and he united with his brethren, the London ministers, in their declaration against the king's death. The profits of printing the Directory being given to him and Mr. Byfield, the other scribe to the assembly, they are said to have sold the copy-right for several hundred pounds.+ Mr. Roborough died in the year 1650, and was succeeded in his living by Mr. Matthew Barker, one of the silenced nonconformists in 1662. ABRAHAM PEIRSON was born in Yorkshire, where he probably laboured in the ministry, but was driven by the severity of the times to New England. On his arrival, about the year 1640, he was invited to be first pastor of the church at Southampton on Long Island, where he continued about eight years. He then removed, with part of the church, to Brainford, where he probably continued the rest of his days. He left behind him the character of a pious and prudent man, and a true child of Abraham.§ HOWEL VAUGHAN was a pious minister, of the baptist denomination, in Wales. A baptist church having been formed at Olchon, about the year 1633, which is said to have been the first separate church in Wales, Mr. Vaughan, being one of its members, was chosen to the pastoral office. His name was Vaughan, but wrote by some Ychan, or Fychan, which is the Welsh spelling of Vaughan. He attended the associations of ministers in the Principality ;· and his name is among those who signed the minutes of the association at Abergavenny, in the year 1653.¶ ROBERT MATON, A. M. was born at Tudworth in Wiltshire, in the year 1597, and educated at Wadham college, Oxford. Having entered upon the ministerial work, he was probably beneficed in his native county. He was a zealous millenarian; and upon the commencement of the civil wars, the press being open, he published his sentiments to the world in the following articles:-"Israel's Redemption; or, a Prophetical History of our Saviour's Kingdom on Earth," 1642." A Discourse of Gog and Magog, or the Battle of Calamy's Contin. vol. ii. p. 743. + Fuller's Church Hist. b. xi. p. 222. Mather's Hist. of New England, b. iii. p. 95. I Thomas's MS. Hist. p. 45. the Great Day of God Almighty," 1642.-" A Comment on the twentieth chapter of Revelation," 1652.-" Israel's Redemption Redeemed; or, the Jews general and miraculous Conversion to the Faith of the Gospel, and Return to their own Land, and our Saviour's Personal Reign on Earth, proved from the Old and New Testament," 1646.-This he republished with additions, entitled, "A Treatise of the Fifth Monarchy; or, Christ's Personal Reign on Earth a Thousand Years with his Saints," 1655.* PETER PRUDDEN was born in the year 1600, and afterwards preached in Herefordshire and on the borders of Wales, where God marvellously blessed his pious labours. But he was driven from his station by persecution, when he fled to New England, and was accompanied by many worthy persons. Upon their arrival, they settled for a short time at New-Haven, then removed to Milford, where he was chosen pastor of the church, and lived many years an example of piety, gravity, and christian zeal. He died about the year 1656, aged fifty-six years. He had a remarkable talent for softening and composing exasperated spirits, and for healing contentions.t ROBERT BOOTH was a minister of puritan principles, and ornamented with a most excellent character. He was first curate at Sowerby in Yorkshire, then vicar of Halifax, where his remains were interred, July 28, 1657. "He was a man of that worth and excellency in learning and divinity, that he deserved the title of an Apollos, and seemed, like Jeremiah and the baptist, to be separated from the womb to the ministerial office; so temperate and healthful, so industrious and indefatigable in the labours of his study, and so divinely contemplative in the exercises of his mind, that he approved himself to be made up of virtue, being a stranger to all things but the service of heaven. When he spoke to his congregation from the pulpit, it was with that power of truth, and elegance of style, that he charmed his hearers into love and admiration." Mr. Ely Bentley, his assistant and successor at Halifax, was ejected in 1662.§ * Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 123. WALTER ROSEWELL, A. M. was a worthy puritan minister, first in Friday-street, London, then at Chatham in Kent, where he died in the year 1658. One of his name, and probably the same person, was severely persecuted by Bishop Pierce. He was a man of considerable eminence. Mr. Thomas Case preached his funeral sermon, and afterwards published it, entitled, " Elijah's Abatement; or, Corruption in the Saints, on James iii. 17,"-1658; but this we have not seen. Mr. Rosewell was cousin to Mr. Thomas Rosewell, the nonconformist minister who was tried for high treason before Judge Jefferies; and who in early life derived great advantages from his pious and grave instructions.