judges, had become responsible to the laws of the land and the Canons of the Church, for deserting the doctrine of passive obedience. He closes with an address to the complying Bishops, to prevent a schism in the Church.[1] In his letter to Tillotson he had argued, that the appointment of new Bishops would be to erect altar against altar: and that they would be cut off from communion with the Church.[2]
When the time came for taking the Oath he refused: consequently he was deprived of his post at Oxford. He obtained the following certificate of his removal from the Vice-chancellor. "Nov. 19, 1691. These are to certify whom it may concern, that Mr. Henry Dodwell was dismissed from the Camdenian Lecture of History in Oxford, for not taking the Oath of Allegiance to their Majesties King William and Queen Mary, as the statute requireth. Jonathan Edwards, Vice-chancellor of Oxon."[3] He did not separate from the Parish Churches until the new Bishops were actually appointed, though he had a difficulty in saying Amen to some of the prayers, which, however, he did not consider a sufficient ground for separation. But when other Bishops were placed in the Sees of the deprived Prelates, he quitted the communion of the Church. Looking upon the new Bishops as secundi, and consequently nulli, he could not hold communion with them. He regarded them as schismatics, who had intruded into sees not canoni-
- ↑ Dodwell's Life, pp. 225—234. "Mr. Dodwell first published his Cautionary Discourse of Schism, upon the suspension of Archbishop Bancroft and his six suffragans, with a particular regard to their case, and with a design to prevent if possible the new consecrations." Kettlewell's Life, 126.
- ↑ Dodwell's Life, 220.
- ↑ Ibid. 221.
