*  but  came  to  town  on  the  prefent 
 emergency,  and  the  following  paper  was  quickly  de- 
 cided upon,  and  publifhed  under  the  title  of  a 
 
 "  Vindication,  &c." 
 "  Whereas  in  a  late  pamphlet,  entitled  *A  Modeft 
 
 *  "  The  R'.  Rev*'.  Thomas  Lord  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells 
 drank  the  waters  at  the  King's  Bath  1 690,  in  the  month  of  Sept. 
 and  received  benefit. 
 
 "  Orlando  Pain,  being  troubled  with  a  filthy  leprofy,  fent  to  the 
 Bath,  and  maintained  there  by  Thomas  Lord  Bifhop  of  Bath  and 
 Wells  all  the  winter,  1690:  in  14  weeks'  ufe  of  the  hot  and  lepers 
 Bath  received  cure."  Thomas  Guidott,  Regifter  of  Bath,  containing 
 an  account  of  cures,  &c.      2nd  Ed.  1724,  p.  377,  378. 
 
374  Life  (?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1690 
 
 Enquiry  into  the  caufes  of  the  prefent  diftrefles,  &;c.' 
 we,  whofe  names  are  hereunto  fubfcribed,  are  among 
 others  reprefented  as  the  authors  and  abettors  of  Eng- 
 land's miferies ;  and  under  the  abufive  names  of  the 
 Lambeth  Holy  Club,  the  Holy  Jacobite  Club,  and  the 
 CEcumenick  Council  of  the  whole  Party,  are  charged 
 with  a  third  Plot,  and  with  the  compofing  of  a  new 
 Liturgy,  and  ufing  it  in  our  cabals  ;  and  whereas  the 
 Clergy,  fuch  of  them  as  are  ftyled  malcontents,  are 
 faid  (together  with  others)  to  have  prefented  a  memo- 
 rial to  the  King  of  France,  to  perfuade  him  to  invade 
 England  ;  and  are  alfo  affirmed  to  have  kept  a  con- 
 ftant  correfpondence  with  M.  de  Croifly  in  order  there- 
 unto. 
 
 "  We  do  here  folemnly,  as  in  the  prefence  of  God, 
 proteft  and  declare. 
 
 "  I .  That  thefe  accufations  caft  upon  us  are  all  of 
 them  malicious  calumnies,  and  diabolical  inventions ; 
 that  we  are  innocent  of  them  all ;  and  we  defy  the 
 libeller,  whoever  he  be,  to  produce,  if  he  can,  any 
 legal  proof  of  our  guiltinefs  therein. 
 
 "  2.  That  we  know  not  who  was  the  author  of  the 
 new  Liturgy,  as  the  libel  calls  it ;  that  we  had  no  hand 
 in  it,  either  in  the  club,  cabal  or  otherwife  ;  nor  was  it 
 compofed,  or  publifhed  by  our  order,  confent,  or  pri- 
 vity ;  nor  hath  it  been  ufed  at  any  time  by  us  or  any 
 of  us. 
 
 "  3.  That  neither  we,  nor  any  of  us,  ever  held  any 
 correfpondence,  diredlly  or  indiredly,  with  M.  de 
 Croifly,  or  with  any  minifter  or  agent  of  France  :  and 
 if  any  fuch  memorial,  as  the  libel  mentions,  was  ever 
 really  prefented  to  the  French  King,  we  never  knew 
 
1690]       BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         375 
 
 anything  of  it,  nor  anything  relating  thereto.  And 
 we  do  utterly  renounce  both  that,  and  all  other  invita- 
 tions fuggefted  to  be  made  by  us,  in  order  to  any 
 invafion  of  this  kingdom  by  the  French. 
 
 "  4.  That  we  utterly  deny,  and  difavow  all  plots 
 charged  upon  us,  or  contrived  or  carried  on,  in  our 
 meetings  at  Lambeth  ;  the  intent  thereof  being  to  ad- 
 vife  how,  in  our  prefent  difficulties,  we  might  beft 
 keep  confciences  void  of  offence  towards  God  and  to- 
 wards man. 
 
 "  5.  That  we  are  fo  far  from  being  the  authors  or 
 abettors  of  England's  miferies  (whatever  the  fpirit  of 
 lying  and  calumny  may  vent  againft  us)  that  we  do, 
 and  fliall  to  our  dying  hour,  heartily  and  inceflantly 
 pray  for  the  peace,  profperity  and  glory  of  England ; 
 and  fhall  always,  by  God's  grace,  make  it  our  daily 
 practice  to  ftudy  to  be  quiet,  to  bear  our  crofs  patiently, 
 and  to  feek  the  good  of  our  native  country. 
 
 "  Who  the  author  of  this  libel  is  we  know  not :  but 
 whoever  he  is,  we  defire,  as  our  Lord  hath  taught  us, 
 to  return  him  good  for  evil :  he  barbaroufly  endeavours 
 to  raife  in  the  whole  Englifh  nation  fuch  a  fury,  as 
 may  end  in  De  Witting  us  (a  bloody  word,  but  too 
 well  understood).  But  we  recommend  him  to  the 
 Divine  mercy,  humbly  befeeching  God  to  forgive  him. 
 We  have  all  of  us,  not  long  fince,  either  adlually  or  in 
 full  preparation  of  mind,  hazarded  all  we  had  in  the 
 world  in  oppofing  Popery  and  arbitrary  power  in  Eng- 
 land :  and  we  fhall  by  God's  grace,  with  greater  zeal 
 again  facrifice  all  we  have,  and  our  very  lives  too,  if 
 God  fhall  be  pleafed  to  call  us  thereto,  to  prevent  Po- 
 pery, and  the  arbitrary  power  of  France,  from  coming 
 
37^  I^ if e  of  Thomas  Ken y         [1690 
 
 upon  us,  and  prevailing  over  us  ;  the  perfecution  of 
 our  Proteftant  brethren  there  being  ftill  frefh  in  our 
 memories.  It  is  our  great  unhappinefs  that  we  have 
 not  opportunity  to  pubhfh  full  and  particular  anfwers 
 to  thofe  many  libels,  which  are  induftrloufly  fpread 
 againft  us.  But  we  hope  that  our  country  will  never 
 be  moved  to  hate  us  without  a  caufe,  but  will  be  fo 
 juft  and  charitable  to  us,  as  to  believe  this  folemn  pro-  i 
 testation  of  our  innocency.  * 
 
 "  Signed  W.  Cant. 
 
 W.  Norwich. 
 
 Printed  in  the  year  1690.  g^  Ely. 
 
 Tho.  Bath  and  Wells. 
 
 Tho.  Petreburgh." 
 The  Modest  Enquiry  was  extenfively  circulated, 
 and  may  be  found  in  the  2nd  vol.  of  State  Trads,  and 
 yet  the  Bifhops  were  refufed  a  licenfe  to  publifh  their 
 Vindication.  The  rulers  of  the  day,  fo  loud  in 
 praife  of  liberty,  would  not  permit  any  indulgence,  or 
 freedom  of  the  prefs.  Sancroft  complains  of  this  in 
 one  of  his  letters.  "  We  are  daily  opprefTed  in  our 
 confciences,  in  our  propertie,  and  in  our  libertie,  con- 
 trary to  our  old  laws,  and  even  their  own  too,  while 
 Papifts,  Quakers,  Arians,  and  Hereticks,  of  all  forts 
 are  free.  When  a  bloody  rabble  were  (in  print)  en- 
 couraged to  tear  us  in  pieces,  there  was  no  more  notice 
 taken  of  it,  than  if  the  country-people  had  been  getting 
 together  to  difpatch  a  wolfe,  or  a  mad  dog  :  and  the 
 Government  were  fo  far  from  protecting  us,  y'  they 
 would  not  fufFer  us  to  defend  ourfelves.  You  know 
 what  objedions  (I  might  fay  cavils)  were  rais'd  againft 
 the  ftiort  and  modeft  Vindication  ;  fo  in  fine  we  could 
 
1 6  90]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         377 
 
 not  get  it  licens'd  to  the  prefs  ;  and  you  remember  how 
 barbaroufly  we  were  ufed  for  it  afterwards."* 
 
 It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  fhow  the  feverity  exer- 
 cifed  towards  the  Nonjurors,  and  the  meafures  taken 
 to  feize  their  publications  in  the  printing  houfes,  and 
 break  up  the  prefs  ;  one  inftance,  from  Bancroft's  let- 
 ters may  however  be  given.  "  To  fupprefs  our  books, 
 and  opprefs  (inftead  of  anfwering)  thofe  that  write 
 them,  and  to  deftroy  the  very  prefs  itfelf  too,  is  like 
 the  cruelty  forbidden  by  Mofes,  to  deftroy  not  only 
 the  eggs,  and  young  ones  in  the  neft,  but  the  Dam 
 alfo  that  fits  upon  them.  It  is  a  great  comfort  that 
 the  laft  Bird  which  was  hatched  there  (of  the  true  no- 
 ble Eyrie,  and  a  gallant  high  Flier)  is  fledg'd  and 
 flown,  and  will  fill  the  whole  foreft  with  fuch  notes,  of 
 which  the  Pies  and  Daws  (that  like  it  not)  will  never 
 be  able  to  drown  the  mufic."  j"  He  alludes  to  Henry 
 Dodwell's  "  Vindication  of  the  Deprived  Biihops." 
 
 Though  the  Government  refufed  a  licenfe,  the  Bi- 
 fhops  fucceeded  in  getting  their  Vindication  printed. 
 It  foon  found  its  way  to  the  public,  and  to  their  con- 
 vidlions :  for  it  gained  implicit  credence,  and  brought 
 confufion  on  the  author  of  the  injurious  pamphlet.  It 
 gave  the  Bifhops  an  opportunity  of  bringing  home  to 
 people's  minds  their  former  fufferings,  and  how  they 
 had  hazarded  all  in  oppofing  Popery  and  arbitrary 
 power.  The  falfe  charge  againft  them,  as  generally 
 happens  when  an  accufation  is  proved  to  be  malicious, 
 refulted  in  a  fuller  perfuafion  of  the  purity  of  their 
 motives  in  the  matter  of  the  oath. 
 
 *  Dr.  Williams's  Colleftion  of  Original  Letters.  f  Ibid- 
 
378  ^f/^  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1690 
 
 Finding  that  all  clafTes,  except  the  enemies  to  the 
 Church,  were  anxious  fome  meafure  fhould  be  de- 
 vifed  to  excufe  them  from  the  Oath,  the  Government 
 did  what  they  could  towards  it.  The  BifKops  of  Lon- 
 don and  St.  Afaph  had  before  been  fent  to  the  Arch- 
 bifhop  "  to  know  what  he  and  the  reft  would  do  to 
 prevent  being  deprived  :  could  they  take  no  fteps 
 towards  the  Government  ?  fome  expedients  they  pro- 
 pofed,  as  that  a  Bill  fhould  be  pafTed,  giving  the  King 
 power  to  difpenfe  with  the  Oaths  during  pleafure." 
 Again,  fome  months  later,  taking  with  them  the  Bi- 
 fhop  of  Bangor,  they  delivered  another  mefiage  from 
 the  King,  that  '^  he  would  continue  them  in  their  Sees, 
 and  not  put  any  others  in  their  places  ;  that  they  fhould 
 enjoy  their  revenues,  and  that  the  King  would  make 
 their  Receivers  his  Receivers,  to  colled  and  pay  the 
 rents  to  themfelves."'|"  Burnet  alfo  was  now  again 
 fent  by  the  Queen  to  a  nobleman,  who  had  great  credit 
 with  the  deprived  Bifhops,  "  to  try  whether,  if  Parlia- 
 ment could  be  brought  to  difpenfe  with  their  taking 
 the  Oaths,  they  would  go  on,  and  do  their  fundlions, 
 ordain,  confirm,  affift  at  prayers  and  Sacraments,  give 
 inftitutions,  and  vifit  their  Diocefes."  J  Surely  nothing 
 could  be  more  reafonable  than  fuch  a  propofal :  for,  as 
 Burnet  fays,  ''  thefe  are  the  great  duties  of  the  Epif- 
 copal  Funftion  ;  and  it  feemed  an  extravagant  thing 
 to  have  Bifhops  in  a  Church,  who  fhould  perform 
 none  of  them,  but  fhould  only  live  in  their  Sees,  and 
 enjoy  their  revenues."  § 
 
 *  Clarendon's  Diary,  vol.  ii.  p.  297.  f  Ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.  299. 
 
 I  BifliopofSarum's  Vindication,  p.  102.      §   Ibid.  p.  103. 
 
1690]       Bipoop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         379 
 
 Had  Ken's  moderate  counfels  prevailed,  this  pro- 
 pofal  would  have  been  accepted.  Throughout  the 
 whole  controverfy  he  advocated  meafures  of  peace  : 
 "  I  confefs,"  he  fays,  "  I  never  was  for  extremities, 
 which  I  foon  thought  would  prove  of  fatal  confe- 
 quences  -,  but  I  find  that  others,  who  always  were  and 
 ftill  are  for  them,  think,  but  hardly  of  me."  *  —  The 
 Archbifhop  was  influenced  by  Lloyd  of  Norwich, 
 Turner  of  Ely,  and  White  of  Peterborough.  Look- 
 ing upon  William  as  an  Ufurper,  and  James  flill  as 
 head  of  the  Church,  to  whom  only  they  could  pay  any 
 homage,  they  gave  an  anfwer  fatal  to  the  Church's 
 intereflis :  they  faid  "  they  would  do  nothing  :  if  the 
 King  thought  fit,  for  his  own  fake,  that  they  fhould 
 not  be  deprived,  he  mufl:  make  it  his  bufinefs ;  they 
 could  not  vary  from  what  they  had  done.  And  be- 
 fides  they  were  not  now  all  together  ;  and  therefore 
 they  could  make  no  other  anfwer." f 
 
 Ken  had  returned  to  Wells  :  like  the  needle  to  the 
 loadfl:one,  he  was  always  drawn  to  the  fphere  of  his 
 Diocefe  :  and  he  would  now  make  the  moft  of  the 
 fhort  time  which  the  law  would  probably  allow  him. 
 His  diligence  and  zeal  were  untiring,  fo  long  as  he 
 was  permitted  to  ad:.  He  maintained  his  friendly  re- 
 lations with  the  Clergy  of  his  See  (however  much  he 
 differed  from  them  as  to  the  Oaths,  which  almoft  every 
 one  of  them  had  taken)  and  ftill  more  he  laboured 
 among  the  meaner  of  his  flock,  who  had  none  of  thefe 
 vexed  quefliions  to  fettle.  After  two  months  the  no- 
 bleman, to  whom  Burnet  had  been  fent  (the  Earl  of 
 
 *  Round,  p.  59.  t  Clarendon's  Diary,  vol.  ii.  p.  299. 
 
380  Life  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1690 
 
 Rochefter)  told  him  that  "  he  had  obeyed  the  Queen's 
 commands  with  zeal,  and  all  the  {kill  he  had ;  but  the 
 Bifhops  would  anfwer  nothing,  and  promife  nothing, 
 only  he  believed  they  would  be  quiet.  So  all  thoughts 
 of  bringing  that  matter  again  into  Parliament  were 
 laid  afide ;  yet  their  Majefties  proceeded  in  it  flowly, 
 and  feemed  unwilling  to  fill  their  Sees."* 
 
 But  a  ftorm  was  gathering  in  a  quarter  that  Ken 
 could  leaft  expecft :  towards  the  end  of  this  year  his 
 earlieft  friend,  Francis  Turner,  was  drawn  into  a  fcheme 
 which  nothing  could  juftify  or  palliate :  he  had  engaged, 
 with  Lord  Prefton,  and  many  other  malcontents,  in  a 
 plot  un-Englifh  and  un-Chriftian  ;  no  lefs  than  to  bring 
 back  King  James  by  aid  of  a  French  army,  which  muft 
 have  fpread  defolation  through  the  country.  Turner 
 had  but  lately  difclaimed  all  thoughts  of  French  inter- 
 vention :  he  had  declared  his  only  defire  was  "  to  keep 
 a  confcience  void  of  offence,  to  ftudy  to  be  quiet,  and 
 to  bear  his  crofs  patiently."  It  is  unaccountable  that 
 he  fhould  fo  foon  forget  all  thefe  profefTions,  and  com- 
 promife  his  own  charadter,  and  that  of  his  Brethren  ? 
 
 It  is  vain  to  afTert,  that  this  plot  was  but  pretended. 
 The  proofs  are  irrefragable  that  the  fcheme  was  deeply 
 laid ;  and  had  it  been  accomplifhed,  confufion  and 
 bloodfhed  were  the  certain  refults.  The  Government 
 being  apprifed  of  the  confpiracy.  Lord  Preflon,  and 
 one  Afhton,  were  feized  on  their  pafTage  to  France, 
 and  a  packet  of  letters  for  King  James  was  found  upon 
 them  :  amongft  others,  were  two  from  the  Bifhop  of 
 Ely,  in  which  he  fays  "  I  fpeak  in  the  plural,  becaufe 
 
 *  Bifhop  ofSarum's  Vindication,  p.  104. 
 
1 690]       Bifhop  of  Bath  a7id  Wells.         3  8 1 
 
 I  write  my  elder  brother's  fentiments,  as  well  as  my 
 own,  and  the  reft  of  the  family,  though  lefien'd  in 
 number."*  Burnet  feems  to  admit  that  Turner  wrote 
 without  any  authority  from  the  Archbifhop,f  who 
 might,  however,  have  fympathized  in  the  objedl :  as 
 for  "  the  reft  of  the  family  "  (meaning  the  other  Bi- 
 ftiops)  no  one  for  a  moment  fufpedled  Ken.  Many 
 noblemen,  even  of  thofe  who  had  been  William's  early 
 adherents,  were  engaged  in  the  plot.  The  Biftiop  of 
 Ely  abfconded  for  a  while,  and  in  fpite  of  a  Proclama- 
 tion, and  a  reward  oft'ered  for  his  difcovery,  eluded 
 purfuit.  Writing  of  this  to  Lloyd,  Sancroft  in  his 
 fprightly  way  gives  us  fome  notion  of  Turner's  re- 
 markable phyfiognomy,  which  he  was  afraid  would 
 betray  him.  "  Your  Lordftiip  whifpered  fomething 
 in  my  ear,  about  a  fort'night  fince,  concerning  our 
 good  Brother  Francis  of  Ely,  which  makes  me  tremble 
 whenever  I  think  of  it.  For  tho',  as  Biftiop,  Lancy 
 (v/ho  was  much  in  London  during  the  great  Rebellion) 
 was  wont  to  fay,  "  London  is  a  great  wood,  where  he 
 that  would  hide  himfelf  may  moft  probably  be  con- 
 cealed ;  yet  our  friend  is  a  very  remarkable  perfon, 
 and  one  univerfally  known  and  acquainted  ;  and  ftiould 
 he  traveft  himfelf  into  what  habit  he  will,  or  fpread  a 
 Patriarchal  Beard,  or  cover  all  with  any  fort  of  Peruke 
 you  can  fancy ;  ftill  there  will  be  fomething  that  may 
 difcover  him.  Not  of  late  only,  but  of  old,  the  Trapa- 
 0-HjU.oi/  of  the  veftel,  the  fign  by  which  'twas  known, 
 was  in  the  Prow,  or  Beak  :  A(5ls  28.  11.     The  only 
 
 *  State  Trials,  vol.  xii.  p.  715. 
 
 t  Bifliop  of  Sarum's  Vindication,  p.  98. 
 
382  ^^f^  I?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1690 
 
 comfortable  refledion  in  this  cafe  is,  that  God  can  hide 
 whom  he  pleafeth  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  or  in  the 
 fecret  of  his  prefence  ;  and  though  the  King  and  his 
 Minifters  fought  Jeremiah,  and  Baruch  to  take  him, 
 yet  the  Lord  hid  him.  May  it  be  ftill  fo  with  our 
 Friend."  * 
 
 Turner  and  the  others  owed  their  fafety  to  the  cha- 
 radreriftic  calmnefs  of  William,  who  overlooked  the 
 treafon  of  profeffing  friends,  and  open  foes.  Lord 
 Prefton,  tempted  by  a  pardon,  was  examined  in  the 
 King's  prefence.  He  named  amongft  his  afTociates 
 the  Duke  of  Ormond,  Lords  Dartmouth,  Macclesfield, 
 Brandon,  and  Mr.  Penn  the  Quaker ;  and  added  that 
 Penn  told  him  that,  although  Lord  Dorfet,  and  Lord 
 Devonfhire  had  not  attended  the  Conferences,  they 
 were  of  the  party.  He  offered  to  name  others  of  the 
 great  Whig  families.  Lord  Caermarthen,  who  had 
 formerly,  and  lately,  been  perfecuted  by  that  party, 
 eagerly  pufhed  him  on,  bidding  him  go  to  the  bottom 
 of  the  Confpiracy.  But  the  King,  who  ftood  behind 
 Caermarthen's  chair,  and  was  then  leaning  over  it, 
 touched  him  upon  the  fhoulder,  faying  ^  My  Lord, 
 there  is  too  much  of  this  ; '  and  with  equal  prudence 
 and  generofity  drew  a  veil  over  offences,  into  which 
 the  befl  of  his  fubjecfls  had  been  too  haftily  betrayed."  f 
 It  was  a  rare  inftance  of  clemency  :  whether  it  were 
 the  didate  of  forefight,  or  the  impulfe  of  generous 
 magnanimity,  it  deferves  to  be  held  in  honour.  One 
 of  William's  diftinguifhing  qualities  was  a  difregard  of 
 
 *  Dr.  Williams's  CoIleClion  of  Original  Letters, 
 t  Dalrymple  Memoirs,  p.  467. 
 
1691]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.       383 
 
 praife,  which  he  generally  fet  down  to  the  fcore  of 
 flattery  ;  another  was,  indifference  to  the  diflikes  of 
 men,  which  he  always  afcribed  to  their  own  interefts. 
 The  nature  of  men  who  have  been  long  and  intently 
 engaged  in  political  ftrife  becomes  felfifh  ;  but  Wil- 
 liam, though  he  feldom  fhowed  any  tendernefs  of  heart, 
 or  refinement  of  feeling,  was  at  leaft  free  from  the  ftain 
 of  vindidlivenefs. 
 
 We  cannot  be  furprized  that  this  event  fhould  feal 
 the  deprival  of  the  Nonjuring  Bifhops.  They  had 
 rejedled  all  the  overt  res  made  to  them  ;  and  the  late 
 confpiracy  convinced  the  government  that  the  oath  of 
 allegiance,  to  be  taken  by  all  who  held  places  of  truft, 
 was  a  neceffary  precaution  for  the  public  fafety.  Never- 
 thelefs,  one  more  attempt  was  made  to  compromife.  It 
 was  propofed  early  in  April,  1691,  that  the  Bifhops 
 fhould  make  a  declaration  of  innocence  in  the  matter 
 of  the  late  confpiracy,  and  that  a  part  of  their  revenues 
 fhould  be  ft  ill  allowed  them.  This  was  intimated  to 
 White,  of  Peterborough,  who  promifed  that  he  and 
 Lloyd  would  confult  the  Archbifhop,  Ken  not  being  in 
 London.  Bancroft  thus  records  his  views  :  "  ift.  I  fee 
 no  reafon  why  we  fhould  declare  anything  concerning 
 a  furmife,  which  is  fo  far  from  affeding  us,  that  'tis 
 not  as  yet  prov'd  upon  the  Bp.  of  Ely. — -So  that,  fhould 
 we  fall  a-declaring  and  purging  ourfelves,  before  we 
 are  charg'd  in  form,  men  and  angels  will  hardly  be 
 able  to  pen  anything,  that  will  not  be  liable  to  a  hun- 
 dred cavills,  and  in  fine  prove  a  fnare  to  us.  2nd.  As 
 to  the  regaining  any  of  our  revenues,  'tis  /pes  improba 
 to  expert  it  can  ever  be  ;  and  to  be  fure  not  without 
 petitioning,  which  will  be  another  great  fnare ;    and  at 
 
384  -^^f^  f?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1691 
 
 laft  be  peremptorily  deny'd  (vv''  nobody  I  think  is  in 
 love  with)  or  clog'd  with  fome  curfed  condition,  which 
 will  leave  us  in  a  worfe  condition  than  we  were  in  be- 
 fore we  ftirr'd  in  it :  not  to  conceal  what  the  Bp.  told 
 me  (I  think  from  the  fame  Gent)  that  our  revenues 
 are  already  ifTued  out  of  the  Exchequer  into  the  privy 
 purfe,  and  from  thence  to  a  certain  vertuous  Ladie, 
 '  et  ab  inferno  nulla  redemptio.'  While  we  were  to- 
 gether, the  Bp.  of  London  came  in,  and  we  were  all 
 two  hours  together.  O  quantum  mutatus  ab  illo  Hec- 
 tare I  fo  kind  and  debonaire,  and  fo  obliging,  that  it 
 would  have  pleas'd  you  to  obferve  it.  But  what  paft 
 may  be  apt  of  our  converfation  to-morrow,  if  Tho.  of 
 P.  can  prevaile  with  you  to  come.  In  the  mean  time 
 and  ever  I  remain 
 
 "  Your's  moft  unfainedly 
 "April,  91."  <'  W.  C."* 
 
 As  nothing  could  move  the  Bifhops  from  their 
 purpofe,  a  lift  was  made  of  their  intended  Succeflbrs. 
 Sancroft  had  accurate  intelligence  of  what  was  pafTing 
 at  Court.  Writing  again  to  Lloyd  he  fays,  ''  Yef- 
 terday  St.  Afaph,  and  Tenifon,  having  dined  with 
 my  Lord  Clarendon  in  the  Tower,  came  hither  in 
 the  afternoon.  I  foon  faw  in  the  Bifhop's  folemn 
 gravity  what  news  he  was  big  with  :  but  ftaved  him 
 off  for  half  an  hour  with  common  difcourfe,  as  brifk  as 
 I  could  contrive  it.  But  at  laft,  out  it  muft  come  ; 
 and  then  I  let  him  fee  that  I  knew  more  than  he  knew, 
 or  at  leaft  pretended  to  know  :  though  Tenifon  con- 
 firm'd  all  my  particulars.     Your  lift  is  right  through- 
 
 *   Dr.  Williams's  Colleftion  of  Original  Letters. 
 
1691]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         385 
 
 out,  add  only  that  Talbot  (the  Earl  of  Shrewfbury's 
 brother)  Is  Dean  of  Sarum,  Yefternight  the  Bp.  of 
 London,*  knowing  nothing  of  thefe  promotions,  was 
 ready  to  enter  the  Council  Chamber,  when  a  friend 
 pull'd  him  by  the  fleeve,  and  fhow'd  him  the  whole 
 fcheme  ;  whereupon  he  retreated.  Our  abfent  Brethren 
 without  all  doubt  will  know  the  prefent  Refolutions 
 taken  againfi:  them  (and  fo  will  all  England)  before 
 our  letters  can  come  to  them  ;  nor  do  I  affedt  to  be 
 the  teller  of  ill  news  ;  tho'  fome  others  do,  as  it  feems 
 by  what  I  wrote  a  little  before.  When  they  know  it, 
 it  will  be  beft,  I  think,  to  leave  their  coming  up,  or 
 not,  to  their  own  refolutions  ;  efpecially  till  we  have 
 refolved  ourfelves  (with  the  Dr's.  advice)  that  we  may 
 have  fomething  to  propound  to  them, 
 f  "  In  the  mean  time  I  am  ever 
 
 "  Your  faith.  Friend  and  Brother 
 
 "  W.  C." 
 
 *  Compton,  who  expefted  to  be  made  Archbifhop. 
 f   Dr.  Williams's  Colleftion  of  Original  Letters. 
 
 C   C 
 
386  Zy//'^  (^Z' Thomas  Ken,         [1691 
 
 CHAPTER  XXVI. 
 
 Ken  is  deprived  of  his  Bijhopric  —  Makes  a  public  ajfertion  in 
 Wells  Cathedral  of  his  canonical  right ^  and  retires  —  His 
 Poverty  —  Lord  Weymouth  affords  him  an  afylmn  at  Long 
 Leat. 
 
 I  HE  deprivals  of  the  Non-juring  Bifhops, 
 which  had  been  delayed  for  a  year  be- 
 yond the  limits  of  the  a6b,  were  at  length 
 permitted  to  take  their  courfe.  Dr. 
 D'Oyly  gives  the  particulars  of  Bancroft's  ejedion  from 
 Lambeth.  In  the  cafe  of  Ken,  fome  months'  delay 
 ftill  intervened,  from  the  difficulty  of  finding  any  one 
 who  would  accept  his  Bifhopric.  It  was  firft  offered 
 to  Dr.  Beveridge,  one  of  the  moft  pious  and  learned 
 of  the  clergy,  who,  though  he  had  taken  the  oaths  to 
 William  and  Mary,  had  the  higheft  reverence  for 
 Ken's  chara6ler,  and  held  that  a  lay  deprival  was  be- 
 yond the  limits  of  the  civil  power,  and  therefore  un- 
 canonical.  He  deliberated  for  three  weeks,  and  then 
 ftedfaftly  refufed  the  appointment.* 
 
 Bancroft,  who  was  very  unforgiving  towards  any 
 who  took  the  oaths,  doubted  the  fincerity  of  Beve- 
 ridge's  fcruples.     Writing  to  Lloyd  on  the  28  th  of 
 
 "  Tribus  Septimanis  meditando  Epifcopari  noluit."    Kennett's 
 Colleftions.     Lanfdown  MSS.  987. 
 
1691]      Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         387 
 
 April,  1 69 1,  he  fays,  "  yefterday  Dr.  B.  was  with  me, 
 and  gave  me  a  long  account  of  his  averfenefs  from  ac- 
 cepting the  See  of  B.  &  W.  becaufe  the  Bp.  is  his  old 
 friend,  &c  :  and  then  afkt  my  advice.  I  having  firft 
 told  him,  *  if  I  fhould  give  it,  you  will  not  follow  it,' 
 yet  did  give  it  plain  words,  and  backt  it  with  reafons, 
 that  I  think  might  be  fufficient.  But  I  believe  they'll 
 have  noe  eiFed  upon  him :  for  all  was  but  a  copie  of 
 his  countenance.  You  fhall  have  all  that  pafTed  on 
 Friday,  or  when  we  meet  next."* 
 
 As  late  as  the  30th  of  May,  Sancroft  exprelTes  his 
 "  wonder  that  the  feverity  goes  not  on  to  our  poor 
 Brother  of  B.  and  W.  I  am  afraid  he  cannot  long 
 efcape  it."  And  again,  "  'tis  a  wonder  nothing  is  done 
 againft  our  good  Brother  of  B.  and  W.  But  I  am 
 afraid  that  at  laft  tarditatem  fupplicii  atrocitate  ei  com" 
 ■penjabunt.  For  they  are  very  ftoicks :  nejciunt  mijereriy 
 vel  parcere.'"-\  At  length  the  Bifhopric  was  offered  to 
 Dr.  Richard  Kidder,  Dean  of  Peterborough,  a  learned 
 Hebrew  fcholar,  and  a  man  of  blamelefs  life.  He  alfo 
 entertained  fcruples,  and  for  fome  time  declined  to 
 fucceed  a  deprived  Bifhop.  He  did  not  agree  with 
 Beveridge  in  thinking  it  unlawful ;  but  he  *'  knew 
 very  well  he  fhould  be  able  to  do  lefs  good,  if  he 
 came  into  a  Bifhopric  void  by  deprivation."  He  has 
 left  us  a  full  record  of  his  difficulties.  *'  I  received," 
 he  fays,  '^  a  letter  from  Dr.  Tillotfon,  to  announce  that 
 the  Queen  had  nominated  me  to  Bath  and  Wells.  I 
 was,  upon  the  reading  of  it,  in  fuch  trouble  and  con- 
 flernation,  as  I  have  feldom  been  in  during  my  whole 
 
 *  Dr.  Williams's  Colleftion  of  Original  Letters.  f  Ibid. 
 
388  Lfife  of  Thom2is  Ktny         [1691 
 
 life.  I  faw  the  ftralt  I  was  in.  If  I  took  this  Bifhop- 
 ric,  I  well  knew  I  muft  meet  with  great  trouble  and 
 envy.  If  I  refufed,  I  knew  the  confequence  of  that 
 alfo,  efpecially  Dr.  Beveridge  having  fo  lately  done  it. 
 After  fome  days  I  return'd  my  anfwer,  and  'twas  to 
 this  effed ;  that  unlefs  her  Majefty  would  excufe  me, 
 and  think  of  fome  other  perfon,  I  would  accept  the 
 bifhopric.  And  this  I  did,  not  perhaps  as  wifely  as  I 
 ihould.  I  cannot  fay  I  did  it  againft  my  confcience  ; 
 but  of  this  I  am  fure,  that  fince  I  have  confidered 
 things  better  I  fhould  not  have  done  it,  were  it  to  do 
 again.  I  did  not  confult  my  eafe.  I  have  often  re- 
 pented of  my  accepting  it,  and  looked  on  it  as  a  great 
 infelicity."  * 
 
 Ken  foon  received  intelligence  of  the  appointment. 
 **  Dr.  Kidder  is  now  faid  to  be  my  fucceflbr,  or  rather 
 fupplanter.  He  is  a  perfon  of  whom  I  have  no  know- 
 ledge. God  of  his  infinite  goodnefs  multiply  his 
 bleffings  on  yourfelf,  and  on  my  good  friends  with 
 you,  and  enable  us  to  do  and  fuffer  his  moft  holy 
 will."  He  was  then  on  his  way  to  his  nephew,  Izaak 
 Walton,  Junior,  at  Poulfhot,  who  had  taken  the  oaths: 
 "  to  his  houfe  I  am  now,  God  v/illing,  going  for  fome 
 time,  partly  for  my  health,  partly  to  avoid  that  cloud 
 under  which  I  lye  (and  chiefly  from  my  brethren,  God 
 forgive  them  for  it)  as  having  done  all  that  is  proper 
 for  me  to  doe  to  affert  my  charadler,  the  doing  of 
 which  has  created  me  many  enemies,  as  I  expe(5led  it 
 would."  f     This  is  in  allufion  to  the  cenfures  of  his 
 
 *  Bowles,  vol.  ii.  p.  211. 
 
 t  Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  42. 
 
1 6  9 1  ]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         389 
 
 over  zealous   brethren,   the   other   deprived  Bifhops, 
 becaufe  he  had  continued  to  exercife  his  functions.* 
 
 On  the  other  hand,  amidft  the  rumours  that  were 
 afloat,  fome  were  led  to  fay  that  he  had  failed  in  pro- 
 perly aflerting  his  paftoral  rights  at  the  time  of  his 
 deprival.  Burnet  charges  this  againft  them  all,  and 
 Bancroft  in  particular :  "  he  never  took  upon  him  to 
 adl  with  his  archiepifcopal  authority.  He  never  fliood 
 upon  his  right,  nor  complained  of  wrong  in  any  public 
 adl  or  proteftation."-j-  And  again  "  he  never  by  any 
 public  and  exprefs  ad  declared  himfelf ;  and  all  the  refl 
 followed  his  example,  and  continue  to  this  day  filent." 
 This  is  incorre6b,  as  applied  to  Ken  :  we  have  his  own 
 denial  of  the  charge,  addrefled  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Harbin. 
 
 "  ALL  GLORY  BE  TO  GOD." 
 
 "  Good  Mr.  Harbin, 
 "  You  tell  me  that  Mr.  Pitts  cenfures  the  deprived 
 Bifhops  for  not  aflerting  their  rights  in  a  public  manner 
 at  their  deprivation.  If  he  puts  me  among  the  number, 
 he  does  me  wrong  ;  for  I,  at  the  time,  in  my  cathedral^ 
 which  was  the  proper  place,  from  my  Fafioral  Chair, 
 publicly  ajferted  my  canonical  right,  profejftng  that  I 
 eft e erne d  myjelf  the  Canonical  Biftoop  of  the  Diocefe,  and 
 that  I  would  be  ready ^  on  all  occaftons,  to  perform  my 
 paftoral  duties. 
 
 "  I  profefled  that  not  being  able  to  make  this  decla- 
 
 *  "  Kennus  interim  exauftoratus  munus  epifcopale  aliquandiu  ex- 
 ercere  aufus  eft,  conciones  palain  habendo,  et  pueros  in  Ecclefiis 
 confirmando."     Landfdown  MSS.     Brit.  Mufas.  987. 
 
 t   The  Bifhop  of  Sarum's  Vindication,  p.  97. 
 
390  Life  of  Thon\a.s  Ken,  [1691 
 
 ration  to  the  whole  diocefe,  I  made  it  virtually  to  all 
 by  making  it  in  the  Market  Square.  What  others  of 
 my  brethren  did  I  know  not ;  but  I  adted  as  uniformly 
 as  I  could.     God  keep  us  in  his  holy  fear. 
 
 "  Your  afFe(5lionate  friend  and  brother, 
 
 «   T.    B.   AND   W.*" 
 
 Thus  it  was  he  took  leave  of  his  people  :  the  fame 
 crowds,  who  but  fix  fhort  years  before  had  welcomed 
 him  to  the  Paftoral  Chair,  nov/  afiembled  with  heavy 
 hearts,  and  tearful  eyes,  to  hear  him  from  the  fame 
 place  of  authority  aflert  his  canonical  rights,  confe- 
 crated,  as  they  had  been,  by  a  zealous  and  devoted 
 exercife  of  them, — to  receive  his  farewell  blefling,  and 
 his  promife  of  never-ceafing  prayers  on  their  behalf 
 How  endeared  to  his  flock  mufl:  fuch  a  man  have 
 been,  living  conftantly  amongft  them  !  how  unfpeak- 
 ably  valuable  his  endeavours,  "  according  to  his  poor 
 abilities,  to  teach  them  the  knowledge  and  the  love  of 
 God."f  By  his  example  and  counfels  he  had  been  a 
 folace  to  the  afflicted,  and  the  fupport  of  humble  fouls, 
 overwhelmed  with  the  burthen  of  confcious  fin  ;  to  all 
 a  ghoftly  father,  benefadlor,  and  friend ;  God's  almo- 
 ner, and  the  difpenfer  of  His  grace. 
 
 There  may  be  fomething  poetical,  but  not  therefore 
 lefs  true,  in  the  pifture  which  Mr.  Bowles  has  drawn 
 of  the  Bifliop's  departure  from  his  palace.  "  We  can 
 eafily  conceive  with  what  prayers  of  the  poor,  and 
 how  beloved  and  regretted.  Ken  bad  farewell  to  the 
 
 *  Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  44. 
 
 t  Dedication  of  the  Practice  of  Divine  Love. 
 
1-691]       Bijhop  of  Bath  a7td  Wells.         391 
 
 Diocefe  and  flock  fo  dear  to  him,  to  the  Palace  at 
 Wells,  the  retired  gardens,  and  the  filent  waters  that 
 furrounded  them  ;  to  the  towers,  and  to  the  devotional 
 harmonies  of  his  Cathedral.  Surely  it  would  be  no 
 ftretch  of  imagination  to  conceive,  that,  on  the  draw- 
 bridge, as  he  pafled,  on  leaving  the  abode  of  indepen- 
 dence and  peace,  a  crowd  of  old  and  young  would  be 
 aflembled,  with  clafped  hands  and  bleflings,  to  bid  him 
 farewell.  Mild,  complacent,  yet  dignified,  on  retiring 
 with  a  peaceful  confcience  from  opulence  and  {tation 
 to  dependence  and  poverty,  as  the  morning  flione  on 
 the  turreted  Chapel,  we  naturally  imagine  he  may  have 
 fhed  only  one  tear  when  looking  back  on  thofe  inter- 
 efting  fcenes.  Perhaps  his  eye  might  have  refted  on 
 the  pale  faces  of  fome  of  the  poor  old  men  and  women 
 who  had  partaken  their  Sunday  dinner  fo  often,  and 
 heard  his  difcourfe,  in  the  old  hall :  then,  and  not  be- 
 fore, we  may  conceive, 
 
 "  Some  natural  tears  he  dropp'd,  but  wiped  them  foon. 
 The  world  was  all  before  him,  where  to  feek 
 His  place  of  reft,  and  Providence  his  guide."* 
 
 Dr.  Kidder  was  confecrated  on  the  30th  of  Auguft, 
 1 69 1,  and  in  September  following  went  down  to 
 Wells,  and  was  inftalled  in  perfon.  Meanwhile  Ken 
 had  withdrawn,  being  fatisfied  to  have  made  his  public 
 proteft  from  the  Paftoral  Chair  in  his  Cathedral,  and 
 at  the  Market  Square.  Having  dedicated  his  all  to 
 charity,  he  had  made  no  provifion  for  himfelf :  he  had 
 literally  fulfilled  the   command  of  his  heavenly  Lord, 
 
 *  Bowles's  Life  of  Ken,  vol.  ii.  p.  174. 
 
