CHAPTER III
This project
was first laid and afterwards carried on under the influence of two great
noblemen, who being uncles to the Queen, when the Government was on the
Revolution settled on King William her, expected to have had the chief stations
in it. The one would be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the other Lord Treasurer
of England but both failing of their expectations both grew malecontent hereon
and to express their disgust for this disappointment did let themselves all
that they were able to embarrass the Government in which they could claim no
share and the baffling of what was intended by this convocation was one of the
effects thereof.
For as
soon as the convocation was called, and those who were for answering the intent
of it, had expressed their desire of having Dr. Tillotson for the Prolocutor of
the lower house, these two noblemen resolved for the perplexing of the matter
to set up a competitor against him and having picked on Dr. Jane went on
purpose to Oxford to work him to their designs, who being then by reason of a
like disappointment as much malecontent as either of them, greedily went in, to
all they proposed. For the Prince of Oranges coming to Hungerford on his march
towards London he with three others went thither to him as from the University
of Oxford, to congratulate his coming, and offered him the plate of the
University for the carrying on of the ends of it, this the generous Prince
refused. However, Dr. Jane thinking he had merited sufficient by this
compliment to have whatsoever he should desire demanded the Bishoprick of
Exeter then void by the removal of Bishop Lamplough to the Arch Bishoprick of
York, but not succeeding herein because it had been before promised to the
Bishop of Bristill this sowrd him so fair that he ever afterwards became a
professed enemy to King William and his government as long as that Prince lived
and his conduct in this matter was no small instance hereof.
On the
opening of the convocation in King Henry 7th Chapel the Earle of Nottingham
having brought thither to them the Kings commission for their acting which is
above mentioned, with a gracious message also from his Majesty about it, the
first thing that fell under consideration was, to return an address of thanks
to his Majesty for both in order whereto a form was drawn up in the upper house
and sent down to the lower for the approbation, where it being disapproved of,
they proposed to address apart by themselves, in a form of their own, but that
this not being allowed of as being improper and unprecedented, the lower house
set themselves to mend the form sent them and after several debates and
conferences had about this matter for several days together, the address being
at length licked into that form, to which all agreed, it was present to his
Majesty at Whitehall on the 12th of December, but by this time it being clearly
discerned that much of majority part of the lower house were violently set
against making any alterations or amendments in the Liturgy which was the
matter that was next to be proposed to them, they were on the 19th adjourned to
the 24th of January following and so ended this convocation after it had set
about 10 days without doing anything in the matter for which they were called.
The last
thing attempted in the lower house was to fix their censure upon books
published at the first Meeting of the convocation concerning the natters to be
proposed to them for some of those whose opinion was against making any
alteration at al having published in two or three pamphlets what they had to
say against it, some pamphlets came forth on the other side in answer to them,
whereof one was written by Dr. Prideaux, it bears the title of A letter to a
friend relating to the present convocation at Westminster and met with so great
approbation that several thousands of them sold off within a fortnight after
its first publication, which very much angered the other side, and they having
discovered that Dr. Prideaux was the author of it, though no name was set
thereto, they would fain have fallen upon him with their censure for it, but
when the thing came to be debated, it being urged on the other side to begin
their censure on the pamphlets that were first published and this appearing so
reasonable a proposal, as not to be contradicted, for their evading of it they dropped
the whole matter, for this would hve effected their friends and to spare them,
they were content no further to prosecute those whom they reckoned their
adversarys.
Dr.
