Richard Raymund, another puritan minister, experienced similar treatment, on account of his nonconformity.* WILLIAM KENT was minister in the city of Norwich, and suspended for his nonconformity. It is observed, "that Bishop Wren's chancellor suspended him about ten o'clock in the forenoon, and absolved him before three in the afternoon of the same day, without receiving any fee for his admission." He died soon after his troubles. Messrs. Hudson, Brown, Mott, Ward, and many others, were among the great sufferers from Bishop Wren's intolerant proceedings.+ MR. DAVENISH, minister of Bridgwater in Somersetshire, was suspended by Bishop Pierce of Bath and Wells, about the year 1636, for preaching a lecture in his own church on a market day, though it had continued ever since the time of Queen Elizabeth; and he refused to absolve him till after he had faithfully promised to preach it no more. When his lordship absolved him upon this promise, he said, Go thy way; sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee. This tyrannical prelate put down all the lectures in his diocese as factious and nurseries of puritanism, and said, I THANK GOD, I HAVE NOT ONE LECTURE LEFT IN MY DIOCESE, hating the very name. He enjoined Mr. Humphrey Blake, churchwarden of Bridgwater, to do penance, because he had not presented Mr. Davenish for expounding the church catechism on the Lord's day afternoon, and using a short prayer before he entered upon that exercise. "This," said his lordship, "was against his orders and commands." MR. BARRET was rector of Barwick in Somersetshire, but prosecuted by Bishop Pierce for refusing to observe his oppressive injunctions. This divine, and many others, instructed their parishioners in the principles of religion by catechizing them on a Lord's day afternoon; for which they were sharply reproved by this prelate, and threatened to be severely punished if they persisted in the practice. His * Wren's Parentalia, p. 94.-Rushworth's Collec. vol. iii. p. 353. + Ibid. p. 94, 95.-Rushworth's Collec. vol. iii. p. 353. Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 377. § Impeachment of Bp. Pierce, p. 3, 4.-Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 378. lordship said, "That this was catechizing sermon-wise, and AS BAD AS PREACHING." He also charged them, "That they should not ask any other questions, nor receive any other answers from the people, than those contained in the Book of Common Prayer." Those who refused to obey his lordship were convened before him, and punished for their disobedience; among whom was Mr. Barret, who, as the reward of his transgression, was commanded to do penance.* MR. SALISBURY was a pious and zealous divine, and an avowed enemy to popery and arminianism. In the warmth of his zeal for the welfare of Zion, in his sermon on Matt. xxiv. 6., he made use of the following expressions:-“ How many thousands have made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, renounced our true church, stept aside to arminianism, and from thence, being the widest gate open to Rome, relapsed to popery! Thus are we scattered in our Jacob, and divided in our Israel. The Low Countries not long since, if not still, sighed as deeply, and mourned as strongly, finding themselves overgrown with arminianism. And what a faction is likely to be in our deplorable England, between popery and arminianism together, except God be more merciful, and our state more vigilant and mindful! We shall see sooner than tell, and feel sooner than see."-For only using these expressions, the good man was convened before Archbishop Laud, and endured other troubles.t MR. JEFFRYES was some time preacher in the diocese of Bristol, but driven from his place by the oppressions of the times. Archbishop Laud gives the following account of him :-" In the diocese of Bristol, in 1638, the bishop found out one Jeffryes, who commonly administered the blessed sacrament of the Eucharist, being either not in holy orders at all, or at least not a priest. As soon as he was discovered he slipt out of the diocese; and the bishop thinks, that he now serves in a peculiar under the dean and chapter of Wells." The archbishop then adds, "I will send thither to know the certainty, and see the abuse punished, if I can light upon the person."+ * Impeachment, p. 4.-Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 378. + Ibid. p. 362. Wharton's Troubles of Laud, vol. i. p. 555. HENRY PAGE was the pious vicar of Ledbury in Herefordshire, who, in the year 1638, was complained of to Archbishop Laud, and prosecuted in the high commission for refusing to read the Book of Sports. But that which proved an aggravation of his crime, was his uttering the following opprobrious and disgraceful expressions, as they were called: "Is it not as lawful to pluck at a cart-rope on the sabbath day, as at a bell-rope? Is it not as lawful for a weaver to shoot his shuttle on the sabbath-day, as for a man to shoot his bow? And is it not as lawful for a woman to spin at her wheel, or for a man to go to his plough, as for a man to dance that devilish dance ?” RALPH SMITH was a minister of puritan principles, who, in the year 1629, to escape the severities of persecution, fled to New England. He accompanied Mr. Higginson and the first planters of the Massachusets colony. He settled for a short time at Natasco, but was afterwards chosen pastor of the church at Plymouth, to which office he was separated by fasting and prayer, with the imposition of hands from the elders of the church. He was a grave man, of a good understanding, and much beloved by his people. For the space of two years he had Mr. Roger Williams for his assistant. He was living as pastor of this church in the year 1638.