392  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,  [1691 
 
 "  take  no  thought  for  to-morrow."  Hawkins  fays, 
 *'  his  charity  was  fo  extenfive,  and  he  had  fo  little 
 regard  to  future  contingencies,  that  when  he  was  de- 
 prived by  the  State,  all  his  effe^Sy  by  the  Jale  of  his 
 goodsy  excepting  his  books  (which  he  never  fold)  would 
 amount  to  no  more  than  {Qvtn  hundred  pounds."* 
 It  is  a  rare  example  of  fimple  faith :  the  beft  of  us 
 are  fearful  of  being  dependent ;  to  lay  by  fomething 
 feems  due  to  ourfelves,  and  to  friends  whom  we  fhould 
 have  to  rely  upon  in  cafe  of  abfolute  need.  But  Ken 
 had  faved  nothing :  he  had  given  away  all  but  the 
 furniture  of  his  palace,  and  fome  horfes  that  were  in- 
 difpenfable  for  his  journeys. 
 
 The  world  might  think  his  poverty  the  hardeft  part 
 of  his  lot,  —  his  voluntary  fubmitting  to  this,  rather 
 than  yield  his  principles,  the  fureft  mark  of  his  de- 
 votednefs.  It  was  in  truth  the  leaft  of  his  cares. 
 Deeper  wounds  caufed  his  fufferings,  for  they  reached 
 him  through  the  bofom  of  the  Church.  The  fchifm, 
 occafioned  by  the  uncanonical  deprivals,  and  his  being 
 forced  of  necefTity  to  leave  his  people  to  the  guidance 
 of  a  "  Traditor,"  were  his  real  anguifh.  The  general 
 laxity  of  difcipline,  and  the  negled  of  fervices,  —  the 
 Eraftian  principles,  which  had  already  begun  to  prevail 
 in  the  Government  of  the  Church,  and  have  gone  on 
 encreafmg  to  this  our  day,  were  harder  to  endure  than 
 his  expulfion  from  hearth  and  home.  Poverty  fell 
 light  upon  him ;  for  he  had  lived  fecretly  poor  in  the 
 outward  ftate  of  a  palace,  chaftening  his  defires  by 
 
 Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  22. 
 
1691]       Bijljop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        373 
 
 habits  of  mortification  and  felf-denial.  They  only 
 fuffer  from  the  lofs  of  luxuries,  who  have  trained 
 tliemfelves  to  the  ufe  of  them.  Ken  had  followed  the 
 footfteps  of  his  Mafter,  mortifying  his  appetites  in  the 
 midft  of  abundance ;  he  feemed  to  enjoy  a  nearer  ap- 
 proach to  him,  now  that  he  was  going  forth  without  a 
 place  he  could  call  his  own. 
 
 But  God  had  provided  for  him  "  a  covert  from  the 
 tempeft,  the  fhadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land." 
 He  put  it  into  the  heart  of  Vifcount  Weymouth  to 
 bear  him  a  meffage  of  comfort — the  offer  of  a  home 
 in  his  noble  manfion  of  Long  Leat.  This  was  his 
 former  College  companion,  Thomas  Thynne,  who  had 
 been  fince  raifed  to  the  peerage  by  Charles  II.  Their 
 affection  for  each  other  was  founded  on  a  kindred 
 piety,  the  fureft  bafis  of  all  friendfhip,  and  fo  had 
 ftrengthened  through  after  life.  In  his  youth  Lord 
 Weymouth  had  for  his  tutors  Dr.  Hammond,  and 
 Dr.  Fell :  it  is  fufficient  praife  of  him  to  fay  that  the 
 pupil  was  not  unworthy  of  the  preceptors.  He  and 
 Ken  had  adted  in  concert,  when  they  endeavoured  to 
 maintain  the  rights  of  James,  joining  with  other  Peers 
 in  the  Proteft  againft  his  dethronement.  Long  Leat 
 was  not  above  twenty  miles  from  Wells :  part  of  the 
 domain  is  within  the  diocefe ;  and  Lord  AVey mouth 
 had  the  happinefs  to  perfuade  his  deprived  Bifhop  to 
 make  that  his  final  refting  place.  He  doubtlefs  felt 
 that  the  prefence  of  the  holy  man  would  bring  a  bleffing 
 on  his  houfehold  ;  and  Ken,  whofe  heart  was  wounded 
 within  him,  could  not  refufe  the  folace  of  fuch  an  afy- 
 lum.     There,  for  twenty  years,  he  experienced  Wey- 
 
394  ^^f^  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1691 
 
 mouth's  untiring  kindnefs.  Towards  the  clofe  of  life 
 he  gave  expreflion  to  his  affedtionate  gratitude  in  dedi- 
 cating to  him  his  volumes  of  Poetry  ; 
 
 "  When  I,  my  Lord,  crufh'd  by  prevailing  might, 
 No  cottage  had  where  to  dire  Si  my  flight  j 
 Kind  Heav'n  me  with  a  Friend  illuftrious  bleft, 
 Who  gives  me  fhelter,  affluence,  and  reft. 
 Whofe  fhades  benign  to  facred  fongs  invite. 
 Who  to  thofe  fongs  may  claim  paternal  right. 
 Rich  as  he  is  in  all  good  works  below. 
 May  he  in  heav'nly  treafure  overflow."* 
 
 To  relieve  the  Bifhop  from  any  fenfe  of  dependence, 
 it  was  arranged  between  them  that  Lord  Weymouth 
 fhould  receive  his  feven  hundred  pounds,  and  give 
 him  an  annuity  of  eighty  pounds  a  year.  This  "  ever 
 to  be  acknowledged  generofity  of  his  noble  friend,  and 
 eminent  benefadtor,  procured  him  the  enjoyment  of  a 
 clear  payment  of  twenty  pounds  a  quarter,"^  fufficient, 
 with  his  moderate  defires,  to  place  him  out  of  reach  of 
 the  world's  vexations. 
 
 Mr.  Markland  obferves  that  "  various  incidental 
 notices  in  the  letters  of  the  Bifhop,  and  Dr.  Smith, 
 prove  this  nobleman  to  have  been  one  of  the  moft 
 amiable  and  benevolent  of  men.  Dr.  Smith  fays, 
 *  my  Lord  governs  himfelf  by  true  principles  of 
 Chriftianity,  and  keeps  firm  in  his  memory  the  words 
 of  the  Lord  Jefus,  preferved  by  St,  Paul,  //  is  more 
 blejfed  to  give  than  to  receive'  The  Bifhop  replies, 
 '  the   good  lord  does  really  condudl  his  life  by  the 
 
 *   Ken's  Poems,  vol.  i. 
 
 t   Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  34. 
 
1 6  9 1  ]       BiJIjop  of  Bath  a7id  Wells .         395 
 
 divine  maxims^  recorded  by  St.  Paul,  and  he  is  truly 
 rich  in  good  works,  and  indeed  fo  are  his  near  relatives ; 
 munificence  Jeems  to  be  the  family  virtue^  and  traduced 
 (continued)  to  their  pofi:erity.'"* 
 
 Long  Leat  Houfe,  deferving  rather  the  name  of  a 
 palace,  rifes  amid  natural  (lopes  and  hills,  crowned 
 with  hanging  woods;  the  ornamental  gardens,  enriched 
 with  plants  brought  from  every  climate,  are  ftill  ar- 
 ranged in  the  antique  fafhion  in  which  they  probably 
 exifted  at  the  time  of  Ken.  Endlefs  walks  and  rides 
 are  cut  through  the  woods :  they  offer  at  each  turn 
 fome  frefh  bower  of  folitude,  or  opening  of  the  land- 
 fkip.  Thefe  "  fhades  benign,"  as  Ken  calls  them, 
 might  well  give  him  reft:  they  abound  in  every  requi- 
 fite  for  the  peaceful  abode  of  a  "  Retired  Chriftian."f 
 There,  too,  he  might  indulge  his  "  great  relifh  for 
 Divine  Poefy  : "  and  we  know  that  "  under  this  noble 
 lord's  roof  he  compofed  many  excellent,  ufeful,  and 
 pious  pieces  :"  for  "  he  applied  himfelf  fo  happily  to 
 this  favourite  entertainment,  as  thereby  in  fome  mea- 
 fure  to  palliate  the  acutenefs  of  his  pains,  and  may 
 give  full  fatisfadion  to  his  readers  by  promoting  their 
 chief  happinefs,  to  the  Glory  of  God  the  Giver.":}: 
 
 On  his  way  to  the  parifh  church  of  Horningfham, 
 how  often  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  through  a  break 
 in  the  woods,  muft  he  have  overlooked  the  profpedt, 
 called,  from  its  almoft  unearthly  richnefs,  the  "  Gate 
 
 *  Markland's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  85. 
 
 t  A  little  book  with  this  title  is  one  of  the  many  works  errone- 
 oufly  attributed  to  Ken. 
 I  Hawkins,  p.  24. 
 
396  -^^f^  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1691 
 
 of  Heaven."     It  may  have  prompted  that  pafTage  in 
 his  poems, 
 
 "  Soon  as  thou  haft  a  blifsful  glance. 
 It  will  thee  wholly  fo  entrance. 
 Thou,  like  the  BlefT'd,  will  nothing  love 
 But  God  above." 
 
 Of  the  old  church  at  Horningfham,  juft  without  the 
 park  paling,  only  the  tower  remains  :  all  the  reft  has 
 been  lately  re-edified  by  a  hand,  never  weary  of  doing 
 good.  It  is  reftored  on  true  principles  of  ancient  ec- 
 clefiaftical  architedure,  with  a  triple  chancel,  of  ample 
 proportions,  maffive  oaken  roof,  fupported  by  carved 
 angels,  fide  fcreens,  and  painted  windows,  alfo  a  richly 
 carved  altar,  font,  ftone  pulpit,  and  abundant  room  pro- 
 vided for  the  -poor. 
 
 The  only  companions  of  his  removal  from  Wells  to 
 Long  Leat  were  his  beloved  books  :  "  thefe  he  never 
 fold  ; " — Under  every  afpe6t  of  his  fortunes,  they  were 
 companionable  friends:  though  mute,  they  difcourfe  to 
 us  moft  movingly,  for  they  addrefs  themfelves  to  every 
 faculty  of  our  minds.  The  charm  of  mufic  pafies 
 away  with  the  air  that  breathes  its  melody :  out  of 
 books  we  gather  the  abiding  harmonies  of  thought 
 and  reafon,  philofophy  and  virtue.  They  are  friends, 
 not  only  enhancing  other  joys,  but  ever  creating  frefii 
 ones  ;  lightening  and  beguiling  us  of  our  forrows ; 
 friends  they  are  who  never  forfake  us  ;  if  the  world 
 frowns,  they  do  not  turn  from  us,  but  open  out  new 
 fources  of  comfort :  if  the  world  fmiles,  and  we  love  its 
 blandifiiments,  they  whifper  to  warn  us  of  the  danger. 
 If  we  grow  weary  of  their  company,  and  lay  them 
 afide,  they  take  no  offence  ;   they  wait  on  our  conve- 
 
1 691]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         397 
 
 nience,  bear  with  our  waywardnefs,  are  content  to  be 
 negleded,  and  prompt  to  renew  the  acquaintance. 
 
 An  incident  is  mentioned  by  Hawkins,  in  regard  to 
 the  Bifhop's  hbrary,  which  marks  the  character  of  the 
 man.  Though  he  could  not  bear  to  fell  thefe  treafures, 
 he  Joved  to  give  many  away.  There  was  fomething 
 fo  exuberant  in  his  goodnefs  of  heart,  it  would  not  be 
 fatisfied,  if  others  did  not  participate  in  his  poflefTions, 
 whatever  they  might  be.  Moft  men  are  looking  out 
 for  gifts  —  he  with  a  child-like  inftin6t  was  for  ever 
 emptying  his  lap  among  all  around  him.  Formerly, 
 to  encourage  his  clergy  "  in  catechizing,  he  furnifhed 
 them  with  a  ftock  of  neceflary  books  for  the  ufe  of 
 children."*  So,  for  their  own  ufe,  out  of  his  library 
 "  he  had  given  large  catalogues  (i.  e.  colle6lions)  of 
 books  to  places  that  were  populous,  and  had  paro- 
 chial libraries  within  his  diocefe."  This  was  before 
 his  deprival :  and  now  that  he  was  about  to  leave  them, 
 he  did  the  fame.f  A  parting  gift  is  not  lefs  precious 
 becaufe  made  in  forrow.  Thefe  books  were  a  farewell 
 of  friendship,  and  would  always  be  a  memorial  of  paft 
 pleafure  and  comfort,  derived  from  the  confidence 
 and  attachment  of  his  clergy,  and  their  zealous  aid  in 
 his  paftoral  labours  for  the  common  good.  They,  on 
 the  other  hand,  received  them  as  a  token  of  his  con- 
 ftant  love,  a  pledge  that  they  would  live  in  his  me- 
 mory, as  he  afluredly  would  in  theirs.  It  was  in  this 
 fpirit  that  he  gave  them  his  parting  bleffmg. 
 
 The  room  which  he  inhabited  at  Long  Leat  is  at 
 the  top  of  the  houfe,  far  removed  from  the  noife  and 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  14.  f  Ibid.  p.  23. 
 
398  Life  of  Thoma.s  Ktn,  [1691 
 
 buflle  of  the  noble  hall,  fo  well  known  as  the  fcene 
 of  old  Englifh  hofpitality,  "  thofe  feftivities  of  a  Pa- 
 lace" (as  his  friend.  Dr.  Smith,  fays)  "  open  to  all 
 comers  of  fafhion  and  quality."*  It  is  an  apartment 
 of  moft  ample  dimenfions,  filled  with  books,  of  which 
 fome  were  his  own,  and  others  belonging  to  Lord 
 Weymouth,  the  overflowings  of  the  great  library  be- 
 low. In  this  retirement  he  lived,  and  wrote  hymns, 
 and  fang  them  to  his  viol,  and  prayed,  and  died.  His 
 principal  companion  was  probably  Mr.  Harbin,  the 
 family  Chaplain,  of  whom  he  often  makes  mention  in 
 his  letters.  It  is  allowable  to  thofe  who  love  his 
 memory  to  fay,  this  upper  chamber,  and  the  walks  and 
 gardens,  woods  and  glades,  which  he  frequented,  give 
 a  hallowed  character  to  Long  Leat ;  for  there  he 
 pafTed  the  laft  twenty  years  of  his  life.  He  made  oc- 
 cafional  viflts  to  Ifaac  Walton,  Junior,  the  Re6lor  of 
 Poulfhot,  and  other  friends  who  loved  and  revered 
 him.  Now  and  then  he  was  in  London,  fometimes 
 at  Winchefter,  Bath,  Briftol,  &c.  but  Long  Leat  was 
 the  principal  witnefs  of  his  future  trials,  his  tempta- 
 tions, and  his  difquietudes.  Thefe  lafl;  were  to  follow 
 him,  wherever  he  might  go  :  for  what  refuge  of  peace, 
 what  fliillnefs  or  folitude,  what  fhades  of  retirement, 
 can  fcreen  us  from  the  companionfhip  of  our  cares  ? 
 We  bear  about  with  us  our  own  burthen,  which  every 
 man  muft  fufliain  :  it  is  indeed  the  very  channel  of 
 confolation  to  the  truftful,  as  bringing  us  nearer  the 
 fympathy  of  Chrifl,  who  carries  our  griefs  in  His  own 
 bofom.  Ken  knew  how  to  cafl:  his  at  the  foot  of  the 
 Crofs,  which  alone  could  eafe  them. 
 
 *   Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  90. 
 
1 691]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        399 
 
 CHAPTER  XXVII. 
 
 Ken  refufes  to  concur  with  Bancroft  and  other  Non-jurors^  In 
 extreme  meafures — His  tnoderate  views  and  condu£i — Difap- 
 proves  of  clandejiine  confecrations  to  perpetuate  the  Schiftn  — 
 Attends  the  fervices  of  the  Church. 
 
 ^^HE  fchifm  inflicSled  on  the  Church  by  the 
 new  government  in  the  uncanonical  ap- 
 pointment of  intrufive  Bifhops  was  the 
 fource  of  Ken's  forrows.  In  his  view 
 Princes  are  called  "  Christian,"  as  being  fubje(5t  to  the 
 fpiritual  empire  fet  up  in  the  world,  l^  they  govern, 
 as  under  God,  certainly  Bifhops,  confecrated  to  their 
 office,  and  miniftering,  by  the  fame  divine  authority, 
 teftify  to  Chrift's  vifible  kingdom  on  earth.  If  His 
 high  prerogatives  cannot  be  annulled,  from  which  all 
 others  flow,  by  what  right  may  Princes  cancel  the 
 fpiritual  truft  committed  to  His  fervants  ?  It  needs 
 the  concurrence  of  the  Church,  founded  for  His  glory, 
 and  for  no  ends  of  felf-intereft,  ere  a  hand  can  be  laid 
 on  the  holy  building  "  fitly  joined  together,  Chrifl 
 himfelf  being  the  head."  The  nobleft  privilege  granted 
 to  Kings  is  to  be  nurfing  fathers  of  the  Church  :  not 
 for  themfelves,  nor  for  their  fakes  who  minifter  her 
 Sacraments,  nor  for  any  thing  that  belongs  to  a  pe- 
 rifhable  world  ;  but  for  His  fake  who  made  them 
 Kings,  and  can  and  does  ^«-make,  at  the  very  moment 
 
400  Life  (9/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1691 
 
 of  their  higheft  fecurity.  If  there  be  divine  myfteries, 
 they  furely  pertain  to  a  Kingdom  above  the  rule  of 
 Princes,  and  it  were  better  they  fhould  be  lowly  in 
 their  own  prefence  chambers,  than  run  the  hazard  of  an 
 after  award  for  injuries  inflided  on  God's  Church.  The 
 invafion  of  fpiritual  offices,  being  a  facrilege,  has  in  it 
 fomething  peculiarly  awful,  and  pointing  to  tke  ac- 
 count which  Princes,  and  their  counfellors,  muft  one 
 day  render  of  the  truft  committed  to  them. 
 
 When  new  Bifhops  were  obtruded  into  the  Sees  of 
 the  deprived,  a  Schifm  was  the  refult.  It  certainly 
 led  to  latitudinarian  principles,  a  relaxed  difclpline, 
 negledl  of  the  fervices  of  religion,  and  a  deadnefs  of 
 faith, — of  all  which  we  are  to  this  day  reaping  the  bitter 
 fruit.  Had  thefe  confequences  been  forefeen  to  their 
 full  extent,  it  is  probable  Tillotfon,  Burnet,  and  the 
 other  influential  advifers  of  the  King,  would  have  cor- 
 dially united  to  prevent  any  invafion  of  the  fpiritual 
 offices :  this  does  not  lefTen  their  refponfibility  in 
 prompting  the  temporal  power  to  fever  ties  which 
 were  facred. 
 
 Another  grievous  trial  to  one  fo  loving  and  chari- 
 table was  the  ferious  difference  of  opinion,  which  foon 
 fprung  up,  and  was  afterwards  prolonged,  among  the 
 Nonjurors  themfelves.  Ken  at  once  forefaw  the  fatal 
 confequences  of  this,  and  did  all  he  could  to  prevent 
 it.  For  himfelf,  being  virtually  fhut  out  from  the 
 public  exercife  of  his  office  by  an  a(5t  of  the  ftate,  not 
 grounded  upon,  or  involving  any  herefy  in  matters  of 
 Faith,  he  defired,  fo  far  as  he  could,  to  be  paffive. 
 He  looked  upon  his  fucceffor  as  a  fchifmatical  Bifliop, 
 a  "  traditor  of  his  flock;"  but  not  as  incapable  of  a 
 
1 69 1  ]        Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        40 1 
 
 valid  miniftiy.  Having,  therefore,  at  his  deprival, 
 publicly  afferted  his  own  canonical  right,  he  left  to 
 Kidder  the  refponfibility  of  his  intruiion,  being  careful 
 only  not  to  aggravate  its  effedts. 
 
 He  did  not  lack  the  courage  of  St.  Bafil,  if  it  could 
 have  availed  to  ward  off  the  fchifm,  or  had  there  been 
 any  means  of  maintaining  his  jurifdi6lion :  but  the 
 clergy  of  his  Diocefe  having  taken  the  oaths,  he  did 
 not  pertinacioufly  challenge  their  obedience.  He 
 feems  always  to  have  pradifed  the  mortification  of 
 his  own  will  ;  not  only  in  outward  adls  of  felf-denial, 
 that  are  foon  formed  into  habits,  and  may  even  mi- 
 nifter  to  a  fubtle  complacency,  but  in  a  lowlinefs  of 
 fpirit,  mifgiving  its  own  ftrong  impreffions,  which  few 
 men  love  to  forego.  He  thought  it  more  for  the 
 interests  of  religion  to  fuffer  in  iilence  what  he  could 
 not  prevent,  than  to  widen  the  breach,  and  encreafe 
 the  fcandal,  by  an  active  oppolition.  He  felt  no  re- 
 fentments  againft  thofe  who  took  the  oaths :  fome  of 
 his  moft  intimate  friends  were  of  the  number,  and  he 
 never  withdrew  from  their  fociety.  He  could  not 
 refign  his  claims :  but  for  fear  of  promoting  greater 
 divifions,  and  hurrying  his  flock  to  extremes,  he  did 
 nothing  that  might  relax  the  difcipline  of  his  Clergy 
 under  another  Bifhop. 
 
 He  did  not  feel  himfelf  juftified  in  at  once  ceding 
 his  office :  that  would  have  been  an  acknowledgment 
 of  the  lay  power  to  invade  the  fpiritual  :  his  duty  was 
 to  be  a  (landing  witnefs  to  the  inviolable  fandity  of 
 the  Epifcopate.  He  had  many  illuftrious  examples  in 
 the  early  Church  againft  yielding  the  truft  committed 
 to  him  :  it  was  not  his  to  furrender  into  unauthorized 
 
 D   D 
 
402  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1691 
 
 hands.  But  he  had  alfo  examples  of  eminent  Bifhops 
 to  warrant  his  avoidance  of  contefts  by  fubmitting,  for 
 the  fake  of  charity,  to  a  forced  ejedment.  —  He  con- 
 fidered  ''  the  peace  of  the  Church  to  be  of  that  im- 
 portance, that  it  ought  to  fuperfede  all  ecclefiaftical 
 Canons,  they  being  only  of  human,  not  divine,  au- 
 thority." *' 
 
 Bancroft,  Lloyd,  Turner,  and  White  of  Peterbo- 
 rough, took  an  oppofite  courfe,  no  doubt  from  equally 
 confcientious  motives  :  but  the  refult,  as  he  prophefied, 
 proved  adverfe  to  the  interefts  of  religion.  They  held 
 that,  not  only  the  Bifhops  of  the  Province  of  Canter- 
 bury, intruding  into  the  Sees  of  the  deprived,  were 
 fchifmatical,  but  the  whole  national  Church  !  In  the 
 Province  of  York  there  was  no  deprival,  —  therefore 
 no  intrufion.  How,  then,  could  the  canonical  rights 
 of  thofe  Bifhops  be  queftioned,  when  the  metropolitan 
 and  all  his  fufFragans  (of  whofe  due  confecration  no 
 doubt  could  exift)  aded  unanimoufly  ?  They  were 
 fuppofed  guilty  of  fchifm  by  contagion,  becaufe  they 
 communicated  with  the  fuccefTors  of  the  deprived  in 
 the  other  Province  !  they  no  longer  appertained  to  the 
 Church  Catholic,  of  which  the  Nonjurors  were  the 
 only  true  members ! 
 
 If  ever  there  was  an  occafion  which  proved  the  hope- 
 leffnefs  of  controverfy  it  was  this.  The  mere  lift  of 
 eminent  men,  difputing  the  imputation  of  fchifm,  and 
 the  duties  of  churchmen,  confequent  on  the  lay  depri- 
 vals,  would  fuffice  to  fhow  what  a  mafs  of  learning 
 was  brought  to  bear  on  thefe  queftions.     We  have  a 
 
 Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  50. 
 
1 6  9 1  ]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  JVells.         40  3 
 
 catalogue,  in  Bifhop  Lloyd's  handwriting,  of  120 
 trads,  pamphlets,  and  books  which  ifTued  from  the 
 prefs  on  both  fides  to  fettle  this,  and  the  various  other 
 controverted  points.*  The  fcriptures,  old  and  new, 
 the  hiftories  of  the  primitive  ages,  of  the  Roman  and 
 Greek  Churches,  of  France,  Spain,  and  England,  af- 
 forded innumerable  fa6ts,  illuftrating  the  main  argu- 
 ments :  each  in  its  turn  was  claimed  by  the  combatants 
 as  triumphant  authority  on  their  own  behalf.  Such 
 is  theological  controverfy.  Ken  thought  obedience, 
 and  lowlinefs  of  mind,  plain  good  fenfe,  charitable 
 judgment,  and  a  patient  abiding  in  faith  and  prayer, 
 were  fafer  guides  to  truth  and  Chriftian  brotherhood, 
 than  all  the  learning  of  the  fchools  :  the  fureft  facrifice 
 of  his  own  will. 
 
 If  the  State  deprivals  inflidled  a  blow  on  the  unity, 
 and  therefore  on  the  efficacy,  of  the  Church,  it  was 
 aggravated  by  the  confequent  ads  of  the  leading  Non- 
 jurors. Sancroft,  Lloyd,  Turner,  and  White,  afTuming 
 that  the  whole  Church  of  England  was  in  fchifm,  de- 
 termined, as  far  as  in  them  lay,  to  make  it  perpetual. 
 The  Archbifhop  had  already  delegated  his  powers  to 
 Lloyd  of  Norwich,  whom  he  appointed  his  Vicar 
 General  for  all  Archiepifcopal  offices.  It  does  not 
 appear  that  he  did  fo  by  authority  from  James,  as  head 
 of  the  Church  de  jure  :  certainly  he  never  a{ked  leave 
 of  William,  as  King  de  fa6lo.  Not  content  with  this, 
 they  determined  to  confecrate  Suffragan  Biffiops,  who 
 might  continue,  what  they  called,  a  "  canonical  fuc- 
 ceffion."     This  was  to  be  done  fecretly,  to  avoid  the 
 
 *  Dr.  Williams's  Colleftion  of  Original  Letters. 
 
404  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1693 
 
 penal  confequences  to  themfelves ;  but  it  required,  as 
 they  thought,  the  fandion  of  James.  They  Tent  over 
 Dr.  George  Hickes,  Dean  of  Worcefter,  to  St.  Ger- 
 mains,  with  a  lift  of  the  Non-juring  clergy,  from  which 
 two  Prelates  were  to  be  feled:ed.  James  confulted  the 
 French  Bifhops,  and  the  Pope,*  who  juftified  the 
 meafure  :  he  referred  the  choice  to  Bancroft  and  Lloyd  ; 
 the  former  named  Dr.  Hickes,  who  was  accordingly 
 made  Suffragan  of  Thetford,  and  the  latter  Thomas 
 Wagftaffe,  who  was  appointed  Suffragan  of  Ipfwich. 
 Both  places  were  in  the  Diocefe  of  Norwich.  But 
 Sancroft  died  before  the  meafure  could  be  completed, 
 therefore  they  were  confecrated  to  their  offices  by 
 Lloyd,  Turner,  and  White,  on  the  23rd  February, 
 1694.1 
 
 Surely  this  had  in  it  more  zeal  than  wifdom.  The 
 confecrations,  being  clandeftine,  and  moft  carefully 
 concealed  for  many  years,  were  no  public  witnefs  to 
 the  truth.  I  The  appointment  of  Suffragans  being 
 always  made  in  cafes  of  neceffity,  for  maintaining  the 
 fervices  and  difcipline  of  the  Church,  that  obje6l  could 
 not  be  promoted  by  the  fecret  confecrations,  for  it  was 
 exprefsly  provided  that  the  Suffragans  fhould  forbear 
 to  aft,  until  failure  of  the  deprived  Bifhop  of  Nor- 
 wich, §  who  lived  fourteen  years  afterwards. 
 
 They  never  notified  their  titles,  put  in  their  pleas, 
 nor  claimed  or  exercifed  any  rights  within  their  vi- 
 fionary  fpheres  of  jurifdiftion.     If  the  lay  authority 
 
 *   Lathbury's  Hillory  of  the  Non-jurors,  p.  99. 
 t  Ibid.  p.  103.  \  Ibid.  p.  103. 
 
 §  Life  of  Kettlewel],  8vo.  p.  340. 
 
1694]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         405 
 
 would  not  permit  the  Bifhop  of  Norwich  himfelf  to 
 fulfil  his  office,  how  would  it  tolerate  the  intrufion 
 of  Suffragans,  in  all  refpedls  lefs  lawfully  appointed  ? 
 The  whole  fcheme  was  the  creation  of  an  honeft,  but 
 ill-regulated  zeal.  Serviceable  ends  are  often  a  delu- 
 fion  :  men  may  run  counter  to  the  very  religion  they 
 defire  to  preferve  ;  and  never  more  fo  than  when  they 
 go  out  of  His  appointed  way  to  ferve  and  glorify 
 Him.  Hickes  and  others,  confecrated  to  perpetuate 
 orthodox  miniftrations  in  the  Anglican  Church,  came 
 at  laft  to  infift  on  a  departure  from  her  ritual,  and 
 alterations  in  the  Communion  Service  :  they  ftarted  in 
 a  wrong  diredion  to  their  obje(51:,  and  could  not  but 
 end  wider  of  the  mark.  No  prefent  practical  good 
 was  effefted ;  and  having  now  wandered  out  of  the 
 old  ways,  they  entangled  themfelv'es  in  a  maze  of 
 error,  from  which  only  their  death,  and  that  of  their 
 fuccefTors,  relieved  the  Church.  Their  Epifcopate, 
 having  no  real  vitality,  was  fuftained  for  a  while  by 
 an  exertion,  and  at  length  died  out  from  mere  feeble- 
 nefs. 
 
 Ken  fteadfaftly  refufed  to  fandlion  the  new  appoint- 
 ments, which  he  called  "  a  perpetuating  of  the  fchifm." 
 His  principle  as  expreffed  to  Mr.  Robert  Nelfon,  was 
 that  "  the  ftrength  of  innocence  is  to  fit  ftill,  and  the 
 wifeil  and  moft  dutiful  way  to  follow,  rather  than 
 anticipate.  Providence."*  He  thought  it  beft  for  the 
 interefts  of  all  to  abftain  from  any  aft  that  might  widen, 
 or  continue,  the  breach.  "  If  I  will  that  he  tarry  till 
 I  come,  what  is  that  to  thee  ?  follow  thou  me."    This 
 
 *  Appendix  to  Kettlewcll's  Works,  p.  xxv. 
 
4o6  -^5/^  (9/^  Thomas  Ken,         [^694 
 
 for  his  part  he  was  refolved  to  do.  Though  he  fhould 
 ftand  alone,  he  would  adhere  to  the  Church  of  Eng- 
 land, as  he  found  her ;  a  faithful  fon  of  his  fpiritual 
 mother,  neither  coming  fhort,  nor  going  beyond  her 
 miniftrations.  He  loved  her  as  fhe  was  :  fome  might 
 attempt  to  improve,  others  to  affail  her  do6lrines  and 
 fervices  :  to  him  they  were  all  facred.  Though  flie 
 were  in  bonds,  he  might  love  and  revere  her,  and 
 abide  her  deliverance.  In  as  much  as  he  could  not 
 wait  upon  her,  he  left  her  to  God's  providence,  know- 
 ing that  in  His  hands  were  the  times  and  feafons. 
 We  fhall  fee  how  this  proved,  in  the  end,  the  higheft 
 wifdom :  and  he  had  his  reward ;  for  it  was  referved 
 to  him,  fome  years  afterwards,  to  heal  the  fchifm, 
 which  he  had  no  hand  in  originating. 
 
 We  are  not  left  only  to  furmife  his  exa6l  views  : 
 they  are  recorded  in  the  few  letters  of  his,  which  have 
 been  preferved  to  us.  Writing  to  Dr.  Hickes,  one  of 
 the  moft  confpicuous,  learned,  and  intrepid  leaders  of 
 the  Non-jurors,  he  fays,  "  I  wrote  to  you  long  ago,  to 
 recommend  to  your  ferious  confideration  the  Schifm, 
 which  has  fo  long  continued  in  our  Church,  and  which 
 I  have  often  lamented  to  my  brother  of  Ely,  now  with 
 God,  and  concerning  which  I  have  many  years  had  ill 
 abodings.  I  need  not  tell  you  what  pernicious  confe- 
 quences  it  may  produce,  and  I  fear  has  produced  alrea- 
 dy ;  what  advantage  it  yields  to  our  enemies."*  Again, 
 to  the  Bifhop  of  Norwich,  "  I  am  willing  to  allow  all 
 degrees  of  excufeability  to  thofe  who  are  of  a  different 
 perfuafion  from  myfelf,  in  the  bufinefs  of  clandeftine 
 
 *   Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  49. 
 
1694]       Bifloop  of  Bath  a7id  JV ells ,         407 
 
 confecrations,  againft  which  you  know  I  always  de- 
 clared my  judgment :  /  fore/aw  it  would  perpetuate 
 the  Schi/m,  which  I  daily  deplore  :  I  thought  It  infi- 
 dioufly  procured  by  Milford  *  for  that  purpofe,  who 
 could  intend  no  good  to  our  Church  ;  but  I  was  forced 
 at  laft  to  tolerate  what  I  could  not  approve  off 
 
 This  is  confirmed  by  the  author  of  Kettlewell's 
 Life :  '^  not  long  after  the  Revolution,  when  fome  of 
 the  Non-jurors  were  very  big  with  great  expedlations, 
 Bifhop  Ken  was  much  difpleafed  that  any  fhould  flatter 
 themfelves  with  vain  hopes,  and  declared  to  me  with 
 great  earneilnefs  and  concern,  as  under  a  fort  of  divine 
 impulfe,  that  it  was  then  but  the  beginning  of  evils, 
 with  a  pretty  deal  to  that  purpofe.  But  notwithftand- 
 ing  that  he  could  not  himfelf  comply  with  what,  by 
 the  prefent  fettlement,  was  required  of  him,  he  had 
 yet  a  very  charitable  opinion  of  many  that  did ;  and 
 is  known  to  have  been  againft  perpetuating  a  fepara- 
 tion."  % 
 
 The  moft  diftrefting  of  all  his  difficulties  was  the 
 queftion  whether  he  could  attend  the  public  Com- 
 munion of  the  Church.  To  one  of  fo  tender  a  con- 
 fcience,  whofe  whole  life  was  dedicated  to  prayer,  who 
 in  every  ftage  of  his  minifterial  office  had  evinced  a 
 lively  zeal  in  maintaining  the  daily  fervice,  this  was, 
 indeed,  an  overwhelming  queftion.  Let  any  one  read 
 his  *'  Pradlice  of  Divine  Love,"  and  then  judge  of  the 
 fevere  penance  he  was  to  inflid  on  himfelf  in  a  volun- 
 
 *    The  principal  Popifh  counfellor  of  James  at  St.  Germains. 
 
 f  Round,  p.  5  I. 
 
 I  Life  of  Kettlewell,  8vo.  p.  427. 
 
4o8  Life  i?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1694 
 
 tary  interdid  from  the  feaft  of  Chrift's  precious  Body 
 and  Blood,  in  public  Communion  with  the  Church,  of 
 which  he  was  a  confecrated  Bifhop.  Hungry  and 
 thirfty,  and  longing  after  the  riches  of  God's  love, 
 imparted  in  the  Holy  Supper,  he  was  to  decide  whe- 
 ther he  ought  to  be  abfent  from  the  temples,  where  it 
 was  folemnly  celebrated.  By  the  bleifed  Eucharift  his 
 foul  had  been  fed  by  His  Lord  who  bought  him  at 
 the  dear  rate  of  His  own  death.  It  is  true  the  Apoftles 
 broke  bread  in  an  upper  chamber,  and  from  houfe  to 
 houfe  ;  and  in  after  times  of  perfecution  aflembled  at 
 the  Holy  Feaft  in  any  corner  where  they  might  find 
 fafety :  yet  it  was  exprefsly  againft  the  ecclefiaftical 
 canons  for  bifhops  or  priefts  to  do  fo  anywhere  but 
 in  the  public  churches,  if  fuch  were  open  to  them. 
 Did  the  Schifm,  created  by  the  lay  deprivals,  prefcribe 
 his  abandonment  of  a  Communion,  not  tainted  by  any 
 heretical  dodrines  ?  This  was  to  be  decided  not  for 
 himfelf  only,  but  for  many  others  who  looked  to  him 
 as  their  fpiritual  guide.  The  queftion  involved  not 
 only  his  own  Chriftian  privileges  and  perfonal  growth 
 from  the  means  of  grace,  but  the  fteadfaft  witnefs  he 
 was  to  bear  to  the  fandtity  of  the  Epifcopal  office, 
 violated  in  his  perfon.  He  v/as  not  to  indulge  his 
 own  afpirations,  if  they  fhould  compromife  the  truft 
 committed  to  his  ftewardfhip. 
 
 What  prayers  and  tears  muft  have  pleaded  for  right 
 guidance  in  a  queftion  of  fuch  weighty  moment !  Weak 
 he  might  be,  and  erring  in  judgment ;  but  not  to  gain 
 the  whole  world  would  he  willingly  offend  His  Mafter. 
 What  if  he  fhould  be  wrong  ?  what  if  his  example 
 became  an  occafion  of  ftumbling  to  others  of  weaker 
 
1694]        Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        409 
 
 judgment  and  lefs  fervid  piety,  willing  to  ufe  any  plea 
 for  abfenting  themfelves  ?  If  he  held  aloof  from  the 
 public  prayers,  might  he  not  promote  a  general  defec- 
 tion ?  In  his  endeavour  to  maintain  the  fandlity  of  re- 
 ligion, might  he  not  lead  aftray  the  poorer  members 
 of  the  flock,  by  feeming  to  juftify  their  withdrawal  from 
 under  the  hand  of  their  paftors,  and  fo  mar  the  pro- 
 grefs  of  fouls  he  had  hitherto  laboured  to  bring  to 
 Heaven  ?  Ought  he  not  to  forego  all  fcruples,  and 
 yield  the  ftridnefs  of  antient  precedent,  rather  than 
 they  fhould  defert  the  Communion  of  the  Church  ? 
 Thefe  were  fearful  doubts  to  folve. 
 
 The  public  fervices  of  the  Church  now  included 
 new  forms  of  prayer  for  William  and  Mary,  which 
 were  called  by  the  Non-jurors  the  '*  immoral  prayers." 
 If  it  were  flnful  to  violate  their  oath  of  allegiance  to 
 James,  they  could  ftill  lefs  join  in  fupplicating  God  to 
 profper  his  enemies :  this  would  have  been  a  mockery 
 of  the  moft  facred  fervices  ;  an  affront  to  Him  VVhofe 
 ear  is  attent  in  His  holy  place.  But  might  he  not  go 
 to  church,  and  pafs  over  the  prayers  for  the  King  and 
 Queen  ?  Many  of  the  Non-jurors  did  fo  ;  and  when 
 they  came  to  thofe  parts,  they  rofe  from  their  knees, 
 or  fhut  their  books,  or  by  fome  other  marks,  as  omit- 
 ting the  "  Amen,"  or  other  ufual  refponfe,  tacitly  ex- 
 preffed  their  diffent :  or  in  their  own  minds  fubflituted 
 the  names  of  James,  and  his  fon.  As  on  other  points, 
 fo  on  this,  there  was  a  diverfity  of  opinion  among  the 
 Non-jurors.  Hickes,  and  his  zealous  party,  flirongly 
 denounced  every  one,  whether  of  the  clergy  or  laity, 
 who  fhould  commit  fo  immoral  an  outrage.  Even  if 
 there  had  been  no  ftate  prayers  included  in  the  fervices. 
 
410  -^j/^  (?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1694 
 
 they  profefTed  that  to  join  in  communion  with  fchif- 
 matics  was  a  flagrant  betrayal  of  their  principles. 
 
