A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



a ' vexer of two parishes with continual suits of law,' this possibly referring 

 to the tithe case which he prosecuted during the years 1629-34." In spite 

 of his love of power he was not an extremist, and his ' Vindication ' shows 

 that he disapproved of active rebellion. He may be regarded as the spokes- 

 man of the Moderate Presbyterian party. 



While the Lower House was busy with petitions the House of Lords 

 had appointed its own committee for Religion ' to take into Consideration 

 all Innovations in the Church,'" with power 'to send for such Learned Men 

 as their Lordships shall please, to assist them."" Laud in his Diary noted 

 that the members consisted of ' ten Earls, ten Bishops, ten Barons,' " his old 

 enemy Williams being among the number. Williams, indeed, presided over 

 the body, and must have been instrumental in co-opting Holdsworth Arch- 

 deacon of Huntingdon, Hacket his own chaplain, Brownrigg and Burgess, 

 all of whom were among those most constant in their attendance at the 

 meetings." Williams was as much distinguished for his tact as for his moral 

 laxity, but his task must have been one of considerable difficulty. There 

 was much discontent in his own diocese, and a sub-committee of the Lower 

 House was appointed to examine the ' Matters of Complaint concerning 

 Religion ' there and especially the abuses in the ecclesiastical courts ; in 

 December this sub-committee was made a committee of the House."' 



By 1 642 the clumsy method of calling in divines for consultation by 

 the Houses was dropped in favour of the permanent council which was to 

 earn such fame as the Westminster Assembly. The members were elected 

 by the House of Commons from names proposed by the burgesses and 

 knights of the shire. Brocket Smith, D.D., of Barkway and Cornelius 

 Burgess, D.D., of Watford being chosen for Hertfordshire.'* Herbert 

 Palmer, B.D., of Ashwell and Richard Vines of Caldecote were also members," 

 and Burgess became one of the assessors." While the Parliament was thus 

 preparing an instrument for the exercise of the spiritual functions of the 

 episcopate it was arrogating to itself the administration of the dioceses. 

 Thus in May 1642, when the living of St. Peter's in St. Albans was about 

 to be filled by the Bishop of Ely, the House of Lords sent a peremptory 

 order requiring him to certify to whom he had presented the living before 

 he actually collated his nominee." At the same time the system of lecture- 

 ships was being promoted by the House, and it lent its powers of coercion in 

 April 1642 to force the vicar of Broxbourne to accept as lecturer Daniel 

 Evans, whom some of the inhabitants of that town had undertaken to support." 

 A similar order was made on 6 June in favour of Philip Goodwin, who was 

 settled as lecturer on Sunday afternoons and Thursday mornings at Hemel 

 Hempstead,"^ while some three weeks later Parliamentary sanction was given 

 to the establishing of a Monday lecture at Berkhampstead St. Peter.^" The 

 most elaborate lectureship at this time was that appointed for Tuesdays at 

 Hitchin ; this was served by fifteen ministers in turn." 



'! Lambeth MS. \x, 62. ^9 i,^^,. y^„^_ ;^^ j^^_ eo ibid. 177. ei Rushworth, Hist. Coll. ii, 1088. 

 ^ Hacket, Scnma Reserata, ii, 147. 63 Commons' Journ. ii, 56. 



Peacock, The Army Lists of the Roundheads and Cavaliers, 63-4. 



Hetherington, Hist, of the Westm. Assembly, 109. 66 jbij. , , , 



M ?uT'/i"' °^^"^'- ^'""''''' '640-60, ii, 181. 68 Commons' joum. ii, 538. 



,„ \^.- T^ ' '^^- 730 (22 Aug.), where George KendaU was appointed Lecturer. 



Ibid. 639. 'ilbid. iii, 681. 



340 



