PETER SAXTON, A. M.-This venerable divine was born at or near Bramley, in the parish of Leeds, in Yorkshire, and educated in the university of Cambridge, where he took his degrees in arts. He was admitted preacher, first by Archbishop Hutton, then by Archbishop Matthews, both of the province of York. He obtained the king's presentation as well as that of Sir Edward Stanhope, to the rectory of Edlington in his native county, as appears from the book of admissions in the register's office at York; where, December 1, 1614, he made the usual subscription willingly et ex animo. He afterwards saw cause to change his opinion; and he became so alienated from the discipline and ceremonies of the church, that he is said to have called the surplice the whore's smock.* Having espoused the sentiments of the puritans, and not being ashamed to avow his opinions, he could find no rest in his native country. The horrors of cruel persecution having overspread the nation, he retired from the storm, and sought an asylum in New England, where, to his great comfort, he arrived in the year 1640. There we find his name, as minister of Scituate, in the first classes of those who enlightened the dark regions of America by their ministry. He continued some time in this situation; but the unsettled condition of the colony, and some unhappy contentions in the plantation where he lived, induced him to remove first to Boston, then to England, in his advanced years. On his return from New England, the ship was overtaken in so violent a storm, that the mariners, who could not be brought to pray before, came trembling to him like dying men; and they found him upon the deck exulting, with his arms stretched towards heaven, and crying, "O! who is now for heaven? who is bound for heaven?" After Mr. Saxton's arrival in his native country, he had the offer of a considerable living in Kent, which he declined to accept, preferring the vicarage of Leeds in his own county, to which he was inducted in the month of April, 1646, and possessed till his death, which happened October 1, 1651, having survived his daughter Silence, the wife of Captain Samuel Pool, to whom she was married in New England; but she died at Leeds, as did also his widow the February following. He was a venerable, pious, and learned divine; but he used many plain expressions, which often occasioned smiles, and once downright laughter in a + Ibid. p. 214. Thoresby's Vicaria Leodiensis, p. 86. + Mather's Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 3. country church where he was preaching. His text was Job xi. 12. "For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt." He, observing the irreverence of the people, threatened to make them cry before he had done, and was as good as his word when he came to the application. The aged minister, for whom he then preached, told me, as our author adds, that he never saw the like in that church before, almost the whole of the congregation being bathed in tears; and he further observes, that Mr. Saxton was a very studious and learned man, and a great Hebrean, and he constantly carried his Hebrew Bible with him into the pulpit. There goes under his name a book, entitled "Christmas Cheere; or, Profitable Notes of, Two Sermons preached the 25th of December, being commonly (how rightly let others judge) called Christmas day, and upon the day following, commonly called St. Stephen's day," 1606. Mr. Palmer has, by mistake, classed our venerable divine among the worthy ministers who were ejected after the restoration.+ GEORGE WALKER, B. D.-This learned divine was born at Hawkshead in Lancashire, in the year 1581, and educated in St. John's college, Cambridge. Being favoured with religious parents, he enjoyed the benefit of their pious instructions when very young, which appeared of signal advantage to him in future life. Having finished his studies at the university, he went to London; and, in the year 1614, became rector of St. John the Evangelist, in Watling-street. Here he continued a faithful and laborious minister nearly forty years, refusing all other preferments, though frequently offered him. He did not preach to obtain preferment, but to win souls to Christ. About the same time he became chaplain to Dr. Felton, bishop of Ely, who made choice of him the very morning of his consecration. He was a bold opposer of popery, and he engaged several times in public disputations against its errors and super Thoresby's Vicaria Leodiensis, p. 87, 88. + Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. i. p. 377. The following curious anecdote is related of him, which we give without comment:-"Being visited when a child with the small-pox, and those who stood expecting his dissolution, he started up out of a trance, with this ejaculation, Lord, take me not away till I have shewed forth thy praises which, after his recovery, induced his parents to devote him to the ministry."-Fuller's Worthies, part ii. p. 118. Newcourt's Repert. Ecc!, vol. i. p, 375, stitions. In the year 1623 he had a public dispute with a popish priest of the name of Smith, before a very large assembly; and, by the consent of both parties, the account of it was afterwards published. He had many encounters with Fisher, the famous jesuit, and many others, who were deemed the most able disputants of the Romish persuasion.* Mr. Walker was a divine of sterling piety and strict sabbatarian principles; and he often urged from the pulpit the necessity of an exact observance of the Lord's day. In the year 1635, having openly avowed his sentiments in one of his sermons, and recommended the holy observance of the sabbath, as opposed to a book published by Bishop White of Ely, and set forth by public authority, he was convened before Archbishop Laud, when he received canonical admonition.