and do the Duty of Church Rulers in preaching and feeding the Flock according to the Word and to perswade People to be serious inward and spiritual in the use of Forms it had been much better with the Church of God in England than it now is Consonant to the Spirit of this Remark was that which he took all occasions to mention as his settled Principle In those things wherein all the People of God are agreed I will spend my Zeal and wherein they differ I will endeavour to walk according to the Light that God hath given me and Charitably believe that others do so too CHAP. VI. His Liberty by the Indulgence in 1672. and thence forwards to the Year 1681. NOtwithstanding the severe Act against Conventicles in the Year 1670. yet the Nonconformists in London ventur'd to set up Meetings in 1671. and were conniv'd at but in the Country there was little Liberty taken till the King's Declaration of March 15. 1671 2. gave Countenance and Encouragement to it What were the secret Springs which produced that Declaration Time Discovered however it was to the poor Dissenters as Life from the Dead and gave them some reviving in their Bondage God graciously ordering it so that the Spirit he had made might not fail before him But so precarious a Liberty was it that it should never be said those People were hard to be pleased who were so well pleased with that and thanked God who put such a thing into the King's Heart The Tenor of that Declaration was this In Consideration of the inefficacy of Rigor tryed for divers Years and to invite Strangers into the Kingdom ratifying the Establishment of the Church of England it suspends Penal Laws against all Nonconformists and Recusants promiseth to License separate places for Meetings limiting Papists only to private Houses On this Mr. Henry writes It is a thing diversly resented as Mens Interests lead them the Conformists displeased the Presbyterians glad the Independents very glad the Papists triumph The danger is saith he lest the allowing of separate places help to over-throw our Parish-Order which God hath own'd and to beget Divisions and Animosities among us which no honest Heart but would rather should be healed We are put hereby saith he into a Trilemma either to turn Independents in Practise or to strike in with the Conformists or to sit down in former Silence and Sufferings and Silence he accounted one of the greatest Sufferings till the Lord shall open a more effectual door That which he saith he then heartily wished for was That those who were in place would admit the sober Nonconformists to Preach sometimes occasionally in their Pulpits by which means he thought Prejudices would in time wear off on both sides and they might mutually strengthen each others Hands against the common Enemy the Papists who he foresaw would fish best in troubled Waters This he would chuse much rather than to keep a separate Meeting But it could not be had no not so much as leave to Preach at Whitewel Chapel when it was vacant as it often was though 't were three long Miles from the Parish-Church He found that some People the more they are courted the more coy they are however the Overtures he made to this purpose and the slow steps he took towards the setting up of a distinct Congregation yielded him satisfaction afterwards in the Reflection when he could say we would have been united and they would not 'T was several Weeks after the Declaration came out that he received a License to Preach as Paul did in his own House and elsewhere no Man forbidding him This was procur'd for him by some of his Friends at London without his Privity and came to him altogether unexpected The use he made of it was that at his own House what he did before to his own Family and in Private the Doors being shut for Fear he now did more Publickly threw his Doors open and welcomed his Neighbours to him to partake of his Spiritual things Only one Sermon in the Evening of the Lord's Day when there was Preaching at Whitewel Chapel where he still continued his Attendance with his Family and Friends as usual but when there was not he spent the whole Day at publick time in the Services of the Day Exposition of the Scriptures read and Preaching with Prayer and Praise This he did gratis receiving nothing for his Labours either at home or abroad but the Satisfaction of doing good to Souls which was his Meat and Drink with the trouble and charge of giving Entertainment to many of his Friends which he did with much cheerfulness and he would say he sometimes thought that the Bread did even Multiply in the Breaking and he found that God did abundantly bless his Provision with that Blessing which as he used to say will make a little go a great way He was wont to observe for the encouragement of such as had Meetings in their Houses which sometimes drew upon them inconveniencies That the Ark is a Guest that always pays well for its Entertainment And he Noted that when Christ had borrowed Peter's â—…oat to preach a Sermon out of it he presently repaid him for the Loan with a great draught of Fishes Luke 5. 