Nonjuring schism
Encyclopedia
The nonjuring schism was a split in the Church of England
in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution
of 1688, over whether William of Orange
and his wife Mary
could legally be recognised as King and Queen of England.
The word 'nonjuring' means 'not swearing [an oath]', from the Latin word iuro or juro meaning 'to swear an oath'.
Many of the Anglican clergy felt legally bound by their previous oaths of allegiance to James II
and, though they could accept William as Regent, they could not accept him as king. It was not necessarily a split on matters of religious doctrine, but more of a political issue and a matter of conscience, though most of the nonjurors were high church
Anglicans. Thus, latitudinarian
Anglicans were handed control of the Church of England. The nonjurors thus supported Jacobitism
, although they generally did not actively support the Jacobite rebellions in 1715 or 1745.
who had petitioned James against the Declaration of Indulgence
nonetheless became nonjurors, along with four other bishops. The nine nonjuring English bishops were:
* Among the Seven Bishops
.
These nine nonjuring bishops were joined by about 400 other Anglican clergy, a substantial majority of the bishops in Scotland
and one bishop in Ireland
. In February 1690, the six surviving nonjuring English bishops were deprived of their sees and deposed (Thomas, Cartwright and Lake had already died). In Scotland the Episcopal Church
was disestablished and Presbyterianism
reintroduced. When the vacant sees were filled, some refused to recognise the new bishops and the nonjurors appointed their own bishops. In 1694, George Hickes
(Dean of Worcester) was consecrated nonjuring bishop of Thetford and Thomas Wagstaffe was consecrated nonjuring bishop of Ipswich.
Wagstaffe died in 1712 and Hickes remained the only surviving nonjuring bishop; however he himself consecrated several successors. The nonjurors themselves split about 1717 over the issue of whether to introduce modifications in the Book of Common Prayer
. One party, the usagers, led by Jeremy Collier
and Thomas Brett
, supported the restoration of four allegedly apostolic usages to the communion service. These included the mixed chalice, the prayers of epiklesis and invocation and prayers for the dead. The non-usagers, led by Charles Leslie and Nathaniel Spinckes, opposed any change to the established liturgy. The dispute was agitated in several dozen pamphlets. The rift was repaired in 1732. Some of the more prominent English nonjurors included Charles Leslie, George Hickes
, Henry Dodwell
, Francis Cherry
, Robert Nelson
, Nathaniel Spinckes
, Jeremy Collier
, Thomas Brett
, Thomas Deacon
, Roger Laurence
, Archibald Campbell
, Richard Rawlinson, Thomas Carte, Hilkiah Bedford
, John Blackburne, Thomas Bowdler, Laurence Howell, William Law
and Richard Russell.
itself largely disappeared after the Second Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The schism was largely ended in 1788, when Charles Edward Stuart
died in exile. Unwilling to recognise his heir, his brother Henry Benedict Stuart
, who was a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, the Scottish Episcopal Church
elected to recognise the House of Hanover and offer allegiance to George III. Still, some lines of succession of nonjuring bishops were maintained until the end of the century. The nonjurors would have an influence on John Henry Newman and other Tractarians in the early and mid nineteenth century.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
of 1688, over whether William of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
and his wife Mary
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
could legally be recognised as King and Queen of England.
The word 'nonjuring' means 'not swearing [an oath]', from the Latin word iuro or juro meaning 'to swear an oath'.
Many of the Anglican clergy felt legally bound by their previous oaths of allegiance to James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
and, though they could accept William as Regent, they could not accept him as king. It was not necessarily a split on matters of religious doctrine, but more of a political issue and a matter of conscience, though most of the nonjurors were high church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
Anglicans. Thus, latitudinarian
Latitudinarian
Latitudinarian was initially a pejorative term applied to a group of 17th-century English theologians who believed in conforming to official Church of England practices but who felt that matters of doctrine, liturgical practice, and ecclesiastical organization were of relatively little importance...
Anglicans were handed control of the Church of England. The nonjurors thus supported Jacobitism
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
, although they generally did not actively support the Jacobite rebellions in 1715 or 1745.
The nonjuring bishops
Five of the Seven BishopsSeven Bishops
thumb|200px|A portrait of the Seven Bishops.The Seven Bishops of the Church of England were those imprisoned and tried for seditious libel over their opposition to the second Declaration of Indulgence issued by James II in 1688...
who had petitioned James against the Declaration of Indulgence
Declaration of Indulgence
The Declaration of Indulgence was two proclamations made by James II of England and VII of Scotland in 1687. The Indulgence was first issued for Scotland on 12 February, and then for England on 4 April 1687...
nonetheless became nonjurors, along with four other bishops. The nine nonjuring English bishops were:
- William SancroftWilliam SancroftWilliam Sancroft was the 79th Archbishop of Canterbury.- Life :Sancroft was born at Ufford Hall in Fressingfield, Suffolk, son of Francis Sandcroft and Margaret Sandcroft née Butcher...
