contents of the act, the clauses of assent and consent, and renouncing the covenant, he was fully satisfied in his mind, and, like his worthy rector, threw in his lot with upwards of two thousand of his pious brethren who then became Nonconformists.

He did not consider his ejectment as a disqualification from preaching the gospel in places to which he might have access. He resolved, that, if he was not suffered to remain in his native country, he would proceed to China, and there spend himself in publishing the glad tidings of salvation. He therefore continued to exercise his ministry, by preaching in private, and visiting the families of his parishioners, in rotation, as had been his custom. A great door was opened to him during the few months in which he enjoyed his liberty; for he then went and preached in many villages, and obscure places near large towns, from which many of the appointed ministers had fled, or had dastardly ceased from instructing their people. Wherever he went, the Lord was pleased to give him great success; many were converted, and others encouraged to "hold fast their profession without wavering."

In act

ing thus, he was narrowly watched and often threatened; but was preserved from danger much longer than he expected. He would sometimes say, in contemplation of his imprisonment, "If it please the Lord to grant me three months' liberty before I am taken to prison, I shall account myself favoured by him; and shall with greater cheerfulness go, after I have done more work for him." In this he was indulged; for he was never molested, from black Bartholomew's day till the 26th day of May following, when he was summoned from his own dwelling by a warrant, before three justices, for examination. They charg

ed him with breaking the Act of Uniformity which he denied, affirming, "That he had preach ed neither in any church nor chapel, nor place of public worship, since the 24th of August; and that what he did, was in his own family, with others who came there to hear him." Yet the justices persisted to accuse him of having been at a riotous assembly; and after detaining him till they had cracked their low jests against him, and permitted their associates, some ladies and gentlemen, to call him "Rogue," and to tell him, that he deserved to be hanged,—they committed him to Ilchester gaol to take his trial at the assizes. On leaving Taunton, he had a most affectionate parting with his people. Two or three friends had proposed to accompany him to Ilchester; and as they passed through the town, the streets were lined on both sides with people lamenting his departure, many of whom followed him on foot some miles, giving free vent to their sorrow. The sight of their excessive grief was very affecting to him, while he tried by his cheerful countenance and expressions to give them encouragement.

After delivering his mittimus to the gaoler at Ilchester, he was put into a close and inconvenient chamber, where he had for company six ministers and fifty Quakers. Other ten ministers were brought in soon afterwards, who were thrust into the same room, which was so near the top of the prison that they could touch the tiles as they lay in their beds. The heat was quite stifling, till they took down some tiles from the roof, and pulled out a few panes of glass. The want of air was a greater privation to Mr. Alleine than to any of his brethren. For he was of a healthful constitution; and from his first setting out in the ways

of God, he had accustomed himself, both at Oxford, and Taunton, to perform his secret devotions and converses with his Maker, in the fields or woods, where no human eye could observe his actions.

As soon as he got into the prison, he preached and prayed in it, which he called the consecration of it. He then prevailed with the keeper for one corner of the room, which was more private than the rest, in which to place his bed; and he made a little partition, by means of curtains, around it, for the purposes of retirement; which was a high gratification to his mind. Other indulgencies he also obtained of his keeper, which were conducive in some measure to the better preservation of his health. But it was generally believed by his friends, and asserted by the doctors, that the shock which his constitution received in prison, by his studies, labours, and confinement, was irreparable.

At the end of four months he was indicted at the Assizes, August the 24th, before Judge Foster; by whom, when found guilty by the jury, he was sentenced to pay a hundred marks, and to be kept in prison till payment was made. To which he only replied-That he was glad it had appeared before his country, that whatsoever he was charged with, he was guilty of nothing but doing his duty; and that all which appeared by the evidence, was only that he had sung a psalm, and instructed his family, others being there, and both in his own house: And that if nothing that had been urged would satisfy, he should, with all cheerfulness and thankfulness, accept whatsoever sentence his lordship should pronounce upon him for so good and righteous a cause.' To prison therefore was he remanded, where he was detained a whole year within three days, and con

tinued to preach, sometimes to the felons, and at other times to those who visited him and his brethren in bonds.

This glorious company of imprisioned ministers attracted the notice and sympathy even of some among the careless and profane in the country around; while the place of their confinement was the especial resort of all the pious. Great multitudes visited them daily, and found no difficulty in gaining admittance. In their small room, one sermon at least was delivered every day, and occasionally two, each of them occupying the homely pulpit in rotation. "Lo! I am with you ALWAY UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD," said our Lord Jesus, who is ever faithful to his word: His presence shed a radiance on their (otherwise) forforn dwelling, and converted their prison into a place of rejoicing.-But this great concourse of people, among whom were generally some of his flock, occupying much of Mr. Alleine's time in the day, he was forced to dedicate a part of the night to sweet communion with his God, the performance of which duty he would never forego. He relaxed in no part of his former strict habits; but constantly rose about four in the morning, and spent several hours in meditation and prayer. Then falling close to his studies in some corner or other, he could not be easily moved from them, unless by the arrival of friends, or the appointed time of public worship; after which he would, at times, be engaged in them the whole night, and take only an hour or two for repose to his flesh. Had his bones been brass and his sinews iron, such severe exercise and close study would have corroded their strength and have been a weariness to them.

When he recovered his liberty, he entered more earnestly than ever on the work to which he

bad been called. But the consequences of the hardships which he had endured, soon became apparent in the great weakness felt by him while performing his accustomed ministerial exercises. About three months after his release, he was visited with a grievous sickness, from which, beyond all the hopes of his friends, he partially recovered. Much additional strength he gained by using the mineral waters near the Devizes, in Wiltshire; and was enabled on his return to enter again upon his beloved employment among his own people, and to visit many of the dispersed flocks of Christ that were destitute of pastors. He had also agreed with two of his brethren to accompany them into Wales, to spread the knowledge of Christ; but was prevented in his intentions by a return of his weakness. For his restoration, it was judged proper that he should visit Wiltshire again, that he might derive benefit from the waters. But before he commenced his journey, he was desirous of setting apart a day of thanksgiving to God for all his mercies. Accor dingly, on the 10th of July, 1665, many of his brethren in the ministry, and of his friends from Taunton, met together, at his request, in the house of Mr. Mallack, a pious merchant, who resided about a mile out of Taunton. The Five Mile Act had been but recently passed, by which it was made an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment, for a minister who had not taken the oaths which it required, to hold a religious assembly within five miles of any city or parliamentborough, or of the church in which he had been minister. Under this act, Mr. Alleine and his friends were surprised by two justices in Mr. Maliack's house; and were convicted by them of that terrible crime-holding a conventicle. Eight ministers, of whom Mr. Alleine was one, and