"WILLIAM AND MART.

159

ns a body, sincerely desirous that some concession might be chap.made to the nonconformists. But the prelates were utterly—unable to curb the mutinous democracy. They were few innumber. Some of them were objects of extreme dislike to theparochial clergy. The President had not the full authority of aprimate; nor was he sorry to see those who had, as he con-ceived, used him ill, thwarted and mortified. It "was necessaryto yield. The Convocation was prorogued for six weeks. When TIie Con -

. ... . , vocation

those six weeks had expired, it was prorogued again; and many' pro-years elapsed before it was permitted to transact business. rogued.

So ended, and for ever, the hope that the Church of Eng-land might be induced to make some concession to the scruplesof the nonconformists. A learned and respectable minority ofthe clerical order relinquished that hope with deep regret. Yetin a very short time even Burnet and Tillotson found reason tobelieve that their defeat was really an escape, and that victorywould have been a disaster. A reform, such as, in the days ofElizabeth, would have united the great body of English Pro-testants, would, in the days of William, have alienated morehearts than it would have conciliated. The schism which theoaths had produced was, as yet, insignificant. Innovationssuch as those proposed by the ltoyal Commissioners "would havegiven it a terrible importance. As yet a layman, though hemight think the proceedings of the Convention unjustifiable,and though he might applaud the virtue of the nonjuring clergy,still continued to sit under the accustomed pulpit, and to kneel

the pamphlet entitled Vox Oleri. “Some country ministers, now of theConvocation, do now see in what great ease and plenty the City ministerslive, who have their readers and lecturers, and frequent supplies, andsometimes tarry in the vestry till prayers be ended, and have great digni-ties in the Church, besides their rich parishes in the City.” The author ofthis tract, once widely celebrated, was Thomas Long, proctor for theclergy of the diocese of Exeter. In another pamphlet, published at thistime, the rural clergymen are said to have seen with an evil eye their Lon-don brethren refreshing themselves with sack after preaching. Severalsatirical allusions to the fable of the Town Mouse and the Country Mousewill be found in the pamphlets of that winter.