posing a fine of twenty pounds upon his landlady, and five shillings per week on him, to be levied by distress. He waited upon the mayor and some other persons, pleading that he had lived in the town some time formerly, and had given notice of his design to come hither again. He also offered to give security, which was all that their order required: but it was of no avail. For on March 11, another order was drawn up for putting the former in execution. These violent proceedings forced him out of the town, and he went to Bridgewater, Ilminster and Taunton, in all which places he met with great kindness and friendship from all the three denominations of Dissenters, and was almost every day employed in preaching in the several places to which he went; where he also got many good acquaintance and friends, who were afterwards very kind to him and his numerous family. At length a gentleman who had a very good house at Preston, two or three miles from Melcomb, permitted him to live in it without paying any rent. ther he removed his family in the beginning of May, and there he continued (excepting a temporary absence) as long as he lived. He records his coming to Preston, and his comfortable accommodation there, with great thankfulness and admiration.

Thi

Soon after his being fixed in this house, he had great debates in his mind about a removal abroad, either to Surinam or Maryland; but, after much consideration and advice, he determined to abide in the land of his nativity, and there take his lot. About the same time also he greatly hesitated about hearing in the established church; but at length, by several arguments in Mr. Nye's papers, he was determined to do it. He was then not a little troubled with respect to his own preaching, whether it should be carried on openly or only in private. Some of the neighbouring ministers, particularly Mr. Bampfield, Mr. Ince, Mr. Hallet, of Shafton, and Mr. John Sacheverel, were for preaching publicly, with open doors. But Mr. Wesley thought it was his duty to beware of men, and that he was bound in prudence to keep himself at liberty, so as to be in a capacity of service, as long as he could. Accordingly, by preaching only in private, he was kept longer out of the hands of his enemies than the ministers above mentioned were; all of whom were indicted at the next assizes, for a riotous and unlawful assembly held at Shafton. They were found guilty by a jury of gentlemen, and fined forty marks each, and were bound

to

to find security for their good behaviour. In the mean time Mr. Wesley preached very frequently, not only to a few good people at Preston, but likewise occasionally at Weymouth, and other places round about. After some time, he was called by a number of serious christians at Poole, to be their pastor; in which relation he continued to the day of his death, administering all ordinances to them as opportunity offered.

By the Oxford-act, however, he was obliged, for a time, to withdraw from Preston, and leave both his people and his family. But he preached wherever he was, when he could procure an auditory. Upon his coming to the place of his retirement, on the above Act, in March, 1666, he put this question to himself "What dost thou here? at such a "distance from church, wife, children," &c.? And in his answers, he set down the oath, and then added the reasons why he could not take it, as several ministers had done; particularly this; That to do it in his own private sense, would be but juggling with God, with the king, and with conscience; especially as some magistrates declared they had no right to admit of such a private sense. But after all this, and a good deal more against taking the oath, he thankfully mentions the goodness of God in so over-ruling the law makers, that they did not send the ministers farther from their friends and flocks, and that they had so much time to prepare for their removal, and liberty to pass on the road to any place.

After he had lain hid for some time, he ventured home again, and returned to his labour among his people, and occasionally among others. But notwithstanding all his prudence in managing his meetings, he was often disturbed, se veral times apprehended, and four times imprisoned; once at Poole for half a year, and once at Dorchester for three months; but the other confinements were shorter. He was in many straits and difficulties, but was wonderfully sup ported and comforted, and many times was very seasonably and surprizingly relieved and delivered. Nevertheless, the removal of many eminent christians into another world, who were his intimate acquaintance and kind friends; the great decay of serious religion among many that made a profession of it, and the increasing rage of the enemies of real godliness, manifestly seized and sunk his spirits. At length, having filled up his part of what is behind of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh, for his body's sake, which is the

'church,

church, and finished the work given him to do,' he was taken out of this vale of tears, to that world where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest,' when he had not been much longer an inhabitant here below than his blessed Master was, whom he served with his whole heart, according to the best light he had. The vicar at Preston would not suffer him to be buried in the church.

WINBOURN (Minster.) Mr. BALDWIN DEACON. After his ejectment he lived and preached at Bramfield, in Somersetshire. Some years before his death he lost his sight. Dr. Calamy says nothing more of him than that He was a worthy person. But the following note in Hutchins contains a further anecdote of him: " April 21, 1859, the "corporation elected Mr. Arthur Hern to be one of their

ministers: Mr. Baldwin Deacon another, with an allow"ance of 8ol. per ann. was appointed to preach the Friday's "Lecture. In 1660, Deacon, not being found in holy "orders, was discharged." By not being in holy orders is doubtless meant, not being episcopally ordained.

