Page:History of the Nonjurors.djvu/101

 

CHAPTER III.

 

A. D. 1690—1694.

 

The Deprivations.—Numbers.—Sancroft's Retirement.—Hickes's Protest.—Dodwell's Letter to Tillotson.—Beveridge and others refuse to accept the Vacant Sees.—Kidder's Scruples.—Stillingfleet's Letter.—Forgery by Young and Blackhead.—The Deprived Bishops separate from the Church.—Sancroft Delegates his Powers to Lloyd.—Hickes and Wagstaffe consecrated.—Death of Sancroft.—His Character and Sufferings.—The Nonjurors' Defence of their Proceedings.—Some object to a Separation.—The Difficulties of their Case.—Severity of the Government.

 

he Bishops and Clergy remained in possession of their respective preferments, until the day fixed by the act of Parliament for their deprivation; but from the first of August 1690 to the first of February 1690-91, they were suspended from the performance of their ecclesiastical functions. This was a lay, not a canonical deprivation; consequently no process was adopted against the Bishops and Clergy, as is the case, when parties are charged with any ecclesiastical irregularity. By the Act of Parliament, it was declared, that all Clergymen, who did not take the Oath of Allegiance before the first day of February 1690-91, should be deprived of their benefices. When, therefore, the day arrived, the patrons were at liberty to present other individuals: and the government con-