Spirit, and held forth Christ in the Spirit. These men," says he, are nearest to Zion, yet are they not come into it. For as every prophet shall one day be ashamed of his vision; yea prophesy itself shall fail; so it is manifest these men are of a dark and deeper speech than can be easily understood; therefore it is not Zion."

It is related by Ludlow, that when news was brought of Cromwell's death, Mr. Sterry stood up, and desired those about him not to be troubled. "For," said he, "this is good news: because, if he was of great use to the people of God when he was amongst us, now he will be much more so, being ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of Jesus Christ, there to intercede for us, and to be mindful of us on all occasions."+ This, if true, was flattery or phrenzy in perfection.

EDWARD GEE, A. M.-This pious man was born at Banbury in Oxfordshire, in the year 1613, and educated first at Newton school, near Manchester, then in Brazen-nose college, Oxford. About the year 1636 he became chaplain to Dr. Parr, bishop of Soder and Man, and minister at some place in Lancashire. Upon the commencement of the civil war, he espoused the cause of the parliament, took the covenant, and, for his great activity in promoting the holy cause, as Wood in derision calls it, he became rector of the rich living of Eccleston, in the same county. He was assistant to the commissioners of Lancashire for ejecting ignorant and scandalous ministers and schoolmasters.

This worthy puritan, during his last sickness, laboured under the painful assaults of Satan. After enjoying the sweetest consolations, the enemy was suffered to come against him like an armed man, grievously tempting him to despair of his own salvation. But, by the help of God, he was enabled to resist the enemy, and to say unto him, "Away with thee, away with thee, thou accuser of the brethren: God confound thee." On one of these occasions, observes Mr. Gee, "I was in a most woeful condition; and it was much worse with my soul than any pangs of death. I was so full of horror that I was ready to tumble off my bed into the grave, yea, into the pit of hell. And I was the more full of horror, because I had before spoken so much of my

Erbery's Testimony, p. 69.

+ Neal's Puritans, vol. iv. p. 198.

Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ij. p. 163.

assurance and comforts. I was ready to cry out, Oh, damned wretch that I am! But my most merciful Father, at length restoring unto me the joys of his salvation, enabled me to say unto the tempter, Thou implacable and irreconcileable enemy of my soul, away with thee, away with thee." This holy, tempted servant of Christ, died May 26, 1660, aged forty-seven years; when his mortal part was interred in the church at Eccleston. He published "A Treatise of Prayer and Divine Providence," 1653; and "The Divine right and original of the Civil Magistrate," 1658.

HUGH PETERS, A. M.-This unhappy man was born at Fowey in Cornwall, in the year 1599. His father was a respectable merchant, and his mother of the ancient family of the Treffys, of Place in that town. At fourteen years of age he was sent to Cambridge, where he became a member first of Jesus college, then of Trinity college. During his residence at the university, he was greatly addicted to the follies and vain delights of youth; but afterwards, by attending the preaching of Dr. Sibbs, Mr. John Davenport, Mr. Thomas Hooker, and others, he was awakened to a sense of his sins, and turned from the error of his way. It is indeed observed, that when he was at Cambridge, he was so lewd and insolent, as to be whipt in the Regent's-walk, a punishment scarcely ever inflicted upon any since, or perhaps a long time before, and so expelled for ever from the university. It is further added, that after this he betook himself to the stage, where he acquired that gesticulation and buffoonery which he practised in the pulpit. He was admitted into holy orders by Bishop Montaigne of London; and he preached for a considerable time, and with

* Ambrose's Works, p. 764. Edit. 1701. + Kennet's Chronicle, p. 277.

Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. iii. p. 54.

Bishop Montaigne was equally zealous for the conformity of his clergy as the rest of his brethren. It is related that, in the year 1622, he sent his servant on a Saturday to the minister who was to preach before him on the following Lord's day, desiring a sight of his sermon. The minister, not coming as was expected, greatly increased the prelate's jealousy, who sent for him on the sabbath morning about an hour before divine service. When the preacher came bis lordship began to give him advice, especially that he should take heed and say nothing unfit for the present times. inquired what was his text; and being told Gal. i. 6—8., I marvel that you are so soon removed, &c., the bishop struck his hand upon his breast, and swore the text was not allowable for those times. "No, my lord," said

He

great acceptance and success, at St. Sepulchre's in the city. A certain scurrilous writer says, "he set up the trade of an itinerary preacher, never being constant or fixed to any one place or benefice; and he roved about the world like universal churchmen, called jesuits." Mr. Peters, speaking of his labours at Sepulchre's, says, "there were six or seven thousand hearers ;" and adds, "I believe above one hundred every week were persuaded from sin to Christ." His great popularity and usefulness, together with his nonconformity, at length awakened the envy and malice of his enemies. He was noticed by the ruling prelates; and having prayed for the queen in Sepulchre's church, "That as she came into the Goshen of safety, so the light of Goshen might shine into her soul, and that she might not perish in the day of Christ;" he was apprehended by Archbishop Laud, silenced from his ministry, and committed close prisoner to New Prison, where he remained for some time before any articles were exhibited against him: and though certain noblemen interceded and offered bail for him,it was refused ;+ and at length, after obtaining his release, he was obliged to flee to New England.§