§ EPHRAIM HEWET was minister of Wroxhall in Warwickshire, but persecuted for nonconformity. Archbishop Laud, in the account of his province in 1638, says, "He hath taken upon him to keep fasts in his parish, by his own appointment, and hath contemned the decent ceremonies commanded by the church. My lord the Bishop of Worcester proceeds against him, and intends either to reform or punish him." DR. JENNINGSON, the pious lecturer at Newcastle-uponTyne, was much persecuted for nonconformity. In the year 1639, by the instigation of Archbishop Laud, he was * Pryune's Cant. Doome, p. 149, 150. + Prince's Chron. Hist. vol. i. p. 183. Ibid. p. 188, 189.-Neal's Hist. of New Eng. vol. i. p. 115, 141. Wharton's Troubles of Laud, vol. i. p. 554. questioned in the high commission at York. The articles of his examination, together with the doctor's answers, were sent to Lambeth, for the archbishop's consideration. This was going the sure way to work. And the good man was so cruelly harassed in the various ecclesiastical courts, that he was obliged to quit the place, and the kingdom too; when, to avoid the fury of his tyrannical persecutors, he fled to New England.* JOHN JEMMET, lecturer at Berwick-upon-Tweed, was barbarously handled for his nonconformity. The outstretched arm and tyrannical oppressions of Archbishop Laud, were carried so far north. For, in December, 1639, he caused the Bishop of Durham to apprehend him by a pursuivant, to silence him from preaching any more at Berwick, and to banish him from the town, without any article or witness ever being examined against him.† JOHN STOUGHTON, D. D. was fellow of Emanuel college, Cambridge, where he most probably received his education. He is classed among the learned writers and fellows of that college, and is denominated a pious and learned divine. He was rector of St. Mary's church, Aldermanbury, London; where he succeeded the excellent Dr. Thomas Taylor. Here, for the space of seven years, he was a laborious, orthodox, and useful preacher; but having occasionally touched upon the popish and arminian innovations, he was, by the instigation of Laud, prosecuted in the high commission. He died in the year 1639, when he was succeeded by Mr. Edmund Calamy, the ejected nonconformist. He was author of " Choice Sermons," 1640.-" Heavenly Conversation, and the Natural Man's Condition," 1640.-" A Form of Sound Words, with the Righteous Man's Plea to true Happiness." MR. BURCHELL was minister at St. Martin's, Micklegate, York, where he was much esteemed by persons of piety. Previous to the civil wars, when the nonconformists were * MS. Remarks, p. 901.-Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 382. + Ibid. Fuller's Hist. of Cam. p. 147.-Leigh on Religion and Learning, p. 330. Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 362. Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. i. p. 77. severely persecuted, he was a zealous puritan, and kept conventicles in the house of Dr. Scott, dean of York, though unknown to him. The doctor being much addicted to cards and other games, had not the least concern about puritanism. But Mrs. Scott, the dean's wife, being much inclined to conventicles, her house was chosen not only as the most convenient place, but the most secret and secure in those perilous times. Lady Bethell, with other persons of quality, and those in meaner circumstances, united in these private religious exercises.* THOMAS SCOTT was a zealous puritan minister in the diocese of Norwich, but suspended for nonconformity. He was under the ecclesiastical censure, said Bishop Wren, when he first entered personally into the diocese; and, with all tender and respectful usage, he absolved him for three months, then for six months, and, at the expiration of that period, for eight or nine months longer. During this period, Mr. Scott sent his lordship several letters, expressing his grateful acknowledgments of these favours. After all, it seems extremely doubtful whether he was ever fully restored to his ministry. He died in the year 1640.+ There were two ministers of the same name, who lived about this time; but it is difficult to say whether either of them was this Mr. Scott. WILLIAM MADSTARD was a pious minister at Bridgnorth in Shropshire, where, towards the close of life, he had the celebrated Mr. Richard Baxter for his assistant. He was a nonconformist, particularly in refusing to wear the surplice and the use of the cross in baptism; but a man of an exemplary christian character. Mr. Baxter denominates him " a worthy pastor, a grave and severe divine, very honest and conscientious, and an excellent preacher;" but adds, "he was deeply afflicted with a dead-hearted, unprofitable people." He died, together with his wife, of a malignant fever, in the month of July, 1641, at an advanced age. Mr. Baxter preached his funeral sermon.§ MS. Chronology, vol. iii. A. D. 1640. p. 12. + Wren's Parentalia, p. 94. Wood's Athenæ Oxon, vol. i. p. 846.-Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. i. p. 367. § Sylvester's Life of Baxter, part i. p. 15, 20. |