〈◊〉 4. Many thoughts of Heart he had concerning this use he made of the Liberty not knowing what would be in the end hereof but after serious Consideration and many Prayers he saw his way very plain before him and addressed himself with all diligence to the improvement of this Gale of Opportunity Some had dismal apprehensions of the issue of it and that there would be an after-reckoning but saith he let us mind our Duty and let God alone to order Events which are his Work not ours It was a word upon the Wheels which he preached at that time for his own Encouragement and the Encouragement of his Friends from that Scripture Eccl. 11. 4. He that observes the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap Those that are minded either to do good or get good must not be frighted with seeming Difficulties and Discouragements Our Work is to Sow and Reap to do good and get good and let us mind that and let who will mind the Winds and Clouds A Lion in the way a Lion in the streets a very unlikely place he would say for Lions to be in and yet that serves the Sluggard for an Excuse While this Liberty lasted he was in labours more abundant many Lectures he Preached abroad in Shrap-shire Cheshire and Denbighshire laying out himself exceedingly for the good of Souls spending and being spent in the work of the Lord. And of that Neighbourhood and of that Time it was said that this and that Man was born again then and there and many there were who asked the way to Sion with their Faces thitherwards and were not Proselyted to a Party but savingly brought home to Jesus Christ. I mean this such
the mischief for we may as soon expect all the Clocks in the Town to strike together as to see all good People of a mind in every thing on this side Heaven but the mismanagement of that difference In the Association of the Ministers it was referred to Mr. Henry to draw up that part of their Agreement which concerned the Worship of God which task he performed to their Satisfaction his Preface to what he drew up begins thus Though the main of our Desires and Endeavours be after Unity in the greater things of God yet we judge Uniformity in the Circumstances of Worship a thing not to be altogether neglected by us not only in regard of that influence which external visible Order hath upon the Beauty and Comliness of the Churches of Christ but also as it hath a Direct Tendency to the strenthning of our Hands in Ministerial Services and withal to the removing of those Prejudices which many People have conceiv'd even against Religion and Worship itself We bless God from our very Souls for that whereunto we have already attained and yet we hope some further thing may be done in reference to our closer walking by the same Rule and minding the same things The word of God is the Rule which we desire and resolve to walk by in the Administration of Ordinances and for those things wherein the Word is silent we think we may and ought to have recourse to Christian Prudence and the Practise of the Reformed Churches agreeing with the general Rules of the Word And therefore we have had as we think we ought in our present Agreement a special Eye to the Directory c. These Agreements of theirs were the more likely to be for good for that here as in Worcestershire when they were in agitation the Ministers set apart a Day of Fasting and Prayer among themselves to bewail Ministerial neglects and to seek to God for Direction and Success in their Ministerial Work They met sometimes for this purpose at Mr. Henry's House at Worthenbury One Passage may not improperly be inserted here that once at a Meeting of the Ministers being desired to subscribe a Certificate concerning one whom he had not sufficient acquaintance with he refus'd giving this Reason That he preferred the peace of his Conscience before the Friendship of all the Men in the World Sept. 29. 1658. the Lady Puleston dyed She was saith he the best Friend I had on Earth but my Friend in Heaven is still where he was and he will never leave me nor forsake me He preached her Funeral Sermon from Isa. 3. last Cease from Man whose Breath is in his Nostrils He hath noted this Expression of hers not long before she dy'd My Soul leans to Iesus Christ lean to me sweet Saviour About this time he writes A dark Cloud is over my Concernments in this Family but my desire is that whatever becomes of me and my Interest the Interest of Christ may still be kept on foot in this place Amen so be it But he adds soon after that saying of Athanasius which he was us'd often to quote and take comfort from Nubecula est citò pertransibit It is a little Cloud and will soon blow over About a Year after Sept. 5. 