Communion Tokens. 43 



duction of metal Communion tokens into thie Reformed Church 

 was closely connected with the enforcing of a stricter discipline. 

 French tokens are round, some almost the size of a florin, but 

 mostly about the size of a shilling. A common t}pe has an open 

 Bible surmounted by the sun, having on its open jDages the legend, 

 NE CRAINS POINT PETIT TROUPEAU (Fear not little 

 flock), and S^ LUC C^ XII. W^ 82 (St. Luke chapitre xii verset 

 82 — error for 32). On the reverse is a shepherd blowing a horn, 

 and sheep feeding. Sometimes a bird of prey is in the sky. A 17th 

 century token of NIMES has the city arms on one side, and on 

 the othor a heart pierced by two swords, and a cross of four flames 

 issuing forth, the whole surrounded by the legend, CHRIST 

 SOLEIL DE JUSTICE (Christ the Sun of Righteousness). 

 Others have a cup with bread on either side of the stalk, and on 

 the other .side the initial letters of the name of the church. 

 Tokens were commonly used in Holland, the Walloon Church in 

 Amsterdam having them dated as early as 1586. About the year 

 1500 Erasmus makes mention of the " plumbei angliae." These 

 were leaden tokens issued for some purpose during the reign of 

 Henry VII. (1485-1509). During Elizabeth's reign (1559-1603) 

 there were issued many private tokens made of lead, tin, latten 

 or candlestick brass, and leather. In connection with the Com- 

 munion it is said they are mentioned in England as early as the 

 reign of (^ueen Mary (1553-1559). The occasion of their use 

 was that Cardinal Pole might discover who conformed and who 

 did not. That the Puritans had adopted the use of Communion 

 "tickets" is evidenced by the existence of seventeenth century 

 lead tokens like that of EXETER, which bears the following 

 inscription :— MARY MOORE 1657. EXOX. DRINK YEE 

 AI,L OF THIS, with representation of a Communion cup. 

 Obviously Exeter at that time had yielded to Puritan influence and 

 Presbyterianism prevailed at St. Mary Major's, called " Mary 

 Monre " or "Mary the Moor," a corruption of St. Marie-la- 

 Mere. In the Token-books of St. Saviour's Chun^h, SOUTH- 

 WARK, extending from 1559 to 1630, we see how Church dues 

 were collected by selling the Sacrament. In 1596, 2200 Tokens 

 were sold at 2d each, and in 1620 nearly 2000 at 3d each. 

 Agahist the parish of NEWBURY, Berkshire, in 1658, there is 

 a charge for 300 Tokens at 3s 6d. The incumbent of this, parish 

 a few years later (1666-1674) had his tokens marked with a Bible 