+ THOMAS BALL, A. M. was born in Shropshire, in the year 1590, and educated in Queen's college, Cambridge, under the celebrated Dr. Preston. He afterwards became fellow of Emanuel college in the same university, then minister of the gospel at Northampton, where he died, and his remains were interred, June 21, 1659, aged sixty-nine years. His funeral sermon was preached by Mr. John Howes, rector of Abbington near that place, who gave high commendations of his departed friend. This sermon was published, entitled, "Real Comforts, extracted from moral and spiritual Principles, presented in a Sermon preached at the Funeral of that reverend Divine, Mr. Thomas Ball, with a narrative of his Life and Death," 1660; which, however, we have never seen. Mr. Ball was author of several books, among which were, "The Life of Dr. John Preston," and "Pastorum propugnaculum; or, the Pulpit's Patronage against the force of unordained Usurpation and Innovation, in four Parts," 1656.+ STANLEY GOWER was a puritan divine of considerable eminence, chosen one of the assembly at Westminster, and he constantly attended during the session. He was minister at Brampton-Bryon; but on his removal to London, he preached in Ludgate-street, and was one of the preachers to the parliament. He was appointed one of the committee for the examination and approbation of ministers who petitioned for sequestered livings; and one to examine and ordain candidates * Impeachment of Bp. Pierce, p. 8. + Life of Rosewell prefixed to his Trial, p. 8. Edit. 1718. Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 861. He for the ministry.* He united with his brethren, the London ministers, in their declaration against the king's death. was living in 1660, was then minister at Dorchester, and is denominated a zealous and eminent presbyterian. He wrote the life of Mr. Richard Rothwell, published in Clark's "Lives annexed to his Martyrologie." One of his sermons has this singular title, "Things Now-a-doing: or, the Churches Travaile of the Child of Reformation Now-a-bearing, in a Sermon before the Honourable House of Commons, at their solemn Fast, July 31, 1644." HENRY FLINT was a most holy and worthy minister, driven from his native country by the tyrannical oppressions of Archbishop Laud. In the year 1635 he fled to New England, where he was chosen teacher to the church at Braintree, of which Mr. William Thompson was pastor. There he closed his life and his labours, April 27, 1668.§ He was a man of great piety, gravity, and integrity, and eminently qualified for the ministerial work. JAMES SICKLEMORE was minister of the church at Singleton, near the city of Chichester, and a person famous for his great learning and piety. About the year 1640, he espoused the peculiar sentiments of the baptists, and became a zealous asserter of his opinions. Previous to this, being concerned for the instruction of the rising generation, he usually catechized the young people of his parish, and explained to them the questions and answers contained in the church catechism. On one of these occasions, as he was discoursing on the promises of godfathers and godmothers in the name of the infants at their baptism, one of his catechumens asked him, "what warrant there was from the holy scriptures for what he had been speaking?" Feeling himself at a loss to give a direct answer, he warmly insisted on the general voice of the christian church. Upon further examination, he renounced infant-baptism altogether, and refused to baptize the children of his parishioners. He was also opposed to the maintenance of ministers by tithes; and * Neal's Puritans, vol. iii. p. 89, 140. Mather's Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 122. + Ibid. p. 491. therefore he gave away the greatest part of his income to the poor and needy. Though after the change of his sentiments he continued in his parish, he frequently preached at other places, particularly at Sevamore and Portsmouth; at both of which places he was instrumental, under God, of making and baptizing many disciples. This practice he continued to the end of his days. Though it does not appear when he died, he laid the foundation of the two baptist congregrations at Portsmouth and Chichester.* Crosby's Baptists, vol. iv. p. 245-247. |