1659. Judge Puleston dy'd and all Mr. Henry's Interest in Emeral Family was buryed in his Grave He preached the Judges Funeral Sermon from Neh. 13. 14. Wipe not out my good Deeds that I have done for the House of my God and for the Offices thereof the Design of which Sermon was not to â—…pplaud his Deceased Friend I find not a word in the Sermon to that purpose But he took occasion from the instance of so great a Benefactor to the Ministry as the Judge was to shew that Deeds done for the House of God and the Offices thereof are good Deeds and to press People according as their Ability and Opportunity was to do such Deeds One passage I find in that Sermon which ought to be Recorded That it had been for several Years the practise of a worthy Gentleman in the Neighbouring County in renewing his Leases instead of making it a Condition that his Tenants should keep a Hawk or a Dog for him to oblige them that they should keep a Bible in their Houses for themselves and should bring up their Children to learn to Read and to be Catechized This saith he would be no charge to you and it might oblige them to that which otherwise they would neglect Some wish'd saith he in his Diary that I had chosen some other Subject for that Sermon but I approved my self to God and if I please mâ—…n I am not the Servant of Christ. What personal Affronts he received from some of the Branches of that Family at that time need not be mentioned but with what Exemplary Patience he bore them ought not to be forgotten In March 165â—… he was very much sollicited to leave Worthenbury and to accept of the Vicaridge of Wrexham which was a place that he had both a great Interest in and a great kindness for but he could not see his Call clear from Worthenbury so he declin'd it The same Year he had an offer made him of a considerable Living near London but he was not of them that are given to Change nor did he Consult with Flesh and Blood nor seek great things to himself That Year he had some disturbance from the Quakers who were set on by some others who wished ill to his Ministry they Challenged him to dispute with them and that which he was to prove against them was that the God he Worshipped was not an Idol that Iohn Baddely a Blacksmith in Malpas and the Ring-leader of the Quakers in that Country was not Infallible nor without Sin That Baptism with Water and the Lord's Supper are Gospel Ordinances that the Scriptures are the word of God and that Jesus Christ will come to judge the World at the last Day But he never had any publick Disputes with them nor so much disturbance from them in publick Worship as some other Ministers had elsewhere about that time He had some apprehensions at that time that God would make the Quakers a Scourge to this Nation but had Comfort in this Assurance that God would in due time vindicate his own Honour and the Honour of his Ordinances and those of them who will not Repent to give him Glory will be cast into the Fire One passage I cannot omit because it discovers what kind of Spirit the Quakers were of A Debauch'd Gentleman being in his revels at Malpas Drinking and Swearing was after a sort reproved for it by Baddely the Quaker who was in his Company Why saith the Gentleman I 'll ask thee one Question Whether is it better for me to follow Drinking and Swearing or to go and Hear Henry He answered Of the two rather follow thy Drinking and Swearing The Cheshire Rising this Year in Opposition to the Irregular Powers
that judgeth in the Earth In the Beginning of the Year 1665. when the Act for a Royal Aid to his Majesty of two Millions and a half came out The Commissioners for Flintshire were pleas'd to nominate Mr. Henry Sub-collector of the said Tax for the Township of Iscoyd and Mr. Steel for the Township of Hanmer They intended thereby to put an Affront and disparagement upon their Ministry and to shew that they look'd upon them but as Lay-men His note upon it is It is not a Sin which they put us upon but it is a Cross and a Cross in our Way and therefore to be taken up and born with patience When I had better work to do I was wanting in my Duty about it and now this is put upon me the Lord is righteous He procured the gathering of it by others only took account of it and saw it duly done and deserv'd as he saith he hoped he should that Inscription mentioned in Suetonius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the Memory of an honest Publican In