148 NOTES ON A MINUTE BOOK. 



divine. On Juno 1, 1649, a substantial " angmentacion of his 



niayntenance" is ordered for " Master John Loder now preacher at 



ffordington .... if ffordington men will make the Vicar- 



idge worth fiftie pounds p annu . . . [and] that Master John 



Loder ... do submit himself to be ordained minister, within 



throe monethes, or as soon as by his age he be capeable of ordin- 



acon." This came to pass it seems, for he remained minister of 



Fordington until Apr. 4, 1656, when he notifies lo the Mayor and 



Company that " hee was by the providence of God likely to remove 



to London in Case hee and his wife should like the aire Wh yet 



they are uncertaine of, wherefore hee craves leave of the Comp^ to 



retaine his propriety in Ifordington until Mich^a^." The Loders 



quickly decided in favour of London air, as appears from the next 



quotation. Arrangements for stipend were again faulty in 1656. 



On April 30 " there was an answere given to ffordington men in 



order to their demands for more niayntenance to their minister." 



The Company say that by " ordinance of parliam*" they are bound 



to pay only <£40 a year, which they have done. They promise, 



however, that " when they have another minister " at Fordington 



the Company will " endevor to give him satisfaction." It was the 



least they could do, for while Fordington was put off with £40 a 



year out of its tithes for its sole minister, on June 20, 1656, the 



Company were treating with Master Gower for bringing in an 



assistant minister for Trinity and St. Peter's " that may enjoy the 



80" p Annii granted upon the charter of ifordington parsonage." 



This brings in the subject of lecturers, of which the clear-headed 



Selden *says : " If there had been no friars, Christendom might 



have continued quiet and things remained at a stay. If there had 



been no lecturers, which succeed the friars in their way, the 



Church of England might have stood and flourished at this day. 



Lecturers do in a parish church what the friars did heretofore, 



get away not only the alTections but the bounty that should be 



bestowed upon the minister. Lecturers get a great deal of money, 



• Table Talk, Cassell's Edition, pp. 71 and 99. 



