The most notorious instance produced of a blunder on the part of any of the Committees was in Berkshire.

The Rector of Childrey in this county was the learned orientalist Pocock, who had lost his Professorship of Hebrew in the University of Oxford for refusing the engagement to the Commonwealth, but still held the Arabic lectureship there, because there was no one else who knew Arabic sufficiently.

Not liking his look, or not seeing what Orientalism had to do with the Gospel, the rude Berkshire Committee were on the point of turning him out of his Rectory, when Dr.Owen interfered manfully and prevented the scandal.

About the same time, it is said, Thomas Fuller was in some trepidation about his living of Waltham Abbey, in Essex, but acquitted himself before the Committee handsomely.[1] [Footnote 1: Baxter, 74; Wood's Ath.IV.

319; Godwin, IV.