September the same Year he was again by warrant from the Deputy Lieutenant's fetch'd Prisoner to Hanmer as was also Mr Steel and others He was examined about private Meetings some such but private indeed he own'd he had been present at of late in Shropshire but the Occasion was extraordinary the Plague was at that Time raging in London and he and several of his Friends having near Relations there thought it time to seek the Lord for them and this was imputed to him as his Crime He was likewise charged with Administring the Lord's Supper which he denied having never Administred it since he was disabled by the Act of Uniformity After some Days Confinement seeing they could prove nothing upon him he was discharged upon Recognizance of 20 l. with two Sureties to be forth-coming upon Notice and to live Peaceably But saith he our Restraint was not Strict for we had liberty of Prayer and Conference together to our mutual Edification thus out of the Eater came forth meat and out of the strong Sweetness and we found Honey in the Carcase of the Lion It was but a little before this that Mr. Steel setting out for London was by a Warrant from the Justices under Colour of the report of a Plot stop't and search'd and finding nothing to accuse him of they seiz'd his Almanack in which he kept his Diary for that Year and it not being written very legibly they made what malicious readings and comments they pleas'd upon it to his great Wrong and Reproach though to all sober and sensible people it discover'd him to be a Man that kept a strict Watch over his own heart and was a great Husband of his time and many said they got good by it and should love him the better for it Psal. 37. 5 6. This Event made Mr. Henry somewhat more cautious and sparing in the Records of his Diary when he saw how evil Men dig up Mischief At Lady-day 1666. The Five-mile Act commenced by which all Nonconformist Ministers were forbidden upon pain of Sixth Months imprisonment to come or be within five Miles of any Corporation or of any plaâ—…e where they had been Ministers unless they would take an Oath of which Mr. Baxter saith 't was credibly reported that the Earl of Southampton then Lord High Treasurer of England said no honest Man could take it Mr. Baxter in his Life hath set down at large his Reasons against taking this Oxford Oath as it was called part 2. p. 396. c. part 3. p. 4. c. Mr. Henry set his down in short 'T was an Oath not at any time to endeavour any Alteration of the Government in the Church or State He had already taken an Oath of Allegiance to the King and he look'd upon this to amount to an Oath of Allegiance to the Bishops which he was not free to take Thus he writes March 22. 1665 6. This Day methoughts it was made more clear to me than ever by the Hand of my God upon me and I note it down that I may remember it 1 That the Government of the Church of Christ ought to be managed by the Ministers of Christ. It appears Heb. 13 7. that they are to rule us that Speak to us the Word of God 2 That under Prelacy Ministers have not the Management of Church-Government not in the least being only the Publishers of the Prelates Decrees as in Excommunication and Absolution which Decrees sometimes are given forth by Lay Chancellors 3 That therefore Prelacy is an Usurpation in the Church of God upon the Crown and Dignity of Jesus Christ and upon the Gospel-Rights of his Servants the Ministers And therefore 4 I ought not to subscribe to it nor to swear not to endeavour in all lawful ways the Alteration of it viz. by Praying and Perswading where there is opportunity But 5 that I may safely venture to suffer in the refusal of such an Oath committing my Soul Life Estate Liberty all to him who judgeth righteously And on March 25. the day when that Act took place he thus writes A sad day among poor Ministers up and down this Nation who by this Act of Restraint are forced to remove from among their Friends Acquaintance and Relations and to sojurn among strangers as it were in Mesech and in the Tents of Kedar But there is a God who tells their wandrings and will put their Tears and the Tears of their Wives and Children into his Bottle are they not in his Book The Lord be a little Sanctuary to them and a place of Refuge from the Storm and from the Tempest and pity those Places from which they are ejected and come and dwell where they may not He wished their Removes might not be figurative of Evil to these Nations as Ezekiel's were Ezek. 12. 1. 2. 