 The  learned,  devout,  and  moderate  Kettlewell  made 
 a  diftindion  between  the  Clergy,  and  Laity.  He  held 
 that  the  Non-juring  Clergy,  whofe  place  it  was  to 
 afford  minifterial  offices  to  others,  need  not  themfelves 
 have  recourfe  to  the  public  prayers,  becaufe  if  only 
 two  or  three  joined  with  them  in  private,  they  might 
 minifter  in  a  holy  affembly,  and  have  Chrifl:  "  in  the 
 midfl:  of  them."*'  But  the  mafs  of  the  people  were 
 unable,  from  the  fmall  number  of  the  rightful  clergy, 
 to  have  at  their  hands  the  offices  of  the  Church.  In 
 that  cafe  "  the  neceffity  of  public  worfhip  would  juf- 
 tify  their  overlooking  the  faultinefs  and  obliquity  of 
 the  fchifm ;  otherwife  men's  pious  affedlions  would 
 unavoidably  decay  and  go  back,  for  want  of  commu- 
 nion." f  "  Such  is  the  natural  duty,  and  fuch  the 
 neceffity,  and  importance  of  public  worffiip,  that  it  is 
 one  of  the  greatefl:  vifible  fupports  of  religion,  which 
 without  it  would  fink  and  be  in  danger  to  fail  in  the 
 earth."  ^  Therefore  in  the  abfence  of  rightful  mi- 
 nifters  they  might  join  in  the  fervices  of  the  pariffi 
 churches.  But  then  they  muft  by  fome  fufficient  ex- 
 ternal fign  manifeft  their  diflike  of  the  "  immoral 
 prayers,"  when  they  occurred  ;  —  that  is,  make  a  dif- 
 tin6lion  between  them,  and  the  truly  good  and  holy 
 fervices.  § 
 
 Such  were  Kettlewell's  opinions,  as  expreffed  in  his 
 well  known  work  of  ''  Chrijiian  Communion"     They 
 
 *   Kettlewell's  Works,  vol.  ii.  p.  635.  f  Ibid.  p.  637. 
 
 X  Ibid.  p.  638.  §  Ibid.  p.  653. 
 
1694]      BiJJjop  of  Bath  a?2d  JVells.         41 1 
 
 were  certainly  the  views  entertained  by  Ken,  in  refpedt 
 of  the  laity.  Thefe,  he  thought,  might  and  ought  to 
 go  to  church.  In  his  letters  he  notices  the  cenfures 
 caft  upon  him  by  fome  of  his  Non-juring  friends  for 
 holding  this  rule  :  he  pleads,  in  anfwer,  "  the  vexation 
 created  to  tender  confciences  in  the  country  where 
 they  live,  banifhed  from  the  public  aflemblies  in  the 
 Houfe  of  God."  *  And  in  another  he  fays,  "  I  find  I 
 am  mifreprefented  by  fome  of  the  brethren,  and  am 
 charged  with  giving  advices  contrary  to  our  Mother 
 (the  Church),  whereas  the  only  advice  I  have  given 
 was  to  recommend  the  two  laft  Chapters  of  good  Mr. 
 Kettlewell's  book  to  people's  reading.  I  was  always 
 of  his  opinion,  and  wifhed  that  our  brethren  had  not 
 ftated  the  queftion  on  higher  terms  ;  and  I  approved  of 
 the  hook  in  manufcript  "  f  And  once  more  :  "  I  never 
 argued  the  cafe  with  lay  people,  but  recommended  to 
 them  the  two  laft  Chapters  of  Mr.  Kettlewell's  book, 
 where  it  is  truly  and  fully  ftated  to  my  apprehenfion. 
 Our  brother  of  Ely,  now  with  God,  had  the  like 
 thoughts,  and  gave  the  like  advice  to  a  worthy  perfon, 
 now  near  me  in  the  country,  who  related  it  to  me ; 
 and  I  always  thought,  and  faid,  that  ftridler  meafures 
 would  be  of  fatal  confequence  to  our  Church,  for  which 
 many  of  my  brethren  would  never  relifh  me. "J 
 
 It  is  not  perfedly  clear  whether  he  himfelf  only 
 occafionally,  or  generally,  attended  the  public  fervices. 
 The  evidence  is  fomewhat  contradi6tory.  On  the  one 
 hand  it  is  ftated  by  Pitts,  who  knew  him  well,  that 
 
 *  Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  49.  f  Ibid.  p.  58. 
 
 X  Ibid.  p.  60. 
 
412  hife  ^j/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1694 
 
 "■  he  never  forfook  the  public  aflembHes,  but  even 
 officiated  himfelf  publicly,  and  communicated  con- 
 ftantly."  The  word  never  is  here  certainly  incorrect : 
 but  in  one  of  his  letters  to  Hickes  he  clearly  intimates 
 that  he  did  fometimes  go  to  church.  "  Give  me  leave," 
 he  fays,  "  to  Tuggeft  that  my  brother  of  Norwich  and 
 myfelf  fhould  refign  up  our  canonical  claims,  which 
 would  be  the  fhorteft  way  to  put  an  end  to  the  fchifm, 
 and  which  I  am  ready  to  do  for  the  repofe  of  the  flock. 
 If  this  is  not  thought  advifeable,  I  recommend  a  cir- 
 cular letter  to  be  penned  and  difperfed,  which  fhould 
 modeuly  and  yet  refolutely  affift^  the  caufe  for  which 
 we  fuffer,  and  fpecify  the  reajons  which  induce  us  to 
 communicate  in  the  -public  offices,  the  chiefeft  of  which  is 
 to  reftore  the  peace  of  the  Church,  which  is  of  that 
 importance  it  ought  to  fupercede  all  ecclefiaftical  ca- 
 nons, they  being  only  of  human  and  not  divine  autho- 
 rity. A  letter  to  this  purpofe  would  make  our  prejence 
 at  Jome  of  the  prayers  rightly  underftood,  to  be  no 
 betraying  of  our  caufe ;  would  guard  us  againft  any 
 advantage  our  adverfarys  may  take  from  our  Ghriftian 
 condefcenfion  ;  would  relieve  fundamental  charity,  and 
 give  a  general  fatisfadion  to  all  well-minded  perfons. 
 I  offer  this  with  fubmiffion,  and  out  of  a  fincere  zeal 
 for  the  good  of  the  Church,  and  I  befeech  the  Divine 
 Goodnefs  to  guide  both  fides  into  the  way  of  peace, 
 that  we  may  with  one  mind,  and  one  mouth  glorify 
 God.         Your  moft  affedlionate  friend  and  brother, 
 
 7th  March,  1700.  ^'T.  B.  &  W."t 
 
 This  letter,  taken  by  itfelf,  would  decide  the  point : 
 
 *  gy.  aflert  ?  f   Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  50. 
 
1694]       BiJIjop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        413 
 
 but  on  comparing  it  with  another  addreffed  to  Bifhop 
 Lloyd  the  doubt  remains.  In  this  he  urges  once  more 
 that  "  fome  expedient  might  be  found  out  to  put  a 
 period  to  the  Schifm  :  in  anything  of  that  nature  he 
 would  gladly  concur."  He  thinks  "  it  had  been  happy 
 for  the  Church  had  Mr.  Kettlewell's  ftate  of  the  cafe 
 been  embraced."  Then  he  adds,  "  I  never  ufe  any 
 charafteriftick  in  the  prayers  myfelf,  nor  am  prefent 
 where  any  is  read  :  I  have  endeavoured  to  a6l  uni- 
 formly to  the  moderate  fentiments  which  I  cannot  ex- 
 ceed."* By  this  expreflion  he  meant  that  he  never 
 attended  on  folemn  days  of  Thankfgiving  or  public 
 Fafts,  appointed  by  the  government.  Kettlewell  and 
 the  majority  of  Non-jurors  made  a  difference  between 
 thefe,  and  the  ordinary  fervices :  they  held  that  to  be 
 prefent  on  fuch  fpecial  occafions,  which  were  fignificant 
 of  a  diredt  purpofe,  f  was  to  profefs  allegiance  to 
 William,  and  therefore  an  ad  of  diffimulation  :  but 
 not  fo  their  attendance  on  the  ordinary  fervices,  "  when 
 we  come  together  to  do  God  honour  and  fervice,  and 
 to  feek  fupplies  for  all  our  own  and  others'  necef- 
 fities."J 
 
 One  other  pafTage  of  a  later  date  bears  on  the  quef- 
 tion  :  he  fays,  "  I  fhall  fpend  this  fummer,  God  wil- 
 ling, moft  at  Long  Leat,  though  I  am  now  very  uneafy 
 there  ;  not  but  that  my  Lord  is  extremely  kind  to  me, 
 but  becaufe  I  cannot  go  to  prayers  there,  by  reafon  of 
 the  late  alterations,  which  is  no  fmall  affli(5lion  to  me. 
 
 *  Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  56. 
 t  Kettlewell's  Works,  vol.  ii.  p.  652. 
 X  Ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.  55. 
 
414  Life  of  Thom3.s  Ken,         [1694 
 
 God  keepe  us  in  his  holy  fear,  and  make  us  wife  for 
 eternity."  The  meaning  of  this  is,  that  Lord  Wey- 
 mouth, having  for  the  firft  time  taken  office,  on  Queen 
 Ann's  coming  to  the  throne,  adopted  the  ftate  prayers 
 in  his  chapel  at  Long  Leat ;  and  then  it  would  appear 
 that  Ken  ceafed  to  attend  the  family  fervice.  Perhaps 
 he  feared  to  have  it  thought  that  he  alfo  had  changed 
 his  principles,  whereas  we  have  at  that  period  his  ex- 
 prefs  declaration  that  ''  nothing  fhould  tempt  him  to 
 any  oath."* 
 
 It  is  not  eafy  to  reconcile  thefe  feeming  differences 
 of  teftimony  :  the  balance  of  probability  appears  to  be 
 that  at  Long  Leat  he  had  hitherto  enjoyed  the  privi- 
 lege of  pure  fervices,  without  alloy  of  the  State  prayers  ; 
 but  afterwards  when  thefe  were  adopted  in  the  chapel, 
 as  they  already  had  been  in  the  Parifh  Church,  he  pre- 
 ferred the  latter,  as  affording  a  more  folemn  worfhip. 
 During  his  vifits  to  his  nephew  at  Poulfhot,  or  when 
 he  was  in  other  places,  where  he  could  not  find  any 
 non-juring  aflembly,  we  may  conclude,  from  what  he 
 himfelf  fays,  that  rather  than  be  debarred  the  folace  of 
 Chriftian  communion  he  went  to  church. 
 
 At  firft,  perhaps,  when  he  was  to  make  a  ftand  for  his 
 principles,  and  claim  of  right,  he  kept  entirely  away  from 
 the  public  fervices  :  but  afterwards  yearning  for  them, 
 and  feeing  the  evil  confequences  of  non-communion, 
 he  could  not  always  refrain.  Li  this  he  offended  the 
 fturdy  Non-jurors  :  but  Nelfon,  Dodwell,  and  others 
 heartily  fympathized  with  him,  and  followed  his  ex- 
 ample.     What  ought  to  have  been  his  precife  courfe 
 
 *  Round's  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  p.  56. 
 
1694]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  JVells,        415 
 
 under  the  particular  circumftances,  fo  imperfedlly  known 
 to  us,  we  may  not  prefume  to  decide.  If  all  changes 
 are  inconfiftencies,  this  was  one  :  but  if  any  be  difpofed 
 to  cenfure,  let  him  firft  exemplify  the  fame  peaceful 
 and  heavenly  thoughts,  in  a  life  of  equal  fandlity  and 
 chaftened  will,  and  be  content  to  fufFer  as  patiently  as 
 Ken  did  ;  —  then  perhaps  he  may  rightly  appreciate 
 the  motives  of  this  holy  confefTor  of  our  Church. 
 
 Archbifhop  Bancroft  died  in  1693  :  his  fucceflbr, 
 Tillotfon,  within  the  year  after  ;  and  fo  both  refted 
 from  their  troubles,  and  their  differences.  The  mea- 
 fures  of  Government,  adopted  in  the  fhort  Epifcopate 
 of  Tillotfon,  and  with  his  fandtion,  had  a  deadening 
 influence  on  the  Anglican  Church.  It  is  a  fearful 
 charge  to  be  Primate  of  England,  whofe  adlings  touch 
 on  things  facred,  and  in  their  confequence,  for  evil  or 
 for  good,  reach  beyond  his  own  fliort  earthly  fpan. 
 One  after  another  follows  in  the  line  of  fucceflion. 
 Shall  each,  in  confidence  of  his  own  views,  prefume  to 
 modify  the  teaching  of  the  Church  ?  If  fo,  each  Pri- 
 mate, diff'ering  perhaps  from  thofe  before  him,  and 
 thofe  to  come  (fince  each  man's  mind  is  of  its  own 
 character)  will,  to  the  extent  of  his  influence,  reduce 
 her  to  a  wavering  and  inconfl:ant  thing,  fwayed  by 
 every  breath  of  human  judgment.  But  the  Church, 
 like  the  Truth  on  which  flie  is  founded,  is  unchangea- 
 ble. When  an  Archbifliop  fets  his  hand  to  a  work  of 
 alteration,  he  undertakes  what  is  beyond  his  power  to 
 limit,  or  control.  He  may  fandlion  but  one  degree  of 
 deviation  from  the  rule  handed  down  to  him  :  —  how 
 foon,  or  through  whom,  the  next  may  be  taken,  is  not 
 within  his  range    to  forefee.      But  the   refponflbility 
 
4i6  Zv//^  ^Thomas  Ken,  [1694 
 
 muft  be  on  him  who  led  the  way.  There  is  fomething 
 fearful  in  this  thought  for  Bifhops,  as  for  Princes,  and 
 their  counfellors. 
 
 Queen  Mary  fhed  tears  for  the  lofs  of  Tillotfon. 
 His  funeral,  however,  was  the  clofe  forerunner  of  her 
 own  :  a  few  weeks  after  Ihe  was  feized  with  fmall  pox, 
 and  died  on  the  28th  of  Dec.  1694,  at  the  early  age  of 
 thirty-two,  in  the  fifth  year  of  her  reign.  If  the  long 
 pofTefTion  of  a  throne  could  ever  fuffice  to  fweeten  the 
 remembrance  of  having  fupplanted  an  indulgent  father, 
 fhe  did  not  reap  even  this  fruit  of  the  ufurpation.  It 
 does  not  appear  that  fhe  ever  aflccd  his  forgivenefs,  or 
 exprefTed  contrition  on  her  death  bed. 
 
 James  records  his  bitter  fentiments  towards  her. 
 He  hoped  her  death  might  give  an  opening  for  the 
 reftored  rights  of  his  fon.  Whereas  (to  ufe  his  own 
 words)  '*  All  the  King  got  by  it  was  an  additional 
 afflidtion  to  thofe  he  already  underwent,  by  feeing  a 
 child,  whom  he  had  always  cherifhed  beyond  expref- 
 fion,  and  loved  fo  tenderly,  perfevere  to  her  death  in 
 fuch  a  fignal  ftate  of  difobedience  and  difloyalty,  and 
 to  hear  her  extoU'd,  and  fet  out  for  it  in  the  brighteft 
 colours,  as  the  higheft  virtue,  by  the  mercenary  flat- 
 terers of  thofe  times.  Even  that  dull  man,  D'""  Teni- 
 fon,  then  Archbifhop  of  Canterbury,  who  with  his 
 languid  oration  at  her  funeral  rather  diverted  than 
 edify'd  the  company,  rank'd  it  amongfl  her  higheft 
 praifes,  that  by  long  and  laborious  contradictions  fhe 
 got  the  better  of  her  duty  to  her  parents,  in  confidera- 
 tion  of  her  religion  and  her  country.  Thus  fhe  was 
 canonifed  for  a  fort  of  parricide,  by  ufurping  her  fa- 
 ther's throne,  and  fending  him  together  with  his  Queen 
 
1 694]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         4 1 7 
 
 and  the  Prince  her  brother,  to  be  vagabonds  in  the 
 world,  had  not  the  generofity  of  a  neighbouring  mo- 
 narch receiv'd,  entertain'd,  and  fuccor'd  them,  when 
 their  own  fubjec5ls,  and  even  children,  had  loft  all 
 bowels  of  compaflion  and  duty."  "  If  anything  had 
 been  able  to  trouble  the  tranquillity  which  the  King's 
 refignation  afforded  him,  this  would  have  done  it, 
 efpecially  when  he  heard  his  poor  daughter  had  been 
 fo  deluded  as  to  declare  at  her  death,  that  *  her  con- 
 fcience  no  way  troubled  her,  —  that  if  fhe  had  done 
 anything  which  the  world  might  blame  her  for,  it  was 
 with  the  advice  of  the  moft  learned  men  of  her  Church, 
 who  were  to  anfwer  for  it,  not  fhe  : '  this  made  the 
 King  cry  out ;  '  O  miferable  way  of  arguing,  fo  fatal 
 both  to  the  deceiver,  and  thofe  that  fuffer  themfelves 
 to  be  deceived ! '  She  difcover'd,  it  feems  by  this,  her 
 fcruple  and  aprehention,  yet  blindly  followed  thofe 
 guides,  whofe  tragical  end,  as  well  as  thofe  who  are 
 guided  by  them,  the  Scripture  itfelf  warns  us  of."  * 
 
 A  fad  epitaph  this,  to  be  written  on  a  daughter's 
 tomb  by  a  father's  pen,  perhaps  more  fevere  than  juft. 
 Among  many  recorded  teftimonies  to  her  merit,  is 
 that  of  a  moft  truthful  fervant  of  her's,  who  had  an 
 intimate  knowledge  of  her  chara6ler.  This  was  Dr. 
 Hooper,  her  Chaplain  at  the  Hague,  and  ever  afterwards 
 much  in  her  confidence.  "  He  would  often  fay  that, 
 in  the  time  he  attended  her,  he  never  faw  her  do,  nor 
 heard  her  fay,  a  thing  that  he  would  have  wiftied  ftie 
 had  not."t 
 
 *  Clarke's  Life  of  James  11. ,  vol.  ii.  p.  525. 
 f  Prowfe's  MS.  Life  oi  Hooper. 
 
 E   E 
 
41 8  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1694 
 
 On  the  death  of  Mary,  laudatory  fermons  were 
 preached  in  many  of  the  London  and  country  churches. 
 That  by  Archbifhop  Tenlfon  at  Whitehall,  was  the 
 '^  languid  oration  of  that  dull  man,"  which  fo  much 
 difpleafed  King  James ;  it  alfo  drew  down  upon  him 
 many  fevere  comments  from  others,  as  exhibiting  a 
 great  want  of  proper  referve,  in  details  of  the  death- 
 bed fcene,  which  fhould  have  been  kept  facred.  One 
 pamphlet  in  particular  came  forth,  which  excited  much 
 attention,  and  being  attributed  to  our  Bifhop,  may 
 not  be  pafTed  over.  It  is  often  the  penalty  of  dif- 
 tincftion  and  fame  to  bear  the  burthen  of  other  peo- 
 ple's fayings  and  doings.  No  one  was  more  profufely 
 honoured  after  this  fort  than  Ken :  the  works  injuri- 
 oufly  afcribed  to  him  are  more  in  number  than  his  real 
 produdlions.  Hawkins  complains  of  the  "  ill  treat- 
 ment he  met  with,  even  in  his  lifetime,  from  having 
 fpurious  performances  afcribed  to  him."*  Among 
 thefe  was  the  anonymous  trad,  entitled  "  A  Letter  to 
 Dr.  Tenifon,  concerning  his  Sermon,  preached  at  the 
 Funeral  of  her  late  Majefty."  It  is  a  tiflue  of  bitter 
 obloquy  againft  the  Queen,  and  the  Archbifhop,  wholly 
 inconfiftent  with  the  meek  fpirit  of  the  author  of  the 
 "  Pradice  of  Divine  Love."  It  was  not  likely  that 
 he  fhould  now,  for  the  firft  time,  and  on  fuch  an  occa- 
 fion,  enter  the  lifts  of  a  political  controverfy.  If  any- 
 thing could  draw  him  out  of  his  retirement  into  the 
 
 *  Dedication  to  the  Works  of  Thomas  Ken. 
 Mr.  Round,  in  his  Preface  to  the  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  notices 
 feveral,  and  fatisfaftorily  difprovcs  his  authorfliip. 
 
1694]        Bijljop  of  Bath  a?td  Wells.        419 
 
 din  of  a  contentious  world,  this  at  leaft  was  a  topic 
 uncongenial  to  him.  He  was  incapable*  of  traducing 
 the  charader  of  a  Princefs  "  whofe  high  efteem  he  had 
 gained  by  his  moft  prudent  behaviour,  and  ftri6t  piety, 
 and  whom  to  his  death  he  diftinguifh'd  by  the  title  of 
 his  Miftrefs."  f  In  all  his  acknowledged  writings,  or 
 in  his  correfpondence,  no  expreffion  can  be  found  that 
 is  akin  to  the  whole  tenor  of  this  Letter  of  vehement 
 animadverfion. 
 
 Ken,  therefore,  we  may  be  fure,  was  not  the  author. 
 In  his  contemplative  life,  amid  the  fecluded  walks  of 
 Long  Leat,  he  was  very  differently  engaged.  "  There," 
 as  Hawkins  fays,  "  he  compofed  many  excellent,  ufe- 
 ful,  and  pious  pieces,"  to  be  found  in  his  volumes  of 
 poetry.  "  His  cholick  pains  rendering  him  uncapable 
 of  more  ferious  ftudy,  he  applied  himfelf  fo  happily  to 
 this  favourite  entertainment,  '■  his  great  relifh  for  Di- 
 vine Poefy,'  as  thereby,  in  fome  meafure,  to  palliate 
 the  acutenefs  of  his  pain.  So  clofe  was  his  application 
 to  thefe  ftudies,  and  fo  was  his  mind  bent  on  quietnefs, 
 that  during  all  the  time  of  his  retirement,  and  among 
 all  the  attempts  of,  and  clamours  againft,  thofe  called 
 Jacobites  J  in  the  reign  of  King  William,  he  was  never 
 
 *  As  one  paffage  alone  of  that  work  might  fhow ;  "  O,  my 
 God,  amidft  the  deplorable  divilions  of  thy  Church,  let  me  never 
 widen  its  breaches ;  but  give  me  Catholic  charity  to  all  that  are 
 baptized  in  thy  name,  and  Catholic  Communion  with  all  Chriftians 
 in  defire.  O  give  me  grace  to  pray  daily  for  the  peace  of  thy 
 Church,  and  earneftly  to  feek  it,  and  to  excite  all  I  can  to  praife 
 and  love  Thee." 
 
 f  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  7. 
 
420  Zy//^  <?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1694 
 
 once  difturb'd  in  that  quiet  enjoyment  of  himfelf ;  and 
 'tis  prefumed  never  fufpeded  of  any  ill  defign,  fince 
 never  publickly  molefted,  or  privately  rebuk'd  :*  "  He 
 behaved  himfelf  with  all  the  decency,  piety,  and  hu- 
 mility that  became  a  Bifhop  in  afflidion."  f 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  25. 
 
 f  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  by  Round,  p.  43. 
 
1694]      Bipjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        421 
 
 9. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
 
 KerCs  humane  difpofition  —  Circular  letter  of  the  deprived  Bt- 
 Jhops^  recommending  a  charitable  fund  for  the  relief  of  the 
 Non-juring  Clergy  —  Character  and  Death  of  Kettlewell  — 
 Ken  fummoned  before  the  Privy  Council^  and  releafed. 
 
 if 
 
 ^HE  friendfhip  of  Lord  Weymouth  had 
 
 placed  Ken  beyond  the  reach  of  perfonal 
 want :  but  he  was  fenfitlvely  alive  to  the 
 ■TS37^^^  diftrefs  of  others.  Every  appeal  of  an 
 afflidled  fellow  creature  moved  him  at  once  to  fympa- 
 thy.  His  alms  could  not  be  in  the  meafure  of  his 
 charitable  defires,  which  had  ever  been  unbounded. 
 When  he  gave  nearly  4000/.  to  the  exiled  Huguenots, 
 it  did  not  fatisfy  him  :  how  much  lefs  could  he  effedl 
 on  80/.  a  year !  Then,  of  his  abundance,  he  caft  in 
 all,  as  an  offering  to  God  ; — now,  his  poor  mite  was  an 
 equal  oblation,  and  laid  up  in  the  fame  treafury, — not 
 the  lefs  bleffed  to  himfelf. 
 
 Writing  to  Bifhop  Lloyd,  he  excufes  himfelf  from 
 coming  to  London,  as  "  being  confiftent  neither  with 
 my  purfe,  nor  convenience,  nor  health,  nor  inclina- 
 tion:" and  fome  days  afterwards  he  fays,  "  when  I 
 told  you  a  London  journey  was  not  agreeable  to  my 
 purfe,  it  was  no  pretence,  but  a  real  truth.  I  am  not 
 able  to  fupport  the  expence  of  it,  which  all  that  know 
 my  condition  will  eafily  believe.  I  thank  God  I  have 
 enough  to  bring  the  yeare  about,  while  I  remain  in 
 
422  Zy//^  (?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1694 
 
 the  country,  and  this  is  as  much  as  I  defire.  /  have 
 often  been  offered  money  for  vnyfelf-)  but  always  refufed 
 it^  and  never  take  any  but  to  diflributeT*  Lord 
 Weymouth  frequently  made  him  his  almoner.  His 
 friend.  Dr.  Thomas  Smith,  mentions  his  "  generous 
 and  truly  Chriftian  compaffion,  and  concern  for  the 
 diftreffed  Clergy  of  Scotland,  who  were  fuffering  for 
 confcience'  and  righteoufnefs'  fake,  and  his  zeal  in 
 recommending  their  fad  and  woful  condition  to  the 
 humanity,  good  nature,  and  bounty  of  devout  perfons 
 of  his  acquaintance." "I"  Dr.  Smith  himfelf  often  re- 
 ceived affiftance  from  him.  On  one  occafion  Ken 
 writes  to  him,  "  living  fo  much  in  the  country,  I  have 
 no  charitable  contributions  put  into  my  hands,  but  of 
 my  own  I  can  fpare  you  the  contents  of  the  following 
 note,  which  you  would  oblige  me  by  accepting.";}; 
 At  another  time,  "  I  entreat  you  to  let  me  know  with 
 the  freedom  of  a  friend,  when  you  are  in  any  ftreight, 
 or  want  fupply's  to  carry  on  your  labours  of  love  for 
 the  publick."§  Six  months  later  the  Dr.  writes,  "  I 
 haften  to  make  my  grateful  acknowledgements  for  the 
 contents  of  your  lafl:  letter ;  and  next  to  unburthen 
 myfelf  that  I  was  extremely  furprized,  not  to  fay  con- 
 founded, Jiupito  (^  fiorditOj  as  the  Italian  phrafe  is, 
 with  the  exceffive  kindnefs  of  your  repeated  prefent ; 
 W^^  confidering  the  narrownefs  of  your  own  circum- 
 ftances  I  made  it  a  fcruple  at  confcience  whether  I 
 could  fairly  receive :  though  you  are  pleafed  in  your 
 letter  to  obviate  that  doubt  by  telling  me  that  you  can 
 
 *   Profe  Works  of" Ken  by  Round,  p.  57.  t  Ibid.  p.  52. 
 
 I  Ibid.  p.  85.  §  Ibid.  p.  93. 
 
1694]      BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  JVells,         423 
 
 very  well  fpare  it."*  Again  the  Bifhop  writes  to  him 
 "  I  am  forry  for  good  Lady  Dutton  and  her  daughters  : 
 I  befeech  God  to  fupport  them.  If  when  you  go  into 
 the  city  you  call  on  Brome,  the  Bookfeller,  he  will 
 pay  you  fifty  fhillings,  which  I  defign  for  them,  though 
 1  defire  you  to  make  no  mention  from  whom  it  came^lf 
 
 If  he  felt  for  the  diftrefs  of  the  Non-jurors  in  Scot- 
 land, the  deprived  Clergy  in  England  were  equal  fuf- 
 ferers,  and  had  a  more  immediate  claim  on  his  com- 
 pafTion,  fome  of  them  being  in  his  own  diocefe.  They 
 had  loft  their  all  by  refufing  the  oath  of  allegiance, 
 and  many  of  them  were  reduced  to  the  loweft  ftate  of 
 penury.  Their  wives  and  families  were  literally  ftar- 
 ving ;  for  though  charitable  people  made  colle6lions 
 on  their  behalf,  the  number  of  thefe  objeds  of  pity 
 was  too  great  to  be  maintained,  except  on  the  moft 
 precarious  footing.  At  length,  Mr.  John  Kettlewell, 
 feeing  that  nothing  could  meet  the  urgency  of  their 
 cafe,  but  fyftematic  and  authorized  colledlions,  drew 
 up  a  "  Model  of  a  Fund  of  Charity  for  the  needy 
 fuffering  Clergy."  His  prudence  and  forefight,  no 
 lefs  than  his  meeknefs,  were  an  earneft  that  the  fcheme 
 would  be  efFedual,  and  fo  guarded  as  to  prevent  giv- 
 ing umbrage  to  a  jealous  Government.  He  propofed 
 that  the  deprived  Biihops  fhould  iflue  a  Paftoral  Letter, 
 inviting  all  humane  perfons  to  contribute,  and  that 
 they  ftiould  be  managers  of  the  Fund,  with  others  of 
 the  Clergy  to  be  felefted  by  themfelves.  The  feveral 
 cafes  of  the  fufferers  were  to  be  corredly  examined, 
 and  diftribution  made  in  ftridt  conformity  with  their 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  97.  f  Ibid.  p.  105. 
 
424  Life  (j/' Thomas  Ken,        [1694 
 
 merits  and  wants.  By  this  plan,  it  was  thought  the 
 Non-juring  Bifhops  would  have  more  control  over  the 
 conduct  of  their  Clergy,  and  a  prote6lion  be  afforded 
 againft  the  many  falfe  pretenders,  who  had  hitherto 
 impofed  on  the  charitably  inclined.* 
 
 The  propofal  met  with  the  warm  concurrence  of 
 the  deprived  Bifhops,  themfelves  reduced  to  fuch  a 
 fmall  pittance,  that  they  could  afford  very  little  help 
 to  the  inferior  Clergy.  A  letter  of  Kettlewell's  to 
 Blfliop  Lloyd  fhows  the  origin  of  the  charitable  fund, 
 and  is  alfo  an  evidence  of  his  frequent  intercourfe  with 
 Ken. 
 
 "  My  Lord, 
 "  I  HEREWITH  prefent  a  fmall  Bookf  to  your  Lordfhip 
 confiding  of  Thoughts,  which  have  been  much  my 
 ftudy  and  employment  under  mine  infirmityes,  and 
 are  fit  to  be  foe  ftill :  And  which  I  hope  may  be  of 
 ufe  to  others,  when  they  come,  as  fooner  or  later  all 
 muft  expedl  to  come,  into  a  ftate  of  decays  and  weak- 
 nefs,  not  to  add  alfoe  in  their  befl;  fi:ate  of  health. 
 
 "  When  my  L*^  Bp-  of  B.  and  W"=-  in  great  kindnefs 
 and  charity,  was  pleafed  laft:  to  call  here,  I  was  pro- 
 pofing  to  him  the  fetting  up  a  Fund  of  Charity,  for 
 regular  colledion  and  dlftrlbutlon  of  the  fame  among 
 the  poor  fuffering  Clergy.  I  told  him  the  good  will 
 you  bore  to  it,  only  fome  difficultyes  feemed  to  you 
 therein,  which  I  hoped  might  be  removed.  If  he  has 
 {^^xi  your  Lp-  fince,  I  believe  you  had  difcourfe  upon 
 
 *  Life  of  Kettle  well,  p.  417. 
 
 t  Companion  of  the  Penitent,  and  Perfons  troubled  in  mind, 
 1694,  8vo. 
 
1694]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        425 
 
 it.  Were  this  fund  for  the  foldiery  (tho'  God  knows 
 enow  among  them  have  need  enough)  it  may  be  fome 
 might  fancy  they  could  with  better  colour  charge  it  as  a 
 lifting  of  men.  But  being  only  for  the  Clergye's  relief, 
 and  their  needs  being  notorious,  methinkes,  let  them 
 trouble  whom  they  will,  they  cannot  hurt  them,  and 
 they  may  freely  own  and  thanke  God  they  have  been 
 employed  therein  j  and  when  the  truth  of  all  is  laid 
 open,  all  wife  men  of  all  partyes  muft  own,  that  it  is 
 an  excellent  part  and  proof  of  paftoral  care,  and  the 
 adverfaryes  can  only  envy  it,  not  faften  on  anything  to 
 accufe  or  punifti  in  it. 
 
 For  fubfcribing  your  Names  and  Titles,  in  any 
 papers  to  recommend  the  fame,  and  ftir  up  charity, 
 methinkes  it  would  neither  prejudice  you,  nor  could 
 offend  them,  if  you  write  yourfelves  with  an  Epithete, 
 noteing,  not  the  juftice  on  one  fide  or  other,  but  only 
 the  adlual  fufFering  and  force  you  are  under,  as  Suf- 
 fering, Dif -placed,  Eje5fed,  Deprived,  or  what  word  you 
 fhall  thinke  more  proper,  added  to  Bifhops,  when  you 
 fubfcribe  yourfelves. 
 
 I  fhall  only  add,  that  if  upon  your  wife  and  mature 
 confideration,  Y"-"  Lp  and  Y"""  Brethren  the  Bpp^  fhall 
 thinke  this  a  feafible,  as  you  will  thinke  it  otherwife  a 
 good  defign,  and  for  this  regular  provifion  like  to  go 
 on,  I  have  a  friend  who  authorizes  me  to  fay  he  will 
 give  an  hundred  Pounds  himfelf  towards  the  beginning 
 of  the  Fund,  and  I  know  he  will  moreover  get  as  much 
 of  others  towards  the  fame  as  he  can. 
 
 Being  laid  up  by  my  infirmity es  this  winter,  and 
 foe  uncapable  by  waiting  on  you  to  fpeak  thefe  things 
 to  Your  Lp  myfelf,  I  here  prefume,  with  humble  fub- 
 
426  Life  of  Thomas  Ktn,         [1694 
 
 mifTion,  to  write  them.  Wherein  if  Your  Lp  perceive 
 me  to  be  wrong,  your  goodnefs  will  allow  the  honefty 
 of  my  zele  for  foe  good  a  thing,  to  expiate  my  mif- 
 takes  about  the  ways  of  its'  promotion. 
 
 "  I  humbly  beg  your  blefling,  and  remain 
 My  hone'^  L^ 
 
 Y°''  Lpp5  faithful  humble  ferv' 
 «  Dec.  20,  94."  J.  Kettlewell."* 
 
 The  infirmities  he  fpeaks  of  too  rapidly  increafed 
 upon  him  :  his  naturally  tender  and  delicate  frame, 
 over-wrought  by  ftudy,  could  not  withftand  the  fatal 
 inroads  of  a  confumption  ;  he  was  fnatched  away  from 
 his  friends  at  the  age  of  forty-two. 
 
 John  Kettlewell  prefents  to  us  one  of  the  moft  per- 
 fed  examples  of  holinefs  that  adorn  the  hiftory  of  the 
 Englifh  Church.  It  feemed  to  all  around  him,  even  in 
 earlieft  youth,  that  God  had  endowed  him  with  peculiar 
 grace.  In  every  ftage  of  life  the  fweetnefs  of  his  tem- 
 per was  remarkable.  A  capacious  and  refined  intelledl, 
 extenfive  learning,  endurance  and  courage,  were  the 
 leaft  of  his  qualities.  Piety,  judgment,  prudence, 
 erudition,  modefty  and  candour  have,  one  or  other, 
 been  the  leading  points  in  many  charadlers,  juftly  re- 
 vered in  their  day  ;  but  we  find  them  all  united  in  the 
 perfon  of  Kettlewell.  His  tendernefs  of  confcience, 
 his  felf-abafement,  his  fenfe  of  God's  attributes  of 
 infinite  purity  and  juftice,  were  harmonized  by  the 
 Holy  Spirit  into  a  confiding  Love,  bafed  on  an  im- 
 moveable Faith  in  the  faving  efiicacy  of  his  Re- 
 deemer's death.   There  is  a  letter  of  Bancroft's  to  Lloyd, 
 
 *  Dr.  Williams's  Colledlion  of  Original  Letters. 
 
1695]       Bijhop  of  Bath  a?id  Wells,       427 
 
 acknowledging  the  receipt  of  a  manufcript  treatife  of 
 Kettlewell's  on  "  Chriftian  Prudence,  or  Religious 
 Wifdom."  He  fays,  "  I  have  long  efteemed  Mr.  Kettle- 
 well  a  very  good,  and  pious  pradlical  Divine  :  but  this 
 laft  treatife,  and  what  he  wrote  formerly  againft  Julian 
 Johnfon,  about  Paffive  obedience,*  fhow  him  to  be  alfo 
 a  very  learned  man,  very  well  read  both  in  the  Roman 
 and  Ecclefiaftical  hiftory.  I  defire  you  kindly  to  falute 
 the  author  In  my  name,  when  you  fee  him,  and  to  afTure 
 him  of  my  moft  cordial  love  and  efteem  ;  and  to  accept 
 yourfelf  of  my  hearty  thanks  for  the  opportunity  you 
 give  me  of  perufing  thefe  excellent  difcourfes."'f 
 
 "Jan.  26,  1 69 1." 
 
 It  Is  an  honour  to  Bifhop  Ken  that  he  was  the 
 model,  which  this  younger  Saint  appears  to  have  fol- 
 lowed in  the  maturity  of  his  Chriftian  charader.  It  is 
 an  equal  teftimony  to  the  virtues  of  Kettlewell,  that 
 the  good  Biftiop  "  upon  all  proper  occasions  expreffed 
 the  folld  efteem  which  he  had  for  him,  and  for  his 
 judicious  and  pious  works."  J  Their  facred  friendftiip 
 for  each  other  fuffered  no  interruption :  in  the  very 
 recreations,  which  they  allowed  themfelves  from  their 
 labours  and  ftudy,  there  was  a  fimilarity  of  taftes. 
 Kettlewell's  chief  diverfion  was  mufic,  "  in  the  theory 
 of  which  he  was  well  {killed  ;  and  In  the  pradical  part 
 too  he  was  not  deficient : "  their  favourite  inftruments 
 were  the  fame — they  both  played  the  viol.    Kettlewell's 
 
 *  Chriftianity  a  Doftrine  of  the  Crofs,  or  Paffive  Obedience  un- 
 der any  pretended  Invafion  of  legal  Rights  and  Liberties.     1691. 
 f  Dr.  Williams's  Colledlion  of  Original  Letters. 
 \  Life  of  Kettlewell,  p.  422. 
 
428  Zy//'^  y  Thomas  Ken,  [1695 
 
 publifhed  prayers  are  inferior  to  Ken's,  which  perhaps 
 have  never  been  excelled  in  our  language;  his  fer- 
 mons  are  wanting  in  the  rich  imagery,  and  fervid,  em- 
 paflioned  eloquence,  that  made  the  Bifhop  the  firft  of 
 Preachers :  in  varied  learning  Kettlewell  excelled  his 
 friend. 
 
 They  were  united  not  only  by  the  bond  of  perfonal 
 affedtion,  but  by  perfed  accord  of  their  principles  on 
 the  great  queftions  of  the  Church,  for  which  both  were 
 fufferers.  Had  Kettlewell  lived  a  few  years  longer, 
 there  can  be  little  doubt  that  he  would  have  concurred 
 with  his  moft.  intimate  friend,  Robert  Nelfon,  in  the 
 final  meafure  of  Ken  for  healing  the  fchifm.  Soon 
 after  his  death,  Nelfon  printed  a  Volume  of  Kettle- 
 well's  Sermons,  with  fome  account  of  his  life  and  cha- 
 rader  :  he  fent  a  copy  to  the  Bifhop,  who,  in  returning 
 his  thanks,  fays,  "  you  have  done  honour  to  the  me- 
 mory of  our  dead  friend,  which  we  all  ought  to  ac- 
 knowledge :  and  I  am  very  glad  that  his  life  is  writing 
 by  another  hand,  as  you  tell  me.  He  was  certainly  as 
 faint-like  a  man  as  ever  I  knew ;  and  his  books  are 
 demonftrations  of  it,  which  are  full  of  as  folid  and 
 fearching  a  piety  as  ever  I  read.  God  was  pleafed  to 
 take  him  from  the  evil  to  come,  to  his  infinite  advan- 
 tage, but  to  our  great  lofs  :  His  bleffed  will  be  done."* 
 
 Kettlewell,  on  his  death  bed,  received  the  holy  Sa- 
 crament from  the  hands  of  Ken.f  Mr.  Bell,  who  alfo 
 attended  him  in  his  lafl  moments,  had  been  appointed 
 
 *  Kettlewell's  Life,  Appendix  xxv. 
 
 t  The  Conftitution  of  the  Catholic  Church  by  Dr.  George  Hickes, 
 p.  4. 
 