WOTTON Fitz Pain. Mr. JOHN KERIDGE. So his name is entered in Hutchins, who speaks of him as Încumbent, in 1650, and Benj. Bird, 18 Jan. 1662 (for 1663) He was the father of Mr. Keridge, of Lyme. He died 'soon after Bartholomew-day, the time of his ejectment.

Mr. WILLIAM HUSSEY, ejected from the same place. Dr. Calamy has only his surname; but most probably this was the person mentioned in the following note, in Hutchins." HINTON MARTEL. James Crouch. In

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1644, he was ejected [i. e. by the Committee.] In 1661, "he was with some trouble restored to his living, and was thought to be the first sufferer [i. e. among the Royalists] and the last restored in this county."" WILLIAM HUSSEY, Intruder, 1646." Possibly he might, in like manner, intrude at both places.

The following ministers were ejected in this county, from places unknown :

Mr. MARTYN-Mr. BOWYER.-Mr. LIGHT [There was a Mr. Lyte Whynnel, rector of Askerwell, 1688.]-Mr. FRANCIS MUTTALL.-Mr. MORGAN.Mr. KING.

Dr.

Dr. Calamy also mentions

Mr. WAY, Junior. Most probably this was Mr. HENRY WAY, who is mentioned by Hutchins, as placed by the Committee in the living of Broadway, where Mr. Haslewood was incumbent, in 1650. This Mr. Henry Way is also mentioned at two other places. See Portland and Week Regis. It is presumed that he was related to Mr. Benjamin Way,

of Stafford, in this county and Barking, in Essex.

Mr. THOMAS BLUNT seems to be another ejected minister, who should be added to our list, from the following entry in Hutchins's History.-" COMPTON ABBAS, Tho"mas Boult, 1647. He is supposed to have been ejected for Nonconformity, 1664."

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N. B. There are so many Inductions in the Registers of this county, in the year 1662, that it seems highly probable, there were many more ejected here than we have of.

any account

The following afterwards conformed:

JOSEPH CRABB, M. A. of Beminster. A man of good abilities and learning, of a ready invention, and very facetious in conversation. After continuing some time a Nonconformist, he accepted the living of Axminster, in Devon, and continued minister there to the day of his death, when he was about 80 years of age. Tho' he was in the established church, yet in his principles, and manner of preaching and praying, he so resembled the nonconforming ministers, that he was still looked upon as one of them. He visited some of his ejected brethren, when persecuted and imprisoned; sheltered and did good offices to others, and shewed on all occasions that his heart was with them. About 1683, he was accused to Dr. Lamplugh, Bp. of Exeter, for neglecting to read prayers on Wednesdays and Fridays, and for not coming up to the height of conformity; but the Bishop after he had heard his defence, dismissed him with kindness, to the disappointment of his accusers. He joined with Mr. Wm. Ball, and others, in publishing a volume of Abp. Usher's sermons, and prefixed to them an elegant Latin epistle.

Mr. HERN, of Winbourn.—Mr. RICHARD DE SHUTE, of Stalbridge. He was afterwards minister of Stowmarket, in Suffolk, and died 1688.

MINISTERS

MINISTERS EJECTED OR SILENCED

IN

DURHAM.

UKLAND (Bishop's) [L.] RICHARD FRANKLAND, AM.A. Of Christ's Col. Camb. Born in 1630, at Rathmil, in Yorkshire, in the parish of Giggleswick, in Craven, and educated in the famous school there. He made good proficiency both in divine and human learning, at the university, to which he went in the year 1647, when Dr. S. Bolton was master. While he was there, it pleased God to make him deeply in love with serious religion, by blessing to him the useful ministry of Mr. Samuel Hammond. On his removal from thence, he was invited to Hexham, in Northumberland, where his stay was short. He afterwards preached for a little time at Haughton Spring, and then at Lanchester. On Sept. 14, 1653, he was set apart to the office of the ministry by several ministers, which ordination he accounted to all intents and purposes valid, and durst not do any thing like a renouncing it, tho' much solicited by Bp. Cozens, after the Restoration, with a promise of considerable preferment. Meeting with some discouragements here, he removed into alderman Brook's family, at Ellenthorp, where he continued his ministry. From thence he went to Sedgfield, as assistant to Mr. Ľupthern; and at last settled in the living of St. Andrews, in Aukland, which was given him by Sir Arthur Haslerig, and was of good value.

When the protector Oliver erected a college for academical learning, at Durham, Mr. Frankland was pitched upon to be a tutor there. But that college being demolished at the Restoration,

VOL. II. NO. XIV.

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