c.  85).  Special  provision  was  made  for  the
recovery  of  tithes  (q.v.)  and  church  rates
(q.v.)  from  Quakers.  [c.  o.]

NONJURORS,  The.  This  name  belongs
to  the  clergy  and  laity  who  scrupled  to  take
the  oath  of  allegiance  to  William  and  Mary,
1689,  on  the  ground  that  they  were  still
bound  by  their  former  oath  to  James  n.,
'  his  heirs  and  lawful  successors.'  If  it  had
been  possible  to  constitute  William  and
Mary  regents  there  need  have  been  no
Nonjurors,  but,  7th  February  1689,  the  Con-
vention recognised  the  Prince  and  Princess  of
Orange  as  sovereigns  of  England,  and  the
first  means  taken  to  secure  the  stability  of
this  settlement  was  the  imposition  of  an
oath  of  allegiance.  This  was  ordered  to  be
taken  before  1st  August  by  all  ecclesiastics,
under  pain  of  suspension.  Six  months'  grace
was  allowed  before  deprivation.  Nine  English
bishops,  fearing  to  violate  their  consciences,
refused  the  oath ;  they  were  Archbishop
Sancroft  {q.v.),  Bishops  Ken  (q.v.),  Turner
(Ely),  Lake  (Chichester),  White  (Peter-
borough)—who  had  all  been  among  those
sent  to  the  Tower  by  James  n.  [Seven
Bishops]  —  Cartwright  {q.v.),  Frampton
(Gloucester),  Lloyd  (Norwich),  and  Thomas
(Worcester).  One  Irish  bishop,  Sheridan  of
Kilmore  and  Ardagh,  and  practically  the
whole  Scots  clergy,  bishops,  and  priests,
were  in  the  same  case.  Three  of  the  English
bishops — Cartwright,  Thomas,  and  Lake —
died  before  their  deprivation,  the  last  two
each  making  solemn  dying  declarations  of
their  reasons  for  refusing  the  oath.     With


(410)


Nonjurors]


Dictionary  of  English  Church  History


[Nonjurors


these  bishops  were  about  four  hundred  clergy
and  some  eminent  laymen.
