Seven Bishops’ Petition (1688)

In the spring of 1688, seven Church of England bishops, led by Archbishop William Sancroft of Canterbury, presented a respectful petition to King James II. They did not deny the call to honor the magistrate, but they refused to order the king’s Declaration of Indulgence read in parish churches because it was issued without Parliament and pressed against the nation’s settled laws. Their appeal was measured, loyal in tone, and rooted in the conviction that conscience is not the crown’s property.

The Bishops and Their Resolve

The group included Sancroft, Thomas Ken (Bath and Wells), John Lake (Chichester), Francis Turner (Ely), William Lloyd (St Asaph), Jonathan Trelawny (Bristol), and Thomas White (Peterborough). They were not reckless agitators; most were seasoned pastors and administrators, known for discipline, prayer, and steady preaching. Their stand displayed Christian courage: the quiet kind that counts the cost, speaks truth without malice, and entrusts reputation and outcome to God. “We must obey God rather than men,” they answered in principle (Acts 5:29).

Arrest and Imprisonment in the Tower

James II treated the petition as defiance. The seven were arrested for seditious libel and taken by barge to the Tower of London, the grim fortress beside the Thames that had long symbolized the state’s power to silence. Yet contemporary reports describe their composure—calm words, prayers, and a willingness to suffer rather than purchase safety through compromise. Their witness reminded the church that submission to rulers is real, but never absolute: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities… Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place” (Romans 13:1–2). Submission ends where commanded sin begins.

Trial, Acquittal, and Public Vindication

Tried in the Court of King’s Bench, they were acquitted to widespread rejoicing. Their vindication strengthened the church’s moral courage at a critical hour, encouraging believers to pair humility with firmness, and loyalty with truth. The Seven Bishops became a lasting example of integrity—men who chose faithfulness over fear, and proved that principled obedience to God can serve the good of the nation without surrendering the soul.