3. This severe Dispensation forced Mr. Steel and his Family from Hanmer and so he lost the comfort of his Neighbourhood but withal it drew Mr. Laurence from Baschurch to Whitchurch Parish where he continued till he was driven thence too Mr. Henry's house at Broad Oâ—…k was but four reputed Miles from the utmost Limits of Worthenbury Parish but he got it measured and accounting 1760 Yards to a Mile according to the Statute 35 Eliz. cap. 6. it was found to be just five Miles and threescore Yards which one would think might have been his Security but there were those near him who were ready to stretch such Laws to the utmost rigor under Pretence of construing them in Favour of the King and therefore would have it to be understood of reputed Miles this obliged him for some time to leave his Family and to sojurn among his Friends to whom he endeavoured wherever he came to impart some Spiritual Gift At last he ventured home presuming among other things that the Warrant by which he was made Collector of the Royal Aid while that continued would secure him according to a Promise in the
the Grass fail'd Corn that was Sown languished and much that was intended to be Sown could not the like had not been known for many Years 't was generally apprehended that a Dearth would ensue especially in that Country which is for the most part dry And now it was time to seek the Lord and according to his own appointment to ask of him Rain in the Season thereof Several serious thinking People being together at the Funeral of that worthy Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. Malden It was there said how requisite it was that there should be some time set apart on purpose for Fasting and Prayer in a solemn Assembly upon this occasion Thomas Millington of Weston in Hodnet Parish in Shropshire desired it might be at his House and Tuesday Iune 14. was the Day piâ—…ch'd upon The Connivance of Authority was presumed upon because no disturbance of Meetings was heard of at London or any where else Mr. Henry was desired to come and give his assistance at that Days work He ask'd upon what terms they stood with their Neighbouring Justices and 't was answered well enough The Drought continuing in extremity some that had not us'd to come to such Meetings yet came thither upon the apprehension they had of the threatning Judgment which the Country was under Mr. Edward Bury of Bolas well known by several useful Books he hath Published Pray'd Mr. Henry Prayed and Preached on Psal. 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me whence his Doctrine was that Iniquity regarded in the Heart will certainly spoil the success of Prayer When he was in the midst of his Sermon closely applying this Truth Sir T. V. of Hodnet and Mr. M. of Ightfield two Justices of the Peace for Shropshire with several others of then Retinue came suddenly upon them disturb'd them set Guards upon the House door and came in themselves severely ralli'd all they knew reflected upon the late Honourable House of Commons and the Vote they pass'd concerning the present Unreasonableness of putting the Laws in Execution against Protestant Dissenters as if in so Voting they had acted beyond their Sphere as they did who took away the Life of King Charles I. They diverted themselves with very abusive and unbecoming talk Swearing and Cursing and Reviling bitterly being told the occasion of the Meeting was to seek to turn away the anger of God from us in the present Drought 't was answered Such Meetings as these were the cause of God's anger While they were thus entertaining themselves their Clerks took the Names of those that were present in all about One hundred and fifty and so dismiss'd them for the present Mr. Henry hath noted in the Account he kept of this event that the Justices came to this good Work from the Ale-house upon Prees-Heath about two Miles off to which and the Bowling-Green adjoining they with other Justices Gentlemen and Clergy-men of the Neighbourhood had long befor obliged themselves to come every Tuesday during the Summer time under the Penalty of Twelve Pence a time if they were absent and there to spend the day in Drinking and Bowling which is thought to be as direct a violation of the Law of the Land viz. the Statute of 33. Henry VIII cap. 9. for debarring unlawful Games which was never yet Repealed as the Meeting was of the Stat. of 22 Car. II. and as much more to the Dishonour of God and the Scandal of the Christian Profession as Cursing and Swearing and Drunkenness is worse than Praying and singing Psalms and hearing the Word of God It is supposed that the Justices knew of the Meeting before and might have prevented it by the least intimation but they were willing to take the opportunity of making sport to themselves and trouble to their Neighbours After the Feat done they returned back to the Ale-house and made themselves and their Companions merry with calling over the Names they had taken making their Reflections