A HISTORY OF LONDON were driven off by the Archbishop of York and his servants, and it was found necessary to station a company of soldiers in the building to protect it."' Opinions differed as to the representative character of these rioters, some declaring that the feeling of the citizens was more truly expressed by the action of the mayor and aldermen, who four days previously '•' had welcomed and entertained the king, and had declared their loyalty to him.'^" The agitators now formally demanded of Parliament that the persons of the Roman Catholic lords should be secured and the bishops deprived of their votes.'^^ The lord mayor and the recorder disapproved of this petition,'*' but their objections were ignored. The Common Council elected in December 1641 was strongly Puritan, and it was undoubtedly more truly representative of the citizens as a whole than the last.^^' In February the bishops were deprived of their votes in Parliament ; this proceeding was hailed in some London parishes with bell-ringing and bonfires.'" Still greater were the rejoicings when, on i September 1642, the Commons finally resolved to abolish bishops altogcther.^'^ Laud, however, suspected that the ringing and bonfires on this occasion were not spontaneous, but ordered by Pennington, the Puritan lord mayor,* who seems to have been determined to make himself practically head of the Church in London, and obtained from Parliament the right to appoint the preachers at Paul's Cross.'" He gave great impetus to the bitter persecution of the loyal clergy in London,* which lasted for the next ten years, resulting in the expulsion of the majority from their livings.'" Lack of space forbids any detailed descrip- tion of their sufferings. Accused, often by their own parishioners, of speaking in favour of the royal cause,'*" of joining the king's army,'" of preaching popish doctrines and performing superstitious ceremonies (especially bowing to the altar),'*" of introducing 'innovations,*' of Arminianism,'** of non- residence, extortion, and intemperance,'*' they were either ejected or forced to resign their livings, and were in many cases reduced to extreme poverty.'** Some, e.g. Mr. Stone, parson of St. Mary Abchurch,'*^ and Mr. Spenser, minister of St. Thomas Southwark,'** were imprisoned. Dr. Beale, Dr. Martin, and Dr. Sterne were committed to prison upon an information from the House of Commons in 1642.'*' Five years later Dr. Martin petitioned the House for relief, to save him from starvation. They replied that they would grant him liberty on bail if he would take the Covenant. This, having sworn allegiance to the king and being a member of the Church of England, he refused to do,'°° but begged the House to ' think of some other '" S.P. Dom. Chas. I, cccclxxxvi, no. "' 25 Nov. ^^ S.P. Dom. Chas. I, cccclxxxvi, 29. "' Commons' Joun. ii, 314. ; Sharpe, Lond. and the Kingdom, ii, 147-51. '" S.P. Dom. Chas. I, cccclxxxvi, 63. "* Corp. Rec. Journ. xl, fol. 21-23 ; Sharpe, op. cit. ii, 152. Laud, Diary, 6 Feb. 1 64 1-2. "* Ibid. I Sept. 1642. "* Laud, Troubles and Trial, cap. xvi. "' Lords' Journ. v, 404 ; Commons' Journ. iii, 165. '^ His:. MSS. Com. Rep. v, App. 78. "' See J General Bill of Mortality, &c. (B.M. Pressmark, 669, f. 10, no. 103), and A Just Correction, &c (B.M. Pamphlets, E. 370, no. 18), where names and particulars of ejected clergy are given. Cf. Hennessy, Nov. Repert. "" Lords' Journ. v, 635, 663 ; vi, 25, &c. "' Ibid v, 618, 634. '" Ibid. V, 635, 665 ; Commons' Journ. ii, 35, &c. '" Lords' Journ. v, 667 ; Commons' Journ. ii, 354 ; Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. vi, App. 40. '" Lords' Journ. v, 665. "^ Commons' Journ. ii, 139 ; Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. vi, App. 40 ; Lords' Journ. iv, 664 ; v, 616, &c. "* Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. v, App. 73, 77 ; Lords' Journ. vi, 7, &c. "' Ibid, iv, 664. '" Ibid. V, 692. =»' Ibid. V, 364, &c. «» Dr. Sterne .ilso refused.
