Bishops, as lords spiritual, land owners and diocesan ordinaries, exerted considerable authority and control in a number of spheres. Some bishops, by reputation, longevity and force of personality were dominant figures. Bishops Henry Compton (1632-1713) and Jonathan Trelawny (1650-1721) are examples of churchmen who by the first decade of the eighteenth century had, over more than twenty years, established such a strong record in national politics as well as diocesan leadership that they were commanding churchmen. Other bishops, especially when they were new in their posts were more open to challenge and confrontation. Moreover the nature of religious and political settlement of the Revolution of 1689 was such that national and local political issues were almost inevitably religious ones also. As aspects of conflict in their intellectual and theological roles and in the exercise of their diocesan duties are dealt with elsewhere in this book, this chapter will focus on electoral politics, defending the Church in parliament, conflict with cathedrals and legal contests. The ability of a bishop to deal with conflicts depended principally on the strength of their opponents and their willingness to press on with their aims. But bishops often deployed a wide range of strategies in advancing their causes.
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Gibson, William
Department of History, Philosophy and Culture
Year of publication: 2023Date of RADAR deposit: 2021-03-12