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GLASS-HOUSE-STREET.-Particular Baptist.

when it was occupied by a society of Scotch Presbyterians under the care of Dr. James Anderson. In that year they quitted Glass-house-street, and went to another meetinghouse in Swallow-street, in the same neighbourhood. After this, we find a society of Particular Baptists meeting here under the care of a Mr. Thomas Ely, who had a variety of successors till 1750, when Mr. William Anderson, the then minister, removed his church to Grafton-street, as already related. Mr. Ely appears to have been the founder of the church, which originated in a division from the church in Wild-street, after the death of Mr. Piggott. We meet with no mention of the meeting-house in Glass-house-street subsequent to this event, so that it was probably never afterwards occupied as a place of worship. Of the Baptist church we have collected the following list of pastors, and a few facts respecting them.

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THOMAS ELY.-Of this person, Crosby has related the following particulars: "In the year 1716, one Thomas Ely, a Baptist minister, conformed to the Church of England, and was ordained by the Bishop of London. He had been a very troublesome man, and guilty of several disorders; one while professing the Arminian or Remonstrants' scheme, another while a zealous Calvinist; and while he was a Baptist minister, stood god-father to the child of a rich relation, from whom he had some expectations. When he was ac

GLASS-HOUSE-STREET-Particular Baptist.

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cused of this he denied the fact, though the clergyman, the midwife, and the nurse testified it. He was first a member of Mr. Gimmit's congregation in Moorfields, but not meeting with that encouragement there which he expected, he removed to the church of which Mr. Douglas was pastor, where he was also disappointed; and after some time brought under the censure of the church for lying. After this, upon Mr. Piggott's decease, he endeavoured to procure himself chosen elder of that congregation, but not succeeding in this, he caused a division in the church, and set up a meeting at a little distance, with such persons whom he had prevailed upon by his preaching and insinuating conversation. When he wanted to be ordained elder over this small number, he first applied himself to the Calvinist ministers to do it; they refusing, he next attempted to prevail on the Arminian elders to grant it to him; but none of the ministers in London, who were acquainted with his character and conduct, would be concerned in it. At last he persuaded two or three country ministers, who came out of Buckinghamshire, to do it. But in about a year's time, finding that his number did not increase much, and that there was no great gain to be made in this way, he was resolved to try his fortune in the established church; and upon application to the Bishop of London was admitted into orders, and found it easier to get an ordination in that church, than among the despised Baptists." Thus far Crosby. Before his conformity, Mr. Ely published three single sermons: 1. On a Thanksgiving occasion, preached at Goodman's-fields, Nov. 5, 1711.-2." Israel's Guardian," on a similar occasion, preached Nov. 5, 1714.-3. " The Eternal Building, or the Saints' Assurance of Happiness;" preached at Glass-housestreet, Aug. 24, 1715, on the death of Mrs. Elizabeth Auchmuty, late wife of Robert Auchmuty, Esq.

* Crosby, Vol. 4. p. 156-158.

VOL. IV.

G

1 GLASS-HOUSE STREET.Particular Baptist.

SAYER RUDD, M. D.-In the year 1723, the pastor of this society, which was then in a low state, was the Rev. Sayer Rudd, but whether he was the immediate successor of Mr. Ely we have no materials to determine. Mr. Rudd was called into the ministry by the church at Maze Pond, under the care of Mr. Edward Wallin, and it is apprehended that this was the first sphere of his stated ministerial labours. In the year 1725, he removed to be pastor of a congregation at Turner's-hall, and from thence to Devonshire-square, as related in our first volume. Of his subsequent removals an account will be given in the progress of the work.

JOHN WILSON.-Mr. Rudd's successor was a Mr. John Wilson, to whose name we can add but few particulars. We have some distinct recollection of being told that he was the son of Mr. Ebenezer Wilson, of Bristol, and afterwards of Turners'-hall, London, who certainly had several children. If this was the case, he must have been brother to Mr. Samuel Wilson, of Goodman's-fields. Mr. Wilson's relation to the church in Glass-house-street did not continue many years, but was dissolved either by death or removal, about the year 1752. We find by a manuscript that he was pastor here in December, 1731. There was a Mr. John Wilson, who, in 1743, was pastor of a Baptist church at Rawdon and Heaton, near Bradford in Yorkshire; but whether he was the same with the above, we cannot determine.

WILLIAM MORTON-Mr. Wilson was succeeded in Glass-house-street by Mr. William Morton, who was ordained to the pastoral office there July 26th, 1733. Dr. Gill gave the charge upon the occasion, and Mr. Samuel Wilson preached to the people. The same discourses were delivered the following year at the ordination of Mr. Braithwaite in Devonshire-square, and then published. Mr.

SWALLOW-STREET.- -English Presbyterian.

Morton had been before this for some years pastor of a society of Particular Baptists near Cripplegate. Mr. Morton continued at Glass-house-street till the year 1742, when he either died, or removed to some other place.

WILLIAM ANDERSON.-This worthy man was called into the ministry by Dr. Gill's church, and being invited to succeed Mr. Morton at Glass-house-street, was ordained there May 12, 1743. At the time of his settlement the interest was in a very low state, but by his exertions he raised it into a flourishing society. After a few years a new meetinghouse was built for him in Grafton-street, to which he contributed largely himself, and whither the congregation removed about the year 1750. Of Mr. Anderson we shall have occasion to speak further under the article Keppel

street.

SWALLOW-STREET.

ENGLISH PRESBYTERIAN.-EXTINCT.

WE E learn from the life of the famous Mr. RICHARD BAXTER, that after he was turned out of Oxendon chapel by the violence of his persecutors, he had another meetinghouse in Swallow-street. He entered upon that place in the month of April, 1676, but was not suffered to preach there long, being forcibly kept out of it by a guard of constables and officers for many Sundays together. Surely, the men of those times must have entertained very formidable notions of the effect of Mr. Baxter's preaching! The course they pursued was either that of barbarians or politi

SWALLOW-STREET.-English Presbyterian, Extinct.

cians. If the latter there must have been something more infectious in Mr. Baxter's principles than historians have acquainted us with; or else the preaching and conduct of that excellent person reflected such a lustre upon his character, as to shame the atheistical practices of his unprincipled oppressors. After he was driven from this place, Mr. Baxter was called to succeed Mr. Wadsworth in Maid-lane, Southwark, and preached there many months in peace. He is said to have been succeeded at Swallow-street by "a faithful, painful, self-denying minister;" but his name is not mentioned.

After the Revolution the Nonconformists held their assemblies more quietly, and Mr. JOSEPH HILL was settled pastor there by Mr. Vincent Alsop. After preaching there for several years, he accepted an invitation in 1699, to be one of the ministers of the English church at Rotterdam, where he continued nineteen years, when he returned to London, and became pastor of a congregation at Haberdashers'-hall, in which connexion he died. During the period of Mr. Hill's ministry at Swallow-street, he had a Mr. CARLILE for his colleague; but of this gentleman we are unable to communicate any particulars. His name is found in a manuscript list of Dissenting ministers in London in 1695, now before us.

Mr. Hill was succeeded by a Mr. STORT, who came last from Harwich. Concerning this gentleman, the celebrated Mr. John Dunton has left the following character: "He formerly sought his quietness in secrecy; and was wont, till of late, to hide himself in retiredness, and his tongue in himself; but now he is come into the light, being removed from Harwich, to a congregation in London, he shews by his useful preaching, that his obscurity was neither from affectation nor weakness: in a word, he is both an apt scholar, and a good master, for every thing he sees, informs him, and his mind enriched with plentiful observations, can

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