A GREAT FIGHT IN THE CHURCH AT THAXTED in ESSEX, between the Sequestrators, and the Minister.  
AND The Mayor being present, the men and women in this Fight fell all together by the ears, on the Lord's Day.  
Concerning which, divers of the Chief Actors were brought before the house of Lords in Parliament assembled, this present Friday, Septemb. 24. 1647.  
WITH The manner of their Trial, and the several Charges brought in against them at the LORDS BAR.  
London Printed for Henry Becke in Aldersgate-street, Anno Domini, 1647.   

A Great fight in the Church at Thaxted in Essex, between the Sequestrators and the MINISTER.  
Die Veneris, 24 Septem. 1647.  
From the well-affected Inhabitants.  
THe Committee for plundered Ministers sequestered one M. Leader Vicar of Thanted, and settled one M. Male, a godly learned Minister. M. Leader deceasing about a year after, the Lady Maynard (being Patroness of the said living) refused to present Master Male but presents one M. Croxon, a man for whoring, swearing, cursing and drunkenness, the whole County cannot parallel, as was proved against him.  
The well affected parishioners, perceiving what a judgement they lay under, to sit under the Ministry of such a soule-starving Pastor, began a new prosecution, and exhibited several Articles against the said M. Croxon, before the Committee for plundered Ministers, and prosecuted the same, until the said Committee hearing the cause, sequestered the said living from M. Croxon.  
The Lady Maynard by a Gentleman suggested to the said Committee, that M. Croxon had made a resignation to the Lady of the said Living, but because no resignation did appear to the Committee, it was ordered, that the said Lady should have only leave and two month's time to nominate some godly Minster to the Committee for the said Living, to take it upon the Sequestration.  
The well-affected parishioners petitioned the Committee to vacate the said Order for these reasons, viz.  
I. Because the Lady had presented two unworthy Ministers before, the prosecuting of which Ministers had cost a few well affected persons in the parish at least a hundred pounds.  
II. Because that Order that gave the Lady power, was gotten upon pretence of a resignation, whereas there could be none legal.  
First, because when Articles are depending, no man can resign.  
Secondly, because if the resignation had been before Articles, the living must needs be relupst, because it was more than six months before the said Lady went about to present this Mr. Hall, but it is proved by an Order that the said resignation was a little before the Sequestration, therefore by the Order of the Committee void, as we can make clearly to appear.  
Yet not withstanding the Committee gave the Lady liberty to commend some godly Minister, she commended M. Hall, who was referred to the Assembly of Divines, who found him unfit and made return of it to the Committee.  
M. Hall was sent a second time to the Assembly, who returned him still unfit, and they were more unsatisfied than before.  
Mr. Hall was sent a third time, and returned unfit, whereupon he was discharged from intermeddling with Thaxted any more by the said Committee, They having power to place none but such as the Assembly approoves of.  
Since which time he hath addressed himselfo to the right Honourable the House of Lords, who did order the Assembly to examine him, who have returned answer, they cannot approve of him.  
The Lords were pleased to order that the Assembly should bring in their reasons, why they did not approve of him.  
The Assembly did produce their reasons which gave the Lords such satisfaction that the cause was laid a side for the present, and the said Hall in the absence of the Speakers got an Order for Institution and Induction which is now made void by the Ordinance.  

Die veneris Septem. 24. 1647.  
From the Sequestrators.  
DIvers well affected presented Articles (to the Committee for plundered Ministers) against Edward Croxon Vicar of Thaxted.  
Croxon was sequestered by the Committee for plundered Ministers, Sequestrators appointed.  
The Lady Maynard Patroness of the said Vicarage suggested a resignation made to her by Croxon, and she desired to present her Clerk, but because she produced no resignation. It was ordered that she should have liberty and two month's time to commend some godly Minister, to be settled in the said Sequestration.  
The Lady present Mr. nal to the Committee to be settled in the Sequestration, Hall referred to the Assembly, returned unfit sent away the second time, a third, a fourth, a fifth time and returned unfit, the Committee discharged Hall, continued the Sequestrators.  
Mr. Hall finding he could not get into the said living by the Committee, Addresses himself to the House of Lords, the Lords order the Assembly to examine Mr. Hall in reference to the said place, they return him unfit, the Lords order the Assembly to show their reasons: they produced reasons, the Lords refer the same to a Committee, which was afterward said a side, heard no more of Hall for the space of two months.  
(In the absence of the Speakers) Mr. Hall got an order from the Lords (by the procurement of the Lord Maynard patron, the Lady being deceased, who then sat and acted, for which he now is in custody) for institution and induction.  
Hall came to the Church, accompanied with the Mayor and divers others (of the dis-affected party) The Sequestrators demanded his authority, he refused to sh●w any Authority, and said they should not question it, went and preached the forenoon, in the afternoon the Sequestrators went and stood at the door of the Desk to force him to show Authority, or prevent him from preaching.  
Mr. Hall name in the afternoon accompanied with the abovesaid Mayor, the Sequestrators demanded his authority, he refused to show any, the Sequestrators told him they had an Order that he should not Officiate, and if he could show a better they would desist, which he refused to do.  
Then one Christopher Tanner (Churchwarden) and Edward Muntford told the Sequestrators that if the Sequestrators would not come down they should be pulled down, and said Mr. Hall should preach too with other daring words.  
Then came the Mayor out of his sear and reproved the Sequestrators, and said he wondered the Sequestrators would make such a disturbance, which Animated divers dis-affected men and women, who fell upon the Sequestrators, beat them ' tore the hair from their heads, their bands from their necks; endangered the taking away the it lives. The Mayor being present and never reproved the same.  
Anne the Wife of Thomas Meade, Elizabeth the Daughter of the said Thomas, Meade, the Wife of Laurence Porter, the Wife of Nathaviel Westley, the Wife of Samuel Salmane, these. Women fell violently upon the said Sequestratours, beat them sore, tore the hair from some of their heads, the Bands from their necks, their Hats and Cloaks off, then came Henry Jobb, Thomas Meade junior, Edward Meade junior, John Moor, (who struck Captain Turner one of the Sequestratours) William Caton, Lewis Caton, Nathaniel Smith, alias Baby, John Grey, and John Baker, who animated and abetted the said Women, the Sequestratours being forced to haste as fast as they could out of the Church, being in danger of having their lives taken from them by the Persons above mentioned, the Major of the Town being present never charged any one of them to keep the Peace, but unimated them, and said, when others pressed toward me Sequestratours, Let them alone, and let the Women decide the Case.  
The Sequestratours having an Ordinance of Parliament for the nulling all Orders, Ordinances, etc. done in the absence of the Speakers, Mr. Major, Mr. Hall, and Henry Jebb coming to Church, the Sequestratours shown them the same to prohibit Hall from preaching, he having his Authority granted in the absence of the Speakers) and wished Mr. Major and Mr. Hall to take notice of it, the Major read the same in presence of Mr. Hall, and said, What doth this concern Mr. Hall?  
Mr. Hall in a slighting manner said, This did nothing concern him, and went away into the Church, and officiated the same day, forenoon and afternoon, without taking notice of the said Ordinance.  
Henry Jebb being present at the reading of the said Ordinances in a slighting manner said, What doth this concern Mr. Hall? and told the Sequestratours, They were always troubling them with such frivolous things.  
Witnesses, 

Richard Turner,  
Jo. Humphrey,  
Jo, Brown,  
Andrew Halles,  
Jo. Hewood,  
Rose Turner,     
FINIS.