offence, the court intended to proceed against him with all severity;" and so dismissed him.* Though Mr. Chauncey was overcome in the hour of temptation; and enforced, by the terrors and censures of his cruel oppressors, to make the above recantation, he afterwards felt the bitterness of it, and deeply bewailed his sinful compliance. Though he obtained forgiveness of God, he never forgave himself as long as he lived. He often expressed a holy indignation against himself, as well as the superstitious innovations in the church. He was a most exemplary man, and lived a most holy life; yet, at the time of his death, nearly forty-years after, he made the following humiliating declaration in his last will and testament :"I do acknowledge myself to be a child of wrath, and sold under sin, and one who hath been polluted with innumerable transgressions and mighty sins; which, as far as I know and can call to remembrance, I keep still fresh before me, and desire, with mourning and self-abhorrence, still to do, as long as life shall last; and especially my so many sinful compliances with, and conformity unto, vile human inventions, and will-worship, and hell-bred superstitions, and other evil things patched to the service of God, with which the English mass-book, I mean the Book of Common Prayer, is so fully fraught."+ Our author further observes, that there were very few who suffered more for nonconformity, by fines, by jails, by necessities to abscond, and at last by an exile from his native country. At length he withdrew from these perils and tribulations and went to New England, where he arrived January 1, 1638. There he preached for some time, and with great applause, at Plymouth; and would have been chosen pastor of the church, had not his peculiar sentiments hindered his settlement. He was of opinion, "that the Lord's supper ought to be administered in the evening, and every Lord's day; and that baptism ought only to be by dipping or plunging the whole body under water, whether in the case of children or adults." Afterwards, he became pastor of the church at Scituate, where he continued twelve years a zealous and faithful labourer in the vineyard of the Lord. At the time of his settlement, in his discourse to the congregation, reflecting upon his sinful compliance with the arbitrary and superstitious demands of the high commission, * Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 96, 494. + Mather's Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 135. Backus's Hist. of New Eng. Bap. vol. i. p. 115, 145. he said, with tears in his eyes, "Alas! my soul hath been defiled with false worship; and how wonderful is the free grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, that I am still employed to labour in his vineyard."* When the episcopal power was destroyed in England, and his friends at Ware invited him to return, he came as far as Boston with a view of returning to England. There he was interrupted by the overseers of Harvard college, who, being very unwilling that the country should lose so valuable a person, pressed him to accept the office of president of the college, in the room of Mr. Henry Dunster, removed for his antipædobaptist sentiments. Mr. Chauncey yielded to their earnest and repeated importunities, and spent the rest of his days in the education of the youth of the country. He continued his labours to the very last, even when his years and infirmities required a recess. When he was desired to spare himself, he replied, "It behoveth a general to die on the field; and I should be glad to die in the pulpit." However, finding himself at last almost worn out, he delivered a farewell oration in the college, in which he took his solemn leave of his friends, and died February 19, 1671, aged seventy-two years, having been president seventeen years. In his last sickness he was speechless; but as the hour of his departure approached, Mr. Urian Oakes, who had been praying with him, desired him to give some sign of his assurance of future glory; when the speechless old man lifted up both his hands as high as he could towards heaven, and then expired. He was a man of most exemplary piety, an admirable preacher, an excellent scholar, and an indefatigable student, even in old age. He rose at four o'clock in the morning, winter and summer; and after spending about an hour in his closet, he visited the college, prayed with the students, expounded a chapter out of the original Hebrew, and, in the evening, prayed and expounded a chapter out of the Greek. His natural temper was rather hasty and passionate, but, by watchfulness and prayer, he was enabled to bring it into the obedience of Christ. He had six sons, Isaac, Ichabod, Barnabas, Nathaniel, Elnathan, and Israel, all ministers.+ His son Isaac was ejected by the Act of Uniformity, in 1662.‡ Mr. Chauncey was author of "Sermons on Justification;' and "Antisynodalia Americana." * Mather's Hist. p. 136. JOHN ALLEN.-This very pious divine was born in the year 1596, and educated, probably, in the university of Cambridge. He was a hard student, a good scholar, an excellent preacher, a grave and pious divine, and a man of a most humble, heavenly, and courteous behaviour, full of sweet christian love to all; earnestly, and with much meekness of spirit, contending for the faith and peace of Christ. All these excellencies, however, were insufficient to screen him from the persecutions of the times. Though it does not with certainty appear at what place he was settled, after his removal from the university, he bore his share of sufferings with the holy and zealous puritans of those times. A divine of his name, and probably the same person, was minister at Ipswich, who, during the oppressions of Bishop Wren, voluntarily departed from his cure, and went to London. Having no prospect of better days, or of enjoying rest from persecution, he went, with many others, to New England, where he arrived about the year 1637. Soon after his arrival he was chosen pastor of the church of Dedham, where he continued, much beloved and very useful, all the rest of his days. He died greatly lamented, August 26, 1671, aged seventy-five years. His flock published his last two sermons; the one from Cant. viii. 5., Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved: and the other from John xiv. 22., Peace I leave with you. In their preface to these sermons, written with tears of grief, they denominate him "a constant, faithful, diligent steward in the house of God, a man of peace and truth, and a burning and shining light." He published "A Defence of the Nine Positions ;" and " A Discourse in Defence of the Synod held at Boston in the year 1662." He, with the assistance of Mr. Thomas Shepard, wrote upon "Church-reformation."