The following new statute was accordingly made respecting the chaplains and singers:

A NEW STATUTE CONCERNING THE CHAPLAINS, &c. OF CHRIST'S COLLEGE IN MANCHESTER.

Since power hath been given by the letters-patent of his most serene Highness Charles the First to the wardens and fellows of Christ's College in Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, of framing and composing new statutes for the good of the aforesaid College, which being approved by the most Reverend Father in Christ the Bishop of Chester, by virtue of the aforesaid letters-patent, ought to be observed by them and their successors, until they are abrogated by a like authority;

We, the Warden and Fellows of the aforesaid College, assembled in the Chapter-House, for the better governing of the said College, do will, resolve, and ordain, that the two chaplains or vicars, the four singing men, whether clerks or laicks, and the four singing boys for the time being, and their successors for the time to come, who shall perform the prayers and other daily divine services in the church of the aforesaid College, they all and each of them shall submit to the rules, the laws, and the discipline of the chapter of the aforesaid College, or the greater part of the chapter.

Therefore, 1st, if any one of them hath egregiously neglected his duty, or performed it more carelessly than he ought, he shall be fined and punished according to the discretion and will of the chapter.

2d, Although any one of them may have performed his duty faithfully, as prescribed in the statutes, yet if he be infamous in his life or conduct, or be guilty of some flagrant fault which may bring disgrace upon the college, or afford just matter of offence to others, he also shall be punished according to the will of the chapter.

Provided, nevertheless, that the punishment of any one may not extend to his removal from his situation in the college, before that he has been twice admonished of his fault, or has been cited to be admonished by the warden, if he be present, or, in his absence, by the senior fellow who is present in the town of Manchester. But if he continue incorrigible, so that after a second admonition for the same fault he is again found guilty, or refuses to appear when called upon, it shall be allowed the chapter to remove him from his place in the College, and to elect another chaplain, singing man, or boy, into his room, as if he were dead. Never

b A copy of this statute was kindly supplied by the Rev. C. D. Wray, Chaplain of the Collegiate Church, Manchester.

theless, we grant to each chaplain while he goes to visit his friends, or is absent on any other necessary business, to be absent, in every three months ten days, or in the whole year forty days, from the church; leave being first had from the warden, or sub-warden in the absence of the warden; or, in the absence of the subwarden, leave must be got from the senior fellow.

Also there shall be allowed to each singing man five days in every three months, or in the whole year twenty days; and to each boy three days in the quarter, or in the whole year twelve days, in which they may be absent from the public prayers, leave being first obtained, as before. Moreover, notwithstanding this statute, it shall be allowed to the warden, or, in his absence, to the sub-warden, or, he being absent, to the senior fellows, to grant, for some sufficient reason, to the chaplains, the singing men, or boys, or any of them, leave of absence beyond the time specified in this statute.

Dated the 6th of May 1671.

NIC. STRATFORD, Guardianus.

RICHARDUS JOHNSON, Sub-Guardian.
THO. WESTON, Bursarius.

FRANCIS MOSLEY, Regr.

MICHAEL ADAMS, Collr. Reditm.

These statutes were approved and ratified by John Bishop of Chester, (Dr Wilkins,) in his visitation of the Collegiate Church of Manchester, held the 10th June 1671.

The prosecutions undertaken against the non-conformists now underwent some little remission; an important event taking place which induced the King to seek for the rescinding of the act. According to the secret treaty into which Charles had entered with France, whereby, in return for a secret subsidy granted him, he was plighted to do his utmost to revive the Roman Catholic religion in England, a great number of Romish priests and Jesuits had come over, seeking by all sinister means to make new converts; but finding that the bill of conformity, if persisted in, would prevent them, as missionaries, from holding forth to congregations, they remonstrated with the King that their exertions would be totally suppressed as long as laws existed which bore with uniform severity upon the

• Dr Wilkins was appointed to his see A. D. 1668. In page 367 of the first volume of this work, I have been led into an anachronism, owing to my consulting some careless historians, in attributing an example of moderation to Dr Wilkins, which is due to his predecessor Dr Bridgman. And as in this mistake another is involved, (though neither of them is of much importance) they have been reserved for correction in the Appendix.

religious professions of all non-conformists whatsoever. Charles, therefore, with the secret advice of the Duke of York and his Popish council, intimated to his ministers, and to the nation at large, that, in reference to the promise which he had made at Breda, indulgence was in justice due to all such as had felt a difficulty in conscience to submit to the forms of the English Church; and that it was the royal wish that the freedom of practising devotion in conformity with the dictates of every man's conscience, so that this was done without scandal, might be general throughout the kingdom. The King also declared, that he was bent upon making use of that supreme power in ecclesiastical affairs, which was not only inherent in the crown, but had been recognized to be so by several statutes and acts of Parliament. He accordingly issued a proclamation which suspended all sorts of penal laws against non-conformists and recusant Catholics, and which granted to the former the public profession of their religion, and to the latter the exercise of it within the enclosure of their own walls and houses. And in order to give facility to the bill being put in force, it was added, that, with the view of such places of worship being the better protected by the civil magistrate, none of his subjects should presume to meet in them, until they were legally sanctioned.

When this declaration was published, the non-conformists began to breathe more freely. Mr Newcome hastened to Manchester, and took out a licence for his congregation, the meeting-house of which had hitherto from necessity been situated in a narrow obscure part of the town, known by the name of The Cold House. Here his old admirers and friends again crowded to listen to their favourite preacher.