We are aware that several writers of the adverse party have assigned a very different reason for his going into exile. Langbaine insinuates something of "an affair that he had with a butcher's wife of Sepulchre's;" and Granger says, "That being prosecuted for criminal conversation with another man's wife, he fled to Rotterdam." Mr. Peters himself appears not to have been insensible of his ill character among his enemies; but he terms it altogether a reproach, and attributes it to his zeal in the cause he espoused. "By my zeal," says he to his daughter, "it seems I have exposed myself to all manner of reproach: but

one of his chaplains, who stood by, "the very mention of the text is not allowable for the present times." The bishop said, "Look to thyself; for if thou speakest any thing that shall not please, I vow to break thy neck and thy back too." The preacher replied, that he had nothing to speak but the truth, and so was dismissed. Though his lordship was exceedingly displeased with the sermon, it contained a faithful account of the awful condition of those who forsake the faith they once received: only he observed, that they might expect some application, but he was not ambitious of lying in prison; and thus closed the sermon.-Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xxi. p. 104.

* Bates's Lives of the King's Murderers, p. 40. Edit. 1661.

+ Peters's Dying Legacy, p. 100. Edit. 1660.

Huntley's Prelates? Usurpations, p. 162.

Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 419.

Historical and Critical Account of Hugh Peters, p. 34. Edit. 1751.—

Granger's Biog, Hist, vol. iii, p. 54.

I wish you to know, that, besides your mother, I have had no fellowship that way with any woman since I knew her, having a godly wife before also, I bless God." It may not be improper further to observe, that when he was afterwards under sentence of death, and only a short time before his execution, an intimate friend waiting upon him, put the question seriously and directly to him, whether he was guilty of the above accusation. To whom he replied, "I bless the Lord, I am wholly clear in that matter, and I never knew any woman but my own wife."+ A man is not, indeed, allowed to be witness in his own cause; nor should the testimony of his adversaries be deemed a full proof. A person loaded with so vile an accusation as Mr. Peters was, and suffering as a traitor in the way that he did, when party spirit ran high, and revenge actuated those who bore rule; for such a one to be traduced and blackened beyond his deserts, is only what might be naturally expected. What reproach is not envy, malice, and a bigoted party spirit, able to cast upon men of the worthiest character ? Mr. Peters's future popularity, and his high esteem among persons of the first rank in the nation, as will appear in the present narrative, certainly render the truth of the above charge at least extremely doubtful.

Mr. Peters having fled to Rotterdam, there gathered a congregation, and formed a church upon the plan of the independents, to which he was chosen pastor. He had the celebrated Dr. William Ames for his colleague in the same church; but this excellent divine did not long survive his removal from Franeker to this place. Mr. Peters continued five or six years, not without the blessing of God upon his ministry, and was succeeded in the pastoral charge by Mr. William Bridge, Mr. Sydrach Sympson, and Mr. Samuel Ward, all famous in their day, and all driven from their native country for nonconformity. Mr. Peters, during his stay in Holland, appears to have behaved himself so well as to procure great interest and a high degree of reputation in the country: "For, being afterwards in Ireland, and seeing the great distress of the poor protestants, who had been plundered by the Irish rebels, he went into Holland, and procured about thirty thousand pounds to be sent from thence into Ireland for their relief." We hence see how

Peters's Dying Legacy, p. 106.

+ Speeches and Prayers of the King's Judges, p. 61. Edit. 1660. Bailie's Dissuasive, p. 75.

Ludlow's Memoirs, vol. iii. p. 75. Edit. 1699,

little credit is due to Dr. Nichols, that bold champion for high-church principles, who says, that Mr. Peters, growing into contempt among the people at Rotterdam, was obliged in a little while to leave the place.

On the resignation of his charge at Rotterdam, in the year 1635, he went to New England, and was chosen pastor of the church at Salem.+ There he obtained a high reputation, and was greatly esteemed in the new colony. By an order from the general court of government, dated Boston, March 3, 1636, Mr. Peters, Mr. John Cotton, and Mr. Thomas Shepard, were appointed to assist the governor, deputy-governors, and others, " to make a draught of laws agreeable to the word of God, which might be fundamentals of the commonwealth, and to present the same to the next general court." Mr. Peters, after residing there seven years, was sent to England by the government of the new commonwealth to mediate for ease in customs and excise. Upon his arrival in his native country, he found the nation deeply involved in the horrors of civil war; and being obliged to remain in England, he was not able for some time to accomplish the object of his mission. He always intended returning to New England, but one thing or another occurred, in those unsettled times, to prevent him.

Mr. Peters had not been long arrived in England, before he became a zealous preacher in the parliament's army. In the year 1644, he was with the Earl of Warwick, at the siege of Lime, a particular account of which he gave to the house of commons. In 1645, he attended Sir Thomas Fairfax at the taking of Bridgwater; and, bringing letters from the general, he was called before the house, and gave a circumstantial account of the siege; when the house voted him to receive one hundred pounds, as a reward for his unwearied services. As a preacher he was undoubtedly very serviceable to the cause of the parliament. When it was determined to storm Bridgwater, "Mr. Peters, in his

* Nichols's Defence of the Church, p. 50. Edit. 1740. + History of New Eng. p. 79.

Backus's New Eng. Baptists, vol. i. p. 76–79.

Peters's Dying Legacy, p. 97-103.

Mr. Thomas Peters, a minister of puritan principles, went to New England during the civil war; and after staying about three years, he returned to his native country. He was a worthy man, and author of several excellent pieces; but whether he was any relation to Mr. Hugh Peters, we have not been able to learn.-Mather's Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 214.

VOL. III,

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