ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY the augmented expense of living. The Fire made an entire revision of the assessment needful, and in view of the constant disputes it was determined to draft a Bill commuting the tithes in the destroyed parishes for fixed annual sums. Both the City and clergy formed committees, which met in the winter of 1670." On the basis of a return of the tithes and dues of each parish*^ the committee of the Common Council drew up a schedule of proposed commutations, which showed a considerable advance on that put forward by the clerical committee, though both exceeded the old tithes." At a confer- ence held at the Guildhall on i December 1670 the schedule of the Common Council was adopted,*^ though apparently after some dispute, as the aid and influence of Dr. Sherlock, Dean of St. Paul's, was requested for two further conferences held that year.*' The Bill, as drafted, did not touch the unconsumed parishes, and the clergy sought for their inclusion ; *' the clause was rejected, and disputes still rage round the tithes of certain parts of the City. The proposed assessment of (nd. in the pound on rent was high,^" and there was much discontent." In the Act as passed in 1671 " the sums were lowered ; no commutation exceeded ^(^200, and only six parishes reached that sum, while eight parishes were assessed each at jC^oo- The assessment was to be made by the aldermen and common councilmen of each ward with the churchwardens and one or more parishioners from each parish. Right of appeal lay to the lord mayor and Court of Aldermen, whose decision was final. The Act did not work smoothly, and appeals were frequent,^^ until the increase in the value of City property made the Act ever lighter to the parishioners and proportionately unfavourable to the clergy. Even the attenuated allowance of the Fire Act was not always regularly paid, generally through the fault of the vestry ; in 1729—30 the minister of St. James's Duke's Place complained that the inhabitants refused to pay him his main- tenance of ^bi ij., and prayed for redress." The hardships of the Act were so great that in 1804 the sums paid in commutation of tithe were readjusted by Parliament, ^° which raised the value of the lowest living to jC^oo per annum, and that of the highest to £2>^6 in the parishes affected by the old Fire Act. Throughout the period of rebuilding men's interest in Church concerns was kept high owing to the efforts of the Roman Catholics. Politically, it was a time of unrest and war ; economically, it was a time of stress ; love of sensation and increased devotion to the Church were the natural results. The Church of England was regarded as militant against two equal enemies — the Puritan sects on the one hand and the Roman Church on the other ; the victory over the first had been secured, the power of the second was unknown and feared. At Court the French and Roman Catholic interest was visibly " Rec. Corp. Letter Bk. XX, fol. 69 ; Journ. xlvii, fol. 94, 102 ; Bodl. Lib. Tanner MS. 44, fol. 238, 239,242. " Allhallows the Great Par. Rec. Min. i, fol. 430. " An Account of Money paid for Tithes by divers Parishes ivithin the City (B.M. Pressmark 491, k, 4, no. 8) ; Bodl. Lib. Tanner MS. 142, fol. 26.
- ' An Account of money, &c. " Bodl. Lib. Tanner MS. 44, loc. cit.
" Rec. Corp. Journ. xlvii, fol. 102. " An Account of money, &c. " A Brief Account of the Maintenance arising by Tithes . . . to several Ministers of Parish Churches demolished by the Fire (B.M. Pressmark 491, k, 4, no. 9). " Stat. 22 & 23 Chas. II, cap. 15. " Rec. Corp. Repert. xcviii, et seq. " Ibid, xxxiv, fol. 358. " Stat. 44 Geo. Ill, cap. 89. 343
