The Life of Thomas Ken, D.D., Bishop of Bath and Wells Volume 2

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1890 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXTI. KEN AND THE NON-JURORS TO THE DEATH OF WILLIAM III., A.D. 1694--1702. Brothers! spare reasoning; men have settled long That ye are out of date, and they are wise. J. H. Newman. The differences in opinion and in action between Ken and the more vehement Non-jurors, which have been traced in the preceding chapter, led naturally to a suspension of intercourse between them. He took his course and they took theirs. They looked on him as weak-kneed, vacillating, halting between two opinions. He thought of them with sorrow, perhaps also with indignation, as rash, self-asserting, wrongly eager to perpetuate a schism, the duration of which it was the duty of every wise churchman to minimise. They carried on their correspondence with St. Germain's, or published scurrilous pamphlets against the powers that be. He sought to live at peace with all men, found a shelter at Longleat, visited at other houses where he was always welcome, acted as a spiritual director to such Nonjuring families as chose to consult him,1 and wrote hymns and poems. But for a time the breach was wide. When Lloyd, the deprived Bishop of Norwich, wrote to him after William's death in 1702, his opening words admit that Ken had, for some years past, withdrawn not only correspondence but the brotherly affection which you have heretofore vouchsafed me. It is, I think, probable enough that during part of this time Ken corresponded with Frampton (d. 1708), Kettlewell (d. 1695), Fitzwilliam (d. 1699), but, if so, there are unhappily no extant letters. 1 I reserve instances of this for ch. xxiv. There was, however, one work in which the two sections of the Non-juring party could co-operate, and it is satisfactory to find that, though not initiated, it was warmly supported by Ken. Kettle w...