Prideaux having great expectations from this convocation, as hoping that many
things would be done therein for the advantage of the Church especially in
improving and amending the liturgy was much grieved at this unsuccessful
breaking up. It cannot be denied but that there are some defects in our present
liturgy, for there are whole offices wanting in it. as for the receiving of
converts, the reconciling of persistants, the preparing the condemned for their
deaths, the consecrating of Churches and some of those offices which are
established do not in all particulars answer their occasions for which they
were appointed, as particularly may be instanced in the office of the
Visitation of the sick, and it is justly objected that there are some
particulars in it which cannot always be truly said. In the office for the
burial of the dead, we express our hopes of the salvation of all we bury,
whereas we often bury Athiests and Deists and who have declared themselves such
in their last gasps, of whom there can be no hopes. In the litany we pray for
the keeping and strengthening of the King in the true worshipping of God
whereas it may happen that the King is in a false worship as was the case of
King James the 2nd. In the prayer for the parliament the King that reigneth
over us whoever he be is styled our most religious king, whereas it may happen
that we may have a King that hath no religion at all. as some say was the case
of King Charles the 2nd. And besides these, there are in the whole service many
other particulars that are objcted against especially by those that dissent
from us, which Dr. Prideaux thought might be much easier corrected than
defended. And where all those places which are in our liturgy with any justice
excepted against, corrected and amended and what is wanting therein supplied as
he hoped would have been done by this convocation, he doubted not but that all
our holy offices, would have been rendered so complete and unexceptionable,
that not only a large gate would have been opened for the dissenters to come
into us in the use of them. But also foreign churches of the Protestant
Communion might be induced to introduce them into their public assemblys of
religion and there unite in the same form of worship as well as in the same
faith with us.
There was
also provided a family book, to be authorised by this convocation the loss of
which Dr. Prideaux was much to lament, for it containing directions for family
devotions, with several forms of prayer for family worship every morning and
evening, suited to the different circumstances of the different familys in
which they were to be used, he hoped it might have been of great use, for the
restoring of family devotion again among us and thereby cause religion to
flourish all over our land, for families being lesser Churches of which the
national is the aggregate, the introducing of it into the parts is the only way
of making it to flourish in the whole.
Till the
breaking out of the Civil Wars in the year 1641 which proved destructive to all
order in religion as well as in all things else, family devotions were kept up
all over the nation, and God was addressed to and worshipped both morning and
evening by prayers to him, in every family, the master thereof where there was
no minister always officiating herein, such as were able composed forms of
their own, others most an end used those forms which are In the practice of
piety, a book much then in reputation, and thus it continued till in those
unhappy wars the puritanical party prevailing, they by overdoing that duty by
their long extemporary prayers, which were often stuffed with absurd cant and
downright nonsense, brought family prayer itself into disreputation with many,
who justly disliking such a nauseous and unsuitable way of addressing to God
Almighty, instead of reforming and avoiding the abuse, slipt into the contrary
extreme and omitted all praying at all with their family which especially
happened after the restoration of King Charles the 2nd. For Episcopary and the
Church being then again restored many to Court what was uppermost and express
their aversion to the sectarys who had till then reigned, carried the matter
too far and branded many things which the imputation of Phanaticism, only
because those people had used them in a phanatical manner, though in all other
respects, they were far enough from it and family prayer particularly was one
of them, and this induced many in compliance with the prevailing vogue to omit
their duty and there was another cause that derived its original from the same
time, which helped forward the same ill effect, for during the reign of the
said Sectaries in this land the common prayer being extravagently run down, it
was on the return of those times and the restoration of the Church as
extravagantly run up by those of the high Church, as if no other form of prayer
was to be used in familys as well as in Churches, but this only and this
growing in many to be the fashion in those times, the consequence hereof was,
that whereas these prayers are proper only to be read by men in orders, in many
of those familys of the gentry and nobility where there were no chaplains, the
duty became dropped and no prayers at all were had any longer in them, and from
hence It grew to be the fashion amongst many wholly to lay them aside without
being led by any other occasion into the omission. Dr. Prideaux being sensible
that the decay of family devotions among us was chiefly produced by these two
causes and that from hence proceeded that decay of true Christian piety which
is now all over this land, was very earnest for the publication of this Book,
as hoping it would in a great measure conduce to the removal of both these
causes of the evil and restore religion again in familys, without which it can
never be again restored in the nation.
Dr.
