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 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY recorded being for repairs or for the provision of what we should now call a lectern in the body of the church. The greatest changes, however, were the abolition of the ever-burning light on the beam of the chancel screen before the rood,' and the destruction of the rood itself and all other images and pictures. The vague language of the Injunctions was interpreted in many London parishes as commanding this, and in September 1547 the destruction began, either under the direction of the rector or churchwardens, or by unauthorized persons under pretence of obeying the Injunctions. The imprisonment of Bishops Bonner and Gardiner was supposed to be connected with their objections to these proceedings, and their remonstrances may have had some effect, for on 18 September Lord St. John wrote to the mayor that the Council had decided that all images and pictures to which no offering or prayer was made should ' stand still for garnishing of the churches,' and should be set up again if they had been taken down by ' any negligent person ' not authorized to do so by the royal commissioners or the parson of the church. The images taken down by the parson or churchwardens must not be set up again, but he or they should be examined and reproved for ' doing more than was given authority to do.' ' Stories made in glass windows ' which included representations of Becket or of a pope were to be altered as inexpensively as possible. It is clear from the action taken in consequence of this letter that the feeling in the City for or against the images was very strong. On 22 September it was decided that every alderman should go ' in the most secret manner ' to each church in his ward, accompanied by the parson or curate and two or three honest parishioners, and, having shut the doors ' to the intent there shall not be any congregation,' make full notes concerning the images which had been or were in the church ' and what misdemeanours were done in taking them down,' reporting the result of his inquiries at the next Court of Aldermen. Less than two months later it was decided to abolish all images in churches ; but the feeling in the City continued to be such as to make it advisable to take down those in St. Paul's by night. The pictures and images remaining in the parish churches were whitewashed,^" and texts of Scripture painted upon the church walls which might be interpreted as forbidding the use of images. Preachers reiterated this doctrine, and after a sermon by Bishop Barlow at Paul's Cross ' the boys broke the idols in pieces.' " It is noticeable that the London parishes in general were now following the example set earlier in the year by St. Martin Iremonger, in some cases even to the placing of the king's arms on the rood-loft. Perhaps because of the necessity of re-glazing, there was much hesitation with regard to pictures in stained glass. About a third of the accounts consulted mention expenditure, usually small, on new glass for the windows in 1547 or 1548 ; ' The churchwardens sold during the next year a good deal of ' old wax,' no longer required for the rood and sepulchre lights. '° The parish records corroborate the other authorities by showing that at St. Olave Southw.irlc and some of the City churches the images were not all taken down till November or later, but modify Wriothesley's statement that all were then broken up by showing that some were sold. " Rec. Corp. Letter Bk. Q, fol. zob, 214 (summaries of this and of other important entries concerning ecclesiastical affairs at this period are given by Dr. Sharpe in Lond. and the Kingdom, i, cap. xv); Acts ofP.C. ii, 518; De Selve, Corrc//. 27 Sept. 21 Nov.; Motium. Franc. (Rolls Ser.), ii, 215; Wriothesley, Chron. u, 1 ; Stow, Annals. The order to the bishops to take down all images in every church in England was not issued till February 1547-8. Priests were publicly insulted in London in Nov. 1547 ; Acts of P. C., '^ii. I 289 37