clared till the 12th of February following, as ever sat upon the throne."[1]
It has been supposed, that Burnet had no inconsiderable influence in preventing the adoption of moderate measures with the non-complying Clergy. He wished the Oath to be enforced, regardless of consequences. It would have been more consistent as a minister of peace, to have recommended gentle and healing measures. It is certain, however, that he would have proceeded to still more violent steps, if his own course had been unchecked; but happily, all the complying Clergy were not like Burnet: so that William soon discovered, that the feeling in favour of the Church of England was stronger than he had at first anticipated. The Clergy as a body were true to their principles. They did not intend to renounce their creed, because circumstances had compelled them to renounce King James: but it must be confessed, that if all the Bishops and Clergy had been of the same stamp with Burnet and some others, whose principles had been derived from foreign sources, the Anglican Church would have been destroyed, as a State Establishment, while the true followers of the English Reformation must have cast in their lot with the Nonjurors. Evelyn lamented the course which was pursued respecting the Oath: but he distinctly attributes it to Presbyterian counsels, with
- ↑ A Letter to the Authors of the Answers to the Case of Allegiance, pp. 4, 5. It has been well remarked: "The blessings which have been derived to us from this great event make every Englishman anxious to justify the principles on which it was carried on: but, after all, it seems much more clear, that the Revolution was necessary, than easy to justify it on any permanent principles." Short's History of the Church of England, ii. 375.