1695]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  IVells,         429 
 
 to  read  the  funeral  fervice  over  him ;  but  the  Bifhop 
 was  permitted  to  pay  this  tribute  of  affedion  to  his 
 memory  :  accordingly  he  performed  the  burial  office, 
 and  read  the  whole  Evening  Service  in  his  lawn  fleeves.* 
 This  was  in  April,  1695.  It  is  the  only  recorded  in- 
 ftance  of  Ken's  public  administration  of  the  fervices 
 of  the  Church  after  his  deprival. 
 
 The  intended  "  Model  of  a  Fund  for  Charity  "  was 
 delayed  for  fome  time  by  the  death  of  its  originator. 
 But  in  July  the  deprived  Bifhops  drew  up  the  follow- 
 ing Paftoral  Letter. 
 
 "  To  all  Chriftian  people,  to  whom  this  Charitable 
 Recommendation  fhall  be  prefented,  Grace  be  to 
 you,  and  Peace  from  God  the  Father,  and  from  our 
 Lord  Jefus  Chrift. 
 
 "  Whereas  We,  the  prefent  Deprived  Bifhops  of  this 
 Church,  have  certain  information,  that  many  of  our 
 deprived  brethren  of  the  Clergy,  their  wives,  children, 
 and  families,  are  reduced  to  extreme  want,  and  unable 
 to  fupport  themfelves,  and  their  feveral  charges,  without 
 the  charitable  relief  of  pious  and  well  difpofed  Chrif- 
 tians ;  and  being  earneftly  mov'd  by  feveral  of  them 
 to  reprefent  their  diftrefled  condition  to  the  mercy  and 
 compaffion  of  fuch  tender-hearted  perfons,  as  are  in- 
 clined to  commiflerate  and  relieve  the  afflidled  fervants 
 of  God, 
 
 "  Now  We,  in  compliance  with  their  intreaty,  and 
 with  all  due  regard  to  their  fuffering  circumstances, 
 have  thought  it  our  duty  (as  far  as  in  law  we  may) 
 
 *  Life  of  Kettlewell,  p.  484. 
 
430  Zy//^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1695 
 
 heartily  to  recommend  their  neceffitous  condition  to 
 all  pious,  good  people ;  hoping  and  praying  that  they 
 will  take  their  cafe  into  their  ferious  confideration,  and 
 putting  on  the  bowels  of  charity,  extend  their  alms  to 
 them,  and  their  needy  families. 
 
 "  And  we  will  not  ceafe  to  pray  for  a  bleffing  on 
 fuch  their  Benefadors  :  and  remain  in  all  Chriftian 
 offices, 
 
 '^  Your's 
 
 "  William  Bifhop  of  Norwich 
 Robert  Bifhop  of  Gloucefter 
 Francis  Bifhop  of  Ely  >-now  deprived." 
 
 Thomas  Bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells 
 Thomas  Bifhop  of  Peterborough 
 
 "  July  22,  1695." 
 
 The  refervation,  "  as  far  as  in  law  we  may,"  was  in- 
 ferted  at  the  inftance  of  friendly  lawyers,  who  forefaw 
 that  this  exercife  of  ecclefiaftical  authority  might  roufe 
 the  watchful  jealoufy  of  the  Government.  The  objedt  of 
 the  paper  ought  to  have  protedled  the  harmlefs  authors 
 of  the  Fund  from  any  fuch  feeling :  but  being  in  the 
 form  of  an  Encyclical  Letter,  or  Brief,  they  were  or- 
 dered by  warrants  to  appear  before  the  Privy  Council, 
 and  anfwer  to  a  charge  of  mifdemeanour.  It  was  not 
 the  firft  time  Ken,  Turner,  and  White  had  been  fum- 
 moned  before  this  tribunal  in  the  caufe  of  religion. 
 As  in  the  former  reign,  they  had  been  fent  to  the 
 Tower  for  maintaining  the  integrity  of  the  Church, 
 they  were  now  threatened  with  the  fame  punifhment 
 for  advocating  the  caufe  of  Charity. 
 
 Nearly  ten  years  had  elapfed  fince  Ken's  memo- 
 
1696]      Bijhop  of  Bath  a?id  Wells.         431 
 
 rable  trial.  The  vigour  of  his  frame  was  now  im- 
 paired by  ficknefs,  and  his  vivacity  abated.  He  had 
 not,  as  before,  the  prayers  and  acclamations  of  a  whole 
 nation  to  fuftain  his  fortitude :  the  cold  indifference, 
 to  fay  the  leaft,  with  which  he  was  greeted,  might  well 
 damp  the  ardour  of  his  mind,  had  he  regarded  the  opi- 
 nion of  men.  In  1688  King  James  anxioufly  waited 
 the  arrival  of  the  Bifhops  from  Lambeth  Palace,  and 
 they  were  at  once  ufhered  into  his  prefence  :  now  Ken 
 had  to  give  his  attendance  three  times  in  the  outer 
 waiting  room  of  the  Council  Chamber,  before  he  was 
 admitted.  The  Lords  gave  him  a  favourable  hearing ; 
 and  afterwards  Mr.  Bridgman  (Clerk  of  the  Council) 
 was  fent  out  to  him  to  tell  him  that  they  expedled  a 
 copy  of  his  anfwers.  Accordingly  he  drew  up  an 
 Account  of  the  whole  proceedings,  which  has  been 
 preferved  to  us  by  Hawkins.* 
 
 It  Is  one  of  the  moft  interefting  records  of  his  life, 
 as  it  exhibits  in  the  cleareft  light  his  courage,  and  the 
 fimplicity  of  his  charadter.  It  appears  that  the  Council 
 were  ftruck  by  his  venerable  appearance,  and  fatisfied, 
 from  the  anfwers  he  made  to  their  queftions,  that  the 
 motive  of  the  Bifhops  was  purely  one  of  charity. 
 
 His  "Account"  begins  as  ufual  by  afcribing 
 "  All  Glory  to  God,"  and  ends  with  "  befeeching 
 God  to  be  gracious  to  their  Lordfhips."  They  firft 
 afked  him  if  he  fubfcribed  the  obnoxious  paper  ;  to 
 which  he  anfwered,  "  My  Lords,  I  thank  God  I  did, 
 and  it  had  a  very  happy  effedl ;  for  the  will  of  my 
 blefled  Redeemer  was   fulfill'd  by   it;  and  what  we 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  48. 
 
432  Liife  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1696 
 
 were  not  able  to  do  by  oiirfelves,  was  done  by  others ; 
 the  hungry  were  fed,  and  the  naked  were  cloath'd  : 
 and  to  feed  the  hungry,  to  cloathe  the  naked,  and  to 
 vifit  thofe  who  are  fick  In  prifon,  Is  that  Plea  which  all 
 Your  Lordfhips,  as  well  as  I,  fo  far  as  you  have  had 
 opportunities,  muft  make  for  yourfelves  at  the  Great 
 Day.  And  that  which  you  muft  all  plead  at  God's 
 tribund,  for  your  eternal  abfolutlon,  fhall  not,  I  hope, 
 be  made  my  condemnation  here." 
 
 In  reply  to  the  objecftlon  that  the  paper  was  Illegal, 
 he  fays,  "  My  Lords,  I  can  plead  to  the  Evangelical 
 part ;  I  am  no  lawyer :  but  I  will  fincerely  give  your 
 Lordfhips  an  account  of  the  part  I  had  in  It.  The 
 firft  perfon  who  propofed  It  to  me  was  Mr.  Kettlewell, 
 that  holy  man  who  Is  now  with  God  ;  and  after  fome 
 time  it  was  brought  to  this  form,  and  I  fubfcribed  it, 
 and  then  went  into  the  country  to  my  retirement  in  an 
 obfcure  village,  where  I  live  above  the  fufplclon  of 
 giving  any  the  leaft  umbrage  to  the  Government." 
 
 Agalnft  the  charge  that  the  colledllons  had  been 
 mifapplled  to  unworthy  objedls,  "  and  particularly  to 
 one  who  goes  in  a  gown  one  day,  and  a  blue  filk  waifi- 
 coat  another  ! "  he  anfwers,  "  If  the  money  was  given 
 in  miftake,  or  to  unworthy  people,  yet  if  they  want 
 the  neceffarles  of  life,  we  ought  to  fupport  that  life 
 God  indulges  them,  hoping  for  the  happy  effe<5l  of  it. 
 I  thought  it  my  duty  to  do  this  In  the  Duke  of  Mon- 
 mouth's rebellion,  when  there  were  in  my  DIocefe 
 about  a  thoufand  prifoners,  and  many  of  them  111  men, 
 and  void  of  all  religion.  I  vlfited  them  night  and  day, 
 and  I  thank  God  I  fupply'd  them  with  neceffarles  my- 
 felf,  as  far  as  I  could,  and  encouraged  others  to  do  the 
 
1696]       Bijhop  of  Bath  a7td  Wells.         433 
 
 fame,  and  yet  King  James  never  found  the  leaft  fault 
 with  me.  And  if  I  am  now  charged  with  mifapplying 
 what  was  given,  I  beg  of  your  Lordfhips  that  St.  Paul's 
 Apoftolical  rule  may  be  obferved,  '  againft  an  Elder 
 receive  not  an  accufation,  but  before  two  or  three  wit- 
 neffes  ; '  for  I  am  fure  none  can  teftify  that  agalnft  me. 
 What  I  gave,  I  gave  in  the  country ;  and  I  gave  to 
 none  but  thofe  who  did  both  want  and  deferve  it :  the 
 laft  that  I  gave  was  to  two  poor  widows  of  depriv'd 
 Clergymen,  one  whereof  was  left  with  fix,  the  other 
 with  {^VQr\.  fmall  children." 
 
 When  it  was  urged  that  he  had  ufurped  ecclefiaftical 
 jurifdidlion,  he  replied,  "  My  Lords,  I  never  heard 
 that  begging  was  a  part  of  ecclefiaftical  jurifdidtion ; 
 and  in  this  paper  we  are  only  beggars,  which  privilege 
 I  hope  may  be  allowed  us.  I  make  no  doubt  but  your 
 Lordfhips  may  have  had  ftrange  mifinformations  con- 
 cerning this  paper  :  but  having  fincerely  told  you  what 
 part  I  had  in  it,  I  humbly  fubmit  myfelf  to  your  Lord- 
 fhips' juftice. 
 
 "  I  prefume  your  Lordfhips  will  come  to  no  imme- 
 diate Refolution  concerning  me ;  and  having  volun- 
 tarily furrendred  myfelf,  and  the  Warrant  having 
 never  been  ferv'd  on  me  till  I  had  twice  attended  here, 
 this  being  the  third  time,  and  my  health  being  infirm, 
 I  beg  this  favour  of  your  Lordfhips,  that  I  may  return 
 to  my  fifters  houfe,  where  I  have  hitherto  lodg'd, 
 which  is  a  place  the  meffenger  knows  well  ;  and  that 
 I  may  be  no  otherwife  confin'd  till  I  have  receiv'd  your 
 Lordfhips  final  Refolution. 
 
 "  This  favour  your   Lordfhips  were  pleas'd  very 
 
 F   F 
 
434  Lif^  o/*  Thomas  Ken,         [1696 
 
 readily  to  grant  me  ;  for  which  I  return  my  humble 
 acknowledgements,  befeeching  God  to  be  gracious  to 
 your  Lordfhips. 
 
 "  Thomas  Bath  and  Wells. 
 
 "  April  28th,  1696."  Depriv'd."  * 
 
 What  voice  could  be  raifed  againft  him  after  fo  ex- 
 plaining himfelf  ?  "  The  Council  thought  proper  to 
 drop  the  affair  as  eafily  as  could  be ; "  for,  as  the  au- 
 thor of  Kettlewell's  Life  obferves,  "  he  made  fuch  an 
 Apology  for  the  part  he  had  in  the  matter,  as  was 
 irrefiftible,  his  anfwers  being  thofe  of  a  true  Chriftian 
 Bifhop."  'I'  And  fo  he  was  difmiffed  to  his  medi- 
 tation and  prayers.  Health,  ftation,  influence,  were 
 no  longer  his :  but  his  heart  was  inflamed  with  a 
 nearer  approach  to  Him,  on  whofe  love  he  was  willing 
 to  fubfifl:.  He  realized  the  fweetnefs  of  God's  pre- 
 fence,  compenfating  all  other  wants.  In  his  public 
 life  he  had  never  ftriven  for  advancement  in  the  world, 
 which  was  to  him  as  a  fleeting  vifion :  every  adl  had 
 been  a  fl:ep  towards  Heaven  ;  in  his  retirement,  he 
 had  the  happinefs  of  a  meek  fpirit,  which  is  its  befl: 
 preparative.  It  was  not  here  he  had  ever  expected  to 
 be  fatisfied  ;  and  now  he  had  more  than  he  thought 
 he  deferved.  Bounties,  or  crofl^es,  —  whichever  befel 
 him,  feemed  equally  blefled.  His  faith  was  confl:ant, 
 his  obedience  cheerful,  under  every  trial.  Poor  though 
 he  was,  he  had  a  readinefs  of  heart  to  adminifl:er  com- 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  56. 
 t  Life  of  Kettlcwell,  p.  422. 
 
1696]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         435 
 
 fort  to  others,  and  a  free,  fincere,  and  entire  content- 
 ment in  all  God's  appointments  for  himfelf.  He  knew 
 them  to  be  pledges  of  His  unbounded  love,  which 
 would  be  perfedled  hereafter  in  the  beatific  vifion. 
 Thefe  are  the  fentiments  that  find  frequent  exprefTion 
 in  his  poems,  prayers,  and  letters. 
 
436  Life  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [170^ 
 
 CHAPTER  XXIX. 
 
 Death  of  James  11. — Death  of  William  III. ;  his  char  a  tier 
 —  Accejfion  of  ^een  Anne — B'ljhop  Kidder  killed  in  the 
 Palace  at  Wells  during  the  great  Storm  —  Anne  offers  to 
 rejiore  Ken  to  Bath  and  Wells  :  he  declines  :  perfuades  Dr. 
 Hooper  to  accept  his  Bijhopric^  and  refigns. 
 
 S  time  wore  away,  and  Ken  advanced 
 in  years,  many  of  his  friends  dropped, 
 one  by  one,  into  the  grave.  Dr.  White, 
 Bifhop  of  Peterborough,  went  to  his 
 reft  in  1698,  and  Francis  Turner,  in  1700.  We  find 
 no  record  of  Ken's  feeHngs  at  the  lofs  of  this,  his  ear- 
 lieft  friend :  but  in  feveral  of  his  after  letters,  refer- 
 ring to  their  agreement  in  principles,  he  always  men- 
 tions him  as  '■'■  the  Bifhop  of  Ely,  now  with  God." 
 He  could  not  lament  his  departure,  knowing  that  he 
 had  efcaped  from  trouble  and  infirmities  to  blifs  un- 
 fpeakable  :  he  rather  defired  the  hour  when  he  jfhould 
 be  permitted  to  join  him. 
 
 Kings,  too,  and  mightieft  potentates  muft  die.  James 
 and  William  were  taken  away  within  fix  months  of  each 
 other.  One  had  outlived  his  hopes  ;  —  the  other  had 
 learnt  how  unavailing  to  happinefs  is  fuccefsful  ambi- 
 tion. Who  can  fay  which  of  the  two,  in  their  contefts, 
 had  gained  moft  for  eternity, — he  who  loft,  or  he  who 
 won  the  Crown  ?  On  both  it  had  prefled  uneafily. 
 James   meditated   deep  inroads  on   the   Englifti  and 
 
1702]        BiJJjopofBathandW^ells,        437 
 
 Scotch  Churches, — but  was  fruftrated :  William  had  the 
 power  to  inflid:  upon  them  wounds  as  deep,  and  more 
 lafting; — and  he  exercifed  it  to  the  full.  We  feel 
 them  to  this  day.  His  laft  thoughts  were  bent  on  the 
 paffing  of  a  law  for  new  oaths,  to  be  taken  by  all  per- 
 fons, — abjuring  the  claims  of  James's  fon.  His  dying 
 hand  was  too  feeble  to  affix  the  fignature  to  this  crown- 
 ing A61  of  a  timorous  policy,  by  which  he  hoped  to 
 fecure  to  himfelf  the  quiet  pofTefTion  of  the  throne. 
 That  throne  was  already  given  to  another,  —  to  one 
 whom  he  cordially  difliked,  and  had  treated  with  un- 
 merited harfhnefs.  The  dread  fummons  had  gone 
 forth,  againft  which  there  is  no  appeal.  Even  the 
 arrival  of  Lord  Albemarle  from  Holland,  with  im- 
 portant intelligence  on  affairs  of  deep  intereft  to  him, 
 could  no  longer  roufe  his  departing  fpirit :  — ''7V  tire 
 vers  ma  fin"  was  the  only  languid  reply. 
 
 It  is  no  fair  ground  of  cenfure  againft  William  that 
 he  loved  Holland  exclufively.  It  was  the  country  of 
 his  birth  and  inheritance ;  and  where  is  the  law  that 
 condemns  a  man  for  being  a  patriot  ?  Certain  it  was, 
 he  had  no  love  for  England,  except  as  a  poiTeffion, 
 and  a  means  of  his  own  aggrandizement.  Nor  is  it 
 juft  to  fay  that  he  was  altogether  a  foreigner:  his 
 mother  was  an  Englifh  Princefs,  and  he  had  almoft  as 
 much  of  the  Stuart  blood  in  his  veins  as  James,  whofe 
 mother  was  Henrietta  of  France.  The  real  blot  on 
 his  efcutcheon  is  that,  being  a  nephew  and  fon-in-law 
 of  James,  he  deliberately  violated  his  word,  and  the 
 ties  of  kindred,  in  the  purfuit  of  his  ambition. 
 
 As  a  brave  warrior,  and  a  fagacious  ftatefman,  his 
 claims  to  high  repute  are  unqueftionable,  though  in 
 
438  Life  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1702 
 
 the  complex  politics  of  England  he  was  often-times 
 wavering  and  undecided.  The  liberties  fecured  to  us 
 by  his  acceffion  cannot  be  too  highly  prized  :  but  they 
 were  not  his  grant.  The  Bill  of  Rights  was  a  no- 
 ble triumph,  gained  by  our  anceftors  of  that  day  :  to 
 them  we  muft  afcribe  the  honour  of  its  achievement. 
 It  is  a  lading  monument  to  their  memory,  and  to  the 
 wifdom  which  exacfted  it,  as  the  ftipulated  price  of  the 
 Crown,  —  then  in  their  power  to  beftow.  It  remains 
 for  hiftorians  to  juftify,  as  beft  they  may,  his  willing- 
 nefs,  in  the  latter  part  of  his  reign,  to  recognize  the 
 claims  of  James's  fon  (whofe  birth  he  had  before 
 ftigmatized)  in  preference  to  thofe  of  Anne,  who  had 
 yielded  to  him  her  prior  claim  to  the  throne,  on  the 
 faith  of  his  pledge,  and  juflice.  But  for  that  volun- 
 tary ceffion,  he  would  probably  have  ceafed  to  be 
 King,  after  the  death  of  Mary.  The  confternation, 
 and  heartfelt  grief,  occafioned  by  his  death,  throughout 
 Holland,  and  the  undifguifed  joy  of  the  French,  bore 
 equal  teftimony  to  the  high  fenfe  entertained  of  his 
 talents  by  friends  and  foes.  He  raifed  his  native 
 country  to  a  dignity  it  had  never  reached  under  any 
 former  Prince  ;  and  England  owed  to  him  the  honour 
 of  having  curbed  the  unbounded  ambition  of  Louis. 
 
 The  acceffion  of  Anne  revived  the  hopes  of  the 
 Non-jurors.  They  had  been  occafionally  treated  with 
 great  harfhnefs  in  the  time  of  William  :  the  meditated 
 oath,  abjuring  the  claims  of  James's  fon,  had  filled 
 them  with  alarm.  Ken  writes,  "  I  am  troubled  to  fee 
 the  nation  likely  to  be  involved  in  new  univerfal  oaths, 
 but  hope  they  will  be  impofed  on  none  but  thofe  who 
 are  employed,   or  promoted,   in   Church  and   State. 
 
1702]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        439 
 
 You  will  do  me  the  kindnefie  to  fet  me  at  eafe  about 
 it,  and  let  me  know  whether  it  will  be  inforced.  //  is 
 an  oath  I  fliall  never  take,  I  will  rather  leave  the 
 kingdom,  old  and  infirm  as  I  a?n.''* 
 
 Bifhop  Lloyd  wrote  to  him  on  '^  the  nice  conjunc- 
 tion of  affairs  ;  " — *'  Your  prefence  and  counfel  feem 
 to  be  very  neceffary  to  us,  upon  the  fad  of  the  late 
 emergency,  namely  the  death  of  King  William.  There- 
 fore I  make  bold  to  pray  and  entreat  you  to  come  up 
 to  our  comfort  and  afliftance,  as  foon  as  conveniently 
 you  can.  This,  my  Lord,  is  the  earned  requeft  of 
 fuch  of  our  brethren  as  I  have  feen  and  converfed 
 withall,  as  well  as  of  your  Lordfhip's  affedlionate  friend 
 and  brother."  f 
 
 It  does  not  appear  what  were  the  plans  then  formed 
 by  the  nonjurors.  But  Ken,  long  fince  weary  of  the 
 contefts  of  party,  could  not  be  moved  from  his  refolu- 
 tion  to  remain  quiet :  he  knew  that  many  flill  defired 
 to  maintain  the  feparate  communion,  and  in  this  he 
 was  not  difpofed  to  concur.  He  fays  "  he  cannot  ima- 
 gine that  his  counfel  and  affiftance  are  worth  a  London 
 journey :  he  believes  it  may  give  a  fair  occafion  to 
 many  to  alter  their  conduft — but  it  does  not  at  all  in- 
 fluence him.  He  has  quite  given  over  all  thoughts  of 
 re-entering  the  world,  and  nothing  fhall  tempt  him  to 
 any  oath,  only  he  heartily  wifhes  that  by  thofe  who 
 know  the  towne,  fome  expedient  might  be  found  out 
 to  put  a  period  to  the  fchifm,  which  is  fo  very  vexa- 
 tious to  perfons  of  tender  confcience,  who  live  fcattered 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  54. 
 t  Ibid.  p.  55. 
 
440  Zy//'^  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1702 
 
 in  the  country.  In  any  thing  of  that  nature  he  would 
 heartily  concur" * 
 
 The  firft  bifhoprick  that  fell  vacant,  after  the  accef- 
 fion  of  Anne,  was  that  of  Carlifle.  Lord  Weymouth, 
 who  was  of  the  Queen's  Privy  Council,  at  once  made 
 intereft  for  reftoring  his  friend  Ken  to  Bath  and  Wells, 
 by  the  tranflation  of  Kidder  to  Carlifle.  Kidder  con- 
 fented  to  this  through  the  Archbifhop  of  York :  but 
 when  it  was  mentioned  to  Ken,  he  declined.  The 
 ftatement  is  that  he  objedled  to  the  oath  of  abjuration.f 
 But  independent  of  this,  he  had  refolved  not  to  return 
 to  public  life. 
 
 The  next  vacancy  was  St.  Afaph.  Anne  evinced 
 at  once  her  judgment,  and  her  love  of  the  Church,  by 
 feledling  Ken's  old  friend.  Dr.  Hooper,  already  Dean 
 of  Canterbury.  He  had  not  been  one  of  thofe  who 
 followed  upon  the  nimble  heels  of  Burnet,  when  he 
 hurried  from  the  death  bed  of  his  friend  and  patron. 
 King  William,  to  congratulate  his  fucceflbr.  This 
 bluff  and  bufy  prelate  fays  of  Hooper,  that  "  he  was 
 referved,  crafty  and  ambitious  :  his  Deanery  had  not 
 foftened  him,  for  he  thought  he  deferved  to  be  raifed 
 higher."  This  is  one  of  the  many  flippant  and  preju- 
 diced chara6lers  to  be  found  every  where  in  Burnet's 
 Hiftory :  change  the  word  " referved"  into  overbearing, 
 and  he  has  rather  drawn  his  own  true  likenefs  than 
 Hooper's.  Referved- — Burnet  certainly  was  not ;  for 
 he  had  no  referves  with  any  one  perfon  or  thing  that 
 flood  in  the  way  of  his  purfuit.     His  Hiftory  of  his 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  by  Round,  p.  56. 
 t  Lanfdown  MSS.  vol.  v.  p.  987. 
 
1703]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        441 
 
 own  Times  abounds  in  (kilful  touches  of  events  and 
 charadlers,  grouped  together  with  a  fort  of  natural  and 
 ready  force  that  defies  the  trammels  of  careful  arrange- 
 ment, or  laborious  inveftigation.  His  work  is  defaced 
 by  a  wantof  confcientious  truthfulnefs,  the  highefl  and 
 rareft  quality  in  a  contemporary  hiftorian  ;  but  no  one 
 can  deny  the  fuperior  powers  of  his  mind.  Thefe 
 criticifms  apply  only  to  his  public  ads  :  of  his  perfonal 
 virtues,  or  their  oppofites,  we  have  no  intereft  in 
 fpeaking  ;  he  has  been  fufficiently  lauded  and  repro- 
 bated to  fatisfy  both  his  admirers  and  cenfors. 
 
 A  more  affable,  fimple,  and  unfelfifh  man  never 
 lived  than  Bifhop  Hooper.  If  he  was  ambitious  he 
 had  through  life  taken  a  ftrange  and  unlikely  path  to 
 bring  himfelf  to  dignity.*  One  day,  when  he  was 
 chaplain  at  the  Hague,  the  Prince  was  talking  to  him 
 about  the  great  diftradions  then  in  England,  at  the 
 time  of  the  Popifh  plot,  and  the  great  indulgence  in- 
 tended to  be  fhowed  to  the  Diffenters,  but  Hooper 
 not  expreffing  himfelf  fo  favourable  to  thofe  mea- 
 fures  as  the  Prince  liked  or  expeded,  he  faid  to  him, 
 "  Well,  Dr.  Hooper,  you  will  never  be  a  Bifhop."  ^ 
 The  fad  is,  "  he  would  never  yield  by  undue  com- 
 pliance, where  the  Church  of  England,  or  any  thing 
 belonging  to  it,  was  concerned,  which  made  the  Prince 
 once  fay  to  one  that  was  in  his  confidence,  that  *  if 
 ever  he  had  any  thing  to  do  with  England,  Dr.  Hooper 
 fhould  be  Dr.  Hooper  ftill.' "  %  The  Prince  kept  his 
 word  :  nor  did  Hooper  pay  his  court  to  foften  the 
 prejudice.     After  William  came  to  the  throne,  "he 
 
 *  Prowfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper.         f  Ibid.  J  Ibid. 
 
442  Life  (^Z' Thomas  Ken,         [lyoj 
 
 gave  orders  to  the  Chaplains  who  preached  before  her 
 Royal  Highnefs,  the  Princefs  Anne,  not  to  make  their 
 accuftomed  bows  to  her  at  their  going  into  the  pulpit, 
 or  rather  before  they  began  their  fermon,  which  that 
 Princefs  (who  was  remarkably  civil,  and  yet  never 
 ftooping  too  much  from  her  high  dignity)  always  ufed 
 to  return  to  the  preacher,  neither  were  they  allowed  to 
 fend  her  the  text.  Dr.  Hooper  did  not  think  any 
 commands  whatever  fufficient  to  excufe  him  from  pay- 
 ing her  the  honour  due  to  her,  and  conftantly  did  both, 
 whenever  his  turn  came."  * 
 
 "Juft  after  the  death  of  Archbifhop  Tillotfon,  a 
 lady  who  came  into  Queen  Mary's  apartment,  told 
 her  Majefty  that  fhe  believed  there  was  all  the  digni- 
 fied clergy  in  town  come  to  Court  that  day  to  fhow 
 themfelves.  The  Queen  immediately  reply'd,  that  fhe 
 was  fure  llie  knew  one  that  was  not  there,  and  that 
 was  the  Dean  of  Canterbury.  Some  of  the  company 
 not  feeming  to  think  any  was  miffing  on  that  occafion, 
 a  lady  who  knew  the  Dean  was  fent  out  to  fee,  and 
 upon  her  return  faying  he  was  not  there,  *  No,'  fays 
 the  Oueen,  *  I  was  fure  he  was  not  there,  I  can  anfwer 
 for  him,'  or  words  to  that  effedl.  This  the  Dean  was 
 told  by  a  great  lady  who  was  there  attending  the 
 Queen."  f 
 
 Ken  rejoiced  at  Hooper's  elevation.  Writing  from 
 Poulfhot  to  Bifhop  Lloyd,  he  fays,  "  I  am  extremely 
 glad  that  you  and  the  Bifhop  eledt  of  St.  Afaph  con- 
 verfed  together.  He  is  one  of  the  beft  underftandings 
 1  ever  knew,  and  if  he  will  exert  himfelf,  will  do  ex- 
 
 *  Provvfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper.  f  Ibid. 
 
1 703]      BiJIjop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        443 
 
 cellent  fervice  to  this  finking  Church.  I  fhould  think 
 it  one  of  the  beft  excurfions  I  could  make  to  give  you 
 both  a  vifit,  but  befides  my  averfion  to  the  town,  I 
 am  afflidled  with  fuch  pains,  that  I  am  by  no  means 
 fit  for  travelling  : — they  are  rheumatic,  and  lie  within 
 my  joints,  and  never  come  to  the  extreme  parts,  and 
 at  this  prefent  my  left  arm  is  in  a  great  meafure  dif- 
 abled."  *  A  fortnight  later  he  fays,  "  You  have  a 
 very  true  apprehenfion  of  your  brother  of  St.  Afaph. 
 He  is  of  an  excellent  temper  as  well  as  underfl:anding, 
 and  a  man  of  fincerity,  though  he  may  be  of  a  differ- 
 ent judgment  (having  taken  the  oaths)  and  I  much 
 defire  that  you  may  often  meet,  and  confult  how  to 
 moderate  things,  as  much  as  may  be,  Jalvd  veritate ; 
 for  I  fear  that  many  of  our  friends  run  too  high,  and 
 that  the  Church  of  Rome  will  reap  advantages  of  ex- 
 cefies  in  that  kind."  f 
 
 On  the  night  of  the  26th  of  Nov.  1703,  the  greater 
 part  of  England  was  vifited  by  one  of  the  mofi;  vio- 
 lent and  defl;ru6live  tempefts  on  record.  De  Foe  pub- 
 lifhed  an  account  of  this  "  Storm,"  in  which  it  is 
 eftimated  that  the  damage  amounted  to  four  millions 
 fl:erling :  he  fays  "  the  lofs  is  univerfal,  and  its  extent 
 general ;  not  a  houfe,  not  a  family  that  had  anything 
 to  lofe,  but  have  loft  fomething ;  the  fea,  the  land, 
 the  houfes,  the  churches,  the  corn,  the  trees,  the  rivers, 
 all  have  felt  the  fury  of  the  winds.  In  the  New  Fo- 
 reft  in  Hampfliire  above  4000  trees,  fome  of  prodi- 
 gious thicknefs,  were  blown  down:    and  above  4:^0 
 
 *  Prole  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  6i. 
 t  Ibid.  p.  63. 
 
444  Life  (^/^  Thomas  Ken,         [1703 
 
 parks  and  groves  loft  from  200  to  1000  trees  each. 
 Twelve  fhlps  of  the  navy  were  totally  wrecked :  the 
 Eddyftone  light-houfe  was  deftroyed,  and  the  people 
 within  perifhed.  It  is  impoflible  to  defcribe  the  gene- 
 ral calamity.  About  8000  perfons  were  fuppofed  to 
 have  perifhed."  * 
 
 In  the  midft  of  this  fcene  of  defolation  many  perfons 
 had  providential  efcapes  :  amongft  others  Biftiop  Ken. 
 He  was  ftaying  with  his  nephew,  Ifaac  Walton  Junior, 
 at  Poulfhot :  writing  to  Bifliop  Lloyd  of  Norwich,  he 
 thus  defcribes  his  danger. 
 
 "all  glory  be  to  god. 
 
 "My  good  Lord  and  dear  Brother, 
 "  I  RETURN  you  my  thanks  for  both  yours.  I  have  no 
 news  to  return,  but  that  laft  night  there  was  here  the 
 moft  violent  wind  that  ever  I  knew  ;  the  houfe  fhaked 
 all  the  night;  we  all  rofe,  and  called  the  family  to 
 prayers,  and  by  the  goodnefs  of  God  we  were  fafe 
 amidft  the  ftorm.  It  has  done  a  great  deal  of  hurt  in 
 the  neighbourhood,  and  all  about,  which  we  cannot 
 yet  hear  of;  but  I  fear  it  has  been  very  terrible  at  fea, 
 and  that  we  fhall  hear  of  many  wrecks  there.  BlefTed 
 be  God  who  preferved  us.  I  hope  that  your  Lordfhip 
 and  your  family  have  fuffered  no  harm,  and  fhould  be 
 glad  to  hear  you  are  well.  I  befeech  God  to  keep  us 
 in  his  holy  fear. 
 
 "  Your  Lordfhip's 
 Moft  affedionate  friend  and  brother, 
 
 "  Nov.  27th."  Tho.  B.  &  W.  "  t 
 
 *  London,  1704,  8vo.  pp.  155,  156—222,  223. 
 f  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  6^. 
 
1703]       Bijhop  of  Ba^h  and  Wells.        445 
 
 In  another  letter  he  fays,  "  I  think  I  omitted  to  tell 
 you  y^  full  of  my  deliverance  in  y^  late  ftorm,  for  the 
 houfe  being  fearch'd  y^  day  following,  y^  workmen 
 found  y*^  y^  beame  w'^'  Jupported  y'  roof  over  my  head 
 was  Jhaken  out  to  y^  degree^  y'  it  had  but  halfe  an  inch 
 hold  J  (o  y'  it  was  a  wonder  it  could  hold  together  ;  for 
 W^^  fignal  and  particular  prefervation  God's  holy  name 
 be  ever  praifed !  I  am  fure  I  ought  alwayes  thank- 
 fully to  remember  it.  God  keep  us  in  his  holy  fear. 
 "  Your  Lordfhipp's 
 
 Moft  aiFe<^-  friend  &  B-"- 
 
 T.  B.  &  W."* 
 
 This  merciful  prefervation  was  the  more  remarkable 
 by  contraft  with  the  fatal  end  of  Bifhop  Kidder,  who 
 had  fupplanted  him  in  his  diocefe.  Ken  writes,  two 
 days  after,  to  Bifhop  Lloyd,  "  The  ftorm  on  Friday 
 night,  which  was  the  moft  violent,  I  mentioned  In  my 
 laft,  but  I  then  did  not  know  what  happened  at  Wells, 
 which  was  much  ftiattered,  and  that  part  of  the  Palace 
 where  Biftiop  Kidder  and  his  wife  lay,  was  blown 
 down  In  the  night,  and  they  were  both  killed  and  bu- 
 ried In  the  ruins,  and  dug  out  towards  morning.  It 
 happened  on  the  very  day  of  the  Cloth  fair,  when  all 
 the  country  were  fpe6lators  of  the  deplorable  calamity, 
 and  foon  fpread  the  fad  ftory.  God  of  his  Infinite 
 mercy  deliver  us  from  fuch  dreadful  furprlfes.  I  am 
 aflured  that  no  one  either  in  the  Palace,  or  in  the  whole 
 town,  befide  them,  had  any  hurt.  God  keep  us  in  his 
 holy  fear,  and  our  dwellings  In  fafety."  f 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  6j.  f  Ibid.  p.  64. 
 
446  Life  (j^Tliomas  Ken,         [1703 
 
 The  awful  cataftrophe  awakened  his  devout  thank- 
 fulnefs  for  his  own  fafety  ;  "  blefled  be  God,  who  pre- 
 ferved  us  in  the  late  great  ftorm ;  it  is  a  deliverance 
 not  to  be  forgotten  :  "  but  he  felt  for  the  "  deplorable 
 calamity  and  dreadful  furprife  "  which  plunged  Kid- 
 der's family  in  the  deepeft  diftrefs.  One  of  De  Foe's 
 correfpondents  fays,  "  the  difmal  accident  of  our  late 
 Bifhop  and  Lady  was  moft  remarkable ;  who  was 
 killed  by  the  fall  of  two  chimney-ftacks,  which  fell  on 
 the  roof,  and  drove  it  in  upon  my  Lord's  bed,  forced 
 it  quite  through  the  next  floor,  down  into  the  hall,  and 
 buried  them  both  in  the  rubbifh  :  and  'tis  fuppofed 
 my  Lord  was  getting  up,  for  he  was  found  fome  dif- 
 tance  from  my  Lady,  who  was  found  in  her  bed  :  but 
 my  Lord  had  his  morning  gown  on,  fo  that  'tis  fup- 
 pofed he  was  coming  from  the  bed  juft  as  it  fell."  * 
 
 No  fooner  was  the  death  of  Kidder  known  at  Court, 
 than  feveral  perfons  folicited  the  appointment  to  Bath 
 and  Wells  :  but  "  the  Queen  fent  for  Dr.  Hooper,  the 
 new  Bifliop  of  St.  Afaph,  told  him  the  fad  accident, 
 and  that  fhe  meant  the  Bifhopric  for  him.  He  ex- 
 prefled  his  thanks  to  Her  Majefty,  but  begged  to  be 
 excufed,  as  he  could  by  no  means  eat  the  bread  of  fo 
 old  a  friend  as  Bifhop  Ken  had  been  to  him,  and  en- 
 treated her  Majefty 's  leave  to  propofe  to  her  the  re- 
 ftoring  him  to  his  Bifhopric  again.  This  the  Queen 
 highly  approved  of,  and  thanked  the  Bifliop  for  put- 
 ting her  in  mind  of  it,  and  ordered  him  to  propofe  it 
 to  Bifliop  Ken."  f     This  is  another  proof  of  Burnet's 
 
 *  The  Storm,  by  Daniel  Defoe,  p.  94. 
 t  Prowfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper. 
 
1703]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         ^^j 
 
 unjufl  charadler  of  Hooper,  as  "  ambitious,  whofe 
 Deanery  had  not  foftened  him."  It  may  be  added 
 here  that  at  a  later  period,  when  Compton  died,  he 
 was  offered  the  Bifhopric  of  London,  and  afterwards 
 the  Primacy  of  York,  on  the  death  of  Archbifhop 
 Sharp  ;  but  declined  them  both.  * 
 
 And  now  an  amicable  conteft  arofe  between  the  two 
 tried  friends,  each  defiring  the  other  to  take  the  See  of 
 Bath  and  Wells.  Hooper  knew  what  a  healing  of  the 
 fchifm  it  would  be,  if  the  Bifhopric  were  reftored  to 
 its  rightful  poffeffor  :  but  Ken  could  never  be  induced 
 to  take  the  oaths  :  befides,  his  infirmities  had  long  fince 
 determined  him  to  remain  in  privacy ;  he  "  defired 
 only  to  fee  the  flock  in  good  hands,  and  he  knew  none 
 better,  to  whom  he  might  entrufl  it  than  Hooper's. "f 
 He  received  the  Queen's  offer  "  with  great  acknow- 
 ledgements," and  defired  Bifhop  Hooper  to  "  return 
 his  mofl:  grateful  thanks  for  her  gracious  remembrance 
 of  him ;  but  that  he  could  not  return  into  the  bufinefs 
 of  the  world  again,  but  would  ever  befeech  God  to 
 accumulate  the  bleffmgs  of  both  upon  her.";]:  In  the 
 fame  letter  he  expreffed  his  great  fatisfa6lion  at  the 
 offer  Bifhop  Hooper  had,  and  '^how  freely  he  would 
 refign  all  title  to  the  Bifhopric  to  him,  and  how  much 
 he  rejoiced  that  his  flrayed  fheep  would  be  reduced 
 under  his  government." § 
 
 Hooper  being  averfe  to  fo  fudden  a  removal  from 
 St.  Afaph,  to  which  he  was  only  jufl  appointed,  ''  Bi- 
 
 *  Prowfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper. 
 
 f  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  65. 
 
 X  Prowfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper.  §  Ibid, 
 
448  Life  of  Thom^is  Kcn^         [1703 
 
 fhop  Ken  fent  him  a  letter,  full  of  thofe  primitive 
 ftrains,  which  were  in  all  his  writings,  in  which  he 
 charged  him,  as  he  would  anfwer  it  at  the  great  day, 
 to  take  the  charge  of  his  flock,  with  more  to  the  fame 
 purpofe ;  and  the  Queen  at  the  fame  time  infifting  on 
 his  taking  it,  he  was  forced  to  comply."* 
 One  of  thefe  letters  was  the  following  : 
 
 "  ALL   GLORY   BE  TO   GOD. 
 
