Page:The Church of England, its catholicity and continuity.djvu/130

 religious sense was wounded, seeing that our sacred buildings were turned into stables and dancing halls. I could relate many arbitrary measures which resulted from this Puritan sway. A committee was appointed to inquire into the fitness of those who offered themselves as candidates for Holy Orders. It was named the Body of Triers. This was in the year 1654. They compelled the faithful clergy of the Church, who yet remained, to take the oath to the Republican Government. This committee was made up of thirty-eight commissioners. But notice this, that most of them were Independents, some few were Baptists, and they were to examine the qualifications of Churchmen.

Evelyn, who has left us a valuable document in his diary, said that in 1655 a sharp persecution commenced against the Church, and it was necessary to confine the Church services to private houses, and this was only done with danger. Clergy were ejected from their positions by scores. Without considering those who were unbeneficed, or those who were masters of hospitals, or schoolmasters, out of the ten thousand clergy in England before the Puritan usurpation, seven thousand were afterwards ejected.

The Archbishop of Canterbury was beheaded without any law for the deed, being on the Puritan side. The Archbishop of York, to save himself, thought it wise to join "the faction which had ruined his brethren." Eighteen of the Bishops died in poverty. Only nine Bishops survived the Commonwealth. Those clergy who were ejected were, however, allowed one-fifth of their benefices as a pension. But how could they live on so small a sum? "As a great