confequently that there was no reafon on that account for deferring them; but rather the reverse; as by this means the whole University would become acquainted with the nature of the accufation, the grounds of the proof, and, I will add, the impartiality of the Vifitor. After the articles of accufation were read, Mr. Higfon proceeded to his proofs in fupport of them; the substance of which I took down with what exactness I could in the following minutes. I fhall make no apology for any inaccuracy which may appear either in the form or ftile of these memorandums, which were taken without any connection, in the order in which they now ftand, merely for my own private fatisfaction, without the least thought of their being made public. Let me only observe that, while I was employed in taking these minutes, I did not suppose that the Vice-Chancellor and the other affeffors were inattentive to what was going forward, or that the whole was to reft on what I had minuted down: but on the contrary had reafon to believe that whatever circumftance might escape my notice would be fupplied by the recollection of the other gentlemen; which was the real cafe.

MINUTES

MINUTES of the accufation brought against JAMES MATTHEWS, THOMAS JONES, JoSEPH SHIPMAN, ERASMUS MIDDLETON, BENJAMIN KAY, THOMAS GROVE, and BENJAMIN BLATCH of Edmund-Hall; their examination, &c.

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JAMES MATTHEWS. Accused that he was brought up to the trade of a weaver that he had kept a tap-house confeffed - Accufed that he is totally ignorant of the Greek and Latin languages, which appeared by his declining all examination faid that he had been under the tui

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tion of two clergymen for five years viz. Mr. Davies and Newton; though it did not appear that he had during that time made any proficiency in learning -was about thirty years old -accused of being a reputed methodist by the evidence of Mr. Atkins formerly of Queen'sCollege that he was affiftant to Mr. Davies a reputed methodist, that he was instructed by Mr. Fletcher a reputed methodist,—that he maintained the neceffity of the fenfible impulse of the holy Spirit that he entered himself of Edmund-Hall, with a defign to get into holy Orders, for which he had offered himself a candidate, tho' he still continues to be wholly illiterate, and incapable of doing the exercises of the Hall-proved-That he had frequented illicit conventicles held in a private house in Oxford

con

feffed. He produced two teftimonials, one vouched by the Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, the other by the Bishop of Worcester.

THOMAS JONES. Accufed that he had been brought up to the trade of a barber, which he had followed very lately-confeffed-Had made a very small proficiency in the Greek and Latin languages-was two years standing, and still incapable of performing the ftatutable exercises of the Hall-that he had been at the meetings at Mrs Durbridge's that he had expounded the fcriptures to a mixed congregation at Wheaton-Afton, tho' not in holy Orders, and prayed extempore. All this he confeffed. He urged in his defence that he had afked his Tutor whether he thought it wrong for him to pray or instruct in a private family, and that his Tutor answered, he did not, which he said, was the reafon of his continuing to do it.

JOSEPH SHIPMAN. Accufed that he had been brought up to the trade of a draper, and that he was totally illiterate; which appeared on his examination accused that he had preached or expounded to a mixt affembly of people, tho' not in Orders, and prayed extempore - all which

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he confeffed.

ERASMUS MIDDLETON

confeffes to have done

duty in a chapel of cafe belonging to Cheveley,

not

not being in holy Orders, three years before he
entered of the University, but not fince. That
he was discarded by his father for being connect-
ed with the methodists - That he had been re-
fused Orders by the Bishop of Hereford, that he
had written a letter to the Bishop acknowledging
his Fault, and recanting his errors-That he was
now in hopes of being reconciled to his father—
That he had been maintained by his friends, but
did not explain who thofe friends were - Ac-
cused that he was deficient in learning- that he
was attached to Mr. Haweis, who had boasted
that they should be able to get him into Orders.
That he holds that faith without works is the
fole condition of falvation that the immediate
impulfe of the spirit is to be waited for that
he denies all neceffity of works that he had
taken frequent occafion to perplex and vex his
Tutor-Part of this charge, especially concern-
ing his tenets, he denied, tho' proved by the evi-
dence of two gentlemen of the Hall.

BENJAMIN KAY. Confeffes that he has been pre-
fent at the meetings held in the house of Mrs
Durbridge where he had heard extempore prayers
frequently offered up by one Hewett a staymaker,
that fometimes Mrs Durbridge has read to them
-Accufed that he endeavoured to perfuade a
young man of Magdalen-College, who was fent in-
to the country for having been tainted with cal-
viniftical and methodistical principles, to leave

his father that he talked of their meeting with great oppofition, meaning from the University of this there was not fufficient evidencethat he holds, that the fpirit of God works irrefiftibly that once a child of God always a a child of God that he holds abfolute election -that he had endeavoured to inftil the fame principles into others, and exhorted them to continue ftedfastly in them against all opposition Some of these tenets he feem'd to deny, tho' it was fully proved by the evidence of Mr. Wellin, commoner of the Hall.

THOMAS GROVE - Accused that he had preached to a mixt affembly of people called methodists, not being in Orders, which he confeffed, and likewise that he prayed extempore-that he could not fall down upon his knees, and worship God in the form of the church of England, though he thought it a good form; proved by the evidence of Mr. Bromhead.

BENJAMIN BLATCH. A gentleman, who has not had any school-learning, is not certain whether he fhall pursue any profeffion—and therefore difmiffed.

THIS, Sir, is the substance of what appeared to me material during the course of the examination, put down indeed in a hafty manner, as the time would permit, but with fidelity and without aggravation :