antinomian sentiments; and certainly his saying, "that God is the author of sin, even of the pravity and sinfulness of it," was extremely erroneous. Besides writing upon the personal reign of Christ, he published a work, entitled, "A Treatise of the Comfort of Believers against their Sins and Sorrows;" which, for containing the above sentiment, was censured by the assembly of divines, and ordered by the house of lords to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman. He was, nevertheless, esteemed a man of the most exemplary piety. There was one Mr. Archer, an independent minister at Halstead in Essex, who, according to Edwards, preached much against the presbyterians, and against paying tithes; but it appears very doubtful whether this was the same person.+ SAMUEL HOWE was pastor of the separate congregation meeting in Deadman's-place, London, and successor to the famous Mr. John Canne. This church appears to have held mixt communion, and Mr. Howe was a baptist, though some of his predecessors were not. Mr. Neal says that he was a man of learning, and published a small treatise, entitled, "The Sufficiency of the Spirit's teaching." His learning, however, does not appear from this work, which is designed to shew the insufficiency of human learning to the important purposes of religion; and not only so, but that it is dangerous and hurtful. It is certainly written with great strength of genius, though the author was a "cobbler," appears from the following recommendatory lines prefixed to the discourse: "What How? how now? Hath How such learning found, Cambridge and Oxford may their glory now Mr. Howe and his people were persecuted beyond measure by the ruling prelates. He continued pastor of the church about seven years; but not being sufficiently on his guard in conversation, subjected himself to the malice of hungry informers, by whose means he was cited into the ecclesiastical courts, and excommunicated. Upon this Bailie's Dissuasive, p. 79, 80. + Edwards's Gangræna, part ii. p. 18. Third edit. p. 375. Neal's Puritans, vol. ii. terrible sentence he absconded; but after some time he was apprehended, and shut up in close prison, where he died. His death happening while under the above disgraceful sentence, he was denied christian burial, and a constable's guard secured the parish church of Shoreditch to prevent his interment there. At length his remains were deposited in Agnes-la-clair. This was most probably about the year 1640. In a work published against the separatists, entitled, "The Brownists' Synagogue," 1641, it is said, " Of these opinions was Howe, that notorious predicant cobbler, whose body was buried in the highway, and his funeral sermon preached by one of his sect in a brewer's cart."+ Hence it appears that his funeral was publicly conducted, notwithstanding the violence of the time; and that his people took this method of pouring contempt upon the impotent rage of his persecutors, whose sentiments concerning christian burial, and consecrated ground, they utterly despised and to prove that what they did was from principle, and not merely from necessity, many of the members of his church afterwards, by their own desire, were buried in the same place.+ The celebrated Mr. Roger Williams, of Providence in New England, gives the following honourable testimony to the character of Mr. Howe." Amongst so many instances," says he, "dead and living, to the everlasting praise of Jesus Christ, and of his Holy Spirit, breathing and blessing where he listeth, I cannot but with honourable testimony remember that eminent christian witness, and prophet of Christ, even that despised and yet beloved Samuel Howe; who being by calling a cobbler, and without human learning, (which yet in its sphere and place he honoured,) who yet, I say, by searching the holy scriptures, grew so excellent a textuary, or scripture-learned man, that few of those high rabbies, who scorn to mend or make a shoe, could aptly or readily, from the holy scriptures, out-go him and however he was forced to seek a grave or bed in the highway, yet was his life, and death, and burial, honourable and glorious, being attended by many hundreds of God's people; but how much more will be his rising again!" Mr. Howe was succeeded in the pastoral office by Mr. Stephen More, whose memoir is given in the next article. Ivimey's Hist. of Baptists, p. 154. + Brownist's Synagogue, p. 2. Ivimey's Hist. of Baptists, p. 153. Williams's Hireling Ministry none of Christ's, p. 11, 12. Edit, 1652. STEPHEN MORE was a person of good reputation, and endowed with considerable ministerial abilities. He was for some years deacon to the congregation of separatists in London, and a citizen of considerable property; but, after the death of Mr. Samuel Howe, whose memoir is given in the preceding article, he was chosen to the pastoral office, to the apparent hazard of his liberty and estate. This congregation practised mixed communion, and his predecessor was a baptist, but Mr. More was an independent. The zeal of these people exposed them to the severe persecution of the prelates; and they were obliged to assemble in private as they found an opportunity. This poor congregation had subsisted almost by a miracle for upwards of twentyfour years, shifting from place to place, to avoid the notice of hungry informers; but January 18, 1641, they ventured to set open their doors in Deadman's-place, Southwark. Fuller says, that on "this day happened the first fruits of anabaptistical insolence, when eighty of that sect, meeting at a house in St. Saviour's, Southwark, preached that the statute in the 35th of Elizabeth, for the administration of the Common Prayer, was no good law, because made by bishops; that the king cannot make a good law, because not perfectly regenerate; and that he was only to be obeyed in civil matters. Being brought before the lords, they confessed the articles; but no penalty was inflicted upon them."