Mr. Peck had been sent to him by the justices of the peace, for keeping a conventicle at night, and in his own house; that his catechizing was only an excuse to draw the people together; and that he had infected the parish with strange opinions: as, that the people are not to kneel as they enter the church; that it is superstition to bow at the name of Jesus; and that the church is no more sacred than any other building.'" His grace further affirmed, that Mr. Peck had been convicted of nonconformity, and of keeping conventicles, in 1615 and 1617; and that, in 1622, he was taken in his own house, with twenty-two of his neighbours, at a conventicle. How far the house of commons acquiesced in his lordship's defence, or whether they considered it a sufficient justification of his arbitrary proceedings, we have not been able to learn.

Mr.-Peck suffered much under the persecutions of Bishop Wren; when he was driven from his flock, deprived of his benefice, and forced to seek his bread in a foreign land. He is indeed said to have been deprived for nonresidence, which was the case with many of his brethren. By the terrific threatenings of their persecutors, and having no better prospect than that of excommunication, imprisonment, or other ecclesiastical censure, they were driven from their beloved flocks, or they retired for a time into some private situation, in hope that the storm might soon be over; for which they were censured as nonresidents. This was no doubt the case with Mr. Peck. He and Mr. Thomas Allen are said to have had so much influence upon their parishioners, that, after the deprivation of the two ministers, none of them would pay any thing to those who served their cures. This shews how greatly they were beloved.‡ Having fled to New England, the church at Higham, in the new colony, rejoiced for a season in his light. He remained there several years; till afterwards he received an invitation from his old friends at Higham, in his native country, when he returned home, laboured among them, and was of eminent service to the church of God.

The following account is given of Mr. Peck by one of our historians, the design of which is too obvious: "He was a man of a very violent schismatical spirit. He pulled

* MS. Remarks, p. 713-715.

+ Nalson's Collec. vol. ii. p. 400, 401.-Rushworth's Collec. vol. iii. p. 353.

Wren's Parentalia, p. 95.

Mather's Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 214.

down the rails in the chancel of the church at Higham, and levelled the altar and the whole chancel a foot below the church, as it remains to this day; but, being prosecuted for it by Bishop Wren, he fled to New England, with many of his parishioners, who sold their estates for half their value, and conveyed all their effects to the new plantation. They erected the town and colony of Higham, where many of their posterity still remain. He promised never to desert them; but, hearing that the bishops were deposed, he left them to shift for themselves, and came back to England in 1646, after a banishment of ten years. He resumed his charge at Higham, where he died in the year 1656. His funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Nathaniel Joceline, and afterwards published ;" but this we have not seen.

STEPHEN GEREE, A. B.-This person was elder brother to Mr. John Geree, another puritan divine; was born in Yorkshire, in the year 1594, and educated in Magdalenhall, Oxford. Having finished his academical pursuits at the university, he entered upon the ministerial work, but laboured most probably in the two-fold capacity of minister and schoolmaster. On the approach of the civil wars, he took part with the parliament, became minister of Wonnersh, near Guildford in Surrey; but he afterwards removed to Abinger in the same county. Wood, in contempt, styles him "a zealous brother in the cause that was driven on by the saints." He appears to have been living in 1656, but died probably soon after that period. He published several sermons, one of which is entitled, "The Ornament of Women; or, a Description of the true Excellency of Women, at the Funeral of Mrs. Eliz. Machel, on Prov. xxxi. 29, 30"-1639. He also published "The Doctrine of the Antinomians by Evidence of God's Truth plainly Confuted, in an Answer to divers dangerous Doctrines in the seven first Sermons of Dr. Tob. Crisp," 1644; and "The Golden Meane, being some Considerations, together with some Cases of Conscience, resolved, for the more frequent Administration of the Lord's Supper," 1656.

Blomefield's Hist. of Norfolk, vol. i. p. 668. + Wood's Athena Oxon. vol. ii. p. 132.

EDWARD CORBET, D. D.-This worthy person was born. at Pontesbury in Shropshire, in the year 1602, descended from the ancient family of Corbets in that county, and educated in Merton college, Oxford, where he was chosen fellow. He was made proctor of the university; but, refusing conformity in certain points, he was called before the vice-chancellor. He was no enemy to the church of England, but could not with a good conscience observe all its superstitious ceremonies. And while the vice-chancellor laid his case before Archbishop Laud, chancellor of the university, he petitioned his lordship for relief; but it was not likely he could obtain the least redress.* The civil war having commenced, and Oxford being garrisoned by the king's forces, he was deprived of his fellowship, and expelled from the college, for refusing to espouse the royal cause. Archbishop Laud, being afterwards prisoner in the Tower, refused him the rectory of Chatham in Kent, because he was a puritan; and when he was appointed rector of that place, by order of parliament, his lordship still refused his allowance; but his refusal was to no purpose. He was witness against the archbishop at his trial, and deposed that, in the year 1658, his grace visiting Merton college, by his deputy, Sir John Lamb, one article propounded to the wardens and fellows was, Whether they made due reverence, by bowing towards the altar, when they came into the chapel.'-That he and Mr. Cheynel were enjoined by the visitors and commissioners to use this ceremony; but they refused; for which, though he assigned his reasons for refusing, he was particularly threatened.That, after this, Dr. Frewin, the vice-chancellor, told him that he was sent to him by the archbishop, requiring him to use this ceremony.-That the archbishop afterwards sent injunctions to Merton college, requiring them to bow towards the altar, and the visitors questioned those who refused.And that in Magdalen college there was a crucifix placed over the communion table, and pictures in the windows; and a new crucifix was set up in Christ's church, none of which innovations were ever heard of before the time of this archbishop."

