day in question. But it is quite sufficient for my purpose to assume, that when a Bishop is removed, even forcibly and illegally, it becomes a question how far he can act; or whether he must not submit to the trial until the Providence of God sees fit to make his way clear. Bishops from another Church are true Bishops in England; but they cannot exercise their functions in this country without permission. And this, I conceive, was precisely the position of the deprived Bishops. This view, moreover, was adopted by many Nonjurors, as will be seen in another chapter. The principle on which they acted, in continuing the succession, does not admit of the same justification as their refusal to take the Oaths.
I have already alluded to the number of the Clergy who submitted to deprivation. Remarks were made at the time on the comparative smallness of the number; but I confess that my surprise is, that there were so many. When we remember how easy it is to go with the stream: when we recollect, that many complied with the existing authorities without inquiry, and that many more entertained scruples, though they did not separate from the Church, we cannot but be surprised that so large a number as four hundred should have refused the Oath. Thankful too should we be, that the consequences of the schism were not more disastrous: especially as we know, that if the government had forborne to press the Oath, all would have continued in their posts as quiet and peaceable subjects of the new Sovereigns, though they could not recognize their authority by an Oath.
The Bishops and other dignitaries, who refused to comply, were very cautious in giving their opinion respecting the Oath before the period fixed by the