+ In the year 1638 he was prosecuted and severely censured in the star-chamber. Having preached a sermon in his own church, to prove "that it is a sin to obey the greatest monarch on earth, in those things which stand opposed to the commands of God," he was committed twelve weeks to the custody of a pursuivant, to whom he paid fees to the amount of twenty pounds. Upon his prosecution, he was shut up ten weeks close prisoner in the Gatehouse, and at last compelled to enter into a bond of a thousand pounds, to confine himself prisoner in his brother's house at Cheswick, when his living was sequestered. He continued a prisoner upwards of two years, but was afterwards released by an order of parliament. His case was laid before the house of commons in 1641, when it was resolved, "That his commitment from the council-table for preaching a sermon, October 14, 1638, and his detainment twelve weeks for the same, is against the law and the liberty of the subject. "That the prosecution of the said Walker in the starchamber, for preaching the said sermon, and his close imprisonment thereupon for ten weeks in the Gatehouse, and the payment of twenty pounds fees, is against law and the liberty of the subject. "That the five passages marked in the sermon, by Mr. Attorney and Sir John Banks, contain no crime, nor deserve any censure, nor he any punishment for them. "That the enforcing the said Walker to enter into the bond of one thousand pounds, for confinement in his * Fuller's Worthies, part ii. p. 118. + Wood's Athena Oxon. vol. i. p. 840. brother's house at Cheswick, and his imprisonment there, is against law. That the sequestration of the parsonage of the said Walker, by Sir John Lamb, was done without any warrant, and against the law of the land. "That Walker ought to be restored to his parsonage, and the whole profits thereof, from the time of the said sequestration, and to have reparation for all such damages as he hath sustained by these several imprisonments, and his case transmitted to the lords."* Whether Mr. Walker received any reparation for damages we have not been able to learn; but after his release from confinement, he returned to his benefice and ministerial charge in Watling-street, where he continued the rest of his days without further molestation. In the year 1643 he was chosen one of the assembly of divines, where, by his munificent and generous behaviour, he gained a distinguished reputation. The year following he was appointed one of the committee for the examination and ordination of public preachers. The same year he was one of the witnesses against Archbishop Laud at his trial, when he deposed that the archbishop had endeavoured to introduce arminianism and the popish superstitions into the church of England.+ Though Wood reproaches him with having preached against the king and his party, he united with his brethren, the London ministers, in their protestation against the king's death, declaring that his majesty ought to have been released. He was a member of the first provincial assembly in London, and sometimes chosen moderator. He died in the year 1651, aged seventy years, and his remains were interred in his own church in Watling-street. Fuller says, "he was well skilled in the oriental languages, and an excellent logician and divine. He was a man of a holy life, an humble spirit, and a liberal hand, who deserved well of Zion college library; and who, by his example and persuasion, advanced a thousand pounds for the maintenance of Nalson's Collections, vol. ii. p. 250, 251. + Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 360, 532. Dr. Grey charges him with the same crime, for the proof of which he appeals to the following passage in one of his sermons: After God had rejected Saul for his disobedience from being king over Israel," says Mr. Walker," and had declared his purpose to him by Samuel, an evil spirit of fury, jealousy, and tyranny, came upon him." The reader will judge what degree of proof it affords.-Grey's Examin, vol. i. p. 399. Calamy's Contin. vol. ii. p. 743. preaching ministers in his native county." Wood calls him "a learned man, but a severe puritan.' His WORKS.-1. The Sum of a Disputation between Mr. Walker, Pastor of St. John the Evan., and a Popish Priest, calling himself Mr. Smith, but indeed Norris, 1623.-2. Fisher's Folly Unfolded; or, the vaunting Jesuit's Challenge Answered, 1624.-3. Socinianism in the Fundamental Point of Justification Discovered and Confuted, 1641. -4. The Doctrine of the Holy Weekly Sabbath, 1641.-5. God made Visible in all his Works, 1641.-6. Sermons preached before the Parliament, 1644, &c. JOHN VICARS was born in the city of London, in the year 1582, descended from the Vicars in Cumberland, and educated first in Christ-church hospital, London, then in Queen's college, Oxford. Having finished his academical studies, he retired to London, and became usher at Christ'schurch, which he kept till towards the close of life. Wood calls him "a puritanical poet, and a zealous brother in the 'cause;" and says, that, " upon the commencement of the civil wars, he shewed his great forwardness for presbyterianism, hated all people that loved obedience, and affrighted many of the weaker sort, and others, from having any agreement with the king's party, by continually inculcating into their heads strange stories of God's wrath against the cavaliers. Afterwards, when the independents became predominant, he manifested great enmity against them, especially after the king's death."+ He is said to have "hated all people who loved obedience, as the devil doth holy-water; and he could out-scold the boldest face in Billingsgate, especially if kings, bishops, organs, or maypoles, were to be the objects of their zealous indignation."‡ He is warmly censured for calling the ceremonies of the church" a stinking heap of atheistical and Roman rubbish ;" and for saying, "Throw away the rubbish with the Lord's enemies. Vex the Midianites, abolish the Amalekites: let popery find no favour." Mr. Vicars was a most furious adversary to the independents. The title of one of his pieces written against them will afford a curious specimen of the length to which the different parties at that time carried their animosity. It is * Fuller's Worthies, part ii. p. 118.-Wood's Athena Oxon. vol. i. P. 840. + Wood's Athenæ, vol. ii. p. 85, 86. Foulis's Hist. of Plots, p. 179. |