wished oblige the Crown, so he was summoned to the privy council to answer for Northamptonshire ministers who had refused to subscribe to the 1604 Canons. The King's Council chastised the "mutinous, seditious, malicious, factious ... " petitions from Somerset. Hastings was dismissed from his county offices with a rebuke. Needed in Westminster, he was required to address the penal laws, the day after 5 November 1605. He was admirably quick to respond to the crisis, writing immediately to Cecil urging authorisation for Secretary Herbert to take "timely and severe proceeding against Jesuits," thus also reinforcing the conformity to the Canons in a new bill. The Privy Council named him the next after them and first in the House. Handling other MPs, Sir Francis proved adept and subtle. When Sir William Strode suggested involving the bishops in about depriving ministers form livings and benefices, Hastings steered a course towards inclusion. More Puritans would be needed to staff the parish churches, so embrace Presbyterianism and the innovation of Conventicles. The real threat posed was by Catholic France and Spain, the Society of Jesuits who must not be allowed to "settle teaching" in England. MPs were engrossed enough to pass a third reading on 2 April 1606. Hastings upheld the Sabbath like a Sabbatarian encouraging attendance at church. This did not mean he was not tolerant of Catholicism. However the King's Speaker forced the bill to be dropped; toleration was a major issue for Hastings, who was furious. As Chairman of the Committee of Privileges he held enormous power over procedure; nevertheless he was humiliated, and had to make a grovelling apology to King James. One of the puritan petitioners was Thomas Felton, later the murderer of the Duke of Buckingham, who was obliged in his demand that Jesuits be punished. Hastings pushed for more recusancy prosecutions on the word of William Uvedale, a paid spy and informer. By June 1607, Hastings seems to have become old and worn down by Commons refusal to award the king supply. Sir Thomas Beaumont advised him to wait for the king's approval of the Great Contract, satisfaction of grievances. On 21 May 1610 The King demanded the right to levy tax as of right. Hastings was horrified of the displacement of the Commons constitutional convention, "His Majesty then hath a power in all our properties." References Bibliography Letters of Sir Francis Hastings 1574-1609 ed. C