 "  My  very  good  Lord, 
 "  I  AM  informed  y*^  you  have  an  offer  of  Bath  and 
 Wells,  and  that  you  refufed  it,  w'^''  I  take  very  kindly, 
 becaufe  I  know  you  did  it  on  my  account ;  but  fince 
 I  am  well  affured  y"^  y^  diocefe  cannot  be  happy  to 
 y*  degree  In  any  other  hands  than  in  your  owne,  I  de- 
 sire YOU  TO  ACCEPT  OF  IT,  and  I  know  y*  you  have  a 
 prevailing  intereft  to  procure  it.  I  told  you  long  agoe 
 at  Bath  how  willing  I  was  to  furrender  my  canonicall 
 claime  to  a  worthy  perfon,  but  to  none  more  willingly 
 than  to  yourfelfe.  My  diftemper  difables  me  from 
 y^  paftoral  duty,  and  had  I  been  reflored,  I  declared 
 allways  y"^  I  would  fhake  off  y^  burthen,  and  retire. 
 
 "  God  keepe  us  in  his  holy  feare. 
 
 "  My  good  Lord, 
 Your  Lordfhippe's  moft  affedlionately, 
 "Dec.  6."  T.  B.  AND  W."t 
 
 Accordingly,  feeing  no  alternative.  Hooper  yielded 
 
 *  Prowfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper,  and  Bowies',  vol.  ii.  p.  256. 
 t  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round. 
 
lyoj]       Bifldop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         449 
 
 his  acquiefcence,  at  which  Ken  cordially  rejoiced,  and 
 thus  wrote 
 
 "  The  Right  Rev.  Father  in  God,  George  Lord 
 Bifhop  of  Afaph. 
 
 "  ALL  GLORY   BE  TO  GOD. 
 
 "  My  very  good  Lord, 
 "  The  lafl:  poft  brought  me  y*^  news  w'^'^  I  earneftly 
 expeded,  and  w^^  your  lordihippe's  letter  gave  me  hope 
 of,  and  I  heartily  congratulate  y*^  diocefe  of  Bath  and 
 Wells  of  your  tranflation,  for  it  was  Y  good  of  y^  flock, 
 and  not  my  friend fhippe  for  yourfelf,  w'^^  made  me 
 deflre  to  fee  you  in  y^  paftorall  chaire,  where  I  know 
 you  will  zealoufly  *  contend  for  y^  faith  once  delivered  to 
 y  faints  J  which  in  thefe  latitudinarian  times  is  in  great 
 danger  to  be  loft.  I  could  eafily  forfee  y'  by  my  con- 
 cerne  for  you  I  fhould  incurre  y^  difpleafure  of  fome  of 
 my  brethren,  but  this  is  not  y*^  firft  inftance  in  w'^^  I 
 have  diflented  from  them,  and  never  had  caufe  to  re- 
 pent of  it ;  and  the  good  of  y^  diocefe  fupercedes  all 
 other  confiderations. 
 
 "  God  keepe  us  in  his  holy  feare, 
 
 "  My  good  Lord, 
 Your  Lordftiippes  moft  afFedionately, 
 "  Dec.  20."  T.  K." 
 
 Being  thus  able  to  fatisfy  his  confcience  in  a  volun- 
 tary ceffion  of  his  truft  into  fuch  hands,  he  could  make 
 a  decifive  ftep  towards  healing  the  fchifm,  for  which 
 only  he  now  defired  to  live.  The  original  conteft,  and 
 feparation,  had  been  bafed  on  the  forcible  invafion  of 
 
 G   G 
 
450  Life  of  Thomas  Ken^  [1703 
 
 his  rights  : — then  he  could  not  yield;  but  now,  after 
 an  interval  of  fourteen  years,  the  breach  might  be  re- 
 paired, and  the  canonical  fucceffion  preferved.  He 
 might  call  upon  his  flock  to  fubmit  heartily  to  the 
 fpiritual  jurifdidion  of  their  new  Bifhop.  All  who 
 loved  the  Church,  and  prayed  for  its  integrity,  would 
 be  thankful,  and  he  himfelf  reftored  entirely  to  her 
 communion,  from  which,  out  of  confcientious  fcruples, 
 he  had  often  been  compelled  to  abfent  himfelf. 
 
lyoj]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        45 1 
 
 CHAPTER  XXX. 
 
 Ken  cenfured  by  many  of  the  Non-jurors  for  his  refignation  of 
 the  Bijhopr'ic — Difference  between  hinifelfand  Lloyd — ^een 
 Anne  grants  hiin  a  penfion. 
 
 .EN'S  anticipations,  that  by  refigning  his 
 Bifhopric  he  would  incur  the  difpleafure 
 of  the  Non-jurors,  were  too  truly  veri- 
 fied :  notwithftanding  the  fpirit  of  love 
 and  temperatenefs,  which  prompted  him  to  this  a6l, 
 the  Jacobites  were  loud  in  their  condemnation  of  him. 
 To  clofe  the  feparation  at  a  moment  like  this,  when 
 hopes  of  reftoring  the  Stuart  line  began  to  dawn  upon 
 them,  was,  in  their  view,  a  defertion  of  the  caufe  of 
 truth,  and  a  fchifmatical  compliance.  Thefe  com- 
 plaints could  not  divert  him  from  his  purpofe :  he 
 had  never  been  a  partizan  :  his  love  for  the  Church, 
 and  a  fenfe  of  her  prefent  needs,  fuftained  him  in  the 
 new  confli6l  he  was  to  endure.  But,  that  he  might  do 
 all  with  opennefs,  the  fame  poft  which  conveyed  his 
 letter  to  Hooper  carried  another  to  the  Bifhop  of 
 Norwich,  who  was  the  leader  of  the  more  zealous  of 
 the  Non-jurors.  Lloyd  had  previoufly  been  difpleafed 
 with  Ken  for  his  moderate  courfe,  which  he  thought 
 was  halting  half  way  in  the  path  of  duty.  This  how- 
 ever  had  not   interrupted  their  friendly  intercourfe : 
 
452  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [170J 
 
 "  they  differed,  but  without  breach  of  friendfhip."  * 
 And  now  Ken  writes  to  him,  "  I  hear  of  feveral  per- 
 fons  who  folicit  for  my  Diocefe,  and  whom  I  know 
 not,  and  I  am  informed  it  is  offered  to  my  old  friend, 
 the  Bifhop  of  St.  Afaph,  and  that  it  is  dechned  by 
 him.  For  my  part,  if  times  fhould  have  changed,  I 
 never  intended  to  return  to  my  burden ;  but  I  much 
 defire  to  fee  the  flock  in  good  hands,  and  I  know  none 
 better  to  whom  I  may  entrufl  it  than  his ;  for  which 
 reafon  I  write  to  him  this  pofl:,  to  let  him  know  my 
 defire  that  he  fhould  fucceed,  with  which  I  thought 
 good  to  acquaint  your  Lordfhip."f 
 
 Lloyd,  in  anfwer,  advifes  him  not  to  quit  his  charge, 
 till  there  might  be  a  meeting,  and  a  confultation,  leaft 
 anything  might  be  done  to  hurt  the  Church,  or  wound 
 the  minds  of  the  brethren.  J  But  Queen  Anne  would 
 not  have  waited  their  leifure ;  had  Hooper  paufed  in 
 his  acceptance,  another  muft  have  been  appointed,  to 
 whom,  moft  probably.  Ken  could  not  confcientioufly 
 have  refigned  his  office.  Lloyd  did  not  exprefs  any 
 difapproval  of  what  Ken  had  done  ;  he  even  congratu- 
 lated him  on  the  choice  of  Hocpery  expreffing  his  fenfe 
 of  the  hardneffe  of  the  work  to  ftem  the  ftrong  current 
 which  runs  againft  the  Church.  §  "I  was  apprifed  of 
 Dr.  Hooper's  piety,  learning,  and  good  temper,  and  in 
 my  poor  opinion  you  could  not  have  defired  a  worthier 
 or  fitter  perfon  for  your  fucceffor,  and  therefore  I  wifli 
 that  a  double  portion  of  his  predeceflbr's  fpirit  may 
 reft  upon  him."  || 
 
 *   Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  55-6.        f  Ibid.  p.  65. 
 X  Ibid.  p.  72.  §  Ibid.  p.  74.  11   Ibid.  p.  72. 
 
lyoj]       Bipdop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        453 
 
 This,  perhaps  unexpefted,  concurrence  of  Lloyd 
 was  a  relief  to  Ken's  mind.  He  fays,  "  it  is  no  fmall 
 fatisfadlion  to  me,  that  you  approve  of  my  choice,  in 
 good  earneft.  I  had  fuch  experience  of  one  before,  * 
 who  inftead  of  keeping  the  flock  within  the  fold,  en- 
 couraged them  to  ftray,  that  I  was  afraid  of  a  traditour, 
 and  in  fuch  a  time  as  this,  thought  I  could  not  do  a 
 greater  kindnefs  to  the  Diocefe,  than  in  procuring  it 
 one  of  the  moft  valuable  men  in  the  Church,  and  one 
 who  was  fo  very  able  to  defend  the  depofitum,  which 
 feems  to  me  to  be  in  the  utmoft  danger."  f  And  again  : 
 "  you  cannot  imagine  the  univerfal  fatisfa^lion  expreff- 
 ed  for  Dr.  Hooper's  coming  to  my  See ;  and  I  make 
 no  doubt  but  that  he  will  refcue  the  diocefe  from  the 
 apoftacy  from  ^  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  Saints, 
 which  at  prefent  threatens  us,  and  from  the  fpirit  of 
 latitudinarianifm^  which  is  a  common  fewer  of  all  he- 
 refies  imaginable,  and  I  am  not  a  little  fatisfied,  that  I 
 have  made  the  beft  provifion  for  the  flock,  which  was 
 poflible  in  our  prefent  circumfl:ances."J 
 
 Though  he  might  anticipate  cenfure,  he  was  hardly 
 prepared  for  fo  great  a  ferment  as  was  fpringing  up 
 againft  him  among  the  Jacobites,  at  lofing  a  fupport  they 
 could  leafl;  of  all  difpenfe  with.  Dr.  Frampton,  Bifliop 
 of  Gloucefl:er,  had  already  furrendered  his  cure  of  fouls : 
 — but  as  he  was  not  fo  eminent,  and  his  example  little 
 thought  of,  they  took  no  notice  of  him.^  To  have 
 their  feparate  communions  abandoned  by  Bifliop  Ken, 
 fo  loved  and  venerated  throughout  the  kingdom,  who 
 
 *  Bifhop  Kidder.         f  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  80. 
 X  Ibid.  p.  81.  §  Ibid.  p.  69. 
 
454         Lif^  ^y  Thomas  Ken,  [1704 
 
 of  all  other  men  feemed  to  fandtify  their  caufe,  was  an 
 advantage  to  their  enemies  that  filled  them  with  dif- 
 may.  Their  exceflive  anger  is  forcibly  defcribed  in 
 one  of  Ken's  letters  to  Lloyd  ;  "  the  Jacobites  at  Briftol, 
 fomented  by  thofe  at  London,  are  thoroughly  enraged 
 againft  me  for  my  ceffion  to  one,  whom  all  mankind, 
 but  themfelves,  have  a  high  efteem  of,  and  one  mofl; 
 able  and  willing  to  preferve  the  depofitum,  and  under 
 whofe  care  I  aflure  myfelf  that  the  diocefe  will  be 
 fecured  from  the  latitudinarian  contagion.  I  am 
 threatened  with  fomething  to  be  printed  againft  me  : 
 I  believe  they  had  better  let  me  alone.  If  I  fhould 
 produce  the  frequent  letters  a  certaine  perfon*  wrote  to 
 me,  for  near  two  years  together,  to  importune  me  to 
 confent  to  clandeftine  c.  (confecrations)  they  would 
 fhow  the  temper  of  the  man,  and  his  zeal  to  make  the 
 fchifm  incurable,  which  I  was  always  for  moderating, 
 forefeeing  how  fatall  it  would  prove.  As  long  as  I 
 have  your  approbation,  and  the  example  of  our  other 
 Bp,f  I  have  little  regard  for  the  paffion  of  others :  1 
 thank  God  that  I  have  repofed  the  flock  in  fafe  hands, 
 which  is  a  great  eafe  to  me,  and  I  have  preferved  them 
 from  a  wolfe,  that  might  have  invaded  them.  All 
 who  condemn  me  owne  that  death  legitimates  an  in- 
 truder, and  I  know  no  reafon,  but  that  voluntary  cef- 
 fion,  for  the  apparent  prefervation  of  the  whole  flock, 
 to  one  who  will  not  intrude,  may  be  as  efl^edtual  as 
 death."  % 
 
 *  Probably  Hickes.  f  Bifliop  of  Gloucefler. 
 
 t  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  (x). 
 
1704]       Bifh op  of  Bath  and  Wells,        455 
 
 Lloyd  now  began  to  change  his  view  of  Ken's  a6l, 
 feeing  the  difturbance  it  created  in  the  party,  but  re- 
 plied in  a  friendly  tone :  "I  was  fenfibly  grieved 
 (when  I  read  your  letter)  for  the  noyfe  and  outcryes, 
 made  both  at  BriftoU  and  here,  upon  the  account  of 
 your  ceflion.  How  a  fudden  paffion  may  carry  and 
 tranfport  fome  men  at  Briftoll  I  know  not ;  but  I  am 
 fure  I  have  not  heard  any  of  the  brethren  here  fay 
 anything  difrefpedful  of  your  perfon,  or  your  charadler, 
 unlefTe  what  amounts  to  no  more  than  this,  viz.  that 
 they  feemed  oiFended  becaufe  your  condudl  in  and 
 about  the  ceflion  was  not  managed  communi  confenfu."* 
 To  this  Ken  anfwers ;  "  among  other  things  which 
 are  vehemently  laid  to  my  charge  one  is,  that  againfl 
 your  advice  and  entreaties  I  would  obftinately  go  my 
 own  way  ;  againfl  this  I  owne  that  you  had  wrote  to 
 me  to  deferre  my  ceflion,  but  that  the  nature  of  the 
 thing  would  not  permit  it,  and  if  I  had  not  given  my 
 conjent  that  pofiy  I  might  have  had  a  hireling  and  not 
 a  fhepherd,  and  I  wrote  to  you  to  that  purpofe,  and 
 that  after  I  had  receded,  your  Lordfhip  approved  of 
 what  I  had  done,  and  that  I  had  by  me  your  letters, 
 which  congratulated  my  choice,  to  attefl  it.  Sure  I 
 am,  if  people  will  duly  weigh  all  circumflances,  no 
 well-minded  man  can  blame  me.  I  am  told  from 
 London  'tis  urged  that  by  my  adion  I  condemn  their 
 condudt,  but  how  I  know  not ;  if  any  of  them  had  a 
 cure  of  fouls,  and  could  transfer  it  into  like  hands,  as 
 I  have  done,  I  fhould  exhort  them  to  recede,  as  well 
 as  myfelf,  for  the  common  good  of  the  flock,  without 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  72. 
 
456  Life  (t/' Thomas  Ken,  [1704 
 
 making  a  bargaine  with  the  fucceflbr  for  a  penfion,  as 
 1  fear  fome  have  done  who  blame  me. 
 
 "  God  keep  us  in  his  holy  feare  and  prepare  us  for 
 a  happy  eternity.     My  dear  L^ 
 
 "  Your  Lordfhips  moft  affedionate  Brother,* 
 
 "20th  March,  1704."  T.  B.  AND  W." 
 
 Mr.  Round  records  a  letterjf  evidently  from  Briftol, 
 but  without  date  or  fignature,  which  is  a  valuable  ad- 
 dition to  the  few  particulars  we  have  of  the  opinions 
 then  prevalent  with  the  extreme  party.  The  writer 
 fays,  "  the  melancholy  account  of  Bp.  Ken  adds  to  the 
 affliction  of  the  day.  When  I  faw  him  before  Chrift- 
 mas  he  gave  me  great  occafion  to  fufpecfl  his  declina- 
 tion^ for  to  my  furprife  he  told  me  he  would  refign  his 
 Bprick  to  Dr.  Hooper  for  the  prefervation  of  the  faith, 
 now  in  danger."  Among  other  curious  details,  the 
 writer  mentions,  *'  having  laboured  for  fome  months 
 paft  to  bring  a  young  lady  of  quality  off  from  the 
 fchifmatical  churches  entirely.  I  have  talked  and  wrote 
 to  that  purpofe,  but  poor  BP-  K.  hath  undone  more  in 
 one  word  than  I  was  likely  to  do  in  ten  thoufand,  for 
 he  allowed  that  liberty,  that  ftrange  occasional  confor- 
 mity, and  fo  the  lady  is  confirmed  in  her  amphibious 
 devotion.  God  be  merciful  to  this  poor  Church.  The 
 delufion  and  infatuation  fpreads  wider  and  wider.  This 
 ■poor  gentleman' s  lapje  is  occafion  of  great  lamentation 
 unto  us,  and  laughter  to  our  enemies.  It  confirms 
 more  the  otherwife  well  inclined  in  their  fchifm,  harden- 
 ing the  obftinate  fchifmatick,  and  I  fear  gives  occafion 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  73.  f    Ibid.  p.  70. 
 
1704]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        457 
 
 to  the  profeffed  enemies  of  God  to  blafpheme  more 
 abundantly,  and  as  for  my  own  part,  it  is  a  double 
 afflidion  to  think  that  I  muft  be  neceffitated  to  forfake 
 his  communion,  who  received  me  by  abfolution  to  the 
 peace  and  unity  of  the  Church ;  but  I  muft  doe  it,  if 
 that  father  hath  fallen  himfelf  into  thofe  errors,  out  of 
 which  (I  dayly  blefs  God)  I  am  retrieved."* 
 
 Bifhop  Lloyd  was  in  a  difficulty :  his  afFedion  and 
 refpedt  for  Ken  had  at  firft  prompted  him  to  yield,  at 
 leaft  a  tacit,  approval  of  his  ceffion,  which  he  now  en- 
 deavoured to  retra6t.  He  wrote  two  letters,  the  pre- 
 cife  tenor  of  which  can  only  be  furmifed  from  the 
 fomewhat  tart  and  reproachful  anfwers  returned  by 
 Ken,  who  felt  keenly  the  abandonment  of  his  friend 
 in  recalling  what  he  had  before  faid,  and  leaving  him 
 to  the  unmitigated  anger  of  his  cenfurers.  He  heard 
 alfo  that  Lloyd  had  the  indlfcretion  to  allow  fome,  who 
 were  moft  hot  againft  him,  to  fee  his  letters,  written  in 
 confidence,  which  he  calls  hard  ufage, — and  not  unrea- 
 fonably,  if  it  were  true. 
 
 "  ALL   GLORY   BE  TO  GOD. 
 
 "  My  good  Lord  and  Brother, 
 "  I  PERCEIVE  by  your  two  laft  that  your  Lordfhippe 
 is  very  fhy  of  owning  your  approval  of  my  adion,  at 
 which  I  juftly  wonder,  in  regard  your  expreffions  fig- 
 nify  it  very  clearly.  I  have  done  nothing  but  what 
 may  be  juftified  by  primitive  precedents,  and  which  is 
 for  the  prefervation  of  the  depofitum,  which  ought 
 chiefly  to  exhauft  a  paftour's  zeal,  efpecially  v/hen  he 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  71. 
 
458  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1704 
 
 is  in  all  refpeds  dijabled  himfelf  for  paftoral  care,  and 
 that  the  flock  might  have  a  fhepherd,  and  not  a  hire- 
 ling. I  am  not  furprized  at  the  cenfures  bellowed  on 
 me  ;  I  forefaw  them  all ;  and,  to  deal  freely  with  your 
 Lordfhippe,  you  are  not  without  your  fhare.  For  my 
 own  part,  I  never  did  any  thing  in  my  life  more  to  my 
 
 Jatisfatlion  than  my  receding.  It  has  eafed  me  of  a 
 great  load  which  lay  on  me,  has  entirely  loojened  me 
 
 from  the  world ;  fo  that  I  have  now  nothing  to  doe 
 but  to  think  of  eternity,  for  which  God  of  his  infinite 
 mercy  prepare  us. 
 
 "  My  good  Lord, 
 Your  LordP'^  very  affedl :  Friend  and  Brother, 
 
 "  April  I."  T.  B.  AND  W."* 
 
 A  few  days  after  he  wrote  again. 
 
 "  My  very  good  Lord  and  dear  Brother, 
 "  Though  I  wrote  to  your  Lordfhip  laft,  yett  I  am  in 
 a  manner  bound  to  write  again,  to  let  you  know  that 
 the  ferment  againft  me  rifes  higher  and  higher,  info- 
 much  that  when  the  neighbours  at  Briftol  come  hither, 
 they  manifeftly  infult  me,  and  though  you  are  pleafed 
 to  tell  me  that  others  kindled  this  flame,  and  not  your- 
 felf,  I  muft  take  the  freedom  to  tell  you  that  it  is 
 yourfelf  have  mofl:  contributed  to  it.  For  it  is  fl:ill 
 vehemently  urged  againfl;  me,  that  I  adled  quite  con- 
 trary to  your  earnefl:  remonfl:rances,  which  you  know 
 to  be  falfe.  If  I  did,  I  do  not  remember  that  I  ever 
 put  myfelf  into  your  keeping,  and  was  to  do  nothing 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  75. 
 
1704]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         459 
 
 but  by  your  diredlion ;  but  you  yourfelf  can  acquit 
 me  in  that  particular,  by  only  relating  matter  of  fa6l. 
 But  I  find  there  is  a  flat  contradiction  between  them 
 and  me  ;  I  affirm  you  approved  my  action,  and  you 
 flatly  deny  it,  and  affirm  the  quite  contrary,  and  that 
 encreafes  their  zeal :  now  I  calmly  appeal  to  you  to 
 let  me  know  the  literal  importance  of  this  expreffion, 
 for  I  will  only  mention  this  :  *  /  heartily  congratulate 
 your  choice^  and  wijh  a  double  portion  of  your  fpirit  may 
 reft  upon  the  head  and  heart  of  your  fuccejfor,  for  I  trufi 
 he  will  a5i  valiantly  and  becoming  his  fiat  ion.'  If  this 
 does  not  fignify  an  approbation,  and  more  than  that,  a 
 congratulation,  both  of  my  adlion  and  the  perfon,  to 
 that  height,  I  am  much  miftaken,  fince  you  would  not 
 have  ufed  this  language,  if  you  had  thought  my  fuc- 
 ceflbur,  as  you  ftyle  him,  a  fchifmatical  Biffiop.  No, 
 good  Brother,  your  native  thoughts  were  the  fame 
 with  mine  ;  but  when  you  heard  a  cry  againft  me,  you 
 flew  to  the  diftindion  of  Perfon  and  Ceffion,  and  'tis 
 from  thence  that  the  fury  againft  me  was  raifed  for 
 doing  an  a6l  which,  according  to  the  beft  of  my  judg- 
 ment, appeared  truly  primitive  and  charitable,  and  I 
 may  add  neceflary.  This  is  not  all ;  the  heat  againft 
 me  is  furniftied  with  frefli  fuel  from  the  town,  and 
 that  by  your  communicating  my  letters,  which  I  am 
 charged  with  here.  This  is  hard  ufage ;  fure  I  am 
 that  I  have  never  ftiowed  your  letters  to  my  angry 
 neighbours,  being  unwilling  to  expofe  private  corref- 
 pondence,  which  when  expofed  is  eafily  mifreprefented, 
 and  exagerated,  and  if  I  had  done  it  I  verily  believe  that 
 the  like  heat  would  be  raifed  againft  yourfelf.  Sure  I  am 
 had  you  a(5led  uniformly  to  the  expreffions  you  ufed  to 
 
460  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1704 
 
 me,  this  ftorm  had  quite  allayed,  or  at  leaft  very  much 
 moderated.  Upon  the  whole  matter  I,  who  defire  no- 
 thing more  than  in  retreat  quietly  to  ferve  God,  to 
 pray  for  my  brethren,  which  I  daily  do,  and  to  mind 
 only  my  latter  end,  feeing  my  letters  do  but  make 
 more  trouble,  defire  to  be  excufed  from  writing  for 
 the  future,  for  I  find  it  much  eafier  for  me  filently  to 
 endure  the  pafiion  of  others,  than  to  endeavour  to 
 mitigate  it.  I  befeech  God  to  make  us  wife  for  eter- 
 nity. 
 
 "  Your  Lordfhips  very  affe6l:  Brother, 
 
 "  April  5."  T.  B.   AND  W."* 
 
 We  cannot  be  furprized  to  fee  his  temper  ruffled  for 
 a  moment  at  finding  his  friend  appear  to  join  in  the 
 cry  againft  him.  He  was  affailed  by  a  hoft  of  angry 
 declaimers,  who  gave  him  all  the  hard  names  of  "  fchif- 
 matic,  deluded,  incoherent, — the  poor  gentleman  whofe 
 lapfe  gave  occafion  to  the  profefied  enemies  of  God  to 
 blafpheme,"  &c.  And  to  have  his  private  letters  fhown 
 about  was  enough  to  make  him  refolve  to  write  no 
 more.  But  he  did  write  again,  and  to  afk  forgivenefs 
 for  any  unkind  expreffions  he  might  have  ufed. 
 
 "  ALL   GLORY   BE  TO   GOD. 
 
 "  My  very  good  Lord  and  Brother, 
 "  Your  Lordfhip's  was  fent  to  me  to  Polfhalt  laft:  night. 
 I  confefs  when  I  wrote  my  laft  I  was  heated,  and  pro- 
 voked to  a  great  degree,  and  if  my  provocation  tranf- 
 ported  me  to  any  indecent  expreffions,  I  beg  your  par- 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  76. 
 
1704]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         461 
 
 don,  which  you  will  I  hope  the  more  readily  grant, 
 becaufe  you  feem  to  have  been  in  the  like  paffion  when 
 you  wrote,  and  becaufe  I  intend  to  give  you  no  further 
 trouble.  You  muft  give  me  leave  to  be  fenfible  when 
 I  am  infulted,  which  I  can  very  eafily  forgive.  Every 
 day  encreafes  the  fatisfadion  I  have  in  providing  fo 
 well  for  my  flock.  God  keep  us  in  his  holy  fear,  and 
 make  us  wife  for  eternity. 
 
 *^  Your  Lordfhips  very  afFedionate  friend  and  E""- 
 
 "May  I."  T.  K."* 
 
 This  was  in  anfwer  to  a  long  letter  from  Lloyd  of 
 the  nth  April,  1704,  which  draws  a  diftinftion  be- 
 tween his  approval  (which  he  fays  he  never  expreffed) 
 of  Ken's  refigning  his  Bifhopric,  and  congratulations 
 on  his  having  made  choice  of  fo  worthy  a  fucceflbr. 
 He  alfo  denies  having  fhown  Ken's  letters  to  others ; 
 "  I  communicated  none  of  your  letters  to  any  :  I  did 
 indeed  read  a  paffage  to  Mr.  Spinx  in  my  own  vindi- 
 cation, out  of  your's  of  the  6th  of  December,  which 
 fatisfyed  him  about  your  ceffion."  —  The  whole  letter 
 fhows  how  warmly  and  paffionately  thefe  matters  were 
 debated  among  all  parties.  Lloyd  charges  Ken  with 
 "  pettifh  heat ; "  and  in  reference  to  his  letter  exclaims, 
 in  the  fame  temper,  "^  what  ftuffe  is  this  ! "  He  con- 
 cludes by  faying  he  will  not  be  concerned  in  any  further 
 brouilliers.  This  is  what  Bancroft,  in  one  of  his  cheer- 
 ful letters,  calls  "  a  Rowland  for  an  Oliver."  If  Ken 
 was  in  the  wrong  to  be  impatient  at  the  contradidion 
 of  his  friends,  we  may  find  an  excufe  for  him,  efpecially 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  78. 
 
462  Life  (j^  Thomas  Ken,         [1704 
 
 when  his  candour  prompted  him  at  once  to  beg  par- 
 don. Even  righteous  Job  fpake  unadvifedly  under  the 
 fame  triah 
 
 Ken's  laft  letter  is  figned  T.  K.  No  fooner  had 
 his  friend  Hooper  taken  pofTefTion  of  the  fee,  than 
 he  refigned  his  title  of  Bath  and  Wells.  Some  of  his 
 after  letters  bear  the  fignature  of  "  late  Bifhop."  He 
 now  only  defired  in  his  retreat  "  to  ferve  God,  to 
 pray  for  his  brethren,  and  prepare  for  his  laft  end." 
 The  holy  zeal  for  his  Mafter's  glory,  which  had 
 prompted  him  in  all  his  paftoral  offices,  was  not  ex- 
 tin6t  :  his  affedlions  were  unalterably  the  fame,  but 
 they  were  diredled  more  fimply  to  the  interior  Chrif- 
 tian  life.  His  wearied  fpirit,  and  broken  health,  re- 
 quired reft.  We  fhall  fee  how  he  fighed  for  deli- 
 verance out  of  a  tedious  earthly  prlfon,  to  dwell  for 
 ever  in  the  glorious  light  above.  His  humble  and  re- 
 tired walk  is  a  fpeftacle  we  may  yet  contemplate  with 
 intereft  and  profit :  not  only  as  an  example  of  patient 
 endurance  under  acute  bodily  fufferings,  but  of  a  deep- 
 ening fenfe  of  God's  boundlefs  love,  as  he  moved 
 onward  to  his  eternal  reft. 
 
 An  unexpected  providence,  however,  was  yet  in 
 ftore  for  him,  to  render  his  circumftances  more  eafy 
 on  this  fide  the  grave.  "  Dr.  Hooper,  in  accepting 
 the  Bifhopric  of  his  friend,  prayed  leave  of  the  Queen 
 to  make  a  condition ;  which  was  to  retain  his  chanter- 
 fhip  of  Exeter  in  commendam.  It  was  £200  a  year, 
 which  he  undertook  to  pay  conftantly  to  Bifhop  Ken. 
 The  Queen  was  much  pleafed  with  the  propofal,  and 
 thanked  Hooper  for  putting  her  in  mind  of  it."  *  This 
 
 *  Prowfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper. 
 
1704]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         463 
 
 was  a  ftrong  proof  of  her  refpedt  for  the  aged  Prelate, 
 becaufe  it  was  well  known  that  he  was  refolute  againft 
 the  oath  of  allegiance,  which  fhe  was  not  difpofed  to 
 overlook  in  others  : — when  her  nonjuring  uncle,  Lord 
 Rochefter,  afked  leave  to  come  to  Court,  tlie  concife 
 reply  was,  "  let  him  take  the  oaths."  Trelawney,  Bi- 
 fhop  of  Exeter,  obje6led  to  Hooper's  retaining  the 
 chanterfhip  in  commendam,  thinking  the  patronage 
 fairly  devolved  to  himfelf.  He  might  not  be  aware 
 that  the  arrangement  was  intended  to  benefit  Ken,  who 
 certainly  knew  nothing  of  it  himfelf.  They  had  been 
 companions  in  the  Tower,  in  1688  :  but  at  the  Revo- 
 lution Trelawney  took  the  oaths  to  William.  Poffibly 
 each  of  thefe  old  friends,  who  had  ftood  together  in  a 
 former  conteft,  now  looked  upon  the  other  as  a  deferter 
 from  his  colours.  Ken  might  think  Trelawney  had 
 abandoned  the  caufe  of  the  Church,  and  was  probably 
 regarded  in  turn  as  falfe  to  the  principles  of  liberty. 
 Be  this  as  it  may,  Trelawney  was  not  a  man  to  be 
 moved  from  his  purpofe  ;  and  Hooper,  having  the 
 Queen's  word,  and  poffefTion,  would  not  yield  the  in- 
 terefts  of  his  friend.  The  Lord  Treafurer,  Godolphin, 
 interpofed  to  fettle  the  difpute.  "  The  Queen  fent 
 for  Dr.  Hooper,  and  told  him  it  would  be  for  her  fer- 
 vice  if  he  would  refign  the  Chanterfhip  of  Exeter  ;  but 
 that  Bifliop  Ken  fhould  be  no  lofer,  as  he  fhould  have 
 £200  a  year  conftantly  paid  him  out  of  the  Treafury. 
 ■Hooper  gladly  affented  to  the  propofal,  for  he  thought 
 it  would  be  more  to  Ken's  advantage  to  depend  upon 
 the  young  Queen's  life  for  this  penfion,  than  upon  his 
 for  the  Chanterfhip."  * 
 
 *  Prowfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper. 
 
464  Zy//^  ^  Thomas  Ken,  [1704 
 
 We  may  Imagine  Hooper's  delight,  in  conveying  to 
 his  friend  intelHgence  of  the  royal  grant,  by  the  warm 
 expreffion  of  Ken's  feelings  on  receiving  it. 
 
 "  ALL  GLORY  BE  TO  GOD. 
 
 "  My  good  Lord, 
 "Your  Lordfhippe  gave  me  a  wonderfull  furprife  when 
 you  informed  me  y"^  y*^  Queen  had  been  pleafed  to 
 fettle  a  very  liberal  penfion  on  me.  I  befeech  God  to 
 accumulate  the  bleffings  of  both  lives  on  her  Majefty 
 for  her  royal  bounty  to  me,  fo  perfed;ly  free  and  unex- 
 pected ;  and  I  befeech  God  abundantly  to  reward  my 
 Lord  Treafurer,  who  inclined  her  to  be  thus  gratious 
 to  me,  and  give  him  a  plentiful  meafure  of  wifdom 
 from  above. 
 
 "  My  Lord,  lett  it  not  fhock  your  native  modefty, 
 if  I  make  this  juft  acknowledgement,  y'  though  y^  fenfe 
 of  her  Majefty's  favour  in  y^  penfion  is  defervedly 
 great,  yett,  her  choofing  you  for  my  fucceflbr  gave  me 
 much  more  fatisfadlion  ;  as  my  concerne  for  y^  eternal 
 welfare  of  y^  flock  exceeded  all  regard  for  my  own 
 temporall  advantage,  being  as  truely  confcious  of  my 
 own  infirmitys,  as  I  am  aflured  of  your  excellent  abi- 
 litys,  of  w'^^  y"'  diocefe,  even  at  your  firft  appearance, 
 fignally  reaped  y^  fruits.  God  of  his  infinite  goodnefs 
 keep  us  in  his  reverential  love,  and  make  us  wife  for 
 eternity. 
 
 "  My  Lord, 
 Your  Lordfiiip's  mofl:  afi^edionate 
 Friend  &  Brother, 
 "June  I,  1704."  Tho.  Ken.     L.  B.  &  W."* 
 
 (late  Bath  and  Wells.) 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken,  by  Round,  p.  78. 
 
1704]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         465 
 
 It  was  now  fourteen  years  fince  Ken  had  been  de- 
 prived. The  fudden  grant  of  £200  per  annum  to 
 one  who  had  only  £80  before,  was  a  great  acceffion. 
 But  BIfhop  Hooper  would  not  allow  him  to  "  give  it 
 all  away,  which  he  was  fo  charitable  as  to  be  always 
 doing ;  fo  that  his  habit  was  mean,  and  a  poor  horfe  * 
 to  carry  him  about,  which  made  Hooper  entreat  him 
 to  lay  out  fomething  for  himfelf ;  and  from  that  time 
 he  appeared  in  every  thing  according  to  his  condi- 
 tion." f 
 
 Every  little  incident  on  record  of  the  good  Bifhop 
 furnifhes  a  proof  of  the  general  love  and  reverence  he 
 had  conciliated.  "  The  Queen's  penfion  was  honour- 
 ably and  constantly  paid  every  year  by  Mr.  Taylor,  of 
 the  Treafury,  to  Bifhop  Hooper,  who  as  foon  as  he 
 appeared  there,  had  it  immediately  put  into  his  hand, 
 rolled  up  in  paper,  for  he  never  waited  longer  than  to 
 receive  Bifhop  Ken's  compliments,  and  acknowledge- 
 ments to  him  for  the  exaiflnefs  of  the  payments.  And 
 to  do  juftice  to  this  gentleman,  it  is  right  to  fay  that 
 when  Bifhop  Hooper  offered  one  day  to  make  him  a 
 prefent  of  fifty  guineas,  ready  done  up  to  put  in  his 
 hands,  as  from  Bifhop  Ken  (who  knew  nothing  of  it) 
 he  would  not  by  any  means  take  it,  but  with  tears 
 faid,  '  God  forbid  he  fhould  ever  take  any  thing  from 
 that  good  man,  for  he  was  but  doing  his  duty.'  *'  \ 
 
 *  "  It  would  appear  from  a  paflage  in  one  of  his  letters,  that  after 
 this  grant  he  kept  an  additional  horfe  to  take  him  on  his  journies  : 
 but  this  was  probably  as  forry  a  fteed  as  the  other,  for  on  one  occa- 
 fion  we  find  them  both  laid  up,  fo  that  he  was  prevented  coming  to 
 Long  Leat."  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  loi. 
 
 t  Prowfe's  MS.  Life  of  Hooper.  t  Ibid. 
 
 H    H 
 
466  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1704 
 
 There  was  in  all  that  Hooper  did  the  favour  of  a 
 fweet  and  obliging  temper.  Of  this  we  might  give 
 many  remarkable  inftances ;  and  it  is  difficult  to  fay 
 which  of  the  two  friends  through  life  had  manifefted 
 the  more  exemplary  and  difinterefted  love  for  the 
 other.  Their  attachment  began  in  the  warmth  of 
 youth  ;  and  for  fifty  years  was  conftantly  matured  by 
 an  anfwering  refped;  and  confidence. 
 
 *'  Our  love,  which  at  Heaven's  gate  firft  mutual  grew, 
 God  here  below  took  pleafure  to  renew ; 
 In  Heav'n  it  will  to  confummation  foar. 
 We  then  fhall  ne'er  be  feparated  more."  * 
 
 *  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  ii.  p.  290. 
 
 1 
 
1707]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.       467 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXI. 
 
 Refemblance  of  Ken,  in  fome  particulars  of  his  life,  to  St.  Gre- 
 gory of  Nazianzen.  Ken's  Poems — Death  of  Frampton, 
 Bijhop  of  Gloucefier :  his  Character. 
 
 F  the  reader  has  i^\x.  an  intereft  in  Ken's 
 previous  life,  dedicated,  as  it  was,  to 
 God's  fervice,  and  to  the  alleviating  of 
 others'  woes,  he  will  be  prepared  to 
 fympathize  with  him  in  the  anguifh  he  had  to  endure, 
 in  his  own  perfon,  as  he  verged  towards  the  grave. 
 Alas !  his  infirmities  were  increafing  upon  him :  he 
 fuffered  from  the  rheumatifm,  the  cholic,  and  an  in- 
 ternal ulcer,  that  caufed  him  perpetual  agony. 
 
 In  this,  as  in  feveral  other  refpe6ls,  his  life  and  cha- 
 rader  remind  us  of  Gregory  of  Nazianzum.  We  may 
 hardly  venture  to  compare  a  Confeflbr  of  modern  times 
 with  the  illuftrious  St.  Gregory,  who  was  an  ornament 
 of  the  Church  in  the  time  of  the  Council  of  Con- 
 ftantinople.  But  in  a  like  fpirit,  though  with  unequal 
 fteps,  he  followed  in  the  fame  path  of  holinefs.  Both 
 defpifed  riches,  except  as  the  means  of  doing  good  : 
 they  employed  their  revenues  in  fupplying  themfelves 
 with  bare  neceflaries  for  an  abftemious  and  flender 
 fubfiftence,  and  difpofed  of  the  remainder  in  behalf  of 
 the  poor.  Both  were  pre-eminent  in  their  day  for  an 
 intimate  knowledge  of  the  holy  Scriptures :  both  left 
 behind  them  monuments  of  Chriftian  eloquence  :  the 
 
468  Z/j/^  <?/"  Thomas  Ken,         [1707 
 
 greater  praife  of  each  was  a  fervent  love  of  God  and 
 man,  which  prompted  them  in  their  felf-denying  and 
 laborious  lives. 
 
 St.  Gregory  was  afflided  with  many  fharp  fits  of 
 ficknefs,  which  often  did  not  permit  him  to  fleep.  Ken 
 thus  defcribes  his  own  fufferings  : 
 
 "  Pain  keeps  me  waking  in  the  night ; 
 
 I  longing  lie  for  morning  light : 
 
 Methinks  the  fluggifh  Sun 
 
 Forgets  he  this  day's  courfe  mull  run. 
 
 Oh  !  heavenly  torch,  why  this  delay 
 
 In  giving  us  our  wonted  day  ? 
 
 I  feel  my  watch,*  I  tell  the  clock, 
 
 I  hear  each  crowing  of  the  cock. 
 
 Sweet  eafe.  Oh  whither  art  thou  fled  ? 
 
 With  one  fhort  flumber  eafe  my  head. 
 
 My  curtain  oft  I  draw  away. 
 
