When he went long journies, he laid down rules to regulate the conversation for his fellow travellers, which were enforced by small pecuniary mulets on the violation of them. H was meek and humble, and very plain in speech, dress and demeanor. He was so great a scripturist, that if one began to rehearse any passage, he could go on with it, and name the book, chapter and verse, where it might be found. The original languages of the Old and New Testament were as familiar to him as his mother tongue. He was several times apprehended at meetings for religious worship. Upon the restoration he was ejected from his living at St. George's, silenced from his ministry, and committed to prison. About five or six months after his last release, he died full of peace and joy; lamented by persons of different persuasions, several thousands of whom attended his funeral. Crosby's History of the Baptists, vol. i. p. 307-21. Palmer's Non-conformists Memorial, vol. i. p. 108-13. The Life and Death of Mr. Jessey, 1671; where are the letters written to the Jews, remarks on our translation of the bible, and rules for a new version. ED.] The next judgment which befel the nation was the most dreadful plague that had been known within the memory of man. This was preceded by an unusual drought; the meadows were parched and burnt up like the highways, insomuch that there was no food for the cattle, which oceasioned first a murrain among them, and then a general contagion among the human species, which increased in the city and suburbs of London until eight or ten thousand died in a week. The richer inhabitants fled into the remoter * Dr. Grey has introduced here a full and affecting narrative of the progress of this calamity, and of the mortality it produced; drawn up by the pen of Mr. Vincent, one who charitably gave his assistance at that time, as copied by Dr. Calamy, in his continuation, p. 33. It was asual for people, as they went about their business, to drop down in the street. A bagpiper, who, excessively overcome with liquor, had fallen down and lay asleep in the street was taken up, and thrown into a cart, and betimes the next morning, carried away with some dead bodies. At day-break he awoke, and rising began to play a tune: counties; but the calamities of those who stayed behind, and of the poorer sort, are not to be expressed. Trade was at a full stand; all commerce between London and the country was entirely cut off, lest the infection should be propagated thereby. Nay, the country house-keepers and farmers durst not entertain their city friends or relations till they had performed quarantine in the fields or out-houses. If a stranger passed through the neighbourhood, they fled from him as an enemy. In London the shops and houses were quite shut up, and many of them marked with a red cross, and an inscription over the door, Lord have mercy upon us! Grass grew in the streets; and every night the bell-man went his rounds with a cart, crying, Bring out your dead. From London the plague spread into the neighboring towns and villages, and continued near three quarters of a year, till it had swept away almost one hundred thousand of the inhabitants. Some of the established clergy, with a commendable zeal, ventured to continue in their stations, and preach to their parishioners throughout the course of the plague, as Dr. Walker, Dr. Horton, Dr. Meriton, and a few others; but most of them fled, and deserted their parishes at a time when their assistance was most wanted; upon this some of the ejected ministers ventured to preach in the vacant pulpits, imagining that so extraordinary a case would justify their disregard to the laws. The ministers who embarked in this service were the reverend Mr. Thomas Vincent, Mr. Chester, Mr. Janeway, Mr. Turn er, Grimes, Franklin, and others. The face of death, and the arrows that fled among the people in darkness at noon-day, awakened both preachers and hearers: Many who were at church one day were thrown into their graves the next; the cry of great numbers was, What shall we do to be saved? A more awful time England had never seen. But it will amaze all posterity, that in a time both of war and pestilence, and when the non-conformist ministers which so surprized those who drove the cart, and could see nothing distinetly, that in a fright they betook them to their heels, and would have it they had taken up the devil in the disguise of a dead man. Sir John Reresby's Memoirs, p. 10. 11. Ed. * Baxter's Life, part iii. p. 2. were hazarding their lives in the service of the souls of the distressed and dying citizens of London,that the prime minister and his creatures,§ instead of mourning for the nation's sins, and meditating a reformation of manners, should pour out all their vengeance upon the non-conformists, in order to make their condition more insupportable. One would have thought such a judgment from heaven, and such a generous compassion in the ejected ministers, should have softened the hearts of their most cruel enemies; but the presbyterians must be crushed, in defiance of the rebukes of Providence. Bishop Kennet and Mr. Eachard would excuse the ministry, by alledging, that some of the old Oliverian officers were enlisted in the Dutch service ;* which, if true, was nothing to the body of the presbyterians, though lord Clarendon did what he could to incense the parlia ment, and make them believe they were in confederacy with the enemies of the government. In his harangue to the house, he says, "their countenances were more erect, and more insolent, since the beginning of the war than before; that they were ready, if any misfortune had befallen the king's fleet, to have brought the war into our fields and houses. The horrid murderers of our late royal master