An old book now lies before me, intituled _England's Reformation from
the time of King Henry VIII. to the end of Oates's Plot, a Poem in four
Cantos, with large Marginal Notes according to the Original. By Thomas
Ward. London: Printed for W. B. and sold by Thomas Bickerton, in Little
Britain._ 1716.
In Canto IV., and beginning at p. 353., there is an account of a brawl
in the parish church of Grantham, anno 1627, arising, as appears by a
marginal note, out of circumstances connected with the "removal of the
Communion table from the upper part of the quire to the altar place." A
master alderman Wheatley, assisted by "an innkeeper fat as brawn," and
"a bow-legged tailor that was there," appears to have taken an active
part in the scuffle which ensued upon the vicar's persisting in his
determination. The alderman and his mob seem to have been triumphant on
this occasion, for we read, p. 356.:
"The alderman, by help of rabble,
Brought from the wall communion table;
Below the steps he plac'd it, where
It stood before, in midst of quire."
A pamphlet war followed; for there was immediately _A Letter to the
Vicar of Grantham about setting his Table altarwise_. In answer to this
came _A Coal from the Altar_; which was in its turn assailed by _The
Quench Coal out_, and _The Holy Table, Name and Thing_ (said to have
been written by Williams, Bishop of Lincoln.) A Dr. Pocklington (who was
he?) espoused the side of the Altar party, and published his _Altare
Christianum_. During this literary contest the vicar appears to have
died, and, some twelve months after his death, out comes _The Dead
Vicar's Plea_.
The affair seems to have created what we should now call a great
sensation in the "religious world:" for, says our author:
"Scarce was a pen but what has try'd,
And books flew out on every side,
Till ev'ry fop set up for wit,
And Laud, and Hall and Heylin writ,
And so did White and Montague,
And Shelford, Cousins, Watts, and Dow,
Lawrence and Forbis, and a crew
Whose names would"----
Master Ward did not like these men, and therefore I omit his rather
uncharitable conclusion.
Is there any record left of the notable quarrel, which appears to have
engaged the attention and pens of some of the learned men of the age?
Perhaps some of your correspondents at Grantham could throw some light
upon this question.