* (Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
) - Thomas KenThomas KenThomas Ken was an English cleric who was considered the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops, and one of the fathers of modern English hymnology.-Early life:...
* (Bishop of Bath and WellsBishop of Bath and WellsThe Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
) - John LakeJohn Lake (bishop)John Lake was a 17th century Bishop of Sodor and Man, Bishop of Bristol and Bishop of Chichester in the British Isles.-Life:He was born in Halifax in the West Riding of Yorkshire and educated at St John's College, Cambridge...
* (Bishop of ChichesterBishop of ChichesterThe Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
) - Francis TurnerFrancis Turner (bishop)Francis Turner D.D. was Bishop of Ely, one of the seven bishops who petitioned against the Declaration of Indulgence and one of the nine bishops who refused to take the oath of allegiance to William III.-Family and education:...
* (Bishop of ElyBishop of ElyThe Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
) - Thomas WhiteThomas White (bishop)-Life:He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge. Having been a vicar of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent since 1660, he was chosen bishop of Peterborough in 1685...
* (Bishop of PeterboroughBishop of PeterboroughThe Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
) - Thomas CartwrightThomas Cartwright (bishop)Thomas Cartwright was an English bishop and diarist, known as a supporter of James II.-Life:He was born and went to school in Northampton, and studied at the University of Oxford. He was first at Magdalen Hall, and then at Queen's College where he was tutored by Thomas Tully. He was ordained by...
(Bishop of ChesterBishop of ChesterThe Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
) - Robert FramptonRobert FramptonRobert Frampton was a bishop of the Church of England and later a nonjuror.-Life:He was born in Dorset, England in February 1622, to Robert and Elizabeth Frampton. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Oxford and Christ Church, Oxford, where he received the B.A. . He would later be honored with...
(Bishop of GloucesterBishop of GloucesterThe Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire and part of the County of Worcestershire and has its see in the City of Gloucester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church...
) - William Lloyd (Bishop of NorwichBishop of NorwichThe Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The see is in the City of Norwich where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided...
) - William ThomasWilliam Thomas (bishop)Rt. Rev. William Thomas D.D. was a Welsh Anglican bishop, serving as Bishop of St David's and Bishop of Worcester.-Life:...
(Bishop of WorcesterBishop of WorcesterThe Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
)
Seven Bishops
thumb|200px|A portrait of the Seven Bishops.The Seven Bishops of the Church of England were those imprisoned and tried for seditious libel over their opposition to the second Declaration of Indulgence issued by James II in 1688...
.
These nine nonjuring bishops were joined by about 400 other Anglican clergy, a substantial majority of the bishops in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and one bishop in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In February 1690, the six surviving nonjuring English bishops were deprived of their sees and deposed (Thomas, Cartwright and Lake had already died). In Scotland the Episcopal Church
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
was disestablished and Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
reintroduced. When the vacant sees were filled, some refused to recognise the new bishops and the nonjurors appointed their own bishops. In 1694, George Hickes
George Hickes
George Hickes was an English divine and scholar.-Biography:Hickes was born at Newsham, near Thirsk, Yorkshire, in 1642...
(Dean of Worcester) was consecrated nonjuring bishop of Thetford and Thomas Wagstaffe was consecrated nonjuring bishop of Ipswich.
Wagstaffe died in 1712 and Hickes remained the only surviving nonjuring bishop; however he himself consecrated several successors. The nonjurors themselves split about 1717 over the issue of whether to introduce modifications in the Book of Common Prayer
Book of Common Prayer
The Book of Common Prayer is the short title of a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion, as well as by the Continuing Anglican, "Anglican realignment" and other Anglican churches. The original book, published in 1549 , in the reign of Edward VI, was a product of the English...
. One party, the usagers, led by Jeremy Collier
Jeremy Collier
Jeremy Collier was an English theatre critic, non-juror bishop and theologian.-Life:Born in Stow cum Quy, Cambridgeshire, Collier was educated at Caius College, University of Cambridge, receiving the BA and MA . A supporter of James II, he refused to take the oath of allegiance to William and...
and Thomas Brett
Thomas Brett (nonjuror)
Thomas Brett was an English nonjuring clergyman known as an author.-Life:He was the son of Thomas Brett of Spring Grove, Wye, Kent. His father descended from a family settled at Wye; his mother was Letitia, daughter of John Boys of Betshanger, Sandwich, where Brett was born. He was educated at Wye...
, supported the restoration of four allegedly apostolic usages to the communion service. These included the mixed chalice, the prayers of epiklesis and invocation and prayers for the dead. The non-usagers, led by Charles Leslie and Nathaniel Spinckes, opposed any change to the established liturgy. The dispute was agitated in several dozen pamphlets. The rift was repaired in 1732. Some of the more prominent English nonjurors included Charles Leslie, George Hickes
George Hickes
George Hickes was an English divine and scholar.-Biography:Hickes was born at Newsham, near Thirsk, Yorkshire, in 1642...