as they saw cause and recounting the particulars of the Exploit There was one of the Company whose Wife happened to be present at the Meeting and her Name taken among the rest with which upbraiding him he answered that she had been better employed than he was and if Mr. Henry might be admitted to Preach in a Church he would go a great many Miles to hear him For which words he was forthwith Expelled their Company and never more to shew his Face again at that Bowling-Green to which he replied if they had so order'd long ago it had been a great deal the better for him and his Family Two days after they met again at Hodnet where upon the Oath of two Witnesses whâ—… as was supposed were sent on purpose to inform they Sign'd and Seal'd two Records of Conviction By one Record they Convicted the Master of the House and â—…in'd him 20 l. and 5 l. more as Constable of the Town that Year and with him all the Persons present whose Names they had taken and Fined them 5 l. apiece and issued out Warrants accordingly By another Record they Convicted the two Ministers Mr. Bury and Mr. Henry The Act makes it only punishable to Preach or Teach in any such Conventicle and yet they Fined Mr. Bury 20 l. though he only Prayed and did not speak one word in the way either of Preaching or Teaching not so much as Let us Pray however they said Praying was Teaching and right or wrong he must be Fined though his great Piety Peaceableness and Usefulness besides his deep Poverty one would think might have Pleaded for him against so palpable a piece of Injustice They took 7 l. off from him and laid it upon others as they saw cause and for the remaining 13 l. he being utterly unable to pay it they took from him by Distress the Bed which he lay upon with Blanket and Rug also another Feather-Bed Nineteen pair of Sheets most of them new of which he could not prevail to have so much as one pair return'd for him to lye in also Books to the value of 5 l. besides Brass and Pewter And though he was at this time perfectly innocent of that heinous Crime of Preaching and Teaching with which he was charged for so the Record runs again and again concerning Mr. Henry and Mr. Bury Quòd ad tunâ—… ibidem precaverunt praediâ—…averunt docuerunt Yet he had no way to right himself but by appealing to the Justices themselves in Quarter Sessions who would be sure to affirm their own Decree as the Justices in Montgomery-shire had done not long before in a like Case especially when 't was to Recover to themselves treble Costs So the good Man sat down with his Loss and took joyfully the spoiling of his Goods knowing in himself that he had in Heaven a better and a more enduring Substance But Mr. Henry being the greatest Criminal and having done the most Mischief must needs be animadverted upon accordingly and therefore he
before he Dyed he had this Expression Go forth my Soul go forth to meet thy God adding by and by It is now done Come Lord Iesus come quickly One present saying to him that he was now going to receive his Reward he replied It is free Grace Mr. Henry was much importun'd to Print his Sermon at Mr. Nevet's Funeral with some account of his Life and Death which he was somewhat inclined to do but was discouraged by the difficulties of the Times and it was never done But some Materials he had for it out of which we have Collected these hints Mr. Robert Fogg my old dear Friend was buried at Acton near Nantwich April 21. 1676. he dyed in a good old Age about Eighty He was Minister of Bangor in Flintshire till after the King came in and thence forward to his Death was a poor silent Nonconformist but of a bold and zealous Spirit giving good Counsel to those about him A little before he dyed he had this weighty saying among others Assure your selves the Spirit of God will be underling to no Sin Mr. Andrew Parsons sometimes Minister of Wem dyed at London October 1. 1684. He was Born in Devonshire and was Minister there some Years before the War being driven thence to London he became well known to Mr. Pym. who sent him down to Wem when that Town was Garrison'd for the Parliament there he continued in the Exercise of his Ministry till the Year 1660. He was an active friendly generous Man and a moving affecting Preacher Mr. Baxter in his Life Part 3. Page 94. commends him for a moderate Man and speaks of his being in trouble for seditious words Sworn against him which were these Preaching from 2 Tim. 3. 13. he said The Devil was like a King that courted the Soul and spoke fair till he was gotten into the Throne and then play'd pranks The Witnesses deposed contrary to the Coherence of his Discourse that he said the King was like the Devil He was tryed at Shrewsbury before my Lord Newport Mr. Serjeant Turner and others May 28. 