serjeant, Mr. Beirom, the elder, having discovered the plot to some in the town, who quickly came to advise with me, we, with some few others, which we sent for, agreed upon this as the suddenest remedy, that the twelve chief conspirators should be severally sent for into one roome, at one time, and afterwards severally examined, which accordingly was done; their examinations still remaining upon fyle in Manchester. Whilest these things were doing I gave orders for my 12 muskettiers privately to attend me, with whose assistance having secured these heads, the conspiracie vanished into smoke, which otherwise would have set all on fire.' Although Colonel Roseworm had displayed such zeal for the welfare of Manchester, he received only ingratitude from its inhabitants. The pay promised him, and the justice of which, as we have seen above was confirmed by Parliament, was, after the cessation of danger, withheld, and in consequence he left the town in disgust, repairing to London, where he remained for a considerable time seeking redress, and it was not till October, 1647, that the forty shillings a week above mentioned, was paid him. With the relation of these events our narrative of the active part taken by Manchester in the civil war is brought to a close.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Change in the form of Church Government-Mr. Heyrick's Appeal on behalf of Manchester-Lancashire divided into Classical Districts-Presbyterianism dominant-George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends, in Manchester-Increase of the Independents-Cromwell defeats the Duke of Hamilton at PrestonCharles I. beheaded-Appearance of Parhelia at Manchester-New Committee of Sequestrators appointed for Lancashire-Seizure of the Charters of the Collegiate Church - Arrest of Warden Heyrick - Execution of the Earl of Derby Humphrey Chetham - Manchester ceases to be a Fortress - Dissolution of the Long Parliament - Cromwell Protector. Manchester returns Members to Parliament-Death of Cromwell.

THE partial cessation of the civil war gave the Parliament an opportunity of applying its attention to other matters. Presbyterianism was now dominant; the episcopal form of church government having been entirely suppressed. In Manchester this change seems to have been effected principally by Mr. Heyrick, warden of the Collegiate Church. Sequestrators were sent down from London to take possession of the church property; and in consequence of the regulations they enforced, many of the clergy seceded from their cures. Mr. Heyrick, however, remained at his post, but does not appear to have concurred in all the dogmas propounded by Parliament, some of whose proceedings he denounced in a sermon which he preached before the House. In the course of the sermon Mr. Heyrick pleaded in the following manner, the cause of those of his own party in Manchester. 'Pardon my zeal' he says if I name the town of Manchester unto you,—a town famous for religion ever since the Reformation; believe me it hath been a Goshen, a place of light, when most places of the land have been places of darkness. It hath been an hiding place, a place of refuge and sanctuary against the tyranny of prelacy, and the storms and tempests of persecution. They were the first that jeoparded themselves in the high places of the earth, that ventured the perishing in the

cause of God and the Kingdom. They offered themselves willingly among the people, and they laid out themselves in what they had for the public service. Yea, I know there were that, like the widow, threw in all their treasure into the public treasury. God did great things by them and for them. I fear not to say they preserved the North! Manchester was the public magazine, the sanctuary to poor exiles, the prison to proud enemies, the bulwark to the county! But now she sits like a widow desolate. The hand of God hath lately gone out against her. The only town untouched by the enemy, and the only town in all the county stricken of God! The priests, the ministers of the Lord that did bear the ark of God upon their shoulders, there were sixteen of them in that parish, and now I know but one,— one alone as Eliah,-left to do the service of the Lord; and he, through the wickedness of the times,—the great revenues of the church being unjustly withheld from him,-is now upon tiptoe ready to take flight, scarce having bread to put into his children's mouth. The walls of the garrison they moulder away; time hath made wide breaches in their works, which the enemy could never do; and there is not at this time, that I know of, five soldiers to keep the garrison! These things in a petition they have lately laid at your feet. Give me leave, then, in their and others' behalf to say, let not so great a labour of love be forgotten! Let the blessings of them that are ready to perish be upon you! Com. fort them, yea, comfort them according to the time they have been afflicted, yea, give them double for what they have done.'