 Eager  to  fee  the  morning  ray ; 
 
 But  when  the  morning  gilds  the  Ikies, 
 
 The  morning  no  relief  fupplies. 
 
 To  me,  alas  !  the  morning  light 
 
 Is  as  afflidlive  as  the  night." 
 
 St.  Gregory  was  bent  with  age,  his  countenance 
 worn  with  tears  and  aufterities,  his  poor  garb,  and  his 
 extreme  indigence  made  but  a  mean  outward  fhow. 
 So  it  was  with  Ken.  Both  were  deprived  of  their  Bi- 
 fhoprics.  St.  Gregory  feeing  the  great  ferment  of  his 
 enemies  againft  him,  cried  out  in  the  affembly,  "  If 
 my  holding  the  diocefe  gives  any  difturbance,  behold, 
 I  am  willing,  like  Jonas,  to  be  caft  into  the  fea  to  ap- 
 peafe  the  ftorm,  though  I  did  not  raife  it.     If  all  fol- 
 
 "  His  watch  was  purpofely  fo  contrived,  as  that  he  could  by  his 
 finger  difcover  the  time,  to  half  a  quarter  of  an  hour." — Ken's 
 Poems,  vol.  iii.  p.  396.    Note. 
 
1707]       Bijldop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        469 
 
 lowed  my  example,  the  Church  would  enjoy  an  unin- 
 terrupted tranquillity.  This  dignity  I  never  defired  ; 
 I  took  the  charge  upon  me  much  againft  my  will.  If 
 you  think  fit,  I  am  ready  to  depart ;  and  I  will  return 
 back  to  my  little  cottage,  that  you  may  remain  here 
 quiet,  and  the  Church  of  God  enjoy  peace.  /  only  de- 
 ftre  that  the  fee  may  he  filled  by  a  per/on  that  is  capable 
 and  willing  to  defend  the  faith''  *  In  the  fame  fpirit 
 let  Ken  fpeak  for  himfelf : 
 
 "  Blefs'd  Gregory,  with  proud  noify  Prelates  tir'd, 
 
 Whofe  anti-chrillian  fpite  his  fall  confpir'd. 
 
 Thus  fpake :   *  Tho'  I  from  raifing  ftorms  am  free. 
 
 Yet  if  you  think  my  fate  will  calm  the  fea, 
 
 I'll  gladly  be  your  Jonah,  throw  me  o'er. 
 
 And  to  the  Church  a  peaceful  calm  reftore.' 
 
 I'd  gladly  too  be  ofFer'd  to  the  wave. 
 
 So  I  the  Church  might  by  my  ruin  fave. 
 
 'Twill  waft  me  on  to  Heav'n,  or  quiet  fhade. 
 
 In  either, — Hymn  is  the  employment  made. 
 
 I,  crufh'd  by  ftate  decree,  and  griev'd  with  pain. 
 
 The  Paft'ral  toil  unable  to  fuftain, 
 
 More  gladly  off  the  hallow'd  burthen  fhake. 
 
 Than  I  at  firft  the  weight  did  undertake. 
 
 And  fhall  rejoice,  when  finking  to  my  grave. 
 
 That  my  dear  Iheep  a  worthier  fliepherd  have ; 
 
 That,  living,  I  had  buried  Faft'ral  care. 
 
 And  for  my  lafl  was  freer  to  prepare." 
 
 The  Saint  took  leave  of  the  city  of  Conftantinople 
 in  a  pathetic  addrefs,  delivered  in  the  Metropolitan 
 Church,  before  an  incredible  number  of  people  :  In 
 like  manner  Ken  departed  from  Wells.  St.  Gregory 
 concluded  in  thefe  words,  "  my  dear  children,  preferve 
 the  depoiitum  of  Faith,  and  remember  the  flones  which 
 
 *  Butler's  Lives  of  the  Saints,  vol.  i.  pp.  594 — 603. 
 
470         Life  of  Thomsis  Ktn,  [1707 
 
 have  been  thrown  at  me,  becaufe  I  planted  it  in  your 
 hearts."  Ken  exprefles  the  fame  anxious  love  for  his 
 people,  when  he  fays  : — 
 
 "  To  his  dear  flock  when  Greg'ry  bad  adieu. 
 He  warn'd  them  vow  baptifmal  to  renew, — 
 And  rather  die  glad  Martyrs  at  the  ftake. 
 Than  the  Depofitum  he  left  forfake. 
 With  like,  though  with  inferior  facred  heat. 
 The  fame  requeft  I  to  my  flock  repeat. 
 Wolves  on  the  vitals  of  their  Faith  will  prey. 
 Their  fafety  is  their  Shepherd  to  obey." 
 
 St.  Gregory  was  tenderly  afFedted  in  abandoning  his 
 flock,  his  own  converts  efpecially.  They  followed  him 
 weeping  and  entreating  him  to  abide  with  them.  He 
 was  not  infeniible  to  their  tears  ;  but  motives  of  greater 
 weight  obliged  him  not  to  regard  them  on  this  occa- 
 fion :  an  exadly  parallel  cafe  with  our  Bifhop,  Gre- 
 gory left  to  Ken  a  full  juftification  and  example,  when 
 he  quitted  the  public  worfhip  of  the  Church,  and  re- 
 tired into  folitude.  Here  he  had  a  garden,  a  foun- 
 tain, and  a  fhady  grove,  in  which  he  took  much  de- 
 light :  he  lived  in  company  with  certain  folitaries, 
 eftranged  from  pleafures,  and  in  the  pra6lice  of  bodily 
 mortification,  fafting,  watching  and  praying  much  on 
 his  knees.  He  fays  "  we  have  fed  the  poor,  we  have 
 ferved  our  brethren,  we  have  fung  the  pfalms  with 
 cheerfulnefs.  If  we  are  no  longer  permitted  to  con- 
 tinue this,  let  us  employ  our  devotion  fome  other  way. 
 Grace  is  not  barren,  and  opens  different  ways  to  Hea- 
 ven. Let  us  live  in  retirement;  let  us  occupy  our- 
 felves  in  contemplation  ;  let  us  purify  ourfelves  by  the 
 light  of  God." 
 
 In  this  retirement  Gregory  fet  himfelf  to  write  de- 
 
1707]       BipDOp  of  Bath  and  Wells.        471 
 
 votlonal  poems,  for  the  edification  of  fuch  as  delighted 
 in  mufic  and  poetry.  They  are  full  of  ardent  love, 
 and  prayers  to  our  BlefTed  Saviour  to  afTift  him. 
 Ken's  "Preparations  for  Death,"  ''Anodynes  of  Pain," 
 "  Hymns  for  all  the  Feftivals  in  the  Year,"  and  his 
 "  Songs  on  Jefus,"  though  far  inferior  in  beauty  as 
 compofitions,  breathe  the  fame  fpirit  of  love  and  piety. 
 He  thus,  with  all  becoming  modefty,  compares  him- 
 felf  to  the  great  Bifhop  of  Conftantinople. 
 
 "  Blefs'd  Gregory,  vvhofe  Patriarchal  height 
 Shed  on  the  Eaftern  fphere  celeftial  light. 
 To  Nazienzum  flew,  dethron'd  by  rage. 
 And  fpent  in  fongs  divine  his  drooping  age. 
 I,  if  the  leaft  may  with  the  greateft  dare. 
 In  grief,  not  gifts  or  graces,  to  compare, 
 Forc'd  from  my  flock  by  uncanonick  heat. 
 In  finging  hymns  thus  folace  my  retreat. 
 
 "  Blefs'd  Gregory,  with  pain  and  ficknefs  griev'd. 
 His  fpirit  oft  with  fongs  devout  reliev'd  : 
 And  while  on  Hymns  his  meditation  dwelt. 
 Devotion  fweeten'd  ev'ry  pang  he  felt. 
 Pain  haunting  me,  I  court  the  facred  mufe, 
 Verfe  is  the  only  Laudanum  I  ufe. 
 Eas'd  of  my  facred  load,  I  live  content ; 
 In  Hymn,  not  in  difpute,  my  paffion  vent. 
 
 "  Blefs'd  Gregory  to  facred  verfe  configned 
 The  laft  efforts  of  his  immortal  mind, 
 Thofe  poems,  loftieft  profpefts  have  difclos'd. 
 On  brink  of  bright  eternity  compos'd. 
 I  the  fmall  dol'rous  remnant  of  my  days 
 Devote  to  hymn  my  great  Redeemer's  praife. 
 And  nearer  as  I  draw  t'ward  heavenly  Reft, 
 The  more  I  love  th' employment  of  the  bleft."  * 
 
 *  The  Works  of  the  Right  Reverend,  Learned,  and  Pious  Tho- 
 mas Ken,  D.  D.  late  Lord  Bifliop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  4  vols.  8vo. 
 1721. 
 
472  Life  of  Thomas  Ktiiy         [1707 
 
 In  an  age  of  criticlfm  and  refinement,  enriched  with 
 the  inheritance  left  to  us  by  our  poets,  from  Dryden 
 downwards,  through  a  century  and  a  half,  Ken's  verfe 
 will  perhaps  find  few  admirers.  We  are  fo  accuftomed 
 to  the  "  elegance,  facility,  and  golden  cadence  of  po- 
 efy,"  *  that  no  energy  of  thought,  or  genuine  influences 
 of  the  heart,  will  compenfate  for  the  want  of  fmooth- 
 flowing  numbers.  With  a  natural  and  ample  vein  of 
 imagination,  he  was  deficient  in  the  eflentials  of  pleaf- 
 ing,  fonorous,  and  varying  verfe,  thofe  eafy  rhythms, 
 fo  grateful  to  the  ear, — that  metrical  exprefiion,  which 
 fprings,  as  by  inftindl,  to  embody  the  poet's  exuberant 
 flow  of  thought  and  feeling.  Although  we  might 
 have  looked  for  thefe  in  the  author  of  the  Morning, 
 Evening,  and  Midnight  Hymns,  his  poems  often  ex- 
 hibit ill-regulated  and  turgid  flights,  beyond  the  limits 
 of  tafl:e.  Even  amid  heavenly  images,  we  are  per- 
 plexed by  an  uncouth  admixture  of  harfli  common- 
 place paflages,  that  encumber  the  brighter  vifions  of 
 his  mind.  Yet  his  volumes  contain  many  eflrifions  of 
 pathos,  and  of  the  highefl:  range  of  poetry.  His  heart 
 was  ever  fl:raining  up  to  heaven,  kindled  by  a  fpark 
 of  holy  fire,  more  vivid  than  his  pen  had  power  to  ex- 
 prefs  in  verfe.  If,  infliead  of  thofe  poetical  efl*ays,  he 
 had  given  us  his  meditations  in  the  emphatic  profe  of 
 his  "  Pradice  of  Divine  Love,"  and  "  Winchefl:er  Ma- 
 nual," we  fliould  have  had  a  treafure  of  devotional  ex- 
 ercifes  for  all  time.  To  teft  this  we  need  only  clear 
 fome  of  his  numerous  hymns,  and  other  poems,  of 
 their  unharmonious  numbers,  and  we  find  at  once  a 
 
 *  Shakefpeare.   Love's  Labour  Loft,  a6l  iv.  fc.  2. 
 
lyoy]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        473 
 
 ftore  of  the  richeft  thoughts  of  a  devout  foul,  breath- 
 ing its  afpirations  to  the  God  of  prayer. 
 
 We  have  feen  how,  in  his  earher  days,  he  fung  his 
 own  hymns  to  his  viol,  thus  dedicating  his  loved  re- 
 creations of  mufic  and  poetry  to  the  one  objedl  of  his 
 life,  the  glory  of  the  Redeemer.  Now  amid  the  lan- 
 guid hours  of  fuffering,  and  the  infirmities  of  age,  they 
 were  ftill  his  conftant  folace  ;  he  was  like  "  the  pale 
 faint  fwan,  who  chants  a  doleful  hymn  to  his  own 
 death."  *  Loving  his  memory  as  we  do,  we  rejoice 
 in  the  thought  that  he  had  fuch  fweet  anodynes  of  pain, 
 and  that  they  have  been  handed  down  to  us,  even  with 
 all  their  faults,  for  the  comfort  of  other  afflicted  fouls. 
 
 Ken  was  not  unconfcious  that  cenfures  would  be 
 pafled  on  his  efFufions  in  verfe.  His  poetical  Epiftle 
 to  the  Reader  may  be  thus  rendered  ;  "when  at  hours 
 relieved  from  anguifh,  I  quietly  read  over  my  fongs, 
 fung  to  enfeeble  the  infults  of  pain,  I  doom  them  to  the 
 flames ;  yet  when  I  have  decreed  them  to  the  funeral 
 pile,  the  paternal  yearnings  plead  in  their  favour.  Like 
 a  father  who  loves  his  deformed  and  blind  child,  my 
 fondnefs  prevails  over  the  impartial  {^x\{q  of  their  de- 
 fects. Refledling  how  heaven  poflefTed  my  foul  when 
 I  poured  out  my  fongs  of  praife,  I  hoped  they  might 
 ferve  to  warm  others,  as  well  as  myfelf.  Thus  they 
 gained  a  reprieve,  and  a  licenfe  to  appear  :  but  not 
 till  after  my  death,  when  no  cenfures  can  difturb  my 
 reft  in  the  grave.  Critics  may  condemn  my  poetry, 
 as  Michal  reproached  King  David,  when  he  danced 
 before  the  Ark  j  " 
 
 *  Shakefpeare.  King  John,  aft  v.  fc.  7. 
 
474  Life  (?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1707 
 
 "  But  the  good  King  reply'd  with  Saint-like  grace. 
 For  God  I  gladly  will  myfelf  debafe. 
 Thus  I,  to  light  one  fpark  of  Love  divine 
 In  faithful  fouls,  no  cenfure  will  decline." 
 
 One  of  the  happy  afylums  to  which  Ken  loved  to 
 refort,  as  "  a  retirement  into  the  defert,  out  of  the 
 noife  and  hurry  of  the  world,"  *  was  Naifh  Houfe,  at 
 Portifhead,  fome  fix  miles  from  Briftol.  There  dwelt 
 two  maiden  ladies,  of  the  name  of  Kemeyfe,  "  who 
 reverenced  him  for  his  great  piety  and  charity,  f  He 
 was  a  fort  of  ghoftly  father  to  them,"  "  exercifing  all  the 
 holy  charitable  offices  flowing  from  the  a-y/wi/  )tou/ww'a,;|; 
 and  efpecially  in  fervent  interceffion  with  God,  in  be- 
 halfe  of  the  poore,  harrafled,  and  afflidted  clergy  and 
 others."  His  letters  make  frequent  mention  of  thefe 
 "  good  virgins,"  in  whofe  religious  fociety  he  fpent 
 much  of  his  time,  efpecially  in  winter  and  during 
 Lent.  He  calls  the  houfe  "  a  kind  of  nunnery,  where 
 I  ufually  abide  in  my  Lord  Weymouth's  abfence."§ 
 His  reafon  for  being  there  at  Chriftmas  was  "  to  make 
 a  retreat  from  the  feftivities  of  a  Palace  (Longleat) 
 open  to  all  comers  of  fafhion  and  quality."  || 
 
 His  friend.  Dr.  Smith,  compares  him  to  "  St.  Hie- 
 rome,  converfing  with  the  devout  Ladies  at  Bethelem, 
 inftru6ting  and  confirming  their  faith,  and  diredling 
 their  confciences  in  the  methods  of  true  fpiritual  life, 
 and  Influencing  their  foules  with  feraphic  notions  of 
 God,  and  of  Chrift:,  and  of  the  other  world,  and  efpe- 
 cially by  the  mofl:  convincing  evidence  and  demonftra- 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  99.  f  I^d.  p.  71. 
 
 I  Ibid.  p.  99.  §  Ibid.  p.  95.  II  Ibid.  p.  ()6. 
 
1707]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         475 
 
 tion  of  example."*  He  fpeaks  of  "  this  private  feat 
 of  the  good  Ladyes  as  having  a  better  pretenfe  to  the 
 title  of  a  Religious  Houfe  than  thofe  fo  called  in  Popifh 
 countreys,  where  fuperftition,  opinion  of  merit,  and 
 forced  vowes,  take  off  very  much  from  the  pure  fpirit 
 of  devotion,  and  render  their  reftraint  tedious  and  irk- 
 fome.  But  thefe  good  Ladyes  are  happy  under  your 
 condud,  and  are  by  an  uninterrupted  courfe  of  piety 
 elevated  above  all  the  gaudy  pompes  and  vanities  of 
 the  world,  and  enjoy  all  the  comforts  and  fatisfadlions, 
 and  ferenity  of  mind,  to  be  wifhed  for  and  attained  on 
 this  fide  of  heaven  in  their  folitudes."f 
 
 This  is  all  we  can  learn  of  Naifh,  and  its  inmates : 
 it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  Ken  did  not  give  a 
 more  detailed  account  of  thefe  fifters  of  mercy,  after 
 the  example  of  Francis  Turner  of  Ely,  who  left  be- 
 hind him  a  memoir  of  Nicholas  Ferrar,  the  devout 
 and  benevolent  reclufe  of  Little  Gidding.  They  not 
 only  ferved  God  in  their  retirement  by  a  continued 
 courfe  of  devotion,  but  by  adlive  benevolence  among 
 the  furrounding  poor,  and  afflidled.  The  world  is  apt 
 to  pity  the  habits  of  thofe  who  take  no  delight  in  the 
 bufy  fchemes,  or  carelefs  pleafures,  through  which 
 themfelves  are  hurrying.  Whereas  the  lovers  of  me- 
 ditation and  prayer  have  the  refrefhment  of  commu- 
 nion with  the  unfeen  world,  which  only  themfelves  can 
 know.  Numberlefs  pafTages  in  Ken's  Poems  fhow 
 how  fully  he  realized  that  Article  of  the  Catholic 
 Faith,  the  "  Communion  of  Saints,"  as  received  in  the 
 Englifh  Church.     One  may  fuffice  : 
 
 *   Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  96.         f  Ibid.  p.  96. 
 
476  Z/j/^  ^  Thomas  Ken,         [1708 
 
 "  Blefs'd  Spirits,  you  and  we 
 Make  one  celeftial  family  ; 
 
 One  Father  we  revere. 
 To  one  fraternal  Love  adhere. 
 
 You  are  in  a  happy  ftate. 
 Our  blifs  is  only  inchoate  : 
 O  may  we,  ftrangers  here,  this  world  repell. 
 And  with  our  heavenly  brethren  chiefly  dwell  : 
 
 "  Though  in  your  bounded  fphere, 
 You  cannot  fingle  vot'ries  hear. 
 
 And  we  in  no  diftrefs 
 To  fingle  Saints  make  our  addrefs ; 
 
 Yet  if,  like  you,  we  heed 
 The  Saints'  Communion  in  our  Creed, 
 We  of  each  other's  ftate  have  gen'ral  view. 
 
 You  PRAY  FOR  us,  AND  WE  GIVE  THANKS  FOR  YOU." 
 
 Ken's  Poems,  vol.  i.  p.  406. 
 
 Robert  Frampton,  the  deprived  Bifhop  of  Gloucef- 
 ter,  died  in  1708.  Of  this  good  man  we  have  fo  few 
 memorials,  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  give  even  a 
 glimpfe  of  his  charadler,  but  for  fome  original  letters 
 in  Dr.  Williams's  Colle6lion.  Thefe  exhibit  the  cou- 
 rageous fpirit  of  a  ConfefTor  to  the  truth,  with  a  cheer- 
 fulnefs,  which  nothing  could  damp.  If  we  are  to  be- 
 lieve his  own  modeft  account  of  himfelf,  he  was  neither 
 greatly  learned,  nor  gifted  with  remarkable  talents, 
 having  "  nothing  befides  a  little  popular  oratory,  and 
 a  fprinkling  in  the  tongues  as  little."  His  hfe  appears 
 to  have  been  difliinguifhed  by  no  particular  events  to 
 ftrike  or  dazzle  a  bufy  world.  We  find  no  biography 
 of  him,  no  record  of  any  one  work,  pamphlet,  fermon, 
 or  broad  fheet,  that  he  ever  committed  to  the  prefs. 
 All  we  know  is  that,  not  being  able  confcientiouily  to 
 abfolve  himfelf  from  the  oath  he  had  taken  to  James, 
 
1708]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        477 
 
 he  was  ejedled  from  his  Bifhopric.  Freely  choofing 
 poverty  as  his  lot,  rather  than  change  his  allegiance  to 
 his  exiled  King,  he  retired  privately  to  a  country  vil- 
 lage, where  he  lived  to  a  great  age  in  the  full  exercife 
 of  the  prieftly  offices,  in  the  bofom  of  the  Anglican 
 Church,  and  gave  no  trouble,  nor  entered  into  contro- 
 verfy  with  any  one.  Anthony  Wood  beflows  two 
 epithets  upon  him,  —  "  the  moft  religious,  and  con- 
 fcientious  Dr.  Robert  Frampton:"  a  fhort,  but  ex- 
 preffive  character.  He  forfook.  houfes  and  land  —  his 
 palace  and  his  See,  for  Chrifl's  fake,  who  hath  promifed 
 in  return  ^^  an  hundred  foldj  and  the  inheritance  of  ever- 
 lafiing  Ufe^ 
 
 He  was  near  60  years  of  age,  when  Charles  II.  pro- 
 pofed  to  confecrate  him  to  the  See  of  Gloucefter.  One 
 half  of  his  revenues  had  always  been  dedicated  to  cha- 
 ritable ufes :  although  he  had  held  the  Deanery  of 
 Gloucefter  for  feven  years,  he  was  fo  poor  that,  in  a 
 letter  to  the  Bifhop  of  Norwich,  he  exprefles  an  alarm 
 left  the  expenfe  of  taking  the  Biftiopric  fhould  expofe 
 him  to  beggary,  and  his  poor  relations  be  reduced  to 
 the  fame  peril  alfo.  After  pleading  his  infirmities,  and 
 other  reafons  againft  it,  he  fays,  "  My  Lord,  I  do  not 
 write  thefe  things  out  of  morofenefs,  fullennefle,  ill 
 nature,  ambition  of  fomething  higher  than  what  is 
 offered,  or  covetoufnefTe  of  fomething  more  profitable, 
 or  crafty  defire  to  be  further  courted  to  this.  God  is 
 my  witnefTe,  'tis  none  of  thefe  things,  nor  any  elfe  of 
 ill  afped,  but  fuch  an  honeft  and  impartiall  eftimate  as 
 I  have,  and  ought  to  make  of  myfelfe,  at  fuch  a  con- 
 jun6ture.  Nor  will  I  belye  mine  innocence  or  affedion 
 to  the  Church  of  Chrift,  or  to  his  facred  Majefty.     I 
 
478  Life  (^Z' Thomas  Ken,         [1708 
 
 hope  by  God's  grace  I  fhall  be  ready  to  lay  down  my 
 life  for  either,  when  need  requires.  My  great  fear  is 
 my  incapacity :  for  let  me  tell  you  freely,  my  Lord, 
 that  befides  a  little  popular  oratory,  and  a  fprinkling  in 
 the  tongues  as  little,  I  have  nothing  elfe  to  recommend 
 me  to  this  or  any  other  employment.  None  of  thofe 
 depths  of  knowledge  in  the  Councils,  Fathers,  fchool- 
 men.  Church  Hiftory,  &c.  which  are  eflential  to  fuch 
 a  dignity,  efpecially  in  fuch  diftraded  tymes  as  our's 
 are. 
 
 "  'Tis  Chriftmas  day,  and  though  my  pen  be  flip- 
 pery  on  this  occafion  I  reftrain  it :  only  I  call  God  to 
 witnefle,  and  that  Holy  Sacrament  which  I  have  this 
 day  received  myfelfe,  and  adminiftered  to  others,  that 
 the  premifes  are  all  true.  I  pray  you  to  confider  them 
 ferioully ;  the  Shunamite's  motto  and  mine  are  one  ; 
 
 *  Shall  I  fpeake  for  thee,'  faith  Elifha,  *  to  the  King, 
 or  to  the  Captain  of  the  hoft  ? '  *  I  dwell,'  faith  fhe, 
 
 *  among  my  own  people.'  Soe  would  I,  If  I  might ; 
 and  hope  that  foe  I  fhall.  If  not,  I  am  fure  I  have 
 dealt  as  an  honeft  man  fhould  doe. 
 
 "  Craving  your  Lordfhipp's  blefling,  I  humbly  kifie 
 your  hands,  and  am 
 
 Your  LordP^-  moft  dutyful  Son  and  Servant, 
 
 "  Glouller,  Dec.  25,  80."  RoBERT  FraMPTON." 
 
 When  the  Revolution  was  brought  about,  and  he, 
 as  a  Non-juror,  was  to  give  place  to  another  Bifhop, 
 his  deprival  occafioned  him  no  perfonal  concern :  he 
 laid  down  his  paftoral  ftaff  in  the  fame  calm  and  happy 
 fpirit  with  which  he  had  received  it.  Dr.  Edward 
 Fowler  was  appointed  his  fucceflbr.     They  were  old 
 
lyoS]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        479 
 
 friends,  and  Frampton,  who  was  a  fimple  hearted  man, 
 felt  no  refentment  againft  him.  But,  that  he  might 
 not  feem  to  acquiefTe  in  the  uncanonical  a6l  of  his 
 eje(5lment,  he  left  his  fervant  in  the  palace  at  Glou- 
 cefter,  with  orders  to  remain  until  he  was  forced  away. 
 Having  fo  far  entered  his  proteft,  he  retired  in  peace 
 to  Avening,  where  he  was  permitted  to  live  in  the 
 Parfonage  Houfe.  Marfhall  fays,  "  the  good  old  Bi- 
 fhop  of  Gloucefter  conftantly  attended  the  Church, 
 which  he  held  in  Commendam  with  his  Bifhopric, 
 often  catechized  the  children  in  the  afternoon  of  Sun- 
 days, and  expounded  the  fermon  which  had  been 
 preached  in  the  morning  by  another  perfon.*  "  In  fa6l 
 he  never  forfook  the  public  aflemblies,  nor  ever  would 
 be  induced  to  look  upon  the  national  Church  as  fchif- 
 matical."  f 
 
 So  little  did  he  perfonally  regret  the  lofs  of  his 
 Bifhopric  that,  when  Fowler  was  known  to  be  his  fuc- 
 cefTor,  a  friendly  correfpondence  pafTed  between  them. 
 Bifhop  Lloyd,  hearing  this,  taxed  him  with  voluntarily 
 yielding  up  the  Depofitum :  he  wrote,  therefore,  to 
 explain  exadlly  what  had  pafled  :  "  As  for  the  letters 
 between  me  and  Dr.  Fowler,  this  is  the  account.  He 
 wrote  to  me  about  his  eledlion,  his  great  unwillingnefle 
 to  accept,  his  care  to  prevent,  and  mighty  griefe  when 
 he  could  not  doe  it.  I  to  him  thus,  *  My  moft  deare 
 friend,  for  now  I  may  call  you  foe  more  juftly  than 
 ever,  when  you  have  got,  and  I  loft,  all : '  adding  that 
 I  believed  what  he  wrote  concerning  his  uneafinefTe, 
 
 *  Defence  of  our  Conftitution,  1717,  8vo.  p.  165. 
 t  Charadter  of  a  Primitive  Bifhop,  p.  147. 
 
480  Life  <?/' Thomas  Ken,         [1708 
 
 becaufe  by  word  of  mouth,  and  in  writing,  he  had  af- 
 fured  me  that  he  would  never  take  what  I  loft  :  and 
 that  though  /  would  never  make  a  voluntary  refignation^ 
 and  liked  noe  more  than  Q^  Elizabeth  to  heare  of  a 
 fucceflbr,  yet  if  he  muft  be  the  man,  I  would  not 
 repine,  provided  that  he  did  his  utmoft  to  fupprefle, 
 I  ft-  Atheifm  and  prophanenefs  ;  ^^'^^y-  that  wicked  fpirit 
 of  Fanaticifme,  which  would  never  be  at  reft  till  it  had 
 ruined  Church  and  State :  j'^'^'y-  that  the  poifon  of  So- 
 cinianifme,  which  had  not  yet  reach't  thefe  parts,  might 
 never  do  it,  noe  not  by  his  connivance,  much  lefTe  his 
 approbation.  To  which  he  replied  in  a  great  diftem- 
 per  ;  and  I  again  as  pleafantly.  This  is  all  as  to  that 
 affaire."  * 
 
 The  following  playful  letter  to  Lloyd  defcribes  the 
 entry  of  the  intruding  Biftiop  into  Gloucefter  : 
 
 "  Honeft  John, 
 "  Our  new  Biftiop  came  downe  about  a  weeke  fince, 
 and  had  not  his  unfeafonable  modefty  hindered  it,  by 
 coming  in  the  night,  we  had  had  as  great  a  noyfe  with 
 our  bels  and  bonfires  as  you  have  had  upon  another 
 occafion.  But  what  was  wanting  in  folemnity  he  him- 
 felf  made  up  by  his  preaching,  Sunday  was  fen'ight, 
 on  thefe  words,  *  Swear  not  at  all^  by  which  he  proved 
 very  learnedly  the  necefTity  of  that  late  oath,  and  the 
 great  guilt  of  thofe  that  refufe  it. 
 
 "  All  therefore  was  very  well,  fave  only  that  Satan 
 himfelfe,  as  fome  thinke,  or  fome  of  his  inftruments, 
 threw  a  ftone  through  the  window  towards  the  pulpit, 
 which  is  yet  to  be  feen  ;  but  to  noe  purpofe,  for  the 
 preacher  went  on,  and  the  people  fate  ftill. 
 
 *  Dr.  Williams's  MSS.  Colleaion. 
 
1708]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        481 
 
 "  We  had  good  hopes  that  our  quondam  Bifhop 
 [meaning  himfelf  ]  on  the  arrival  of  his  fucceffor,  coad- 
 jutor, locum  tenens,  or  whatever  other  title  he  ought  to 
 have,  would  have  come  to  towne  prefently,  or  a  little 
 while  after,  to  have  bid  him  welcome,  and  wifh  him 
 all  joy,  as  is  cuftomary,  you  know,  and  natural  in  fuch 
 cafes.  But  he  is  the  fame  morofe,  fullen,  ill-natured 
 man  (for  which  he  is  fo  juftly  hated)  as  heretofore : 
 for  he  neither  comes,  nor  fends,  neither  letter  nor  good- 
 handfell,  nor  any  other  thing,  as  Lordfhips  in  fuch 
 cafes  are  bound  to  doe  ;  and  yet  lives  but  five  miles 
 from  the  place,  which  makes  it  look  fcurvily. 
 
 ''  I  would  you,  or  fome  others,  that  are  friends  to 
 peace,  and  brotherly  love,  would  by  your  letters  try 
 to  cure  him  [Frampton  i.  e.']  of  that  frowardneffe, 
 which  makes  him  the  moft  unfociable  creature  in  the 
 world :  for  he  is  as  rough  as  a  beare  to  us,  if  we  doe 
 but  touch  him  ;  in  fhort  we  may  as  fafely  take  up  an 
 hedgehog  with  our  naked  hands,  when  his  briftles  are 
 all  up  on  ranke  and  file  together. 
 
 "  And  yet  notwithftanding  thefe  great  demerits,  the 
 
 new-come  good  man,  as  he  is,  fent  him  word  but  yef- 
 
 terday  that  he  was  infinitely  troubled  to  take  his  place, 
 
 and  would  joyfully  quit  it  againe,  if  Sir  John  Surly 
 
 would  but  make  himfelfe  capable  of  refuming  it.     In 
 
 fhort  we  know  not  well  which  to  admire  moft,  the 
 
 fweetnefTe  of  the  one,  or  the  fournefie  of  the  other. 
 
 You  are  utterly  miftaken,  if  you  looke  for  any  more 
 
 at  prefent  from  ,.  ^      >     y    i.       l    • 
 
 ^  *^  Your  s,  luch  as  he  is, 
 
 "Oa.  19th,  1791."  N.  G.  T.  W."* 
 
 ("  Not  Gloucefter  to  wit.") 
 
 *  Dr.  Williams's  MS.  Colledion. 
 I  I 
 
482  Life  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1708 
 
 Lloyd  fent  this  letter  to  Sancroft,  who  fays,  "  I  re- 
 turn you  with  thanks  the  pleafant  Epiftle  of  our  dear 
 Brother,  who  in  truth  is  as  very  an  ti'pwv  as  ever  old 
 Socrates  was,  and  a  better  philofopher,  and  infinitely  a 
 better  man.  If  he  that  is  to  go  to  York  had  the  pe- 
 rufall  of  it,  it  might  convince  him  that  we  are  not  all 
 peevifh  and  morofe,  and  ill  natur'd ;  but  that  fome  of 
 us  enjoy  as  great  calm  and  ferenity  as  they  in  their 
 ill-gotten  grandeur."* 
 
 Many  years  after  his  deprival  (in  February,  1699) 
 writing  to  Bifliop  Lloyd,  Frampton  mentions  having 
 fuftalned  a  lofs  of  3  ^o/.  formerly  lent  to  a  faithlefs 
 friend  who  would  not  now  repay  him.  '*  But  God's 
 will  be  done  on  me  and  mine  ;  this  lofle  fhall  never 
 break  my  heart,  or  deep,  or  that  peace  of  mind  which 
 I  enjoy,  and  hope  ftill  to  enjoy  through  His  mercy. 
 The  fame  mercy  keep  you,  my  dear  Brother,  from 
 fuch  difafters,  and  give  you  comfort  in  all  things.  But 
 what  comfort  can  you  or  I  take  in  any  earthly  thing, 
 when  the  name  and  honour  and  dignity  of  our  deare 
 Saviour  is  foe  vilified  by  lewd  wretches  and  apoftates 
 in  London  :  as  I  hear  it  is  by  two  letters  thence.  The 
 weather  is  wondrous  cold,  and  if  the  faid  rafcals,  or 
 abettors,  want  a  fire  in  Smithfield,  let  'em  fend  for 
 me  to  make  them  one  ;  by  God's  grace  I  would  in 
 death  itfelfe  owne,  and  glorifie,  what  they  deride.  Fare- 
 well, my  deareft.     Pray  for 
 
 "  Yours  unfeignedly  and  for  ever, 
 
 Robert  Frampton  Gloucester."! 
 
 Dr.  Williams's  MS.  Colledion.  f  Ibid. 
 
T7o8]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         483 
 
 Ken  and  Frampton,  fuffering  in  the  fame  caufe,  kept 
 up  their  friendly  intercourfe.  Ken  defcribes  to  Lloyd 
 a  vifit  he  paid  to  him  at  Avening  in  1703.  He  calls 
 him  "  our  good  brother  of  Gloucefter,  who  was  not  a 
 little  joyed  to  fee  me.  He  is  very  cheerful,  and  being 
 paft  eighty  does  not  only  daily  expe6l,  but,  like  St. 
 Paul,  longs  for  his  diffolution.  He  has  many  infirmi- 
 ties of  old  age,  but  his  eyes  are  very  good,  and  he 
 ufes  no  fpedacles.  With  all  the  tendernefs  imaginable 
 he  remembers  your  Lordfhip."  *  About  the  fame 
 time  Frampton  gives  the  following  account  of  himfelf, 
 in  anfwer  to  the  friendly  enquiries  of  Lloyd. 
 
 "  My  good  Lord  and  deareft  Brother : 
 *'  Behold  here,  in  pure  obedience  to  your  Lp'^  will,  a 
 letter  from  me,  fuch  an  one  as  it  is,  and  may  well  be 
 fuppofed  to  be,  when  I  am  not  only  fuperannuated, 
 having  pafTed  my  fourfcorth  yeare,  and  mightily  bur- 
 thened  with  fuch  infirmityes  as  foe  great  an  age  may  be 
 fuppofed  to  be. 
 
 "  But  be  thefe  things  as  they  will,  or  rather  as  my 
 good  Maker  pleafeth,  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  tyme, 
 or  outward  accidents,  to  alter  y^  inward  difpofition  of 
 my  foule,  God  be  bleffed  for  it,  and  by  his  grace  it 
 never  fhall  be.  Noe,  I  love  Him  above  all  things  with 
 my  whole  heart  and  foule — next  to  Him  all  good  men 
 and  women  in  y^  world,  becaufe  they  beare  his  image. 
 Efpecially  my  noble  friends,  fuch  as  your  good  L'^p  and 
 y^  two  mofl:  Honourable  perfons  whom  you  mention. 
 I  hate  noe  one  perfon  in  the  vorld,  not  thofe  that  have 
 
 *  Profe  Works  of  Ken  by  Round,  p.  60. 
 
484  Zy//'^  (?/*  Thomas  Ken,         [1708 
 
 done  me  moft  wrong.  Am  as  content  as  any  man 
 alive  can  be,  want  nothing  that  is  neceflary,  though 
 my  fuperfluityes  are  pafled  away.  Alfo  am  willing  to 
 leave  this  world,  foe  foon  as  my  bleffed  Maker  pleafeth. 
 Only  forry  that  I  cannot  lay  down  my  life  by  way  of 
 martyrdome  for  His  fake.  Pray  you  for  me  that  my 
 exit  hence,  and  my  being  for  ever  after,  may  be  happy 
 to  me. 
 
 "  This  I  pray  for  you,  for  them,  and  for  all  others. 
 Farewell.     Yours  moft  unfeignedly 
 "May  12,  1703.  Robert  Frampton,  once  B.  G. 
 
 *'  I  daily  afke  God's  pardon  for  w'  hath  bin  amiffe 
 in  my  life,  and  would  do  it  day  by  day,  if  I  were  to 
 live  a  thoufand  years  more." 
 
 Such  was  Bifhop  Frampton.  Unwavering  ftedfaft- 
 nefs  of  Faith  was  his  ftrength :  fimple  minded,  and  care- 
 ful for  his  flock,  he  never  placed  them  in  any  difficulty, 
 but  kept  them  true  to  the  Church,  though  they  were 
 under  the  rule  of  an  intruder.  In  this  he  followed 
 the  example  of  many  eminent  primitive  Bifhops,  who 
 made  every  perfonal  facrifice  to  prevent  the  difturb- 
 ance  of  unity.  His  cheerful  and  benevolent  difpofi- 
 tion,  blending  with  a  Chriftian  boldnefs,  was  fo  kin- 
 dred to  the  temper  of  Ken,  we  cannot  wonder  they 
 fhould  have  fuch  an  efteem  for  each  other,  as  their 
 letters  exprefs.  The  circumftances  of  Ken's  earlier 
 life  had  brought  his  natural  gifts  and  powers  into  more 
 prominent  view,  and  placed  him  in  a  wider  range  of 
 ufefulnefs.  But  Frampton  was  in  heart  and  adl  an 
 equally  devoted  confeflbr  to  the  facred  caufe  of  his 
 Heavenly  Mafter. 
 
lyio]        Bifiop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        485 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXII. 
 
 Ken  furvives  all  the  other  deprived  B't/hops.  Controverfy  among 
 the  Nonjurors.  Ken  reco}nmends  all  to  conform  to  the  Church. 
 Hickes  and  others  refuje. 
 