, Henry Dodwell
Henry Dodwell
Henry Dodwell was an Anglo-Irish scholar, theologian and controversial writer.-Life:He was born in Dublin, Ireland. His father, William Dodwell, lost his property in Connacht during the Irish rebellion and settled at York in 1648...
, Francis Cherry
Francis Cherry (non-juror)
Francis Cherry was an English layman and non-juror, known as a philanthropist and benefactor.-Life:The son of William and Anne Cherry of Shottesbrooke in Berkshire, he was born in Maidenhead in 1665, and was a gentleman commoner of St Edmund Hall, Oxford. Soon after age 20 he married Eliza,...
, Robert Nelson
Robert Nelson (nonjuror)
Robert Nelson was an English lay religious writer and nonjuror.-Life:He was born in London on 22 June 1656, the only surviving son of John Nelson, a merchant in the Turkey trade, by Delicia, daughter of Lewis and sister of Sir Gabriel Roberts, who, like John Nelson, was a member of the Levant...
, Nathaniel Spinckes
Nathaniel Spinckes
Nathaniel Spinckes was an English nonjuring clergyman, the leader in the dispute about the 'usages' which split the nonjurors of the 'non-usagers,' , against returning to the first prayer-book of Edward VI, as the 'usagers,' led by Jeremy Collier, advocated.-Life:He was born at Castor,...
, Jeremy Collier
Jeremy Collier
Jeremy Collier was an English theatre critic, non-juror bishop and theologian.-Life:Born in Stow cum Quy, Cambridgeshire, Collier was educated at Caius College, University of Cambridge, receiving the BA and MA . A supporter of James II, he refused to take the oath of allegiance to William and...
, Thomas Brett
Thomas Brett (nonjuror)
Thomas Brett was an English nonjuring clergyman known as an author.-Life:He was the son of Thomas Brett of Spring Grove, Wye, Kent. His father descended from a family settled at Wye; his mother was Letitia, daughter of John Boys of Betshanger, Sandwich, where Brett was born. He was educated at Wye...
, Thomas Deacon
Thomas Deacon
Thomas Deacon was an English non-juror bishop, liturgical scholar and physician.He was born to William and Cecelia Deacon. After his mother married the non-juror bishop Jeremy Collier, the young Deacon was introduced to many of the leading Jacobite and non-juror figures including George Hickes...
, Roger Laurence
Roger Laurence
Roger Laurence was an English nonjuring priest and controversialist.-Life:The son of Roger Laurence, armorer, he was born 18 March 1670, and admitted on the royal mathematical foundation to Christ's Hospital in April 1679, from the ward of St Botolph, Bishopsgate, on the presentation of Sir John...
, Archibald Campbell
Archibald Campbell (bishop)
Archibald Campbell was a clergyman of the Scottish Episcopal Church who served as Bishop of Aberdeen. He was the son of Lord Neill Campbell by his wife Lady Vere Ker; his grandfathers were Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll, and William Kerr, 1st Earl of Lothian.He was a student of the...
, Richard Rawlinson, Thomas Carte, Hilkiah Bedford
Hilkiah Bedford
Hilkiah Bedford was an English clergyman, a nonjuror and writer, imprisoned as the author of a book really by George Harbin.-Life:He was born in Hosier Lane, near West Smithfield, London, where his father was a mathematical instrument maker...
, John Blackburne, Thomas Bowdler, Laurence Howell, William Law
William Law
William Law was an English cleric, divine and theological writer.-Early life:Law was born at Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire in 1686. In 1705 he entered as a sizar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge; in 1711 he was elected fellow of his college and was ordained...
and Richard Russell.
Resolution
The nonjuring clergy and congregations gradually declined throughout the 18th century, as JacobitismJacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
itself largely disappeared after the Second Jacobite rebellion of 1745. The schism was largely ended in 1788, when Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
died in exile. Unwilling to recognise his heir, his brother Henry Benedict Stuart
Henry Benedict Stuart
Henry Benedict Stuart was a Roman Catholic Cardinal, as well as the fourth and final Jacobite heir to publicly claim the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Unlike his father, James Francis Edward Stuart, and brother, Charles Edward Stuart, Henry made no effort to seize the throne...
, who was a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, the Scottish Episcopal Church
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
elected to recognise the House of Hanover and offer allegiance to George III. Still, some lines of succession of nonjuring bishops were maintained until the end of the century. The nonjurors would have an influence on John Henry Newman and other Tractarians in the early and mid nineteenth century.
External links
- Documents on the Nonjurors from Project CanterburyProject CanterburyProject Canterbury is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999, and is hosted by the non-profit Society of Archbishop Justus...
- http://www.jacobite.ca/essays/nonjurors.htm