"they could not prove to be finful. They faid there was no reason to gratify fuch men; that one demand granted "would draw on many more; that all authority in church "and state was struck at by the position they had infisted on, namely, That it was not lawful to impofe things indifferent, fince these seemed to be the only matters in which "authority could interfere."-Thus ended the difputation. From arguments the minifters defcended to intreaties, and prayed the bishops to have compaffion on fcrupulous minds, and not defpife their weaker brethren. If the non-conformifts fhould be ejected, they urged, that there would not be clergymen enough to fill the vacant pulpits; they put them. in mind of their peaceable behaviour in the late times; what they had fuffered for the royal caufe, and the great share they had in reftoring the king; they pleaded his majesty's late declaration, and the defign of the prefent conference. To all which the bishops replied, that they were only commiffioned to make fuch alterations in the liturgy as fhould be neceffary, and fuch as fhould be agreed upon. The minifters replied, that the word neceffary muft refer to the fatisfying tender confciences; but the bishops infifted, that they faw no alterations neceffary, and therefore were not obliged to make any till they could prove them fo. The minifters prayed them to confider the ill confequence that might follow upon a feparation. But all was to no purpose, their lordships were in the faddle, and, if we may believe Mr. Baxter, would not abate the smallest ceremony, nor correct the groffeft error for the peace of the. church. Thus the king's commiffion expired July 25, and the conferences ended without any profpect of accommodation.

It was agreed at the conclufion, that each party might reprefent to his majefty, that they were all agreed upon the ends of the conference, which were the church's welfare, unity and peace, but ftill difagreed as to the means of procuring them. The bifhops thought they had no occafion to reprefent their cafe in writing; but the prefbyterian commiffioners met by themfelves, and drew up an account of their proceedings, with a petition for that relief which they could not obtain from the bishops.* They prefented it to

* Mr. Croy fays, " he had been informed, that when the prefbyterians "were pleading hard for fuch conceffions from his majefty, as they thought would

46

the king by bishop Reynolds, Dr. Bates, Dr. Manton, and Mr. Baxter; but received no answer.

Before we leave this famous conference at the Savoy, it will not be amifs to remark the behaviour of the commiffioners on both fides, fome of whom feldom or never appeared, as Dr. King bishop of Chichester, Dr. Heylin, Barwick, and Earle; Sheldon bishop of London came but feldom, though he, with Henchman and Morley, had the chief management of affairs; others who were prefent, but did not much concern themselves in the debate, as Dr. Frewen archbishop of York; Lucy of St. David's; Warner of Rochefter; Saunderfon of Lincoln; Laney of Peterborough; Walton of Chefter; Sterne of Carlile; Dr. Hacket and Dr. Sparrow. On the fide of the prefbyterians Dr. Horton never appeared, nor Dr. Drake, because of a misnomer in the commiffion; Dr. Lightfoot, Tuckney, and Mr. Woodbridge, were present only once or twice.

Among the bishops; Dr. Morley was the chief fpeaker; his manner was vehement, and he was against all abatements.

"would bring about an union: the lord chancellor told them, his majesty "had received petitions from the anabaptifts, who defired nothing more than "to have liberty to worship God according to their confciences. At which they were all struck dumb, and remained in a long filence." Mr. Baxter places this matter in another light: that petitions having been received from the independents and anabaptifts, the chancellor proposed to add a claufe to the king's declaration, permitting others, befides the prefbyterians, to meet, if they did it peaceably, for religious worship, fecure from moleftation by any civil officer. On this the bishops and the prefbyterians, feeing it would operate in favour of the papifts, were filent: till Mr. Baxter, judging that confenting to it would bring on them the charge of speaking for the toleration of papifts and fetaries, and that oppofing it would draw on them the refentment of all fects and parties as the caufes of their fufferings, faid, "that as they humbly thanked his majefty for his indulgence to "themselves, fo they muft diftinguish the tolerable parties from the intoler"able: that for the former they craved favour and lenity; but that they "could not requeft the toleration of the latter, fuch as the papifts and foci"nians, whom Dr. Gunning, fpeaking against the sects, had then named.” To this his majefty faid, "that there were laws enough against the papifts" Mr. Baxter replied, they understood the question to be, whether those "Jaws fhould be executed on them or not." And fo his majesty broke up the meeting of that day. Crofby's Hiftory of the Baptifts, v. ii. p. 87-89. Baxter's Life, part ii. p. 277. ED.

Baxter's Life, part ii. p. 366.

§ Ibid. p. 307.

He

Kennet's Chronicle, p. 507.

He frequently interrupted Mr. Baxter;t and when Dr. Bates faid, Fray, my Lord, give him leave to speak, he could not

obtain it.

Bishop Cofins was there conftantly, and though he was inclined to moderate measures, faid fome very fevere things. When the minifters prayed the bishops to have fome compaffion on their brethren, and not caft fuch great numbers unneceffarily out of the miniftry, he replied, What, do you threaten us with numbers? For my part, I think the king would do well to make you name them all. Again, when the ministers complained, that after fo many years calamity the bishops would not yield to that which their predeceffors offered before the war, bishop Cofins replied, Do you threaten us then with a new war? It is time for the king to look to you. Bishop Gauden often took part with the prefbyterian divines, and was the only moderator among the bishops, except bishop Reynolds, who spoke much the first day for abatements and moderation; but afterwards, fitting among the bishops he only spoke now and then a qualifying word, though he was heartily grieved for the fruitlefs iffue of the conference.

