york00orns

DECLARATION FOR LIBERTY OK CONSCIENXE. 40I
fell into desuetude again in the course of the next
century.'
On the 6th February, 1685, Charles II. died, and
James II. ascended the throne. He had not been
long seated there before the see of York became
vacant by the death of Archbishop Dolben, which
took place on the nth April, 1686. No nomination
of a successor was made until the very eve of James'
departure from the shores of England never to return,
in the hope, possibly, that he might be able eventually
to fill the northern primacy by the appointment of a
prelate of his own religious views.
During the vacancy of the see of York the jurisdiction
passed into the hands of the Dean and Chapter,
and when the king issued, on the 4th April, 1687,
his celebrated " Declaration for liberty of conscience,"
a letter was addressed by Cartwright, Bishop of
Chester, to Dr. Tobias Wickham, the Dean of York,
urging him in the strongest terms to prevail upon the
Chapter to send an address of thanks for it to the
king, couched in similar terms to those which he, in
conjunction with Bishop Crewe and some other
prelates, had induced their clergy to adopt. But as
far as York was concerned his efforts were futile,
mainly owing to the firmness of an individual member
of the chapter. Dr. Comber " so effectually opposed
this attempt that not a single individual set his hand
to the address," with the sole exception of the
Dean.
In the following year, James issued his second
' It was resumed in 1841 by order of Archbishop Harcouit.
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