very vortex of religious and political contention. Archbishop Neal's apparitor quickly summoned the new preacher to Bishopthorpe, for his Grace had privately heard of this Shawe's shocking tendency to Puritanism. There are always some good kind friends ready to report of your heresy in the higher quarters! But the Archbishop had to moderate his language towards Shawe, knowing that he had been made chaplain to the Earl of Pembroke, Lord Chamberlain. Luther found the Elector of Saxony a very substantial protector. So his Grace Neal confined himself to this address : Master Shawe, I confess that I have no real fault to charge you withal. I will now tell you the whole truth. I have nothing against you, but I heard you are a very rich man, and that you are brought in by the Lord Mayor of York to head the Puritan party against me, but I tell you I will break Vaux and the Puritan party." Lord Mayor Vaux was not to be so easliy broken, and as for the new vicar of All Hallows he tells us, "After this I continued with much quietness there, and, through God's free grace, with much success."

SHAWE, VICAR OF ROTHERHAM, 1639.

Now, it was during Master Shawe's stay at York that an attempt was made by Laud and the Royal party to force the Book of Common Prayer upon Scotland. The Scotch people were thoroughly inbued with Calvinistic doctrine, and held John Knox in the highest reverence. The whole Scotch nation rose in arms against this monstrous innovation, and the Jenny Geddes incident in Edinburgh, July, 1638, only expressed the general indignation. When on Sunday, 23rd July, one of Laud's bishops commenced, Let us read the Collect of the day," from amid his tippets, " De'il colic the wame of thee!" cried out Jenny, hurling her stool at his head. "Thou foul thief, wilt thou say mass at my lug?" Others cried, "A Pape, a Pape !" "Stane him." The King's ire was so roused by such hostile reception of his brand new Scotch bishops and deans, that he raised an army to advance into Scotland, but the Scotch were equal with him, and raised an army of their own on the other side of the Tweed. As Philip, the Earl of Pembroke, was one of the Royal retinue, Master John Shawe was summoned to attend upon his patron

as chaplain-no great man could then move about without his chaplain to say prayers for him. After the king and the Scots had come to some terms, the Earl of Pembroke showed his signal favor to his chaplain by appointing him to the vicarage of Rotherham, just then vacant by the death of Mr. William Dickinson, who had been presented by William, Earl of Pembroke, of Wilton House, near Salisbury, the husband of the eldest daughter of the great nobleman of Sheffield Castle. Philip, Earl of Pembroke, succeeding his brother, managed the estates of his brother's widow, and thus held the advowson of Rotherham Church. It was this same Earl Philip who solicited from Charles I. the benefice of Bemerton, near Salisbury, on behalf of his relative, the saintly George Herbert, author of the immortal poem, "The Temple." It is in allusion to his acceptance in 1630 of this church appointment that the poet sings in his poem "The Priesthood

"But th' holy men of God such vessels are,
As serve him up, who all the world commands,
Wherefore I dare not, I, put forth my hand
To hold the Ark, although it seem to shake
Through th' old sinnes and doctrines of our land.
Only since God doth often vessels make

Of lowly matter for high uses meet,
I throw me at his feet."

The new vicar of Rotherham took charge of his parish 17th April, 1639. Here, with his characteristic zeal, he carried on his ministry, and had great cause to bless the Great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls for the great and good success which He gave to his labours. The following item from the Feoffees' accounts of 1640 illustrates the responsible position of the new vicar:-"Defrayed in extraordinary charges and sent to London by Mr. Shaw, our vicar, and others to be advised touching George, Erle of Shrewsbury's will and other necessary occasions of the towne-£5."

TROUBLOUS TIMES.

In 1640 the difference between the King and the Scots again broke out. Commissioners on both sides met at Ripon. Master Shawe attended as chaplain on the English lords, and was approved by them, notwithstanding the Bishop of Ripon representing him as "no great friend to bishops.' On

"

the treaty being signed the lords returned to London, and, says Shawe," And I to Rotherham." We may depend he was glad enough to return to that delectable place and into the bosom of his family, which, judging from the parish registers, was yearly multiplying. Bear in mind it was in the spring of this famous year-1640-that Charles, after eleven years of absolute personal government, was obliged to convoke a Parliament, but because it began to consider past grievances, it was summarily sent about its business. Then the King tried his Royal hand on levying ship money, enlisting soldiers by force, imprisoning some Members of Parliament, and even ordering torture to be inflicted in prisons. Notwithstanding all such right royal and divine pretensions and proceedings, Charles had to summon another Parliament. This Parliament was destined to become known as the celebrated Long Parliament, and is ever honoured by all supporters of constitutional government. It made short work with the Star Chamber. It even liberated all political prisoners and any confined for conscience' sake. It ordered the imprisonment of Archbishop Laud in the tower, and not only impeached, but brought to the block on Tower Hill, the great Earl of Strafford, deserted so basely in his last days by the monarch he had served to the death. The Archbishop in his grey hairs, alas! also suffered at the block two years after. The King had at last met with his match in this Parliament. Remember, the party now opposed to the proud monarch included not a few of the great and powerful nobles, such as the Earls of Northumberlnd, Bedford, Warwick, Essex. There rallied round Constitutional government and English liberty a grand and courageous support of all classes. The Corporation and citizens of London were mostly with the Parliament. The City of London was particularly the stronghold of the Presbyterians, including the wealthy Aldermen, rich merchants, prosperous traders, and others, and they exerted a powerful influence on Parliament in favor of their own religious and political views. There was, however, a good deal of rivalry between them and the Independents. In favour of the Parliament were the majority of the provincial towns and corporations, such as Rotherham, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, &c. Of course, Charles had on his side a