66

Mr. Corbet was chosen one of the assembly of divines, one of the committee for the examination and ordination of

* Wharton's Troubles of Laud, vol. ii. p. 155, 156.

+ Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 88.

Prynne's Breviate of Laud, p. 27, 28.

Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 71.

ministers, and one of the preachers before the parliament. He was appointed one of the preachers to reconcile the Oxford scholars to the parliament, one of the visitors of that university, and orator and canon of Christ's Church, in the room of Dr. Hammond. It is observed, "that, though he was one of the visitors, he seldom or never sat among them. And when he usually preached at St. Mary's church, the year before the king was beheaded, he would, in his long prayer before sermon, desire that God would open the king's eyes to lay to heart all the blood that he had spilt. And that he would prosper the parliament and their blessed proceedings.' He was an easy man," it is added, "and apt to be guided by the persuasions of others; and, therefore, by Cheynel and Wilkinson, two violent and impetuous presbyterians, he was put into the roll of visitors, merely to make a nose of wax."* However, he did not continue long in this situation; but, being made rector of Great Hasely in Oxfordshire, he removed to the charge of his flock, where he continued to the end of his days. He took his doctor's degree in 1648, and died in London, in January, 1657, aged fifty-five years; when his remains were conveyed to Great Hasely, and interred in the chancel of the church. He was a good divine, a valuable preacher, and a person remarkable for integrity. His wife was daughter of Sir Nathaniel Brent, and grand-daughter of Dr. Robert Abbot, bishop of Salisbury. She was a lady of most exemplary piety. Her funeral sermon was preached by Dr. Wilkinson, and afterwards published, with some account of her excellent character. Dr. Corbet appears to have been author of "The Worldling's Looking-glass; or, the Danger of losing his Soul for Gain," 1630. "God's Providence, a Sermon before the House of Commons," 1642. And most probably some others. Some of Bishop Abbot's manuscripts fell into his hands, particularly his Latin Commentary upon the whole Epistle to the Romans. This learned and laborious work, in four volumes folio, Dr. Corbet deposited in the Bodleian library, Oxford, where it still remains.

Grey's Examination of Neal, vol. ii. p. 300.

+ Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 749.

Biog. Britan, vol. i. p. 23. Edit. 1778.

Kennet's Chronicle, p. 72.--Clark's Lives annexed to Martyrologie,
Biog. Britan. ibid. p. 34.

p. 414.

JAMES CRANFORD, A. M.-This excellent minister was the son of Mr. James Cranford, many years minister and master of the free-school in Coventry. He was born in that city in the year 1602, and educated in Baliol college, Oxford, where he took his degrees. Upon his leaving the university, he became minister in Northamptonshire, then removed to London, and became rector of St. Christopher le Stocks, near the old Exchange. This was in the year 1642. The following year he was appointed, by order of parliament, to be one of the licensers of the press for works in divinity. In the year 1644, he was appointed one of the London ministers to ordain suitable young men to the christian ministry. And in 1645, he was brought into trouble for speaking against several members of the house of commons. He was charged with saying, that they had carried on a correspondence with the royalists, and were false to the parliament; for which he was committed to prison; where he continued about five weeks, when the house of commons proceeded to an examination of his case, and passed upon him the following sentence:-" That the words spoken by Mr. Cranford against some members of the house of commons, and of the committee of both kingdoms, that they kept intelligence with the king's party, and were false to the parliament, were false and scandalous.-That Mr. Cranford, at a full exchange in London, and at Westminster, shail confess the wrong he hath done them in so scandalizing them.-That he shall pay five hundred pounds to cach of those four members for damages.-And that he shall be committed to the Tower during the pleasure of the house." Whether this heavy sentence was legal or illegal, we will not pretend to determine.

Though Mr. Cranford thus felt the vengeance of his superiors, he does not appear to have been a man of a turbulent spirit; and though he might be provoked to use the above unjustifiable expressions, he was a man who bore an excellent character, and was highly esteemed among his brethren. Wood denominates him an "exact linguist, well acquainted with the fathers, schoolmen, and modern divines; a zealous presbyterian, and a laborious preacher."+ Fuller adds, "that he was a famous disputant, orthodox in judg ment, and a person of great humility, charity, moderation, and kindness towards all men." He died April 27, 1657,

*Whitlocke's Mem. p. 144, 145.

+ Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 133. Fuller's Worthies, part iii. p. 118.