+ This, however, is a very partial and imperfect account of the matter, as appeared from their own records. As it is probable that only a small part of them were of the baptist persuasion, they were more properly a congregation of independents than anabaptists. With respect to their insolence, if, by opening their doors for all to come to their assembly who might feel disposed, they discovered their insolence, they must bear their own reproach. But if it refer to the opinions they delivered, what immediately followed will afford the best explanation. This is, therefore, an impartial statement of facts. Mr. More and his congregation having assembled in Deadman's-place, for the purpose of public worship on the Lord's day, though not with their former secrecy, they were discovered and taken into custody by Sir John Lenthal, marshal to the King's-bench, who committed most of them to the Clink. Next morning, six or seven of the men were carried before the house of lords, and charged with denying the king's supremacy in ecclesiastical Crosby's Baptists, vol. iii. p. 40. + Fuller's Church Hist, b. xi. p. 172. matters, and with preaching in separate congregations, where the Common Prayer was not used, contrary to the statute of the 35th of Elizabeth. The latter charge they confessed; and as to the former, they declared to the house, "That they could acknowledge no other head of the church besides Jesus Christ; that they apprehended no prince on earth had power to make laws to bind the conscience; and that such laws as were contrary to the laws of God, ought not to be obeyed; but they disowned all foreign power and jurisdiction.". Such a bold declaration, a twelvemonth before, would have sent them to a close, filthy prison, or cost them their ears. The house, however, instead of remitting them to the ecclesiastical courts, or inflicting any penalty upon them, treated them with great civility and respect, and some of the lords inquired where was their place of meeting, intimating that they would come and hear them. Accordingly, three or four of the peers went to the meeting the next Lord's day, to the great wonder of many. The good people, not intimidated with their presence, conducted their worship in their usual method: having two sermons, in each of which the preacher discussed those principles for which they had been accused, founding his discourses on the words of our Saviour: All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. In the conclusion the Lord's supper was administered, and a collection made for the poor, in which the lords contributed liberally with them. Upon their departure, they signified their satisfaction in what they had heard and seen, and their inclination to come again. But this made so great a noise, it is said, that they durst not venture a second time.+ It does not appear how long Mr. More continued pastor of this church, nor how long he lived after the above troubles; but the church divided by mutual consent, most probably at his death, when just one half chose Mr. PraiseGod Barebone, and the other half Mr. Henry Jessey, to the office of pastor.‡ RICHARD BERNARD, This excellent divine was born in the year in 1567, and educated in Christ's college, Cambridge. He was a young man of good natural parts; and, having raised the expectations of his friends, the Countess of Warwick took him under her patronage, and sent him *Neal's Puritans, vol. ii. p. 375, 376. + Crosby's Baptists, vol. i. p. 163. Ibid. vol. iii. p. 41. to the university. He had other liberal friends also, who assisted and encouraged him in his preparatory studies. Having finished his academical pursuits at Cambridge, he became vicar of Worksop in Nottinghamshire, where he experienced great encouragement in his ministry, and was exceedingly beloved by his people. As a preacher, he was much followed, and his labours were rendered a blessing to many. From the date of some of his writings, it appears that he was at Worksop in the year 1605; but how long he had been in this situation, previous to that period, we are not able to ascertain. About the year 1613, Mr. Bernard, on account of his excellent learning, genuine piety, and ministerial abilities, was presented to the living of Batcombe in Somersetshire. He received the presentation from Dr. Bisse, who had been minister of the place almost from the commencement of the reformation. This reverend and venerable pastor, it is said, purchased the advowson of Batcombe to present once only, for which he gave 200; and though he had a son in the ministry, he constantly resolved to bestow it as the Lord should direct him. Therefore, upon the presentation of the benefice, he spake to Mr. Bernard and others in these words: "I do this day lay aside nature, respect of profit, flesh and blood, in thus bestowing, as I do, my living, only in hope of profiting and edifying my people's souls;" after which he did not live above three weeks. This, his last act, he called his packing-penny between God and himself. · In this situation, as well as the former, Mr. Bernard laboured more abundantly than many of his brethren, and his endeavours were rendered extensively useful. He was opposed to a total separation from the church, and wrote with some zeal against the Brownists; but was an enemy to the imposition of human ceremonies in divine worship, and wrote against them as unlawful. He was indeed called a conformable puritan, though he refused to observe many of the ceremonies, and the exact conformity required of the clergy. It is supposed that he obtained some connivance and indulgence from the Bishop of Winchester, his diocesan, who had been one of his familiar associates at the university and on this account be escaped those suspensions and deprivations under which many of his brethren frequently groaned. He was a hard student, a most exemplary christian, and much addicted to acts of charity; also a judicious, affectionate, and profitable preacher, being filled with zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of |