Prideaux having some years after the breaking up of this convocation an opportunity
of walking with Archbishop Tommison in his garden at Lambeth the Dr. pressed
upon hi* the publication of this book. The Archbishop was sufficiently
satisfied of the need there was of it and the great use it Might be of for the
restoring religion again among us, but thought it might be best done with the
concurrence of the convocation, which would make it to be received with the
greater authority and said that there were then some thoughts of speedily
calling one. This Dr. Prideaux earnestly advised him against, telling him that
till the clergy which constituted the lower house should be of suh a temper
that he might assure himself of a majority of them to concur with him, which
his Grace well knew that at that time he could not, the calling of a convocation
to meet and act, would be a dangerous thing, and conduce only to the further
dividing of the nation, which was then too much divided already, and so it
after proved when the experiment was made, Dr. Prideaux told the Archbishop
that he thought the Book would not want its effect if published by his
authority only, but agreed with his Grace in the opinion that it would be best
done with the concurrence of the convocation could it be safely had, which he
thought that it could not at that time, by reason of the great divisions that
were among the clergy and that spirit of opposition which then appeared in too
many of them against their superiors. This book hath since had the misfortune
to be lost. For in having been put into the hands of Dr. Williams, Bishop of
Chichester it was in such a manner mislaid that after his decease it could
never be again retrieved. It most likely that being carefully put among such
papers as the Good Bishop at the time of his death had ordered to be burnt it
was destroyed with them. However there are many enough among us who an make
another as fully answer the same end.
At the
time when this convocation was first called Dr. Stillingfleet on the death of
Dr. Thomas, Bishop of Worcester, being from Dean of Pauls promoted to that See,
Dr. Tillotson was translated from the Deanry of Canterbury to that of Pauls and
Dr. Sharpe from the Deanry of Norwich to that of Canterbury, whereon Dr. Henry
Fairfax one of the Fellows of Magdelen College in Oxford had the Deanry of
Norwich conferred on him, and accordingly on the last of November in the same
year, i.e. Anno 1689 he was Installed as Dean of the said Church. His merit was
his signal sufferings in the case of that College of which he was Fellow, for
when the Fellows of the said College were all cited to appear before King James
high commission Court, for not obeying the King's mandate in chosing Mr. Termet
for their president and in obedience to the said Citation had appeared and put
in a modest answer giving their reasons why they could not comply therewith,
Dr. Fairfax being present among them, addressed to the Court and declared his
dissent from the said answer, whereon the Court encouraged him to declare the
cause of him so doing out of an expectation that it would be on the King's side,
he pulled out a paper in which was contained a protestation against the
legality of the commission in full form drawn and openly read it in the face of
the Court which angered them so far that after a great deal of foul language,
given him by the Lord Chancellor Jeffery who sat president of the Court he was
sentenced forthwith to be expelled from the College and he continued expelled
till the Revolution and afterwards he had this Deanry given him for his reward
he was by descent of a noble family, being son of a younger brother of
Ferdinands Lord Fairfax who was father of the famous Sir Thomas Fairfax that
was general of the Parliament Army in the Rebellion against King Charles the
first.
Dr.
Prideaux on his return from the convocation finding the cathedral Church fully
settled under the new Dean, who had nothing else to do but constantly to reside
at it, he having no other employment to avocate him from it, and the Popish
controversy being fully brought to an end by the Revolution, thought there was
no further need of him at Norwich and therefore quitting the parish Church in
that City, he retired to his parsonage of Saham in the County of Norfolk and
constantly served it every Sunday both parts of the day and this he constantly
did, for the whole four years that he resided there, excepting only while he
was keeping his two months annual residence at Norwich or visiting his
Archdeaconry in Suffolk.
