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HISTORY OE ENGLA273).

CHAP.

XIV.

1689 .

The Con-vocationmeets.

that, on the eve of the meeting of Convocation, the Bishopwho was to be at the head of the Upper House became thepersonal enemy of the presbyter whom the government wishedto see at the head of the Lower House. This quarrel addednew difficulties to difficulties which little needed any ad-dition.*

It was not till the twentieth of November that the Con-vocation met for the despatch of business. The place of meetinghad generally been Saint Paul’s Cathedral. But Saint Paul’sCathedral was slowly rising from its ruins; and, though thedome already towered high above the hundred steeples of theCity, the choir had not yet been opened for public worship.The assembly therefore sate at "Westminster.** A table wasplaced in the beautiful chapel of Henry the Seventh. Comptonwas in the chair. On his right and left those suffragans ofCanterbury who had taken the oaths were ranged in gorgeousvestments of scarlet and miniver. Below the table was as-sembled the crowd of presbyters. Beveridge preached a Latinsermon, in which he warmly eulogized the existing system,and yet declared himself favourable to a moderate reform. Ec-clesiastical laws were, he said, of two kinds. Some law's w T erefundamental and eternal: they derived their authority fromGod; nor could any religious community repeal them withoutceasing to form a part of the universal Church. Other laws■were local and temporary. They had been framed by humanwisdom, and might be altered by human wisdom. They oughtnot indeed to be altered without grave reasons. But surely, atthat moment, such reasons were not wanting. To unite ascattered flock in one fold under one shepherd, to remove stum-

* Birch’s Life of Tillolson. The account there given of the coldnessbetween Compton and Tillotson was taken by Birch from the MSS. ofHenry Wharton, and is confirmed by many circumstances which are knownfrom other sources of intelligence.

** Chamberlayne’s State of England, ISth edition.