The report led to the ordering of salaries to be paid to certain
preachers (afterwards called King's preachers), who were to deliver
sermons in various parts of the county. In the commencement of the
seventeenth century things became somewhat more settled, but still
the agents of the Government often met with great opposition in their
efforts to carry out their instructions, and this continued to the
very end of the reign of Elizabeth, for in 1602-3 the Bishop of London
complains that "in Lancashire and those parts, recusants stand not
in fear by reason of the great multitude there is of them." Likewise
he had heard it "reported publicly that amongst them they of that
country had beaten divers pursuivants extremely, and made them vow
and swear that they would never meddle with any recusants more. And
one pursuivant in particular, to eat his warrant and vow never to
trouble them nor any recusants more."[203] On the accession of James
to the throne, both the Catholics and Puritans hoped to obtain some
redress, or at any rate more freedom from oppression and persecution;
but instead of this hope being realized, they soon heard of new penal
regulations being issued which in no way encouraged either party.
The Puritans in Lancashire were offended by the issue of the "Book
of Sports" (see p. 123), and the Catholics were still obliged to
resort to all kinds of strategy to avoid arrest and imprisonment or
fines. Nor did either of the two great religious factions receive much
better treatment under Charles I., in whose reign two (if not more)
Catholics suffered for their religion the extreme penalty of the law at
Lancaster. One of these was Edmund Arrowsmith, a priest of the Order
of Jesus; he was hung, and afterwards beheaded and dismembered. This
was in 1628. At Bryn Hall (lately pulled down), until very recently,
was preserved what was said to be the hand of Father Arrowsmith, the
tradition being that just before his death he requested his spiritual
attendant to cut off his right hand, which should then have the power
to work cures on those who were touched by it and had the necessary
amount of faith. Accounts of the miraculous cures worked by this hand
were printed as recently as 1737.[204]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account