William Jane
Encyclopedia
William Jane was an English academic and clergyman, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford from 1680.
, he was born at Liskeard
, Cornwall
, where he was baptised on 22 October 1645. He was educated at Westminster School
, elected student of Christ Church, Oxford
, in 1660, and graduated B.A. in June 1664, M.A. in 1667, and D.D. in November 1674. After his ordination he was appointed lecturer at Carfax Church, Oxford.
He attracted the notice of Henry Compton, who became canon of Christ Church in 1669, and when Compton was created bishop of Oxford
in 1674 he chose Jane to preach the sermon at his consecration, and appointed him one of his chaplains. In 1678 he was made canon of Christ Church, and was further presented by Compton, then bishop of London
, to the rectory of Wennington
, Essex
. In 1679 the prebendal stall of Chamberlainswood in St. Paul's Cathedral and the archdeaconry of Middlesex were conferred on him. In May 1680 he was made regius professor of divinity at Oxford. In July 1683 he framed the Oxford declaration in favour of passive obedience
.
He received the deanery of Gloucester, in which he was installed on 6 June 1685. He resigned the archdeaconry of Middlesex in 1686, but kept his canonries of Christ Church and St. Paul's till his death. In November 1686 Jane was summoned to represent the Church of England in a discussion which was held with some Roman Catholic divines in the presence of James II, with a view to the conversion of the Earl of Rochester
. Jane did not take much part in the disputation, which was mostly left to Rochester himself. He shortly changed his opinion about passive obedience, and when James II's cause was hopeless, Jane sought William of Orange
at Hungerford, and assured him of the support of the university of Oxford, hinting at his willingness to accept the vacant bishopric of Oxford. The fact that the framer of the Oxford declaration should be so ready to disown its principles occasioned a number of epigrams.
He was put on a commission of divines who were appointed, at the suggestion of John Tillotson
and Gilbert Burnet
, to revise the prayer-book, with a view to the comprehension of dissenters, which William III was anxious to promote. In the first session of the commission (21 October 1689) Jane opposed the removal of the Apocrypha
from the calendar. In the second session he supported Thomas Sprat
, bishop of Rochester
, in protesting against the legality and expediency of the commission, and ceased to attend its meetings. The results of the deliberations of the commission were to be laid before convocation, and the Earls of Rochester and Clarendon went to Oxford to devise with Jane a scheme of opposition. When convocation met on 21 November Jane had organised a party, and contested the election of a prolocutor. Tillotson was the candidate of one party, Jane of the other, and Jane was elected by 55 votes to 28. After this the comprehension scheme was allowed to drop.
In Oxford he wrote the decree in 1690 which condemned the Naked Gospel of Arthur Bury
. Jane had now little hopes of preferment from William III, and in 1696 it was rumoured that he was to be removed from his professorship and other preferments, because he had not signed the 'Association for King William'. Jane was a poor lecturer, and it was difficult for him to get an audience. The most pleasant thing recorded about him is the kindliness which he showed at Oxford to the ejected presbyterian, Thomas Gilbert. On Queen Anne
's accession Jane again hoped for a bishopric, and from Francis Atterbury
's letters it appears that there was a desire to get rid of him in Oxford, where much of his work as a teacher was discharged by George Smalridge
as his deputy. Atterbury could suggest nothing better than the deanery of Wells, which was, however, given to another. Bishop Jonathan Trelawney appointed him, in February 1703, to the chancellorship of Exeter Cathedral
, which he exchanged for the precentorship in May 1704. Jane held onto his professorship to the end. He resigned the precentorship of Exeter in 1706, and died on 23 February 1707 in Oxford, where he was buried in Christ Church.
Life
The son of Joseph JaneJoseph Jane
-Life:He was born into an old family which had long been influential in Liskeard, Cornwall. His father was mayor there in 1621, and 1625 he was himself mayor of Liskeard, and in 1640 was again returned to represent the borough in the Long Parliament....
, he was born at Liskeard
Liskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, where he was baptised on 22 October 1645. He was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, elected student of Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, in 1660, and graduated B.A. in June 1664, M.A. in 1667, and D.D. in November 1674. After his ordination he was appointed lecturer at Carfax Church, Oxford.
