a Shrewsbury peacher named Fidge had drawn complaints for seeming to teach antinomianism. Baxter was horrified but Tallents responded that it was "a company of bad conclusions drawn from good principles." In 1656 Tallents moderated a debate over infant baptism at Ellesmere, Shropshire This pitted Thomas Porter, the incumbent at Whitchurch, against a Mr Haggar, a Baptist, described by Calamy as an Anabaptist. Ejection At the Restoration the commissioners appointed to restore deposed ministers were petitioned to allow him to remain, Fisher's predecessor, Nicholas Prowde, concurring. Support for his continuance was widespread, with various political factions competing to make him their figurehead. The leading faction on the council were the supporters of Thomas Jones, the town clerk and MP for Shrewsbury. Jones was a staunch Presbyterian, although he had remained in Shrewsbury while it was under Royalist rule, and even hosted Prince Rupert in his home. Together with the headmaster, Richard Pigot, and the mayor, Richard Bagot, he had a new deed of appointment drawn up for Tallents. On 10 October 1661 he received confirmation of his office. However, the Jones faction was strongly opposed by the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Francis Lord Newport, and his Deputy Lieutenant, Richard Ottley, one of the MPs for Shropshire. The Corporation Act of December 1661 gave Newport and Ottley an opportunity to mount a coup against the dominant group in Shrewsbury, as it demanded office holders explicitly abjure the Solemn League and Covenant. Early in 1662 they moved against Jones and his supporters, placing council members under house arrest so that they could not fill vacancies as Presbyterians were purged from the council. In March the Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry made a gift to the king consisting of money voluntarily subscribed by the clergy. Tallents contributed £2 10s. to the total of £88 16s. from his Archdeaconry – a display of loyalty that yielded no result. The Act of Uniformity 1662 signalled the end of any chance of reconciliation between Presbyterians and the Church of England. It was passed by Parliament on 8 May and received Royal Assent on 19 May and was to become effective on 24 August, St Bartholomew's Day. However, Newport did not wait for the act to become effective, immediately turning out Presbyterian ministers of the Fourth Classis, the north-eastern area of Shropshire where he was dominant. he then turned his attention to Shrewsbury. Tallents was several times