For he
constantly visited his Archdeaconry twice every year till disabled to bear the
journey by the calamitous illness which afterwards befell him, for the first
three years after the Revolution, he took upon himself the office of preaching
at every place where he held his visitation which caution was then very
necessary for the preventing of such of the clergy, as were not satisfied of
the Justice of the Revolution, from running out in the sermons when it should
come to their turns on such topics as might give offence to the government. In
all his sermons which he preached on this occasion he with all earnestness
pressed upon the Clergy the faithful discharge of all the dutys of the function
that so they might to the utmost of their power hold by their good example of
their lives and their soundness and efficiency of their doctrines promote the
honour of God and the Salvation of souls amongst the people to whom they were
sent. And being well informed that in several familys of the clergy, family
prayers were wholly omitted and God not at all called upon in them, either
morning or evening, he in one of his visitations made it the subject of his
sermons in all the several dioceses of his Archdeaconry, where he preached to
them, to press on them the observance of this duty andhe hoped that this had
the effect which he intended, when the Jews pray thrice every day and the
Mahometans 5 times he thought it a shame upon us if we do not pray at least
twice every day, especially upon the clergy, prayer being one of the prime
dutys which by the nature of their office they are devoted unto and the Rubrick
of the common prayer to the observance of which they have all subscribed
obligeth every one of them as well deacons as priests to be constant and
faithful herein. For the words of the Rubricks in the beginning of the common
prayer book under the title Concerning the service of the Church are as
followeth. That all Priests and Deacons are to say daily the morning and
evening prayer either privately or openly not being let by sickness or some
other urgent cause. Indeed the words immediately following this clause in the
Rubrick directs those morning and evening prayers to be openly said by
ministers in the Church or Chapel where they minister, but this being
impracticable in Country parishes by reason of their difficulty of getting the
people together from the several distant habitations the next thing is
practicable, is to be said in its stead and that is family prayer. For this is
open prayer as well as the other in the sense of the Rubrical prayer, being
manifestly so, in that it is opposed to private prayer and therefore both are
included in the obligation of the rule, so as that where the former cannot be
performed, the other at least must. But however this be, it is most certainly a
duty of every man that is master of a family to take care that God be daily
worshipped in it, especially if he be of the clergy who are all consecrated and
set apart for the work of prayer as well as that of preaching the word and
therefore ought by their example as well as by their instruction and
exhortation to excite all men thereto. And consequently they of all men are the
most impardonable if they themselves fail in their duty.
Dr.
Prideaux's notion was that prayer is so much the duty of the clergy that every
one of this order should not only be diligent and constant in daily offering of
it up unto God every morning and evening with his own family, but also in
whatsoever other family he shall at any time happen to lodge, either as a
surjourner or a guest, he ought to offer his prayers to the family, if they be
not otherwise provided for that duty and exhort them to join with him in them,
and if he be not harkened to herein, that he looked on that house as an unfit
place for a clergy man to make his abode in and that he ought to avoid it
accordingly.
On the
vacancy of the Bishoprick of Norwich by the Deprivation of Bishop Lloyd, Dr.
Compton Bishop of London and Dr. Lloyd Bishop of St. Asaph being appointed by
commission to govern this diocese till a successor should be chosen, they
consulted Dr. Prideaux in most things which they did by virtue of this delegacy
and he served them herein much to their satisfaction.
The Cause
of Bishop Lloyd's deprivation was his not taking the oaths to King William and
Queen Mary as hath been above mentioned for on his first refusal he was on the
first of August AD 1689 with several others of the clergy who were of the same
sentiment with him, as to this matter suspended from his office, and on his
persisting in the same refusal was on the first of February following deprived
and wholly ousted of his Bishoprick, according to the Tenor of an Act of
Parliament in that behalf made and hereby the diocese was deprived of a very
able and worthy Pastor. For he was an excellent preacher, a person of great
integrity and piety, thoroughly understood all the parts and duties of his
function and had a mind fully bent to put them all in execution for the Honour
of God and the good of his Church on all occasions that should be put into his
power. He was first Bishop of Landass from whence he was translated to
Peterborough and from thence by another translation he promoted to the
Bishoprick of Norwich. After his deprivation he lived very retired in some of
the villages of the outskirts of London, first at Hogsdon, next at Wandsworth,
and after that at Hammersmith, at which last place he died on the first of
January in the year 1709 after he had been deprived of the Bishoprick full 20
years.
While Dr.
Prideaux lived at Saham he contracted friendship with several of the
neighbouring gentry, especially with Sir John Holland and Sir Edward Atkins,
the former was a gentleman who retained a great deal of vigour in a very
advanced age being past 90 when Dr. Prideaux became first acquainted with him,
and he afterwards lived to be within one of 100. He was a person of great
understanding and wisdom, and made a very considerable figure in the long
parliament in which he was always of that side which was for composing matters
with the King but when he found all attempts this way bafled sometimes by the
means of the King and sometimes by the means of the Parliament and that things
were run to that height that he saw he could do the King no more service, he
left the Parliament and retired into Holland and there resided for the most
part till the return of King Charles the 2nd, at which time he was of the
commissioners sent by the Parliament to bring him home.