 ^  Y  the  death  of  Lloyd,  Bifhop  of  Nor- 
 wich, on  the  I  ft  of  January,  1710,  Ken 
 was  left  the  only  deprived  Biftiop. 
 Having  long  fince  acquiefced  in  Hoop- 
 er's fucceffion,  and  fo  often  exprefTed  a  defire  that  the 
 fchifm  fhould  be  healed,  no  one  could  doubt  he  would 
 ufe  his  influence  to  bring  back  the  nonjurors  to  the 
 Church.  Hitherto  the  whole  party,  or  as  Dodwell 
 calls  them,  "  our  little  flock,"  had  agreed  in  afl^erting 
 the  fpiritual  rights  of  the  deprived,  and  many  had  ab- 
 ftained  from  holding  communion  with  their  rival  Bi- 
 fliops,  or  the  clergy  who  adhered  to  them.  But  now, 
 if  Ken  fliould  abfolutely  forego  his  epifcopal  rights, 
 there  could  be  no  ground  for  continuing  the  fepa- 
 ration.  This  was  the  opinion  of  Dodwell,  Nelfon, 
 BrokeflDy,  and  others,  becaufe  as  there  were  no  longer 
 any  difpoflefled  Bifliops,  they  who  had  been  appointed 
 to  their  fees,  though  originally  fchifmatical,  were  now 
 valid  :  they  had  been  nulli^  becaufe  Jecundi ;  but  this 
 nullity  having  ceafed,  it  was  the  duty  of  all  to  acknow- 
 ledge their  authority.  "  There  will  now,"  fays  Dod- 
 well, "  be  no  feconds,  but  only  Angle  perfons,  in  adual 
 pofleflion  of  the  epifcopal  jurifdi6lions,  whereof  no 
 
486  L^fe  of  Thomas  Ken,         [1710 
 
 more  than  one  at  once  can  be  lawfully  pofTefTed.  Here, 
 therefore,  there  can  be  no  fchifm,  where  there  is  no 
 altar  agalnft  altar."  * 
 
 On  the  other  hand,  Hickes,  Wagftaffe,  Collier,  and 
 Brett,  held  that  the  new  Bifhops,  having  once  violated 
 the  principles  of  the  Church,  in  accepting  the  fees  of 
 the  deprived,  were  unworthy  of  trufl :  they  had  been 
 guilty  of  fchifm,  and  fo  rendered  themfelves  incapable. 
 In  the  fenfe  of  the  primitive  Church  any  overt  adl  of 
 fchifm  needs  no  judicial  fentence  of  deprivation  :  from 
 that  time  forward  they  ceafed  to  be  true  Bifhops. 
 Having  been  deftroyers  of  the  unity  of  the  Spirit,  they 
 thereby  loft  all  their  rights.  In  order  to  the  recovering 
 of  their  forfeited  unity,  they  muft  make  an  acknow- 
 ledgment of  error,  and  be  reftored  by  confent  of  the 
 Church.  Therefore  until  they  made  fatisfadlion,  and 
 publicly  renounced  the  dodrines  by  which  they  had 
 maintained  the  fchifm,  and  obtained  reconciliation,  they 
 were  not  to  be  accounted  as  in  communion.  In  fhort 
 they  were  to  confefs  themfelves  to  have  been  intruders, 
 and  the  deceafed  Bifhops  to  have  been  the  only  right- 
 ful pofTeftbrs  of  the  fees,  and  wrongfully  deprived  for 
 maintaining  true  Catholic  doftrine.  If  they  would 
 not  do  this,  all  who  would  keep  clear  of  fchifm  and 
 herefy  ought  to  refufe  to  communicate  with  them.'l" 
 
 In  the  courfe  of  this  new  controverfy,  which  like 
 moft  others  led  to  fome  fharp  reproaches  on  both  fides, 
 and  perfonal  refledlions,  it  came  to  be  generally  known 
 that  Hickes  and  Wagftaffe  had  been  appointed  by 
 
 *  Dodwell's  "Cafe  in  View,"  p.  28. 
 
 t  The  Conftitution  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  the  nature  and 
 confequences  of  Schifm,  confidered.    17 16,  8vo. 
 
lyio]       Bipoop  of  Bath  and  Wells.         487 
 
 Lloyd  as  his  fufFragans  to  Thetford  and  Ipfwich.  This 
 fadl  had  till  now  been  carefully  concealed,  for  fear  the 
 parties  might  incur  the  penalty  of  the  law.  Dodwell 
 and  his  friends,  who  maintained  that  the  original  fchifm 
 was  at  an  end,  denied  the  validity  of  the  clandeftine 
 confecrations.  If  Lloyd,  before  his  deprival,  had  no 
 authority  to  appoint  fufFragans,  he  could  have  ftill  lefs 
 afterwards,  when  another  was  in  pofTeffion  of  his  fee. 
 There  was  no  evidence  brought  forward  to  authenti- 
 cate thefe  confecrations  :  Hickes  and  WagftafFe  had 
 not  been  put  into  pofTeiTion  of  any  particular  church, 
 nor  advanced  any  claim  of  jurifdi6lion.  They  did  not 
 even  now  do  fo :  all  they  pretended  to  was  a  fpiritual 
 fucce/Tion.  Yet  they  held  that  "  the  true  Church  Re- 
 gent, or  College  of  Bifhops,  and  the  true  Church  of 
 England  depending  upon  it,  are  in  the  little,  and  faith- 
 ful— fuffering  number,  and  will  be  in  thofe,  who  regu- 
 larly fucceed  them  in  the  royal  priefthood,  unto  the 
 end  of  the  world."  *  The  claim  was  imaginary — the 
 prophecy  unfulfilled,  as  the  event  proved. 
 
 Ken  did  not  embark  in  thefe  difcufTions  :  but  his  {^n- 
 timents  were  promptly  expreffed  in  adlion.  Within  ten 
 days  after  the  death  of  Lloyd,  he  received  a  letter  from 
 Dodwell,  to  fay  that  it  was  now  in  his  power  to  free, 
 not  only  his  own  diocefe,  but  the  whole  national  church, 
 from  the  fchifm,  introduced  by  filling  the  fees  of  the 
 deprived  Bifhops :  he  therefore  requested  him  to  de- 
 clare whether  he  fo  far  claimed  his  rights,  as  to  juftify 
 the   continuance  of  feparate  communions   on  his  ac- 
 
 *  Conftitution  of  the  Catholic  Church,  p.  103. 
 
488  Life  <9/'Thomas  Ken,  [1710 
 
 count.  *  His  anfwer  was,  "  In  that  you  are  pleafed  to 
 afk  me,  whether  I  infift  on  my  epifcopal  claims  ?  my 
 anfwer  is  that  I  do  not :  and  that  I  have  no  reaibn  to 
 infift  on  it,  in  regard  that  I  made  ceftion  to  my  prefent 
 moft  worthy  fucceffor  ;  who  came  into  the  fold  by  my 
 free  confent  and  approbation.  As  for  any  clandeftine 
 claim,  my  judgment  was  always  againft  it;  and  I  had 
 nothing  to  do  with  it,  forefeeing  that  it  would  perpe- 
 tuate a  fchifm,  which  I  found  very  affliding  to  good 
 people  fcattered  in  the  country,  where  they  could  have 
 no  divine  offices  performed.  I  was  always  tender  of 
 the  peace  of  the  Church,  efpecially  in  this  age  of  irre- 
 ligion  ;  I  always  thought  that  multitudo  peccantium 
 might  juftify  fome  relaxation  of  canonical  ftridlnefs."  f 
 
 Robert  Nelfon  wrote  to  afk  the  fame  queftion,  and 
 Ken  replied,  "  in  regard  to  the  clandeftine  confecra- 
 tions,  I  was  always  againft  them,  as  I  forefaw  they 
 would  perpetuate  the  fchifm,  and  declared  againft  the 
 pra6tice,  and  had  adled  accordingly,  and  would  not 
 have  it  laid  at  my  door,  having  made  a  recefs  for  a 
 much  more  worthy  perfon.  I  apprehend  it  was  always 
 the  judgment  of  my  brethren,  that  the  death  of  the 
 canonical  Biftiops  would  render  the  invaders  canonical, 
 in  regard  fchifm  is  not  to  be  always."  J 
 
 Thefe  anfwers  determined  the  majority  of  Nonjurors 
 to  return  to  the  bofom  of  the  Church.  Nelfon  and 
 Dodwell,  of  whom  the  former  was  always  called  the 
 "pious  Mr.  Nelfon,"  adted  as  became  lovers  of  peace; 
 they  went  to  church  with  their  families  on  the  26th  of 
 
 *  Marfhall's  Defence  of  our  Conftitution  in  Church  and  State, 
 Appendix  ix. 
 
 f  Ibid.  Appendix  xvii.  %  Ibid.   Appendix  xv. 
 
1 7 1  o]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,        489 
 
 February,  17 10,  being  the  firfl  Sunday  in  Lent.  We 
 can  underftand  how  joyful  the  event  muft  have  been 
 to  them.  What  is  our  home,  what  all  the  pofTeflions 
 of  the  earth,  compared  with  the  gladnefs  of  joining  in 
 the  public  worfhip  of  God  ?  The  world  has  nothing 
 it  can  barter  for  fuch  a  privilege. 
 
 "Of  all  the  places  here 
 
 None  piftures  the  celeftial  fphere 
 
 More  than  God's  houfe  of  pray'r. 
 When  faithful  fouls  fing  praifes  there : 
 
 When  heav'n  and  earth  confpire 
 In  one  harmonious  hymning  Quire. 
 O  may  we,  free  from  wilful,  fenfual  taints,' 
 Live  in  communion  with  fupernal  Saints."  * 
 
 Mr.  Lathbury,  f  in  his  valuable  "  Hiftory  of  the 
 Nonjurors,"  has  elaborately  traced  the  after- wander- 
 ings of  thofe  who  held  to  the  fchifm.  Their  great 
 leader  was  Mr.  George  Hickes,  one  of  the  moft  eru- 
 dite men  of  his  day.  No  one  better  underftood  the 
 dodlrines,  conftitution,  and  difcipline  of  the  church  in 
 the  purefl  ages  of  Chriftianity,  or  was  more  thoroughly 
 perfuaded  that  the  Anglican  Church  was  their  moft  per- 
 fecft  example.  His  writings  are  principally  controver- 
 fial,  both  in  politics  and  religion.  Among  thefe  laft 
 we  have  his  excellent  treatife,  "  Speculum  Beatia  Vir- 
 ginis"  a  "  Vindication  of  the  Church  of  England," 
 and  many  others  againft  the  errors  of  Rome.  He  was 
 well  known  to  foreigners,  as  the  author  of  learned 
 works  on  the  language,  and  antiquities,  of  the  Saxon, 
 Danilli,  and  other  northern  nations,  in  which  he  was 
 
 *  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  i.  p.  409. 
 
 f  Author  alfo  of  a  "  Hiflory  of  the  Convocation  :  "  and  of  "  A 
 Hiftory  of  the  Englilh  Epifcopacy,  from  1640  to  1662,"  &c.  &c. 
 
490  Liife  ^Thomas  Ken,         [17 lo 
 
 profoundly  verfed.  Yet  we  fee  in  him  a  fignal  in- 
 ftance  of  the  wanderings  into  which  many  are  led, 
 fpite  of  their  learning,  and  perfonal  holinefs  ; — how 
 the  acutenefs  of  the  human  intelle6l,  unconfcioufly 
 prompted  by  the  fympathies  of  the  mind,  will  draw  out 
 finely  fpun  webs  of  colourable  di{l:in(51:ions,  of  which 
 men  become  fo  enamoured,  as  to  facrifice  the  dearefl 
 objefts  of  life,  and  all  their  long-formed,  and  foundeft 
 convidlions,  rather  than  compromife  one  point  of  their 
 new  ftandard  of  truth. 
 
 WagftafFe  having  died  in  the  midft  of  the  contro- 
 verfy,  Hickes  confidered  himfelf  the  only  true  Bifhop 
 of  England.  In  order  to  continue  the  "  valid  fuc- 
 ceffion,"  he  called  to  his  aid  two  of  the  non-juring  Bi- 
 fhops  of  Scotland.  Thefe  three  confecrated  Collier, 
 Hawes,  and  Spinckes,  to  a  nominal  Epifcopate.  It 
 might  have  been  expedled  that,  profefTing  a  zealous 
 attachment  to  the  facred  caufe  of  unity,  they  would  be 
 ready  to  forego  fomething  of  their  own  will  to  maintain 
 it.  But  manifold  experience  fhows  that,  in  the  infinite 
 diverfities  of  theological  opinion,  unity  is  not  to  be 
 found  on  earth.  Hickes,  Collier,  and  the  others,  now 
 began  to  fee  that  "The  Order  of  adminiftration  of  the 
 Holy  Communion "  in  the  Church  of  England  was 
 faulty,  as  it  differed  from  the  firft  Book  of  Edward  6th, 
 and  was  not  in  accordance  with  primitive  ufage.  They 
 would,  therefore,  reftore  the  Mixed  Cup,  the  Prayer 
 for  the  Dead,  the  Invocation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon 
 the  facramental  Elements,  and  the  Prayer  of  Oblation 
 to  exprefs  that  the  Eucharift  is  a  Proper  Sacrifice. 
 
 Hickes  fhortly  afterwards  died,  and  Collier  took  the 
 lead :  but  his  views  of  the  Communion  Office  were 
 
17  lo]    .  Bijh Op  of  Bath  and  Wells.         491 
 
 oppofed  by  his  two  brother  Bifhops,  Hawes  and 
 Spinckes, — alfo  by  Gandy,  Taylor,  and  Bedford,  who 
 afterwards  were  confecrated  to  the  Non-juring  Epifco- 
 pate.  On  the  other  hand  he  was  fupported  by  Brett, 
 the  Scotch  Bifhop  Campbell,  and  others.  To  main- 
 tain the  foundnefs  of  his  views.  Collier  publifhed  a 
 book,  entitled  "  Reasons  for  reftoring  fome  prayers 
 in  the  Communion  fervice."  This  was  anfwered  by 
 "  No  fufficient  Reasons  for  reftoring,"  &c.  Then 
 came  a  "  Defence  of  the  Reasons."  After  that,  "  No 
 neceffity  to  alter  the  Common  Prayer,  being  a  full 
 Anfwer  to  the  ^  Reasons,'  "  &c.  Then  followed 
 "  The  neceffity  to  alter  the  Common  Prayer,  being  a 
 Reply  to  the  *  No  Neceffity, '  with  a  Vindication  of 
 the 'Reasons,'  and  *  Defence,' "  &c.  And  ftill  the 
 feries  proceeded  with  no  fettlement  of  the  queftion  in 
 difpute. 
 
 The  works  of  learned  Mr.  Thomas  Brett,  who  had 
 already  entered  the  lifts,  are  of  extreme  intereft.  In 
 order  to  prepare  his  readers  for  his  arguments  in  fa- 
 vour of  the  reftored  ufage  of  Edward  6th,  he  embodied 
 in  his  work  copies  of  all  the  ancient  Liturgies,*  begin- 
 ning with  the  Clementine,  which  was  prior  to  the 
 Council  of  Nicaea.  Though  he  very  fully  expofes  the 
 innovations  of  the  Roman  Miffiil  on  the  primitive  of- 
 fice, he  did  not  efcape  the  imputation  of  Popery.  The 
 fame  charge  was  made  againft  Collier,  with  as  little 
 foundation.  It  is,  indeed,  difficult  to  fay  of  what  com- 
 
 *  Colleftion  of  the  different  Liturgies,  with  a  Diifertation  upon 
 them.  1720,  4to.  A  Differtation  on  the  principal  Liturgies  ufed 
 by  the  Chriilian  Church  in  the  celebration  of  the  Eucharift.  1720, 
 8vo. 
 
49^  L,ife  ^j/' Thomas  Ken,         [17 lo 
 
 munion  they  were :  they  denounced  the  Roman,  and 
 difavowed  the  AngHcan, — publifhed  their  own  Service- 
 book,  and  at  length  ifTued  a  prohibition  againfl  hold- 
 ing communion  with  any  who  adhered  to  the  "  Book 
 of  Common  Prayer."  Having  already  thrown  off 
 their  allegiance  to  the  Englifh  Church,  it  was  natural 
 they  fhould  difregard  her  Liturgy  ;  nor  can  we  be  fur- 
 prifed  that  they  ended  in  denying  her  Catholicity.  The 
 Book  of  Prayer  is  part  of  her  order  of  difcipline,  as 
 well  as  an  expofition  of  dodrine,  and  without  difci- 
 pline no  community,  whether  ecclefiaftical,  or  fecular, 
 can  maintain  unity  or  life.  If  every  Prieft,  according 
 to  his  own  views  and  judgment,  may  fet  up  his  stand- 
 ard of  miniftrations,  where  is  to  be  drawn  the  limit  of 
 conformity  ? 
 
 The  hiftory  of  thefe  later  nonjurors  fhows  the  in- 
 confiftencies,  to  which  men  may  be  involved  by  a 
 yearning  after  a  partial  reftoration  of  antiquity.  Be- 
 ing alien  from  the  Church  of  England,  and  fincerely 
 oppofed  to  the  errors  of  Rome,  they  fought  a  refuge 
 from  their  felf-impofed  ifolation  in  the  arms  of  the 
 Greek  Church.  No  part. of  Mr.  Lathbury's  work  is 
 more  interefting  than  his  detailed  account  of  their  ne- 
 gociations  with  the  Patriarchs,  and  Bifhops  of  the  Eaft, 
 in  the  hope  of  effeding  an  union.  It  is  clear,  through- 
 out, that  the  only  terms  on  which  the  Greek  Church 
 would  receive  them  into  communion,  were  thofe  of 
 perfed  conformity  to  the  dodlrines  and  ritual  of  the 
 Eaft.  The  Patriarchs  defignate  the  opinions  of  the 
 "  Suffering  Catholic  Bijhops  of  the  old  Conftitution  of 
 Britain^  (as  the  nonjurors  ftyled  themfelves)  relative 
 to  the  Eucharift,  as  blafphemous,   being  oppofed  to 
 
lyio]      Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         493 
 
 Tranfubftantiatlon."  *  They  require  them  to  receive 
 confecration  at  their  hands  ;  and  as  to  their  propofal 
 for  the  adoption  of  the  Liturgy  of  King  Edward  the 
 6th,  they  reply,  that  "  the  Oriental  orthodox  Church 
 acknowledges  but  one  Liturgy,  the  fame  which  was 
 delivered  down  by  the  Apoftles,  but  written  by  the 
 firft  Bifhop  of  Jerufalem,  James,  the  brother  of  God, 
 and  afterwards  abbreviated,  upon  account  of  its  length, 
 by  the  great  Father  Bafil,  and  afterwards  again  epito- 
 mized by  John,  the  golden-tongued  Patriarch  of  Con- 
 ftantinople,  which  from  the  times  of  Bafil,  and  Chryf- 
 oftom,  until  now,  the  oriental  orthodox  Church  receives, 
 and  ufes  every  where,  and  by  them  adminifters  the  Un- 
 bloody Sacrifice  in  every  Church  of  the  orthodox.  It 
 is  proper  therefore  that  they  who  are  called  the  *  rem- 
 nant of  primitive  piety  '  fhould,  when  they  are  united 
 to  us,  make  ufe  of  thofe,  that  in  this  point  alfo  there 
 may  be  no  difcord  between  us ;  but  that  they,  as  well 
 as  we,  fhould  on  proper  days  officiate  by  the  Liturgy 
 of  St.  Bafil,  and  daily  by  that  of  St.  Chryfoftom."  f 
 
 The  nonjurors  objedled  to  Tranfubfi:antiation,  the 
 Seven  Sacraments,  the  Invocation  of  the  Virgin,  Saints, 
 and  Angels,  and  to  receiving  the  Seven  General  Coun- 
 cils as  of  equal  authority  with  the  Scriptures,  "  for 
 they  could  not  believe  the  Fathers  of  thofe  Councils 
 were  afiifted  by  an  equal  degree  of  infpiration  with  the 
 Prophets,  Evangelifls,  and  Apoftles.  And  as  to  the 
 Seventh  General  Council,  afiembled  at  Nice,  they 
 thought  themfelves  obliged  to  declare  that  they  could 
 
 *  Lathbury's  Hiftory  of  the  Nonjurors,  p.  325, 
 t  Ibid.  p.  322. 
 
494  ^^f^  ^Thomas  Ken,         [1723 
 
 not  afTent  to  the  giving  even  the  worfhip  'Dulia  to 
 Angels  or  departed  Saints."  The  Patriarchs  replied 
 to  the  Nonjurors,  that  thefe  difagreements  were  "  not 
 to  be  wondered  at,  for,  being  born  and  educated  In  the 
 principles  of  the  Lutheran  Calvimfts^  and  pofTefTed 
 with  their  prejudices,  they  tenacloufly  adhere  to  them, 
 like  Ivy  to  a  tree,  and  are  hardly  drawn  off."  * 
 
 At  length,  In  1723,  after  a  long  and  Interrupted 
 correfpondence,  the  Patriarch  fent  their  ultimatum,  as 
 the  refult  of  a  Synod  of  the  Greek  Church.  They 
 ftate  that  ''  their  dodlrlnes  had  been  decided  upon,  and 
 that  It  is  neither  lawful  to  add  anything  to  them,  nor 
 take  anything  from  them  :  thofe  who  are  difpofed  to 
 asree  with  us  In  the  divine  dodlrines  of  the  orthodox 
 faith  mufl:  neceffarily  follow,  and  fubmit  to,  what  has 
 been  defined,  and  determined  by  ancient  Fathers,  and 
 CEcumenical  Synods,  from  the  time  of  the  Apoftles, 
 and  their  holy  Succeflbrs,  the  Fathers  of  our  Church, 
 to  this  time.  We  fay,  they  muft  fubmit  to  them  with 
 fincerlty  and  obedience,  and  without  any  fcruple  or 
 difpute.  And  this  Is  a  fufficlent  anfwer  to  what  you 
 have  written."  The  letter  was  figned  by  the  four  Pa- 
 triarchs, and  feveral  archblfhops  and  bifhops,  dated 
 September,  1723  ;  and,  that  there  might  be  no  miftake 
 as  to  what  '*  the  Catholic  Remnant  of  Great  Britain  " 
 were  to  adopt,  they  enclofed  an  Expolitlon  of  the  Or- 
 thodox Faith  of  the  Eaftern  Church,  agreed  upon  in 
 a  Synod,  called  the  Synod  of  Jerufalem  in   1672.  f 
 
 *  Lathbury's  Hiftory  of  the  Nonjurors,  p.  324. 
 
 -}-  Ibid,  p.  350.  In  the  courfe  of  this  correfpondence  the  Pa- 
 triarchs of  the  Eaft  are  not  fparing  in  their  cenfures  of  the  "  Pope  of 
 Rome ; "  they  defcribe  him  to  be  "  deceived  by  the  devil,  and  fall- 
 
1723]       Bifhop  of  Bath  a7id  Wells,        495 
 
 So  ended  the  propofal.  It  feems  flrange  that  a  hand- 
 ful of  Englifh  Divines,  having  no  jurifdidlion  in  any 
 portion  of  the  Church  CathoHc,  fhould  for  a  moment 
 entertain  the  projedt  of  binding  to  their  own  views  the 
 Patriarchs,  Archbifhops,  and  Bifhops  of  "  all  the  Ori- 
 ental Churches  of  the  orthodox  Greeks,  Ruffians,  Ibe- 
 rians, Arabians,  and  many  other  orthodox  nations." 
 But  they  had  worked  themfelves,  ftep  by  ftep,  to  the 
 full  perfuafion  that  theirs  was  the  true  ftandard  of  the 
 orthodox,  and  Catholic  Faith.  And  though  that  ftan- 
 dard  had  but  lately  been  adopted  by  themfelves,  they 
 now  felt  it  neceflary  that  all  other  minds  fhould  follow 
 on  the  fame  track,  to  the  fame  point,  and  no  further. 
 Hov/ever  miftaken  might  be  this  remnant  of  the 
 party,  it  is  impoffible  not  to  reverence  the  nonjurors, 
 as  a  clafs.  They  do  honour  to  the  Englifh  charadler  : 
 they  endured  the  lofs  of  all  temporal  benefits  in  the 
 caufe  of,  what  feemed  to  them,  neceffary  truth.  The 
 extent  of  their  learning,  far  beyond  that  of  after-times, 
 their  fervent  piety,  unbending  courage,  and  felf-facri- 
 fice,  filed  a  luftre  on  their  names.  In  the  fpirit  of  the 
 primitive  Chriftians  they  were  prepared  to  fufFer  all 
 
 ing  into  ftrange  novel  do6lrines,  as  revolted  from  the  unity  of  the 
 holy  Church,  and  cut  off,  toffed  at  a  diftance  with  conftant  waves 
 and  tempeft,  till  he  return  to  our  Catholic,  Oriental,  immaculate 
 faith,  and  be  reinftated  from  whence  he  was  broken  off."  They  de- 
 clare "  the  Purgatorial  fire  to  have  been  invented  by  the  Papifls  to 
 command  the  purfe  oi  the  ignorant,  and  we  will  by  no  means  hear 
 of  it.  For  it  is  a  fiftion,  and  a  doting  fable,  invented  for  lucre,  and 
 to  deceive  the  fimple,  and,  in  a  word,  has  no  exiflence  but  in  the 
 imagination.  There  is  no  appearance  or  mention  of  it  in  the  Holy 
 Scriptures,  or  Fathers,  whatfoever  the  authors  or  abettors  of  it  may 
 clamour  to  the  contrary." 
 
496  Z///'^  (j/' Thomas  Ken,         [1723 
 
 extremities  in  defence  of  Catholic  principles  :  and  this 
 in  an  ultra-Proteftant  age,  when  a  falfe  liberalifm  be- 
 ftowed  on  each  man  the  right  to  fhape  immutable  truth 
 to  his  own  reception. 
 
 The  Hiftory  of  the  early  Martyrs,  and  ConfefTors, 
 comes  down  to  us,  hallowed  by  the  remotenefs  of  their 
 age :  feen  through  the  long  vifta  of  centuries,  they 
 are  grand  and  venerable  in  our  eyes.  Yet  they  were 
 feeble,  and  poor,  and  of  mean  appearance  :  it  was  that 
 within  which  ennobled  them  ; — their  difregard  of  felf, 
 immoveable  ftedfaftnefs  of  purpofe,  the  bright  vifions 
 of  faith,  that  led  them  to  dare  all  for  the  love  of  God. 
 It  was  their  fenfe  of  the  dignity  of  things  fpiritual,  as 
 a  depofit  in  their  hands,  beyond  the  wealth  of  king- 
 doms, which  makes  them  illuftrious.  Thus  it  was,  in 
 their  very  humble  fphere,  with  the  defpifed  company 
 of  Nonjurors :  and  fo  long  as  our  literature,  and  our 
 records  remain,  how  poor  and  fmall  will  party  writers, 
 controverfialifts,  and  hiftorians  appear  by  the  fide  of 
 the  devoted  band,  whom  they  have  derided  for  their 
 much-tried  endurance.  To  all  who  love  the  Church 
 of  England,  Ken,  and  his  fellow-fuiferers,  will  be  cheer- 
 ing lights  to  the  irrefolute, — guiding  beacons  to  the 
 courageous,  in  the  facred  caufe  of  Truth. 
 
lyio]      BiJJjop  of  Bath  and  IFells,         497 
 CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
 
 Ken's  lojl  Skknefs^— Deaths— and  Burial.      Conclufion. 
 
 'HE  Nonjurors  continued  to  debate  on 
 Ken's  laft  public  ad.  Some  thought  his 
 refignation  "a ftrange  humour," — a com- 
 promife,  —  the  abandonment  of  a  noble 
 pre-eminence,  as  the  fole  remaining  canonical  Bifhop 
 in  England.  They  would  have  him  declare  againft 
 the  whole  national  Church,  as  a  fecefTion  from  the  true 
 Catholic  faith.  By  others  he  was  more  than  ever  re- 
 vered, for  that  they  could  now  confcientioufly  attend  the 
 public  ordinances,  without  fear  of  fchifm.  Himfelf, 
 meanwhile,  was  agonized  with  conftant  paroxyfms  of 
 pain,  which  "  was  his  familiar  grown,"  haunting  him 
 day  and  night.*  Death  had  marked  him  for  his  own : 
 or,  to  fpeak  more  truly,  God  was  gracioufly  pleafed  to 
 intimate  to  him  that  he  fhould  be  gathered  into  His 
 kingdom,  and  reft  with  the  eled.  We  cannot  bear  to 
 dwell  on  this  laft  fufFering  year  of  his  eventful  life. 
 The  Hot  Wells  of  Briftol,  and  of  Bath,  and  all  the 
 remedies  of  the  phyficians,  ferved,  as  he  fays,  rather 
 to  irritate  than  relieve  the  "  anguors,  "  of  more  than 
 one  fatal  complaint.  Wherefoever  he  went,  whatever 
 he  did,  he  bore  about  with  him  a  living  death.    . 
 
 Deeply  afFeding  are  thofe  ^^ Anodynes^  or  Alleviations 
 of  Pain,''  and  "Preparations  for  Death,"  in  his  volumes 
 
 *  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  iii.  p.  457. 
 K   K 
 
498  Life  (^Z' Thomas  Ken,         [ly'^o 
 
 of  poetry  :  for  they  reveal  an  intenfity  of  unmitigated 
 pains,  endured  with  all  Chriftian  meeknefs  in  fubmif- 
 five,  but  anxious,  hope  and  expedlancy  of  his  releafe. 
 Writing  and  finging  hymns  were  his  chief  folace:  they 
 turned  his  moanings  into  "  foft  penitential  fighs,"  his 
 tears  to  the  meeknefs  of  love ; 
 
 "  Ejaculations  Heav'n-ward  fent. 
 Procure  fweet  eafe,  and  forrow  vent. 
 Why  fhould  I,  then,  my  pains  decline, 
 Inflifted  by  pure  Love  divine  ? 
 Let  them  run  out  their  deftin'd  courfe. 
 And  fpend  upon  me  all  their  force  ; 
 Short  pains  can  never  grievous  be. 
 Which  work  a  bleft  Eternity."  * 
 
 "  Though  on  my  cheerful  wires  I  play. 
 
 And  fing  feventimes  a-day. 
 My  love  fhall  ever  keep  on  wing, 
 Inceflantly  fhall  Heav'n-ward  fpring ; 
 Love  the  beloved  ftill  keeps  in  mind. 
 Loves  all  day  long,  and  will  not  be  confin'd."  f 
 
 He  had  long  fince  expreffed  how  entirely  he  felt 
 loofened  from  the  world,  "  fo  that  I  have  now  nothing 
 to  doe  but  to  think  of  eternity,"  or,  as  he  elfewhere 
 expreffes  it, 
 
 "  Have  nought  to  do  but  pray,  and  love,  and  die^X 
 
 That  word,  which  to  the  natural  man  founds  awfully, 
 awakened  thoughts  of  freedom  to  Ken,  longing  for 
 heavenly  blifs. 
 
 "  Though  Death,  the  King  of  Terrors  ftil'd. 
 Frights  fouls,  while  here  from  Heav'n  exil'd, 
 
 *  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  iii.  p.  423.  f  Ibid,  iii.  p.  476. 
 
 X  Ibid.  vol.  iv.  p.  157. 
 
17  lo]      Bijhop  of  Bath  a?id  Wells.         499 
 
 He's  but  a  defpicable  thing, 
 
 A  petty  tributary  King. 
 
 Souls  who  in  God  benign  confide. 
 
 Have  the  Almighty  on  their  fide."  * 
 
 He  fpeaks  with  grateful  affedion  of  friends  who 
 fympathize  in  his  fufferings  ;  but  all  their  counfels,  all 
 their  comforts,  are  vain.  Then  he  turns  to  Jefus, 
 whofe  mercies  fweetly  invite  him  to  repent,  who  re- 
 ceives him  in  His  arms,  and  cancels  all  the  debt 
 againft  him.  To  Jefus  he  difclofes  all  his  wants,  and 
 repofes  on  His  boundlefs  love,  which  foftens  the  rude 
 anguifh  of  his  trembling  frame.  He  now  exprefles 
 himfelf  more  than  ever  confcious  how  near  to  him  are 
 the  glories  of  the  (piritual  world  :  angels  and  faints 
 feem  to  herald  the  meffage  of  his  releafe  ;  already  'twas 
 but  a  flight  veil  which  feparated  them  from  view.  A 
 bleffed,  near  invisible — radiant,  though  unfeen,  to  all 
 who  are  not  dull  of  underflanding  :  for  it  fliines  like 
 mid-day  to  the  fouls  of  believers. 
 
 "  No  language  can  reveal 
 The  pleafing  trance  which  now  I  feel. 
 My  eafe,  my  fleep,  ftrange  tranfports  feem  ; 
 Of  everlafting  joys  I  dream  ; 
 
 Congratulate  the  bleft. 
 And  long  to  fhare  in  Heavenly  Reft."  &c. 
 
 And  again, 
 
 "  Heaven's  joys  in  miniature  I  fee. 
 From  pain  when  a  few  moments  free ; 
 
 Methinks  I  am  entranc'd 
 Into  initial  blifs  advanc'd. 
 
 And  big  with  Hymn  I  glow. 
 Wrapt  blifsfully  with  God  below  : 
 From  thence  I  guefs  th'  immenfe  delight 
 Of  the  eternal  beatifick  fight." 
 
 *  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  iv,  p.  75. 
 
500  Zy//^  (j/' Thomas  Ken,  [1710 
 
 That  he  might  keep  the  thought  of  death  fixed  and 
 familiar,  "  he  had  travelled  for  many  years  with  his 
 Shrowd  in  his  portmantua,  which  he  often  faid,  ^  might 
 he  as  foon  wanted  as  any  other  of  his  habiliments.' "  * 
 His  purpofe  alfo  was  to  prevent  any  expofure  of  his  per- 
 fon  after  death.  There  was  a  fentiment  in  this,  deeper 
 than  common,  and  in  harmony  with  his  charadler. 
 Through  life  he  had  dedicated  his  virgin  body  to  God; 
 fo  in  death  he  would  have  it  configned  to  the  earth 
 with  a  modeft  referve,  as  fomething  entitled  to  honour: 
 it  was  the  "  feat  of  the  foul,"  the  temple  of  the  Holy 
 Ghoft,  which  had  fo  often  partaken  of  the  holy  Ele- 
 ments, and  fhould  hereafter  be  raifed  a  glorified  body, 
 and  re-united  to  its  kindred  fpirit ; 
 
 "  Though  foul  and  flefh  fhall  parted  be. 
 They'll  meet  in  bleft  Eternity."  f 
 
 There  are  feveral  pafTages  in  the  Poems  exprefiive 
 of  this  feeling ; 
 
 The  RefurreHion. 
 "  Great  day,  to  mortals  kept  unknown. 
 When  the  Arch- Angel  from  the  Throne 
 Shall  on  his  radiant  wings  appear. 
 And  hov'ring  o'er  this  lower  fphere. 
 His  trumpet  blow,  whofe  mighty  found 
 Shall  undulate  the  globe  around. 
 All  fep'rate  fouls,  where'er  they  dwell. 
 In  the  Out-courts  of  Heaven  or  Hell, 
 Soon  as  they  hear,  fhall  fummons  have 
 To  fly  to  each  appropriate  Grave, 
 And  their  corporeal  form  refume. 
 To  wait  their  everlafting  doom."  J 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  44. 
 
 t  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  iv.  p.  47.  %  Ibid. 
 
1 7 1  o]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         5  o  i 
 
 In  his  ^'■Preparatives  for  Death,""  we  have  a  clear 
 expofition  of  this  fcriptural  do(5trine  of 
 
 The  State  of  Separation. 
 
 which  Is  the  title  of  one  of  thofe  poems.  The  body, 
 he  fays,  diflblves  to  earth  from  whence  it  fprung, — the 
 foul  returns  to  its  Maker. 
 
 '*  And  there  God  on  the  Soul  will  fhine. 
 Some  Manfion  for  her  will  affign  ; 
 While  all  the  fep'rate  Souls  in  blifs 
 Salute  her  with  a  peaceful  kifs. 
 And  a  triumphant  hymn  begin 
 For  her  efcape  from  woe,  and  fin. 
 
 "  Yet  faithful  Souls  are  but  half  bleft. 
 Till  glorious  bodies  them  inveft ; 
 They  live  in  acquiefcence  fweet. 
 Till  they  have  happinefs  compleat. 
 Would  not  compleatly  happy  be. 
 Till  God  the  moment  fliall  decree. 
 
 "  Saints  thus  Celeftial  joys  foretafte. 
 And  when  their  vital  fpirits  wafte. 
 While  gently  death  lays  flefli  afleep. 
 Their  fouls  celeftial  vigils  keep  ; 
 They  Jefus  fee,  they  hear  his  voice. 
 They  wakefully  love — hymn — rejoice."  * 
 
 The  Saints  with  Jefus. 
 
 "  Soul,  when  your  flefh  diflblves  to  duft. 
 To  God's  fafe  hands  yourfelf  entruft ; 
 Be  not  too  curious  to  enquire. 
 
 Where  to  afpire. 
 
 *  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  iv.  p.  91. 
 
502  Life  of  Thom3.s  Ken,         [1710 
 
 "  Whether  to  Paradife  you  fly. 
 Or  in  blefs'd  Abram's  bofom  lye. 
 Or  to  that  orb  your  flight  you  raife. 
 
 Where  Enoch  Hays. 
 
 "  Or  to  the  third  Celeftial  fphere. 
 Where  wonders  Paul  was  wrapt  to  hear. 
 Or  Hades  blefs'd,  where  fouls  Eleft 
 Full  blifs  expedl. 
 
 "  Blefs'd  Jefus,  bound lefs  blifs  divine. 
 On  you  in  miniature  will  fliine. 
 Glory  for  glory,  beam  for  beam. 
 
 Will  on  you  flream."  * 
 
 One  more  "  Anodyne "  may  be  permitted  before 
 we  commit  his  body  to  the  grave. 
 
 "  O  had  I  wings  of  a  fwift  Dove, 
 That  hov'ring  in  expanfe  above, 
 
 I  might  fome  place  defcry, 
 
 Inllantly  thither  fly ; 
 Where,  I  abiding  in  fweet  refl:. 
 No  Pain,  no  forrow,  might  my  foul  infeft. 
 
 "  I  then  would  higher  foar,  and  caft 
 My  eyes  o'er  the  Ethereal  vaft  ; 
 
 One  place  is  in  my  thought, 
 
 O  were  I  thither  brought. 
 Though  my  frail  flefli  I  ftill  retain'd, 
 I  fliould  love  God,  fing  Hymns,  and  not  be  pain'd. 
 
 "  It  is  the  fphere  of  endlefs  day 
 Where  Enoch  and  Elias  flay  ; 
 
 Where  they  can  fin  no  more. 
 
 Where  they  great  God  adore  ; 
 There  at  their  facred  feet  I'd  kneel. 
 And  kindle  from  their  Hymns  celeftial  zeal. 
 
 *  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  iv,  p.  143. 
 
17  lo]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells,         503 
 
 "  I'll  never  envy  that  blefs'd  pair. 
 Saints  here  on  earth  like  blifs  may  fhare  ; 
 
 Saints  free  from  wilful  fin 
 
 Feel  the  like  joys  within  ; 
 And  while  they  copy  the  Lamb  flain, 
 God  fweetens  all  their  forrow  and  their  pain."* 
 
 With  thefe  thoughts  God  mercifully  prepared  His 
 holy  fervant  for  death.  He  had  lived  in  a  fpirit  of 
 poverty,  and  mortification  of  will,  ever  preparing  him. 
 felf  for  the  lafl:  hour  ;  and  when  that  hour  ftruck,  his 
 breathings  after  eternal  life  had  no  alloy  of  fear.  He 
 realized  the  beatitudes  of  his  loved  Saviour,  in  faith 
 of  His  precious  merits  alone  ;  "  Bleffed  are  the  poor  in 
 fpirit:  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Bleffed  are 
 the  merciful  :  for  they  fhall  obtain  mercy.  BlefTed  are 
 the  pure  in  heart :  for  they  fhall  fee  God." 
 
 And  where  was  he  to  die  }  he  had  fpent  the  fum- 
 mer  and  autumn  of  17 10  at  Briftol,  for  the  benefit  of 
 the  Hot  Well :  then  he  removed  to  Lewefton,  near 
 Sherborne,  in  Dorfetfhire,  "  a  feat  belonging  to  the 
 Hon^^^'  M*'^-  Thynne,  whofe  good  works  merited  his 
 refped;,  and  acknowledgement,  as  much  as  her  genero- 
 fity  attempted  the  relief  of  his  diftemper."  f  There 
 he  was  detained  many  months,  having  been  feized  with 
 a  dead  palfy  on  one  fide  of  him,  and  was  confined  to 
 his  chamber  till  the  middle  of  March,  171 1.  Then 
 he  refolved  to  try  once  more  if  he  could  obtain  relier 
 from  the  Bath  waters.  But  it  was  decreed  he  fhould 
 not  die  any  where  but  at  Long  Leat,  which  is  hallowed 
 by  his  name,  and  the  near  neighbourhood  of  his  grave. 
 
 *  Ken's  Poems,  vol.  iv.  pp.  442-3, 
 t  Hawkins,  p.  42. 
 
504  Life  of  Thomsis  Ken,         [lyn 
 
 What  place  fo  fitting  as  the  well-known,  much-loved, 
 refuge  of  his  laft  twenty  years  ?  It  was  the  beft  return 
 he  could  make  for  all  the  benefits  he  had  received  from 
 his  faithful,  enduring  friend,  Lord  Weymouth:  ''I 
 can  but  give  you  my  all — myfelf— my  poor  heart,  and 
 my  laft  bleffing." 
 