He attracted the notice of Henry Compton, who became canon of Christ Church in 1669, and when Compton was created bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
in 1674 he chose Jane to preach the sermon at his consecration, and appointed him one of his chaplains. In 1678 he was made canon of Christ Church, and was further presented by Compton, then bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, to the rectory of Wennington
Wennington
Wennington can refer to:*Wennington School, England*Wennington, Cambridgeshire, England*Wennington, Lancashire, England*Wennington, London, England*Bill Wennington , Canadian former NBA basketball player...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. In 1679 the prebendal stall of Chamberlainswood in St. Paul's Cathedral and the archdeaconry of Middlesex were conferred on him. In May 1680 he was made regius professor of divinity at Oxford. In July 1683 he framed the Oxford declaration in favour of passive obedience
Passive obedience
Passive obedience is a religious and political doctrine advocating the absolute supremacy of the Crown and the treatment of any dissent as sinful and unlawful...
.
He received the deanery of Gloucester, in which he was installed on 6 June 1685. He resigned the archdeaconry of Middlesex in 1686, but kept his canonries of Christ Church and St. Paul's till his death. In November 1686 Jane was summoned to represent the Church of England in a discussion which was held with some Roman Catholic divines in the presence of James II, with a view to the conversion of the Earl of Rochester
Earl of Rochester
Earl of Rochester was a title that was created twice in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1652 in favour of the Royalist soldier Henry Wilmot, 2nd Viscount Wilmot. He had already been created Baron Wilmot, of Adderbury in the County of Oxford, in 1643, also in the Peerage of England...
. Jane did not take much part in the disputation, which was mostly left to Rochester himself. He shortly changed his opinion about passive obedience, and when James II's cause was hopeless, Jane sought 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...
at Hungerford, and assured him of the support of the university of Oxford, hinting at his willingness to accept the vacant bishopric of Oxford. The fact that the framer of the Oxford declaration should be so ready to disown its principles occasioned a number of epigrams.
He was put on a commission of divines who were appointed, at the suggestion of John Tillotson
John Tillotson
John Tillotson was an Archbishop of Canterbury .-Curate and rector:Tillotson was the son of a Puritan clothier at Haughend, Sowerby, Yorkshire. He entered as a pensioner of Clare Hall, Cambridge, in 1647, graduated in 1650 and was made fellow of his college in 1651...
and Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet was a Scottish theologian and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was respected as a cleric, a preacher, and an academic, as well as a writer and historian...
, to revise the prayer-book, with a view to the comprehension of dissenters, which William III was anxious to promote. In the first session of the commission (21 October 1689) Jane opposed the removal of the Apocrypha
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
from the calendar. In the second session he supported Thomas Sprat
Thomas Sprat
Thomas Sprat , English divine, was born at Beaminster, Dorset, and educated at Wadham College, Oxford, where he held a fellowship from 1657 to 1670.Having taken orders he became a prebendary of Lincoln Cathedral in 1660...
, bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
, in protesting against the legality and expediency of the commission, and ceased to attend its meetings. The results of the deliberations of the commission were to be laid before convocation, and the Earls of Rochester and Clarendon went to Oxford to devise with Jane a scheme of opposition. When convocation met on 21 November Jane had organised a party, and contested the election of a prolocutor. Tillotson was the candidate of one party, Jane of the other, and Jane was elected by 55 votes to 28. After this the comprehension scheme was allowed to drop.
In Oxford he wrote the decree in 1690 which condemned the Naked Gospel of Arthur Bury
Arthur Bury
Arthur Bury, D.D. was an English college head and Anglican theologian of controversial views. His 1690 antitrinitarian work, The Naked Gospel, first published anonymously, was commanded to be burnt at Oxford, and, in a complex sequence of events involving legal action, Bury lost his position as...
. Jane had now little hopes of preferment from William III, and in 1696 it was rumoured that he was to be removed from his professorship and other preferments, because he had not signed the 'Association for King William'. Jane was a poor lecturer, and it was difficult for him to get an audience. The most pleasant thing recorded about him is the kindliness which he showed at Oxford to the ejected presbyterian, Thomas Gilbert. On Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
's accession Jane again hoped for a bishopric, and from Francis Atterbury
Francis Atterbury
Francis Atterbury was an English man of letters, politician and bishop.-Early life:He was born at Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, where his father was rector. He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he became a tutor...
's letters it appears that there was a desire to get rid of him in Oxford, where much of his work as a teacher was discharged by George Smalridge
George Smalridge
-Life:George Smalridge was born at Lichfield, son of the Sheriff of Lichfield Thomas Smalridge, George received his early education, this being completed at Westminster School and at Christ Church, Oxford....
as his deputy. Atterbury could suggest nothing better than the deanery of Wells, which was, however, given to another. Bishop Jonathan Trelawney appointed him, in February 1703, to the chancellorship of Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral
Exeter Cathedral, the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon in South West England....
, which he exchanged for the precentorship in May 1704. Jane held onto his professorship to the end. He resigned the precentorship of Exeter in 1706, and died on 23 February 1707 in Oxford, where he was buried in Christ Church.