Though this address excited great interest, it was only partly effective. The Parliament still refused to repair the fortifications of Manchester, or to recall the troops for the purpose of taking the field against the Lancashire Catholics; but they willingly reinstated the Collegiate body in the possession of its revenues, on condition of its members subscribing the National Covenant, such as refused being rejected. All agreed, with the exception of Mr. Johnson, one of the fellows, described as a pious and learned man, who was consequently taken prisoner. When his arrest took place, it was so abrupt and instantaneous, that he was not even permitted to put on his boots, but was obliged to wrap round his legs rolls of hay and straw, in order to protect them from the mud. In this condition he was mounted on a sorry

ragged colt; and on being led through the streets of the town on his way to prison, was stoned by a mob with every mark of contumely.

In October, 1646, an ordinance was passed converting the county of Lancaster into an ecclesiastical province under the Presbyterian form of church government. The province was divided into nine classical districts, each of which was governed by a monthly assembly of its own congregational presbyteries; and it was ordained that delegates from each classical assembly should meet as synods at stated periods to legislate for the whole. As no national or general assembly for the whole kingdom was constituted, each synod was supreme and uncontrollable in its own province. So far all was well; but the Presbyterians were dissatisfied that Parliament had not recognised in them the power of excommunicating offenders. Of the nine classical districts of Lancashire, the first was named the Manchester classis. It comprised the parishes of Manchester, Prestwich, Oldham, Flixton, Eccles, and Ashton-under-Lyne. The first meeting of the Manchester classis was held in February, 1647, under the presidency of Mr. Heyrick.

Though Presbyterianism was at this time dominant, another sect, the Independents, was rapidly increasing in numbers and importance. The accession to their ranks in Lancashire was so great as to alarm the authorities of the Collegiate Church, who prepared an address to Parliament, to which they obtained eight thousand five hundred signatures, calling upon the House to put down by its authority all 'Anabaptists, Brownists, Heretics, Schismatics, and Blasphemers.' This document, which bears date March 3, 1647, designates the sectarian spirit of the times as a fretting leprosie and eating leprosie'; and the subscribers declare that they do detest' it. The efforts of the Collegiate body proved of little avail. The Independent party daily acquired strength throughout the country; but through the exertions of Heyrick they were far less numerous in Manchester than elsewhere. George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends, had begun his ministry in the town, but was soon compelled to desist.

At this time the Royalists began to look upon the cause of the king with despair, and they devoted all their energies to the rescuing of their property from the Parliamentary sequestration.

The unfortunate king, in daily apprehension of being seized by the army of the Parliament, had been induced to confide his safety to the Scottish forces then in England, by whom he was betrayed. The Catholics of Lancashire had retired altogether from the contest. A needy Parliament had allowed them to compound for their estates and for liberty of conscience, and as the royal cause seemed lost beyond redemption, they felt little or no interest in the feuds of Presbyterians and Independents, and hence they enjoyed a state of comparative tranquillity. The forbearance, however, with which they were treated by the Presbyterians was at least but specious; it disclaimed any motive of liberality or conciliation, and originated in the fact that the exertions of the Presbyterians were required in a newer and unexpected field of combat, where heresies before unheard of were arrayed under the formidable banner of toleration and independence.

Despite the vigilance and exertions of the Presbyterian ministers and elders, the principles of the Independents made considerable progress among the soldiery, and were embraced by the whole of the Lancashire forces. Parliament had also at this time begun to entertain a great distrust of the army, by whom republicanism, as well as toleration, had been espoused, and when they proposed its reduction or employment in Ireland, open rebellion ensued. Representatives from each company were appointed under the title of 'agitators,' who were soon placed in such a position as to give the law to both houses. The Parliament now found that the only chance of regaining its independence consisted in adjusting their differences with the king, in order that by the united strength of the Royalists and Parliament, republicanism and independency might be overthrown. The Scots, whose indignation had been roused by the open contempt displayed for the Covenant by the Independents, saw this new complication of affairs, and prepared to act accordingly. A restitution, therefore, of the rights and authority of both King and Parliament became their watchword, and they invited the common support of the English Presbyterians and the Royalists. But this appeal was ineffective, owing to the great and important differences prevailing between the parties to whom it was made, and the mutual distrust and suspicion with which they looked upon each other.