ECCLESIASTICAL
HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

The Church of the Revolution.

BY

JOHN STOUGHTON, D.D.

London:

HODDER AND STOUGHTON,

27 & 31, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.

MDCCCLXXIV.

UNWIN BROTHERS, PRINTERS.

It will be found that in this Volume I have assigned a large space tothe attempt at Comprehension in the year 1689—as it is a subject ofpresent interest, and because the proceedings connected with it havebeen but inadequately described. An examination of the Bill introducedfor the purpose to the House of Lords—a comparison of the Journalsof both Houses, whence it appears that another Bill of the same kindwas contemporaneously proposed in the House of Commons—the report ofthe proceedings of the Commissioners in 1689, published by order ofthe House of Commons in 1854—and a curious Diary preserved in Dr.Williams’ Library—together with other original sources of information,have enabled me to present a fuller, and, I hope, more accurate,account of that important but ineffective transaction than has hithertoappeared. As I believe the Lords’ Bill has never been printed, I havearranged for its insertion in the Appendix.

A large collection of Tracts in Dr. Williams’ Library, besidesthose in the British Museum and University Libraries—the TannerMSS. at Oxford—the Strype and other collections belonging to theSister University—and the Gibson Papers at Lambeth, have alsoafforded a[vi] number of new, if not important, illustrations touchingthe Nonjurors—the proceedings of Convocation—the Trinitariancontroversies—the social life of the Clergy—and the character of theNonconformist ministers.

I may add that in tracing the origin and progress of ReligiousSocieties during the reign of William III., I have received mostvaluable assistance from the respected Secretaries of the Society forPromoting Christian Knowledge, and the Society for the Propagation ofthe Gospel, who have favoured me with interesting extracts from theirearliest records.

My best thanks are also due to the Right Reverend the Bishop of Chesterfor a copy of the writ summoning Spiritual peers to Parliament.Sir John G. S. Lefevre, Clerk of the Parliaments, to whose usualcourtesy I am indebted for a copy of the Comprehension Bill—Mr.Thoms, the Librarian of the House of Lords—the Librarians at Oxford,Cambridge, and Lambeth—the Rev. T. Hunter, librarian of Dr. Williams’Library—and the Rev. D. Hewitt, of Exeter, have also laid me underobligations which I gratefully acknowledge.

I venture to add, that in this, as in my former volumes, I haveendeavoured to maintain an honest impartiality in the estimate ofcharacters and incidents, together with a firm attachment to my ownreligious and ecclesiastical principles. My aim throughout has been topromote the cause of truth and charity among Christian Englishmen.