Of the difputants, it is faid, Dr. Pearfon, afterwards bishop of Chester, difputed accurately, foberly, and calmly. The prefbyterian minifters had a great regard for him, and believed, that if he had been an umpire in the controversy his conceffions would have greatly relieved them.

Dr. Gunning was the moft forward fpeaker, and stuck at nothing. Bifhop Burnet says,* that all the arts of fophiftry were used by him in as confident a manner as if they had been found reafoning; that he was unweariedly active to very little purpose, and being very fond of the popish rituals and ceremonies, he was much fet upon reconciling the church of England to Rome.

On the fide of the prefbyterians, Dr. Bates and Manton behaved with great modefty; the moft active difputant was Mr. Baxter, who had a very metaphyfical head and fertile invention, and was one of the most ready men of his time for an argument, but too eager and tenacious of his own opinions. Next to him was Mr. Calamy, who had a great intereft among the prefbyterian minifters in city and country, and for his age and gravity was refpected as their father. * Page 263, 4.

+ Baxter's Life, part. ii. p. 363.

Among

Among the auditors Mr. Baxter obferves* there was withi the bishops a croud of young divines who behaved indecently; but mentions only two or three scholars and laymen, who, as auditors, came in with the prefbyterians, as Mr. Miles, Mr. Tillotson, &c.

This Mr. Tillotson was afterwards the moft reverend and learned archbishop of Canterbury, one of the most celebrated divines and preachers of the age. We fhall have frequent occafion to mention him hereafter, and therefore, I shall give a fhort account of him in this place. He was born in Yorkshire 1630, and received his first education among the puritans; and though he had freer notions, he ftill stuck to the ftrictnefs of life to which he was bred, and retained a just value and a due tenderness for men of that perfuafion. He was admitted student of Clare-hall in Cambridge, under the tuition of Mr. David Clarkfon, in the year 1647. He was bachelor of arts 1650, and within the compafs of a year was elected fellow. He had then a fweetnefs of temper which he retained as long as he lived; and in thofe early years was refpected as a perfon of very great parts and prudence. In the year 1661, he continued a non-conformist, and has a fermon in the morning exercises on Matt. vii. 12. He appeared with the prefbyterians at the Savoy difputation; and though he conformed upon the act of uniformity in 1662, he was always inclined to the puritans, never fond of the ceremonies of the church, but would difpenfe fometimes with thofe who could not confcientiously submit to them. He owned the diffenters had fome plaufible objections against the common-prayer; and in the opinion of fome perfuaded men rather to bear with the church, than be zealous for it. In the year 1663, he was preferred to the rectory of Keddington in Suffolk, vacant by the non-fubfcription of Mr. Samuel Fairclough. Next year he was chofen preacher to Lincoln's Inn, and lecturer of St. Lawrence's church in London, where his excellent fermons, delivered in a moft graceful manner, drew the attention of great numbers of the quality, and of most of the divines and gentlemen in the city. In 1669, he was made canon of Chrift-church in Canterbury; and in 1672, dean of that church, and refidentiary; but rofe no *Baxter's Life, p. 337- + Athen. Oxon. p. 968.

higher till the revolution of king William and queen Mary, when he was first made clerk of the closet, and then advanced at once to the archbishoprick of Canterbury, in the room of Dr. Sancroft a non-juror. He was a divine of moderate principles to the last, and always disposed to promote a toleration, and if poffible a comprehenfion of the diffenters within the church. Upon the whole, he was a fecond Cranmer, and one of the most valuable prelates that this, or, it may be, any other church ever produced.

Various cenfures were paffed within doors upon the Savoy conference; the independants were difgufted, because none of them were confulted, though it does not appear to me what concern they could have in it, their views being only to a toleration, not a comprehenfion. Some blamed their brethren for yielding too much, and others thought they might have yielded more; but when they faw the fruitlefs end of the treaty, and the papers that were published, most of them were fatisfied.-Bishop Burnet fays,t the conference did rather hurt than good, it heightened the fharpness which was already on people's minds to fuch a degree, that it needed no addition to raise it higher.-Mr. Robinson fays,* "It was "notorious that the bufinefs of the epifcopal party was not "to confult the intereft of religion, but to cover a political "defign, which was too bad to appear at firft; nor did they "mean to heal the church's wounds, fo much as to revenge "their own. When they knew what the prefbyterians fcrupled, they faid, now they knew their minds they would "have matters fo fixed that not one of that fort fhould be "able to keep his living. They did not defire, but rather "fear their compliance." Nay, fo unacceptable was the publishing the papers relating to the conference, that bishop Saunderfon and fome of his brethren cautioned their clergy against reading them. From this time the presbyterians were out of the question, and the fettlement of the church. referred entirely to the convocation and parliament.

It had been debated in council, whether there fhould be a convocation while the conference at the Savoy was depending; but at the interceffion of Dr. Heylin and others, the court was prevailed with to confent that there fhould; and fuch + Page 265. Answer to Bennett, of Liturgies, p. 382.

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