Nonjuring Schism - The Nonjuring Bishops

The Nonjuring Bishops

Five of the Seven Bishops who had petitioned James against the Declaration of Indulgence nonetheless became nonjurors, along with four other bishops. The nine nonjuring English bishops were:

• William Sancroft* (Archbishop of Canterbury)
• Thomas Ken* (Bishop of Bath and Wells)
• John Lake* (Bishop of Chichester)
• Francis Turner* (Bishop of Ely)
• Thomas White* (Bishop of Peterborough)
• Thomas Cartwright (Bishop of Chester)
• Robert Frampton (Bishop of Gloucester)
• William Lloyd (Bishop of Norwich)
• William Thomas (Bishop of Worcester)

* 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.