+ THOMAS GRANTHAM was a faithful and laborious minister of Christ, born in the year 1634. He feared the Lord from his youth, and, about the age of nineteen, he joined the baptist church at Boston in Lincolnshire. Having obtained favour of the Lord, he had a good reputation in the church of God, and soon discovered his abilities for making known the gospel to others. In the prosecution of *Wren's Parentalia, p. 96. + Hist. of New Eng. p. 115, 125.-Mather's Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 132, 138, his work he had the honour to be classed among the sufferers for Christ and his cause; for he soon became the object of cruel persecution, and was cast into Lincoln jail, where he continued some time, during which period he wrote his first piece, entitled, "The Prisoner against the Prelate." This book contains the reasons of his separation from the church of England; and, though it is written in verse, the argument is said to be close and nervous. Crosby says, there is extant a manuscript of Mr. Grantham's, entitled, “Christianitas restaurata, or Christianity restored;" from which it appears, that, about the year 1644, there was a reformed christian church gathered in the south marshes of Lincolnshire, the members of which endured great persecution, in their names and substance, by slanders and confiscations; because they could not in conscience conform in all points to the national establishment. These pious and holy people, being zealous in the service of God, firmly adhered to the holy scriptures, and readily carried forwards the work of reformation. At length a separation took place in the society, when four of the members, who had espoused the sentiments of the baptists, formed themselves into a distinct society. Among these Mr. Grantham exercised his gifts privately, and procured ministers to dispense the word to them publicly. By the blessing of God upon their co-operation, the society soon increased in number; and, in the year 1656, Mr. Grantham was chosen to the pastoral office, though he was only twenty-two years of age. This christian society, being settled in the order of the gospel, like a fruitful vineyard, grew and multiplied, and sent forth several ministers to preach the gospel. While these zealous christians were respected by the friends of true piety, they met with uncivil and unkind usage from others, particularly the bigoted clergy; who, by warrants, carried Mr. Grantham and several others before the magistrates; but having only falsehood to support their accusations, the wisdom of the magistrates soon perceived their innocence, as well as the malice of their persecutors, and immediately set them at liberty. Their release was no small reproach to their adversaries, and comfort to themselves. They went on cheerfully and prosperously, not only at Halton, but at many other places, though they received much rude treatment from those of the baser sort, who sometimes dragged them out of doors, and stoned them with stones; all of which they received with patience and meekness. At length they obtained the use of Northolm chapel, where they remained some years, enduring the scoffs and frowns of their enemies. In this situation Mr. Grantham and his brethren had many seals to their ministry, among whom was Mr. John Watts, a person of great repute, who had been educated at the university; but who could not conform to the national establishment, and therefore became pastor of a baptist church which assembled in his own house. Soon after the restoration of Charles II. Mr. Grantham experienced the revival of persecution. He was apprehended and carried before a magistrate, who bound him over to the assizes held at Lincoln; and others of the baptists were cruelly harassed, being constrained to pay fines of twenty pounds a month, for not going to the established church. Under these barbarities, Mr. Grantham and his people resolved to present a petition to his majesty, humbly imploring his favour, and to be relieved from these cruel oppressions, Agreeably to this resolution, Mr. Grantham and Mr. Joseph Wright were chosen the two messengers; who, in the year 1661, were admitted into the king's presence, when they declared their grievances to him, and delivered into his hands, "Their brief confession, or declaration of faith, set forth by the baptized churches, to inform all men of their innocent belief and practice.' The king received their petition and the declaration of their faith, treated them very courteously, protested against the cruelty of their adversaries, and promised them their liberties. Accordingly, he set forth his declaration in their favour, December 26th following; when they who had been indicted for religion, were, at the next sessions or assizes, acquitted in open court, to the shame and vexation of their persecutors, who were then sitting on the bench. Upon the passing of the "Conventicle Act," another persecution was raised against these pious christians, and soldiers were sent to disarm them, on account of their separation from the established church. Though they could not find any arms in their possession, they rifled their houses, took away their goods, and forced Mr. Grantham, Mr. John Gree, and several others, from their wives and families, making them run along like lackeys by the sides of their horses; nor would they tell them whither they designed to lead them, nor whether they should be prosecuted by law, or punished by force of arms. They were constrained, however, to go where the soldiers pleased, whe |