 Mrs.  Thynne  endeavoured  to  difluade  him  from 
 attempting  to  remove  ;  but  as  he  thought  himfelf 
 ftrong  enough  to  travel,  fhe  fent  him  in  her  coach  as 
 far  as  Long  Leat,*  where  he  had  no  fooner  arrived 
 than  he  was  fenfible  of  what  was  to  follow.  His  de- 
 fired  releafe  was  at  hand :  "  his  JJiroud  was  by  himfelf 
 put  on  by  way  of  prevention,  f  that  his  body  might 
 not  be  ftripp'd,  and  this  he  notified  to  thofe  about 
 him."  He  had  only  time  to  adjuft  fome  papers  :  pro- 
 bably many  of  ineftimable  intereft  were  committed  to 
 the  flames,  and  hence  the  few  memorials  that  remain 
 to  us.  Two  phyficians  attended  him  ;  Dr.  Mere- 
 wether  of  Bath,  and  Dr.  Bevifon  from  Devizes  :  the 
 fhort  notices  of  him  in  the  Diary  of  the  former  ihow 
 how  he  revered  him.  "  They  told  him,  in  anfwer  to 
 his  own  enquiry,  that  he  had  about  two  or  three  days 
 to  live :  his  only  reply  was,  God's  will  be  done, — his 
 ufual  exprefiion,  and  that  without  the  leaft  concern, 
 defiring  that  no  application  might  be  made  to  caufe 
 him  to  linger  in  pain. "J  He  told  them  "  he  had  no 
 reafon  to  be  afraid  of  dying,§  and  therefore  defired  they 
 would  tell  him  the  truth."     "  He  dozed  much  the  day 
 
 *  Nichols's  Literary  Anecdotes,  vol.  v.  p.  128. 
 
 t  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  44. 
 
 X  Dr.  Merewether's  Diary.     Bowles's  Life,  vol.  ii.  p.  267. 
 
 §  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p,  44. 
 
17^1]       Bijldop  of  Bath  and  Wells,       505 
 
 or  two  before  he  died  ;  and  what  little  he  fpake  was 
 fometimes  not  coherent,  which  (being  plied  with  opiates) 
 feem'd  to  be  rather  the  effed  of  dream  than  diftem- 
 per."  *  "  He  would  fain  have  given  his  fervant  a 
 meffage  for  Bifhop  Hooper,  but  could  not  make  him- 
 felf  underftood,  any  more  than  that  he  mentioned  his 
 befl  friend."!  ^^  doubt  the  dying  Prelate  aflbciated 
 with  the  thought  of  Hooper  the  remembrance  of  his 
 beloved  flock,  many  of  whom  he  had  trained  for  a 
 happy  reunion,  and  companionfhip  in  the  manfions  of 
 the  blefled.  Thither  his  foul  efcaped  on  the  19th  of 
 March,  1 7 1 1 . 
 
 He  had  defired  that,  wherever  he  might  die,  he 
 fhould  be  buried  "  in  the  Church  yard  of  the  neareft 
 Parifh  within  his  Diocefe,  \  under  the  eafl  window  of 
 the  Chancel,  jufl  at  fun  rifing,  without  any  manner  of 
 pomp  or  ceremony,  befides  that  of  the  Order  for  Bu- 
 rial in  the  Liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England,  *  " — 
 and  to  be  carried  to  the  grave  by  the  fix  pooreft  men 
 in  the  Parifh.§  He  diredted  that  a  plain  ftone  fhould 
 be  laid  over  him,  with  the  following  infcrlption  of  his 
 own  compofing ; 
 
 "  May  the  here  interred  Thomas,  late  Bifhop  oi  Bath  and  Wells, 
 and  uncanonically  deprived  for  not  transferring  his  allegiance, 
 have  a  perfedl  confummation  in  Blifle,  both  of  body  and  foul, 
 at  the  Great  Day,  of  which  God  Keep  me  alwaies  mindful."  || 
 
 *  Hawkins's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  45. 
 f  Prowfe  MS.  Life  of  Hooper. 
 
 X  This  was  "  Froome-Selwood,"  a  few  miles  from  Long  Leaf, 
 Horningfham  Church  not  being  within  the  Diocefe  of  Wells. 
 §  Nichols's  Literary  Anecdotes,  vol.  v.  p.  128. 
 II  Bowles's  Life  of  Ken,  vol.  ii.  p.  30. 
 
5o6  Ltfe  of  Thomd^s  Ken,         [171 1 
 
 He  would  have  had  his  very  epitaph  teach  the  paff- 
 ers-by  to  offer  up  a  holy  afpiration,  at  leaft,  if  not  a 
 prayer;  "  God  Keep  me  alwaies  mindful  of  the  Great 
 Day."  In  all  this  we  fee  that  he  died,  as  he  lived,  a 
 plain  humble  man.*  Chriftians  of  old  had  a  folemn  feel- 
 ing of  the  facrednefs  of  Churches  :  even  their  founders 
 thought  themfelves  fcarce  worthy  to  be  buried  within 
 the  Porch  of  the  fanduary,  dedicated  to  God's  honour. 
 So  Ken  would  fleep  in  the  Church  yard,  among  the 
 lowly  of  the  earth, ^  to  whom  he  had  preached  the 
 glad  tidings  of  a  better  hereafter.  He  had  dined  with 
 his  poor  ones  in  the  Palace  at  Wells ; — now  he  would 
 receive  the  lafl:  fervice  at  their  hands,  and  be  carried 
 by  them  to  the  grave,  which  levels  all  diftin6lions. 
 
 We  may  prefume  that  it  was  Lord  Weymouth  who 
 gave  diredions  for  the  fingular  monument  which  co- 
 vers the  remains  of  his  friend.  It  is,  as  Mr.  Mark- 
 land  defcribes,  "  an  iron  grating,  coffin  fhaped,  fur- 
 mounted  by  a  mitre  and  paftoral  ftaff,  touching  and 
 beautiful  in  its  chara6ler.":jl  In  Froome  Church,  near 
 to  the  fpot  where  he  himfelf  now  refts,  one  who  refem- 
 bles  his  early  friend.  Lady  Margaret  Maynard,  in  a 
 devout  and  charitable  life,  has  lately  placed  a  richly 
 painted  window  in  memory  of  his  Chriftian  graces.  And 
 is  the  poor  duft,  mouldering  beneath  yon  iron  grating, 
 
 *  Nichols's  Literary  Anecdotes,  vol.  v.  p.  128. 
 
 f  "The  poor,  whilft  living,  he  did  ne'er  defpife  ; 
 Among  the  poor,  now  dead,  he  humbly  lies." 
 
 Poem  on  the  death  of  Thomas  Kenn,  by  Mr.  Jofeph  Perkins,  the 
 Latin  Poet  Laureat. 
 
 I  Markland's  Life  of  Ken,  p.  112. 
 
1 7 1 1  ]       Bijhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.        5  07 
 
 all  that  remains  to  us  of  Bifhop  Ken  ?  Far  from  it : 
 he  has  left  us  his  example,  the  rich  legacy  of  a  holy 
 life.  By  this  he  points  our  way  to  the  Courts  of 
 Heaven.  In  this  he  yet  lives  to  us  ;  by  this  he 
 ftrengthens,  comforts,  fuftains,  and  guides  us,  if  we 
 will  be  followers  of  him,  as  he  was  of  Chrift.  From 
 his  pradical  teaching  of  a  long  and  changeful  life  we 
 may  learn  the  duties  of  our  allotted  fphere  ;  to  go  for- 
 ward in  quietnefs  and  confidence  ;  to  love  and  to  obey  ; 
 to  abound  in  alms-giving,*  and  to  be  faithful  to  the 
 Church  of  our  baptifm. 
 
 We  have,  moreover,  in  his  publifhed  works  a  lively 
 imprefs  of  the  fpirit  which  animated  him  while  on  earth. 
 They  are  comparatively  little  known  ;  and  the  prefent 
 unworthy  attempt  to  throw  light  on  his  character  is 
 
 *  In  the  moment  of  doling  our  volume,  one  who  has  a  fpecial 
 claim  to  admire  the  Bifhop's  charafler  brings  to  our  notice  two  ad- 
 ditional inftances  of  his  habitual  charity  to  the  poor,  and  difregard 
 for  his  own  rights,  when  oppofed  to  the  interefts  of  the  Church. 
 He  has  difcovered  them  in  Thomas  Hearne's  MSS.  Journals,  in  the 
 Bodleian. 
 
 "Jan.  I,  172I.  I  am  told  by  old  Mr.  N.  Cox,  the  Bookfeller,  who 
 was  once  a  Querifter  of  New  College,  at  leaft  went  to  fchool  there 
 when  a  boy,  that  he  remembers  Bp.  Ken  a  B.  A.  of  that  College, 
 and  that  he  was  even  then,  when  young,  very  pious  and  charitable, 
 and  ufed  always  to  have  fmall  money  to  give  away  conftantly,  as  he 
 walked  the  ftreets,  in  pence,  or  two-pences,  or  more  at  a  time,  as 
 he  fa w  proper  objefts." — Vol.  cvi.  p.  27. 
 
 "June  16,  1722."  (Speaking  of  Glaftonbury.)  "  I  am  told  the 
 impropriation  there  is  in  the  Bp.  of  Bath  and  Wells,  and  the  Church 
 ferved  by  a  Vicar  or  Curate  at  a  very  fmall  allowance.  That  Bp- 
 Ken  refolved  to  increafe  it  upon  renewing  with  his  Tenant ;  but 
 they  could  not  agree,  and  the  Tenant  tempted  him  often  with  the 
 Fine,  before  his  deprivation,  to  no  purpofe." — Vol.  xciv.  p.  132. 
 
5o8  Life  of  Thomas  Ken,         [1711 
 
 made  in  the  hope  of  leading  fome  to  a  clofer  ftudy  of 
 his  writings.  They  are  few  and  fhort — but  they  are 
 golden  all.  Many  writers  have  left  behind  them  folios 
 of  divinity,  hiftory  and  ethics  ;  rich  ftores  of  every 
 kind,  invaluable  records  of  truth,  depofitaries  of  learn- 
 ing, expofitions  of  dodlrine,  commentaries  on  Scrip- 
 ture, irrefragable  proofs  of  the  fure  foundations,  on 
 which  our  Chriftian  Faith  is  builded  up.  Out  of 
 thefe  we  draw,  as  occafions  ferve, — now  for  one  good 
 purpofe,  then  for  another  ;  and  we  cherifh.  the  names 
 of  the  authors  with  deferved  reverence.  But,  as  a  de- 
 votional writer,  Bifhop  Ken  ftands  among  the  very 
 firft ; — and  becaufe  prayer  is  the  key  to  unlock  Hea- 
 ven's gates,  his  works  are  fecond  to  few  in  importance 
 and  intereft.  "  Prayer,"  he  fays,  "  is  our  Treafury 
 where  all  bleiTmgs  are  kept,  our  Armoury  where  all  our 
 ftrength  and  weapons  are  ftored,  the  only  great  pre- 
 fervative,  and  the  very  vital  heat  of  Divine  Love." 
 
 And  laftly  he  has  bequeathed  to  us  in  his  Will  a 
 pledge,  which  in  this  wavering  age  is  of  ineftimable 
 value,  his  ever- memorable  teftimony  to  the  true  ortho- 
 dox, primitive,  and  Catholic  dodlrines  of  the  Church 
 of  England.  In  this,  and  for  this, — our  loved  Church, 
 — he  was  early  nurtured  :  he  devoted  all  the  energies 
 and  gifts  of  his  maturer  life  to  defend  her  integrity, — 
 in  his  advancing  years  he  facrificed  all  he  had  on  earth 
 to  be  a  ConfefTor  to  the  enduring  vitality  of  her  fpi- 
 ritual  nature ; — and  at  his  death  he  crowned  a  life  of 
 faithful  allegiance  to  her  by  a  declaration  of  Attach- 
 ment, which  ought  to  be  infcribed  in  the  hearts  of  all 
 her  true  children. 
 
17 1 1]      BiJIjop  of  Bath  a7td  JVells.       509 
 
 "  yf J  for  my  Religion^  I  die  in  the  Holy  Catholic  and 
 Apojiolic  Faith  J  profefs'd  by  the  whole  Church  be- 
 fore the  difunion  of  Eaji  and  Wefi :  more  particu- 
 larly I  die  in  the  Communion  of  y'  Church  of 
 England^  as  it  ftands  diflinguifhed  from  all  Pa- 
 pall  and  Puritan  innovations^  and  as  it  adheres  to 
 the  doEirine  of  the  Crojfe'' 
 
 If  at  any  time  men  of  tender  confciences,  in  their  af- 
 pirations  after  fome  ideal  perfedlion,  be  tempted  to 
 fwerve  from  their  obedience  to  the  Church  of  Eng- 
 land, let  them  ftudy  the  writings  of  humble,  fimple- 
 hearted,  ftedfaft,  Bifhop  Ken,  (ftedfaft,  becauje  humble, 
 and  fimple-hearted)  and  they  will  find  folid  arguments 
 to  preferve  them  from  "  widening  her  deplorable  di- 
 vifions,"  and  to  infpire  them  with  his  own  firm  refolves 
 to  "continue  ftedfaft  in  her  bofom,  and  improve  all 
 thofe  helps  to  true  piety,  all  thofe  means  of  grace,  all 
 thofe  incentives  to  the  love  of  God,"  which  He  has 
 mercifully  afforded  to  them  "in  her  Communion."* 
 
 Above  all  let  us  follow  him  into  his  clofet,  and  join 
 with  him  in  his  prayers.  They  are  fuited  to  all  ages, 
 — to  every  varying  circumftance  of  trial  or  of  need. 
 There  are  praifes  in  joy,  thankfgivings  for  mercies, 
 penitential  fighs  for  the  contrite,  breathings  of  faith 
 for  the  broken  and  afilided  heart, — afpirations  of  hea- 
 venly love  for  devout  fouls,  raifing  them  to  the  fpi- 
 ritual  vifion  of  the  glories  of  the  eternal  Throne.  They 
 are  fitted  for  every  hour,  and  for  every  place  :  we  may 
 ufe  them  as  we  walk  by  the  way,  as  we  rife  in  the 
 
 Pra6lice  of  Divine  Love,  p.  48. 
 
5IO  Ltfe  of  Thomas  Ken.  [1711 
 
 morning,  or  commit  ourfelves  to  fleep,  or  lie  wakeful ; 
 — as  we  travel,  as  we  dwell  at  home; — a  Companion 
 for  the  Altar,  and  a  Manual  of  devotions  to  keep 
 alive,  and  cherifh,  the  heavenly  influences,  imparted  to 
 us  in  the  Holy  Eucharift. 
 
 We  humbly  conclude  in  his  own  words,  often  ad- 
 drefled  to  thofe  who  differed  from  him,  "  may  god 
 
 KEEP  us  IN  HIS  HOLY  FEAR,  AND  MAKE  US  ALL  WISE 
 FOR   ETERNITY."       AMEN. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 A  B  &  C. 
 
BISHOP     KEN'S 
 
 MORNING,  EVENING  AND  MIDNIGHT 
 HYMNS, 
 
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Eve?tmg  Hymn,  515 
 
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5^7 
 THREE 
 
 HYMNS 
 
 BY  THE 
 
 Author  of  the  Manual  of  Prayers  for  the  ife  of  the 
 Scholars  <?/"  Winchefter  Colledge. 
 
 A  Morning  HTMN. 
 
 A  Wake  my  Soul,  and  with  the  Sun, 
 Thy  daily  ftage  of  Duty  run  ; 
 Shake  off  dull  Sloth,  and  early  rife. 
 To  pay  thy  Morning  Sacrifice. 
 
 Redeem  thy  mifpent  time  that's  paft, 
 Live  this  day,  as  if  'twere  thy  laft : 
 T'improve  thy  Talent  take  due  care, 
 Gainft  the  great  Day  thy  felf  prepare. 
 
 Let  all  thy  Converfe  be  fincere. 
 Thy  Conscience  as  the  Noon-day  clear ; 
 Think  how  all-feeing  God  thy  ways, 
 And  all  thy  fecret  Thoughts  furveys. 
 
 Influenc'd  by  the  Light  Divine, 
 Let  thy  own  Light  in  good  Works  fhine  : 
 Refled  all  Heaven's  propitious  ways. 
 In  ardent  Love,  and  chearful  Praife. 
 
 Wake  and  lift  up  thy  felf  my  Heart, 
 And  with  the  Angels  bear  thy  part. 
 Who  all  night  long  unwearied  fing, 
 Glory  to  the  Eternal  King. 
 
51 8  A  Morimig  HYMN. 
 
 I  wake,  I  wake,  ye  Heavenly  Choire 
 May  your  Devotion  me  infpire. 
 That  I  like  you  my  Age  may  fpend, 
 Like  you  may  on  my  God  attend. 
 
 May  I  like  you  in  God  delight, 
 Have  all  day  long  my  God  in  fight. 
 Perform  like  you  my  Makers  Will, 
 
 0  may  I  never  more  do  ill. 
 
 Had  I  your  Wings,  to  Heaven  I'd  flie, 
 But  God  fhall  that  defe6l  fupply. 
 And  my  Soul  wing'd  with  warm  defire. 
 Shall  all  day  long  to  Heav'n  afpire. 
 
 Glory  to  thee  who  fafe  haft  kept. 
 
 And  haft  refreftit  me  whilft  I  flept. 
 
 Grant  Lord,  when  I  from  death  ftiall  wake, 
 
 1  may  of  endlefs  Light  partake. 
 
 I  would  not  wake,  nor  rife  again, 
 Ev'n  Heav'n  it  felf  I  would  difdain  ; 
 Wert  not  thou  there  to  be  enjoy 'd. 
 And  I  in  Hymns  to  be  imploy'd. 
 
 Heav'n  is,  dear  Lord,  where  e'r  Thou  art, 
 O  never  then  from  me  depart ; 
 For  to  my  Soul  'tis  Hell  to  be. 
 But  for  one  moment  without  thee. 
 
 Lord  I  my  vows  to  thee  renew. 
 
 Scatter  my  fins  as  Morning  dew, 
 
 Guard  my  firft  fprings  of  Thought,  and  Will, 
 
 And  with  thy  felf  my  Spirit  fill. 
 
 Diredl,  controul,  fuggeft  this  day. 
 
 All  I  defign,  or  do,  or  fay  ; 
 
 That  all  my  Powers,  with  all  their  might, 
 
 In  thy  fole  Glory  may  unite. 
 
An  Evening  HYMN.  519 
 
 Praife  God,  from  whom  all  Bleflings  flow, 
 Praife  him  all  Creatures  here  below, 
 Praife  him  above  y'Angelic  Hoft, 
 Praife  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghoft. 
 
 An  Evening  HYMN. 
 
 GLory  to  thee  my  God,  this  night. 
 For  all  the  Bleflings  of  the  Light ; 
 Keep  me,  O  keep  me  King  of  Kings, 
 Under  thy  own  Almighty  Wings. 
 
 Forgive  me  Lord,  for  thy  dear  Son, 
 The  ill  that  I  this  day  have  done. 
 That  with  the  World,  my  felf,  and  Thee, 
 I,  e'r  I  fleep,  at  peace  may  be. 
 
 Teach  me  to  live,  that  I  may  dread, 
 The  Grave  as  little  as  my  Bed  ; 
 Teach  me  to  die,  that  fo  I  may 
 Triumphing  rife  at  the  laft  day. 
 
 0  may  my  Soul  on  thee  repofe. 
 
 And  with  fweet  fleep  mine  Eye-lids  clofe  ; 
 Sleep  that  may  me  more  vig'rous  make. 
 To  ferve  my  God  when  I  awake. 
 
 When  in  the  night  I  fleeplefs  lie, 
 
 My  Soul  with  Heavenly  Thoughts  fupply. 
 
 Let  no  ill  Dreams  difliurb  my  Refl:, 
 
 No  powers  of  darknefs  me  molefl:. 
 
 Dull  fleep  of  Senfe  me  to  deprive, 
 
 1  am  but  half  my  days  alive ; 
 
 Thy  faithful  Lovers,  Lord,  are  grieved 
 To  lie  fo  long  of  Thee  bereav'd. 
 
520  An  Evening  HYMN. 
 
 But  though  fleep  o'r  my  frailty  reigns, 
 Let  it  not  hold  me  long  in  chains, 
 And  now  and  then  let  loofe  my  Heart, 
 Till  it  an  Hallelujah  dart. 
 
 The  fafter  fleep  the  fenfe  does  bind. 
 The  more  unfetter'd  is  the  Mind ; 
 O  may  my  Soul  from  matter  free. 
 Thy  unvail'd  Goodnefs  waking  fee  1 
 
 O  when  fhall  I  in  endlefs  day. 
 
 For  ever  chafe  dark  fleep  away. 
 
 And  endlefs  praife  with  th'Heavenly  Choir, 
 
 IncefTant  fing,  and  never  tire  ? 
 
 You  my  bleft  Guardian,  whilft  I  fleep, 
 Clofe  to  my  Bed  your  Vigils  keep. 
 Divine  Love  into  me  inftil. 
 Stop  all  the  avenues  of  ill. 
 
 Thought  to  thought  with  my  Soul  converfe, 
 
 Celeftial  Joys  to  me  rehearfe. 
 
 And  in  my  {lead  all  the  night  long. 
 
 Sing  to  my  God  a  grateful  Song. 
 
 Praife  God  from  whom  all  BlefTmgs  flow, 
 Praife  him  all  Creatures  here  below, 
 Praife  him  above  y'Angelick  Hoft, 
 Praife  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghoft. 
 
521 
 
 A  Midnight  HYMN. 
 
 LOrd,  now  my  Sleep  does  me  forfake, 
 The  fole  pofleflion  of  me  take. 
 Let  no  vain  fancy  me  Illude, 
 No  one  impure  defire  intrude. 
 
 Bleft  Angels  !  while  we  filent  lie. 
 Your  Hallelujahs  fing  on  high, 
 You,  ever  wakeful  near  the  Throne, 
 Proftrate,  adore  the  Three  in  One. 
 
 I  now  awake  do  with  you  joyn. 
 To  praife  our  God  in  Hymns  Divine  : 
 With  you  in  Heav'n  I  hope  to  dwell. 
 And  bid  the  Night  and  World  farewell. 
 
 My  Soul,  when  I  fhake  off  this  duft. 
 Lord,  in  thy  Arms  I  will  entruft ; 
 O  make  me  thy  peculiar  care. 
 Some  heav'nly  Manfion  me  prepare. 
 
 Give  me  a  place  at  thy  Saints  ^z^t. 
 Or  fome  fall'n  AngeFs  vacant  feat ; 
 I'll  ftrive  to  fing  as  loud  as  they. 
 Who  fit  above  in  brighter  day. 
 
 O  may  I  always  ready  fi:and, 
 With  my  Lamp  burning  in  my  hand. 
 May  I  in  fight  of  Heav'n  rejoyce. 
 When  e'r  I  hear  the  Bridegroom's  voice. 
 
 Glory  to  thee  in  light  arraid. 
 Who  light  thy  dwelling  place  haft  made. 
 An  immenfe  Ocean  of  bright  beams. 
 From  thy  All-glorious  Godhead  ftreams. 
 
522  A  Midnight  HYMN. 
 
 The  Sun  in  its  Meridian  height. 
 
 Is  very  darknefs  in  thy  fight  : 
 
 My  Soul,  O  lighten,  and  enflarne. 
 
 With  Thought  and  Love  of  thy  great  Name. 
 
 Bled  Jefu,  thou  on  Heav'n  intent. 
 Whole  Nights  haft  in  Devotion  fpent, 
 But  I  frail  Creature,  foon  am  tir'd. 
 And  all  my  Zeal  is  foon  expir'd. 
 
 My  Soul,  how  canft  thou  weary  grow. 
 Of  Ante-dating  Heav'n  below. 
 In  facred  Hymns,  and  Divine  Love, 
 Which  will  Eternal  be  above  ? 
 
 Shine  on  me.  Lord,  new  life  impart, 
 Frefh  ardours  kindle  in  my  Heart ; 
 One  ray  of  thy  All-quickning  light, 
 Difpels  the  floth  and  clouds  of  night. 
 
 Lord,  left  the  tempter  me  furprize. 
 Watch  over  thine  own  Sacrifice, 
 All  loofe,  all  idle  Thoughts  caft  out. 
 And  make  my  very  Dreams  devout. 
 
 Praife  God,  from  whom  all  Bleffings  flow, 
 Praife  him  all  Creatures  here  below, 
 Praife  him  above  y'Angelick  Hoft, 
 Praife  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghoft. 
 
5^3 
 
 APPENDIX  C. 
 
 SoMERs  Tracts,  Vol.  viii.  p.  i8g. 
 
 TRUE  and  exafl  account  of  all  the  ceremonies 
 obferved  by  the  Church  of  Rome,  at  the  open- 
 ing, during  the  progrefs,  and  at  the  conclufion 
 of  the  next  approaching  Jubilee  in  the  year 
 1700.  Taken  and  tranflated  into  Englifh  from  the  Latin  ori- 
 ginal, printed  at  Rome,  by  order  of  the  Pope." 
 
 "  At  the  approach  of  the  Jubilee,  the  Popes  of  Rome  caufe 
 the  bill  of  Jubilee  to  be  publiftied  with  a  great  deal  of  pomp 
 and  magnificence.  This  ceremony  is  always  performed  on 
 Afcenfion  day^  in  the  great  portal  of  St.  Peter's  Church  in  the 
 Vatican  ;  where  for  this  purpofe  are  placed  two  rich  chairs, 
 from  whence  the  minifters  chofen  by  his  Holinefs,  read  with 
 a  very  loud  and  difl:in6l  voice,  the  Briefer  Bull  of  the  Jubilee 
 in  Italian  :  after  this  publication  four  feveral  copies  of  the  faid 
 Bull  are  affix'd  to  the  eaft,  fouth,  weft,  and  north  corners  of 
 the  city  of  Rome,"  &c. 
 
 *'  This  being  done.  Briefs  or  Letters  are  difpatched  to  all  the 
 Patriarchs,  Primates,  Archbifhops,  Biftiops,  and  other  Supe- 
 riours  of  all  the  Provinces  in  the  Kingdoms,  to  notify  the  ce- 
 lebration of  the  Jubilee,  and  to  exhort  the  Prelates  to  be  more 
 than  ordinary  zealous  in  their  duty  to  inftruil,  either  them- 
 felves,  or  by  their  minifters,  the  flocks  committed  to  their 
 care,  by  which  means  they  may  qualify  themfelves  to  obtain 
 the  happy  efFe6ls  of  the  approaching  Jubilee;  juft  as  the  Ju- 
 bilee, inftituted  by  Mofes,  according  to  God's  order,  was  pub- 
 liftied before  the  feventh  month  under  the  found  of  trumpets. 
 
 "The  folemnity  of  the  Jubilee  begins  upon  Chriftmas-Eve^ 
 juft  before  the  Vefpers^  by  a  ceremony  which  deferves  particu- 
 larly to  be  taken  notice  of,  which  is  the  opening  of  the  Holy 
 Gate.  For  the  better  underftanding  of  which,  it  is  to  be 
 known,  that  this  Holy  Gate  is  one  of  the  gates  of  St.  Peter's 
 
^24  Appendix  C. 
 
 Church  in  the  Vaticayi^  which  is  always  (hut,  nay,  even  bricked 
 up,  during  the  interval  betwixt  the  Jubilees,  which  always 
 begins  by  the  opening  of  this  gate. 
 
 "  After  dinner,  about  the  time  of  the  Vefpers  of  this  great 
 Eve,  a  moft  folemn  proceflion  is  made  at  which  affift  the 
 Ambafladors  of  foreign  princes,  then  refiding  in  Rome^  the 
 magifiirates  of  the  city,  all  the  Penitentiaries  and  Prelates  abi- 
 ding at  Ro?ne ;  all  the  Chapters,  Fraternities,  the  Roman  Cler- 
 gy, the  College  of  Cardinals,  and  the  Sovereign  Pontiff  in 
 perfon,  each  according  to  his  rank  and  quality.  Thus  they  go 
 in  Proceffion,  with  a  great  Crofs  before  them,  to  the  Chappel 
 of  the  Apoftolic  Palace,  where  the  whole  company  being  en- 
 tered, the  Holy  Father,  with  all  there  prefent,  fall  on  their 
 knees  before  the  Sacrament ;  in  the  mean  time  that  many 
 officers  are  employed  in  lighting  flambeaus  for  the  Cardinals 
 to  hold,  as  a  fign  of  joy.  Then  the  Pope  throws  fome  incenfe 
 upon  a  chafing-difh,  with  a  moft  profound  reverence  before 
 the  Altar ;  after  which  he  begins  the  Hymn;  Veni  Creator 
 Spir'itus^  which  is  continued  to  the  end  by  a  concert  of  mufic, 
 and  fung  diftinitly,  to  reprefent  the  Holy  Fathers  in  Limbo. 
 From  thence  this  proceffion  goes  on  in  the  fame  order  as  be- 
 fore, to  St.  Peter  s  Church,  being  followed  by  the  holy  Father 
 in  perfon,  who  is  carried  in  a  chair,  to  the  Holy  Gate.,  which, 
 as  well  as  all  the  reft,  is  kept  clofe  fhut  up.  Everybody  hav- 
 ing taken  his  place,  the  Holy  Father  gets  out  of  his  chair,  and 
 with  a  lighted  Wax-Taper  in  his  hand,  walks  up  three  fteps 
 to  another  chair,  placed  for  that  purpofe,  juft  by  the  Holy 
 Gate.  After  he  has  repofed  a  little,  he  arifes,  and  turning 
 himfelf  towards  the  Holy  Gate.,  he  knocks  with  a  Silver 
 Hammer  on  the  Holy  Gate.,  which  is  to  be  opened,  and  fings 
 likewife  three  feveral  times  the  following  verfes,  unto  which 
 the  muficians,  who  compofe  the  chorus,  anfwer  at  each  time. 
 
 V.   Aperite  m'lhi  port  as  'Jujlitice 
 
 Open  unto  me  the  Gates  of  Juftice. 
 R.   IngreJJus  in  eas  confitebor  Domino 
 
 When  I  am  entered,  I  will  praife  the  Lord. 
 .  V.  Introibo  in  Dottium  tuavi  Dotnine. 
 
 I  will  enter,  O  Lord,  into  thy  Houfe. 
 
Appefidix  C,  525 
 
 R.   Adoraho  ad  Te?nplu?n  SanSium  tuum  in  timore  tuo 
 I  will  adore  thee  in  thy  Fear  in  thy  Temple. 
 
 V.   Aperite  portas^  quonia?n  nohifcuin  Deus. 
 
 Open  the  Gates,  becaufe  the  Lord  is  with  us. 
 
 R.  ^ui a  fecit  Virtute?n  in  Ifrael. 
 
 Becaufe  he  has  made  known  his  Strength  in  Ifrael. 
 
 "Then  the  Pope  fits  down  in  his  chair  again  ;  and  fays  : 
 
 V.  D  amine  ex  audi  orationem  meam. 
 
 Lord  hear  my  prayer. 
 R.   Et  clamor  mens  ad  te  veniat. 
 
 Let  my  cry  reach  thy  Ears,  O  Lord. 
 
 "At  the  fame  inftant  that  the  Pope  goes  from  the  Holy  Gate 
 towards  his  chair,  the  mafons  begin  to  demolifti  the  wall 
 wherewith  the  Holy  Gate  had  been  bricked  up,  and  as  they 
 are  carrying  off  the  materials,  the  Pope  goes  on  thus ; 
 
 V.   Dominus  vobifcum. 
 
 The  Lord  be  with  you. 
 R.   Et  cum  Spiritu  tuo 
 
 And  with  thy  holy  Spirit. 
 
 OREMUS.      A^iiones  nojiras  quod  fuinus  Dornine^  etc. 
 
 "This  Prayer  being  done,  the  Chorus  fings  the  Pfalm  ; 
 
 Jubilate  Deo  omnis  terra ^fervite  Deo  in  latitid^  etc. 
 
 During  which  time  the  people  which  croud  up  as  near  as 
 they  can  to  the  rails,  and  the  Penitentiaries  in  their  facerdotal 
 veftments,  wafh  the  Head-piece,  Pofls,  and  the  Threfhold, 
 and  in  ftiort  the  Holy  Gate  with  Holy  Water  :  which  being 
 done,  the  Pope,  as  he  is  approaching  to  enter  the  Holy  Gate., 
 fays  the  following  verfes,  and  is  anfwered  by  the  Chorus  ; 
 
 V.   Hie  dies  quam  fecit  Dominus. 
 
 This  is  the  day  the  Lord  has  given  us. 
 R.   Exultemus.,  et  latemur  in  ea. 
 
 Let  us  rejoice  in  it. 
 V.  Beatus  populus  tuus^  Domine. 
 
 Happy  is  thy  people,  O  Lord, 
 
526  Appendix  C. 
 
 R.  ^ui  facit  yubilatlonem. 
 
 Which  enjoys  this  Jubilee 
 V,   Hcec  eji  porta  Domini 
 
 This  is  the  Gate  of  the  Lord. 
 R.  Jujii  intrabiint  per  eatn 
 
 The  righteous  are  to  enter  it. 
 V.   Doinine  exaudi  orationem  7neam 
 
 O  Lord  hear  my  prayer. 
 R.   Et  clamor  mens  ad  te  veniat 
 
 And  let  my  cry  reach  thy  ear. 
 V.   Dotninus  vobifcum 
 
 The  Lord  be  with  you 
 R.   Et  cutn  fpiritu  tuo. 
 
 And  with  thy  Spirit. 
 
 Let  us  pray. 
 
 "  O  Lord,  who  by  thy  fervant  Mofes^  didft  inftltute  among  the 
 Children  of  Ifrael  the  Jubilee  and  Year  of  Remiffion  :  grant, 
 through  thy  goodnefs,  to  us  who  have  the  honour  to  be  called 
 Thy  fervants,  to  commence  happily  this  prefent  Jubilee,  or- 
 dained by  thy  Authority  ;  and  in  which  it  has  been  thy  Will  to 
 fet  open  to  thy  people  in  a  moft  folemn  manner  this  Gate, 
 through  which  to  enter  into  thy  Temple,  to  offer  their  prayers 
 in  the  prefence  of  thy  divine  Majefty  ;  that  thereby  having 
 obtained  plenary  and  abfolute  Remiffion  of  all  our  fins,  we 
 may,  at  the  day  of  our  departure  out  of  this  world,  be  con- 
 dueled,  through  thy  mercy,  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  Heavenly 
 Glory,  through  Jefus  Chriji.   Amen. 
 
 "  This  prayer  being  ended,  a  Crofs  is  given  into  the  Pope's 
 hand,  who,  kneeling  down  in  the  Holy  Gate.,  fings  the  Te 
 Deum.  laudamu$^  ^r.,  and  afterwards,  as  he  is  entering  through 
 the  Gate,  the  Chorus  go  on  finging  Te  Do7ninum.  He  is  no 
 fooner  entered  through  the  Gate  into  the  body  of  the  church, 
 but  the  Chairmen,  clothed  in  red,  attending  for  that  purpofe, 
 take  him  up  in  a  Chair,  and  carry  him  flraightways  to  the  Great 
 Altar  of  the  Church  of  St.  Peter ;  where  being  fet  down,  he 
 arifes  out  of  the  chair,  and  after  fome  time  fpent  in  prayers  be- 
 fore the   Holy   Sacrament,  he  mounts  a  throne,  ere6fed  on 
 
Appe7idix  C.  527 
 
 purpofe  for  this  ufe,  and  begins  the  Vefpers,  which,  according 
 to  cuftom,  are  fung  for  the  P'eaft  of  the  Nativity  of  our 
 Saviour, 
 
 "  Having  entertained  you  fufficient  with  the  Holy  Gates,  and 
 the  ceremonies  belonging  to  them,  we  muft  alfo  take  a  fhort 
 view  of  thofe  tranfaclions  which  are  performed  in  the  city  of 
 Rome,  to  obtain  the  happy  end  of  the  Jubilee.  As  thofe  who 
 hope  to  reap  the  fruits  of  a  plenary  Indulgence,  muft  qualify 
 themfelves  for  it  by  many  a6ts  of  charity,  a  true  penitence, 
 and  other  good  works,  fo,  I  muft  needs  tire  the  readers  pa- 
 tience, if  I  fhould  pretend  to  give  an  exa£l  account  of  thofe 
 who  flock  from  all  parts  of  Rome,  to  make  their  Confeflions,  and 
 appear  before  the  higheft  tribunal  of  Penitence  ;  it  will  fuffice 
 to  fay,  that  both  day  and  night  all  the  Churches  of  that  great 
 City  are  filled  up  with  innumerable  multitudes  of  people,  who 
 offer  up  their  prayers  in  the  Prefence  of  God  Almighty.  I 
 may  fay  it  without  vanity,  that  there  is  no  ftreet,  no,  not  fo 
 much  as  a  by-lane,  in  this  vaft  City,  which  being  formerly  the 
 capital  Empire  of  the  world,  is  now  the  Capital  of  God's  King- 
 dom upon  Earth,  where  you  may  not  fee  moft  evident  marks 
 of  an  unfeigned  piety  ;  here  you  meet  thofe  who  make  it  their 
 whole  bufinefs  to  give  alms  to  the  poor,  with  fo  much  profu- 
 fion,  that  you  cannot  imagine  otherwife,  but  that  they  are 
 giving  away  all  they  have,  the  better  to  follow  Chrift  ;  others 
 you  may  obferve  to  beftow  moft  of  their  time  and  fubftance 
 in  giving  a  good  reception  to  thofe  Pilgrims,  who  come  from 
 all  the  corners  of  Chriftendom,  to  partake  of  the  happy  effefls 
 of  the  Jubilee.  You  will  meet  as  well  in  the  ftreets  as  in  the 
 churches,  vaft  numbers  of  both  fexes,  who  touched  with  re- 
 morfe  for  their  paft  crimes,  appear  in  miferable  drefs,  and  a 
 moft  abjecl  pofture  ;  fome  are  clad  In  long  coarfe  Gowns, 
 others  covered  only  with  Sack-Cloth,  fome  cover  their  hands 
 and  faces  with  Afhes,  others  knock  their  breafts  with  their 
 fifts  ;  many  there  are  who  tear  their  flefli  all  over  their  bodies 
 by  the  violence  of  the  Difcipline  ;  and  to  be  fliort,  there  is 
 fcarce  any  kind  of  mortification  invented  to  give  fatisfa6lion 
 to,  and  appeafe  God's  anger,  which  you  fee  not  put  in  pra6lice 
 at  that  time.     Neither  muft  you  imagine  that  thofe  Exercifes 
 
528  Appendix  C, 
 
 are  performed  by  private  perfons  only  ;  no,  you  will  lee  whole 
 Fraternities  and  Congregations,  compofed  of  a  confiderable 
 number,  who,  all  animated  by  the  fame  Spirit,  ftrive  to  excite 
 one  another  to  the  performance  of  them,  by  their  mutual  ex- 
 amples. Thus  you  may  behold  entire  Chapters  and  Colleges 
 of  Canons,  and  other  Societies,  enter  in  Proceffion  the  city  of 
 Rome ;  nay,  whole  parifhes,  with  their  Curates  at  the  head  of 
 them,  who  leave  their  habitations  to  pay  their  adoration  to  the 
 Lord,  and  his  Son  Jefus  Chriji  in  that  Church,  where,  as  it 
 may  be  faid,  God  has  eredled  his  Tabernacle,  and  honoured 
 it  with  his  particular  protection,  and  which  claims  a  Preroga- 
 tive before  others,  by  the  death  of  the  chief  of  the  Apoftles 
 and  his  fellow  Sufferer.  With  this  kind  of  people  you  fee  all 
 the  ftreets,  and  other  public  places,  of  this  vaft  City  crowded, 
 going  in  proceffion  from  one  Church  to  the  other,  fome  fmg- 
 ing,  others  fighing  and  fhedding  tears.  For  whilfl:  fome  are 
 bufy  finging  the  Litanies  and  Pfalms,  appointed  for  that  pur- 
 pofe,  others  ofter  their  prayers  with  their  eyes  faftened  to  the 
 ground,  and  when  they  approach  the  Churches,  efpecially  that 
 of  St.  Peter.,  you  may  fee  many  of  them  crawling  upon  the 
 ground  to  the  foot  of  the  altar,  where  they  continue  for  a 
 confiderable  time  in  faying  their  prayers." 
 
 After  this  follows  a  particular  account  of  fhutting  up  the 
 Holy  Gate  at  the  end  of  the  Jubilee  year,  which  is  on  the 
 following  Chriftmas  Eve.  The  Pope,  with  a  filver  trowel 
 gilt,  takes  mortar,  &c.,  and  with  great  ceremony  begins  the 
 operation  of  bricking  up  the  Holy  Gate,  which  is  not  to  be 
 opened  till  the  next  Jubilee  :  this  is  finifhed  by  others  in  the 
 Pope's  prefence  all  finging  in  chorus  : — Lauda  yerufalem  Do- 
 minum  Icetatus  fum  in  hisy^  iffc,  p.  196. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 C.   WHITTINGHAM,   CHISWICK. 
 
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