But soon after the King's proclamation had appeared, its real purport became the object of strong suspicion, which chiefly arose from the Duke of York's public avowal that he was a Papist; from the numbers of Jesuits in different parts of the kingdom, who were even employed in schools for the education of youth; and from the King's admission of Roman Catholics into offices of great trust. It was then hinted that the dispensing power of the Crown, with relation to the penal laws, had much less for its object an indulgence to Protestant dissenters, than a design to favour the introduction of Popery into the realm. The Commons also protested against this dispensing power, resolving, that penal statutes could not be suspended but by act of Parliament; and, therefore, that his Majesty's indulgence was contrary to law, and tended to the subversion of the legislative power. Charles became alarmed at the manifestation of this spirit; and upon a threat being thrown out that the Parliament would refuse all supplies to the Crown, unless a fuller security was granted to the Protestant religion against

the designs of its secret enemies, made a formal revocation of his indulgence. For the same reason, he likewise gave a reluctant consent that the laws should be put into immediate force against Popish recusants, and that a bill should be brought in, commonly known by the name of the Test act, which, to the exclusion of Papists, awarded all places of trust and profit to such as were of the communion of the Church of England. The act required that every person. who held a public office of trust or profit should take the oaths of supremacy and allegiance, and should receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper, according to the usage of the Church of England: also that he should make a solemn declaration against the Popish doctrine of transubstantiation; the penalty of breaking this act being a disability of prosecuting any suits, besides a fine of L. 500. The King, however, by the suggestion of his Popish advisers, who had in view the excitement of divisions in the church party, proposed that some exceptions should be made in favour of the Protestant dissenters; upon which the non-conformists, in their zeal against Popery, protested that, though oppressed, they were willing to lie under the severity of the laws, rather than clog a much more necessary work, and that they would cheerfully suffer a deprivation of their civil liberties and privileges, sooner than enjoy them in common with the Papists, and in a way so destructive of the Protestant interest. They therefore begged that the bill might pass into a law without alteration, and that nothing might interfere until it was ratified :-" And then," said they, "we will try if the Parliament will not distinguish us from Popish recusants.” d

This spirited conduct of the non-conformists so disarmed their adversaries, that, with the ruling church party they speedily rose in such favour, that it was unanimously resolved upon by the Parliament, to bring in a bill for their relief. But this act of grace, owing to the disappointment and resentment of the Papists, who were in collusion with the King, was contrived to be quashed. As the nation, however, was disposed to sympathize with the sufferings of the dissenters, they were allowed, for some short time, a state of repose.-Leaving, therefore, Mr Newcome to hold forth to his Manchester congregation perfectly unmolested, it will be proper to glance at certain miscellaneous events connected more or less with the Collegiate Church.

In 1672, Humphry Booth, the grandson of the benevolent Humphry Booth,

d Perhaps the best account of this portion of the Ecclesiastical History of England is to be found in Neal's History of the Puritans.

who, in 1630, had made many generous bequests, devised a house, barn, four closes, and a piece of land which had a well in it, called Oldfield Well, to be employed towards all repairs of the chapel of Salford; and, in case there was any overplus, he directed it should be distributed among the poor of Salford at Christmas, as the money left by his grandfather was.

e

November 29, 1672, Mr Stratford acquired the title of B. D. On July 3, 1673, he had the degree conferred upon him of doctor of divinity, and six days afterwards, was made Dean of Saint Asaph, and Prebendary of Lincoln. He had also a good donative at Llanroost, in North Wales.

After Dr Stratford had been six years warden, he was so fortunate as to obtain for a colleague Mr Richard Wroe, a young clergyman of the greatest promise. Mr Wroe was a Lancashire man, born at the village of Ratcliffe, near Bury, and about twenty-three years of age. At seventeen, he had been admitted into Jesus College, Cambridge. Three years afterwards he had become bachelor of arts, and in the following year, 1662, had been made fellow. In 1665 he had taken the degree of master of arts, and on the 11th of June 1672, had been made bachelor of divinity. His appointment to the fellowship of the Manchester College took place on the ninth of March 1675.

Mr Wroe, who soon became exemplary for his piety and learning, was at the same time so eloquent as to acquire the popular name of "The silver-tongued Wroe." His appointment in the college proved a valuable acquisition to Dr Stratford; the principles with which each was actuated being precisely the same. These two friends were equally attached to the existing establishment of the church of England, and were inclined to resist any civil or religious indulgence which might be granted to the Roman Catholics, or any innovations which might be attempted by Protestant non-conformists. In short, the church of England could not boast of more vigilant and conscientious guardians than these two devout churchmen.f

e Among the minor miscellaneous events of this period of Dr Stratford's wardenship, it may be remarked, that in the 13th Charles II. was passed an act for confirming a sale made by Sir Thomas Prestwich and others, of the manor of Holme, and certain lands in the parish of Manchester, unto Sir Edward Mosley, Baronet. (Stat. at large, v. iii.) This old established family, as we have remarked, had been greatly impoverished by the exertions which it made in the cause of the unfortunate Charles.

f In the year 1675, says Mr Aston, (Manchester Guide,) behind the baptismal font, (which is enclosed by iron ballustrades, and ornamented with an emblematical painting of angels adoring the Holy Ghost,) a wainscot was added. It still bears the date of 1675.