have been received into the most sacred councils in Holland; and other infamous persons of our nation are admitted to a share in the conduct of their affairs, with liberal pensions. Too many of his majesty's subjects have been enlisted in their service for a maintenance. Their friends at home made no doubt of doing the business themselves, if they could pitch upon a lucky day to begin the work. If you carefully provide for suppressing your enemies at home, you will find your enemies abroad more inclined to peace-" Is it possible that such a speech could proceed from the lips of a wise and faithful councellor, who was to ask for money to carry on the war? Could the chancellor think, that the way to conquer abroad was to divide and harrass the king's sabjects at home, in the midst of the distress of a terrible plague? He confessed afterwards, that he was most averse to this war, and abhorred it from his very soul; and yet he makes a handle of it to rain down vengeance on the presbyterians, who had no concern in it; but it hap*Eachard, p. 824. § Baxter's Life, part iii. p. 3. pened to them as in popish countries, when any general calamity befals the people, it is imputed to too great an indulgence to heretics, and the vengeance is returned upon their heads. Bishop Burnet is of opinion that the Öxford act was rather owing to the liberty the non-conformists took in their sermons to complain of their own hardships, and to lament the vices of the court, as the causes of the present calamities. And supposing this to be true, their complaints were not without reason. However, the load was to lie on the dissenting ministers, and therefore an act was brought into the house to banish them from their friends, which had the royal assent, October 31, 1665. It was entitled, An Act to restrain NonConformists from inhabiting Corporations; the preamble to which sets forth, "That divers parsons, and others in holy orders, not having subscribed the act of uniformity, have taken upon them to preach in unlawful assemblies, and to instil the poisonous principles of schism and rebellion into the hearts of his majesty's subjects, to the great danger of the church and kingdom. Be it therefore enacted, that all such non-conformist ministers shall take the following oath: IA. B. do swear, that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever, to take arms against the king ;* and that I do abhor that traiterous position of taking arms by his authority, against his person, or against those that are commissioned by him, in pursuance of such commissions; and that I will not at any time endeavor any alteration of government either in church or state. And all such non-conformist ministers shall not, after the 24th of March, 1665, unless in passing the road, come, or be within five miles of any city, town corporate, or borough that sends burgesses to parliament; or within five miles of any parish, town, or place, wherein they have since the act of oblivion been parson, vicar, or lecturer, &c. or where they have preached in any conventicle on any pretence, whatsoever, before they have taken and subscribed the aforesaid Ibid. p. 846. * A project was formed of imposing this clause on the whole nation, by requiring this oath of every subject. The point was so near being carried, that the bill brought in for the purpose was rejected by three voices only. Secret History of the Reign of Charles II. vol. ii. p. 172, note. Ed. oath before the justices of peace at their quarter-sessions for the county, in open court; upon forfeiture for every such offence of the sum of forty pounds, one third to the king, another third to the poor, and a third to him that shall sue for it. And it is further enacted, that such as shall refuse the oath aforesaid shall be incapable of teaching any public or private schools, or of taking any boarders§ or tablers to be taught or instructed, under pain of forty pounds, to be distributed as above. Auy two justices of peace, upon oath made before them of any offence committed against this act, are empowered to commit the offender to prison for six months, without bail or mainprize." The earl of Southampton, lord Wharton, Ashley, Dr. Earl, bishop of Salisbury, and others, vehemently opposed this bill, out of compassion to the non-conformits, and as it enforced an unlawful and unjustifiable oath, which (as the earl of Southampton observed) no honest man could take; but the madness of the times prevailed against all reason and humanity. The promoters of the act were lord chancellor Clarendon, archbishop Sheldon, Ward the new bishop of Salisbury, and their creatures, with all that were secret favorers of popery (says bishop Burnet.) It was moved that the word legally might be inserted in the oath, before the word commissioned; and that before the words endeavored to change the government, might be inserted the word unlawfully; but all amendments were rejected however, Bridgman, chief justice of the commonpleas, declaring that the oath must be so understood, Dr. Bates and about twenty others took it, to avoid the imputation of sedition; but they had such a lecture afterwards from the bench for their scruples, that they repented of what they had done before they went out of court. Mr. Howe, and about twelve in Devonshire, and a few in Dorsetshire, took the oath with a declaration in what sense and with what limitations they understood it.* This act seemed," it is justly observed, "to be the last step in the climax of intolerance; for to deprive men of the means of subsistence implies more deliberate cruelty, though it does not excite so much horror as fire and faggots." Secret History of the Reign of Charles II. vol. ii. p. 171, note. Ed. Baxter, part iii. p. 3. Burnet, vol. i. p. 329. VOL. IV. 56 |