1662. It was also charged upon him that he had said there was more Sin committed now in England in a Month than was heretofore in seven Years And that there had been more and better Preaching in England for Twenty Years past then was ever since the Apostles days He had Council assigned him who pleaded that the time limited by the Stature in which he was Indited was Expired The Court yielded it was so allowing Twenty eight Days to a Month but they would understand it of Thirty Days to a Month so he was found Guilty and Fined Two hundred Pound and ordered to be Imprisoned till it should be paid Mr. Hugh Rogers a worthy Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ turn'd out for Nonconformity from Newtown in Montgomery-shire was buried at Welshpool March 17. 1679 80. he was look'd upon as Congregational but his declared Judgment was That Ministers ought to be Ordained by Ministers and to give themselves wholly to that Work and that none but Ministers have Authority to Preach and Govern in a Constituted Church and that Christ's Ministers are his Ministers in all places and that where the word of Christ is Preached and his Sacraments administred there is a true Church He was a Man of Excellent Converse and whose peculiar felicity lay in pleasant and edifying Discourse Iuly 2d and 3d 1680. these two days brought tidings of the Death of Mr. Haines sometime Minister of Wem in Shropshire and since at New Chappel in Westminster and of Mr. Richard Edwards Minister at Oswestry both worthy Conformists pious peaceable and good Men whom I hope through Grace to meet shortly in Heaven The Lord raise up others in their room to be and do better Mr. Robert Bosier my dear Friend and Kinsman having just compleated the Twenty third Year of his Age dyed of a Fever September 13th 1680. at Mr. Doelittle's House in Islington whither he was gone but a few Weeks before for Improvement in Learning being formerly a Commoner of Edmund-Hall in Oxford and since having spent some Years in my Family and designed himself for the Service of Christ in the Work of the Ministry He was a young Man of Pregnant Parts great Industry and exemplary Seriousness and Piety and likely to be an eminent Instrument of good in his day His Friends and Relations had promised themselves much comfort in him but we know who performeth the thing that is appointed for us and giveth not account of any of his Matters Mr. Iohn Malden my dear and worthy Friend turned out from Newport in Shropshire for Nonconformity dyed at Alkington near Whitchurch May 23d 1681. a Man of great Learning an Excellent Hebrician and of exemplary Piety and a solid Preacher as he lived so he dyed very low in his own Eyes esteeming himself good for nothing though really good for every thing which was manifestly a prejudice both to his Comfort and to his Usefulness He said he was far from repenting his being a Sufferer against Conformity The Relicks of so much Learning Piety and Humility I have not seen this great while laid in a Grave But blessed be God we had such a one so long Dr. Ioshua Maddocks a beloved Physician our very dear Friend and Kinsman dyed of a Fever at Whitchurch in the midst of his Days Iuly 27th 1682. a very pious Man and especially eminent for Meekness an Excellent Scholar and particularly learned in the Mathematicks he lived much desired and dyed as much lamented Mr. Thomas Bridge who had been Rector of the higher Rectory of Malpas about fifty seven Years being aged about eighty two Years was buried at Malpas Octob. 7. 1682. In his last sickness which was long he had appointed Mr. Green one of the Curates there to preach his Funeral Sermon on 1 Tim. 1. 16. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering And to say nothing in his Commendation but to give a large Account of his Repentance upon his Death-bed c. He was a taking popular Preacher preaching oftâ—…n and almost to the last When old he could read the smallest Print without Spectacles Mr. William Cook an aged painful faithful Minister of Jesus Christ in Chester finished his Course with Joy Iuly 4. 1684. in the midst of the cloudy and dark Day See Mr. Baxter's Character of him in his Life Part 3. Pag. 98. And an honourable Account given of him by Mr. Samuel Bold of Steple in Dorsetshire in a large Preface to his Book of Man's great Duty He was eminent for great Industry both in publick and private Work great self-denial mortification and contempt of the World and a strict adherence to his Principles in all the Turns of the Times He was first Minister at Wroxal in Warwick-shire there he published two Treatises against the Anabaptists From thence he was by the Advice of the London Ministers removed to Ashby