SINCE Monday the Seventh instant, when Mr. Sherman Senior Church-warden of Alhallows Barkin pleaded guilty at the Old-Bayly, to Mr. Whi­taker's Indictment (which Mr. And who is reported to be the man, who was imprison'd first by the Mayor of Wor­cester, and then by an Order from the House of Lords, for saying all the Bishops were Papists except Four. Whitaker had before indicted the Lord Bishop of London for keeping his Courts in his own Name) many of the Pari­shioners of Barkin, and others have complained to Dr. Hickes the Minister of Barkin, of Mr. Sherman's manner of proceeding upon that Indictment (in which the Doctor, Lecturer, and Church-wardens were equally indicted) as having gratified the enemies, and much offended, and scandalized the Friends of the Government, and the Church.

Upon these complaints the Doctor, last Lord's day after Evening Sermon, called a Vestry, at which Nineteen of the Principal Persons of the Parish all Vestry-men did appear.

As soon as they were set, and had heard the Ann. 3. and 4. Edw. VI. c. 10. Statute read, upon which the Indictment was grounded, the Doctor upon Mr. Sherman's refusal to be present at the Vestry, made a report of his proceeding upon the whole matter, telling them that Mr. Sherman had acted therein not only without, but expresly against his advice and consent, he having told him the Night before he appeared at the Old-Bayly, that he conceived it was their duty to consult the Vestry about the manner of proceeding upon that Indictment, and that their defence (in his opinion) was necessary, and easie; Necessary, because other wise they should ren­der his Majesty's Chappels-royal, the Cathedrals, and Collegiate-Churches and Chappels, and most of the Parish-churches of this City and Kingdom ob­noxious to the lash of every factious and disaffected person, upon the account of the Church-ornaments: And Easie, because the Figure, for suffering of which they were Indicted, had not the shape of the Statue of St. Michael the Archangel, nor was ever reputed the Image, or called by the Name of any Saint whatsoever, but as we could make it appear by the Testimony of Hun­dreds yet living in the Parish, had been made, and set up (in the late times of usurpation) upon the Clock, or Hand-dyal, between Time on one hand, and Death on the other (whose Figures are yet to be seen (and that when the Clock was set over the Organ about Six years ago, it was set as an ornament over the Ten Commandments, where it stood unobserved by himself, and many of his Parishoners till the first report of the Indictment, when Mr. Sherman was Foreman of the Grand-Jury, the Sessions before Mr. Whitaker did really indict it: He also added, that he then told Mr. Sherman, that they had time enough to consult the Vestry, and take joynt-measures, being not obliged to answer to the Indictment till the Sessions in Easter-week.

That notwithstanding this advice, and entreaties used to Mr. Sherman not to appear at the private Sessions occasionally held the next day, that the privily took down the Figure commonly called the Angel (because it had a Trumpet at his mouth, and had written on a label hanging upon his Breast, ARISE YE DEAD, AND COME TO JUDGMENT) conveighed it to the Old-Bayly, and there pleaded guilty to the Indictment, and after the Court [Page 2] was risen would have given away the Figure, but that he was forbidden by the worthy Mr. Hunter the other Church-warden, who made it be brought back to the Church, from whence on Wednesday Morning last, the said Mr. Sherman, without the knowledge of the Doctor, or Mr. Hunter, privily took it away by a Porter, pretending that Mr. Sheriff Bethel had demanded it by virtue of an Order made by the Court for demolishing of it, although the Court upon his pleading Guilty on the one hand, and Mr. Sheriffs urging the destruction of it on the other, could not be prevailed with to make any such Order, thinking the Indictment frivolous and groundless.

After the Doctor had related these, and many other particulars, the Vestry gave him their thanks for his care in this business, and for endeavouring to pre­srve the Peace, and good order of the Parish, and forthwith resolved (nemine contradicente) that at was their opinion that Mr. Sherman upon the whole matter had acted arbitrarily and irregularly, and that he ought to have consulted the Vestry, and taken their directions how to proceed upon the Indictment.

They also (as we are informent) declared that this Order was not intended to preclude them from proceeding further against the said Mr. Sherman, as here­after should be thought fit: And upon this occasion exhorted one another to be very careful, and unanimous in the next Election of their Vestry-men in choo­sing such as were Loyal and good Church-men into the vacant places, where­upon some Knights, and many other Gentlemen of undoubted Loyalty, and adherence to the established Protestant Religion, were mentioned as fit for that trust.

As the Ministers and Church-Wardens of Barkin have been Indicted for suffering the Image of S. Michael the Arch-Angel, in the Parish-Church, as the Learned Indicter first pleased to call the foresaid Figure: so if he can find colour for it in any old Statute, he may as justly Indict them again for suffer­ing of Pagan Idols; for old Time may be presented for Saturn, and Death for Mors, who with his brother Erebus every School Boy can inform the Grand — were famous Deities of old.

And if he please to do so, he may add by the merit of the action to the for­mer reputation, which he hath got by presenting the Angel; which after it had escaped the Sentence of destruction, which was hoped for from the Court upon such a surprize, a Gentleman would have bought at the purchase of a Guiny to have set up in his own Parish-Church. I suppose that Gentleman feared not a second Indictment, being either a good Lawyer himself, or as ha­ving heard one of the best Lawyers of the Nation, I mean Mr. Recorder, reply to one of the Loyal Aldermen, who asked him by what Statute, that Figure produced in the Court, could be Indicted? By none that he knew. The same Honourable Alderman asked one, who pleaded hard against the harmless Sta­tue, what that writing was upon his Breast? ARISE YE DEAD AND COME TO JUDGMENT, saith he: Ay, that's it (re­plied he) which, I fear, offends you, you cannot endure to be reminded of the Last Judgment, the thoughts of it, perhaps, are trouble some unto you: And when the same Gentleman still persisted to have it Sentenced to the Flames, some remote Voices were heard to say, Let him have it to burn in his Kitchin. I have only one observation to add, That in the beginning of the Late Times the Parish of Barkin was first Parish, and Doctor Layfield late Minister of it, the first Minister of London, who was troubled upon the account of some little Images in the work of the Cover of the Font, which the Factious people of that time reproachfully called, The Gods of Barkin. God Almighty, who equally hates Sacriledge, and Idolatry, and Schism, and Sedition as much as other sins, divert the Omen, and blast the designs of all those on either hand that seek the destruction of this truly persecuted Church. Amen.

Dated. March 15-1680.