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Mr. Evans entered upon the ministerial work as one sensible of its importance, and deeply impressed with the worth of souls. It soon appeared that his labours were both acceptable and useful. The good people among whom he preached warmly solicited and pressed him to continue with them, which he did to the end of his days. Though, at the commencement of his ministry, he does not appear to have been above thirty years of age, he was unwearied in all his labours to promote their best interests, and to extend the boundaries of the Redeemer's kingdom. He presently succeeded in gathering a respectable congregation, which, as our author observes, has continued by a succession of new members down to the present time. After having spent about ten years, with exemplary diligence, unwearied perseverance, and eminent success in promoting the gospel among his countrymen, he finished his course in the prime of life, and in the height of his usefulness, to the unspeakable regret of his numerous friends, by whom he was exceedingly respected and beloved. His ministry was chiefly exercised in Radnorshire and Brecknockshire. Dr. Walker enumerates him among the popular itinerants of Wales, and charges him with having received a salary for itinerant preaching in both those counties. If he did so, it only proves his great activity and uncommon labours. When one man does the work of two, it is fit he should receive double wages. There is reason to think, says our author, that he was for some time the only baptist minister in Wales. Some of the other preachers, and Mr. Vavasor Powell among the rest, were probably baptized by him. His people, it is added, were all baptists, and do not appear to have admitted mixt communion, though some of the neigh bouring churches did; nor did they practise singing in their public worship, except, perhaps, at the Lord's table. The church afterwards increased, and spread into several branches; and now forms three or four distinct and respectable churches, assembling in the counties of Radnor, Brecon, and Montgomery.

Mr. Evans had, doubtless, many enemies; but his principal opponents are said to have been the Quakers; who virulently opposed him from the press, as well as otherwise, conceiving a very strong and unreasonable antipathy against him. A book was published against him, about the time of his death, by one John Moon, who called Mr. Evans "the blind Welsh priest of Radnorshire," and attempted, very

• Walker's Attempt, part i. p. 158.

illiberally, to asperse and vilify his character and memory. His two friends, Mr. John Price and Mr. William Bownd, answered the Quaker, and successfully vindicated their deceased brother; and, from their own intimate knowledge of him, expressed the highest opinion of his integrity and piety, as well as the truest respect and veneration for his memory. The amiableness and respectability of his character may be safely inferred from the strong attachment of his pious and numerous friends. He died about the year 1657, and probably not more than forty years of age. But he lived long afterwards in the affectionate recollection of those who had attended on his faithful and edifying ministry. Mr. Henry Gregory, who had been a member of Mr. Evans's church, was his successor in the pastoral office.t

OBADIAH SEDGWICK, B. D.-This excellent person was brother to Mr. John Sedgwick, another puritan divine, born at Marlborough in Wiltshire, in the year 1600, and educated first at Queen's college, then in Magdalen-hall, Oxford. Having finished his academical studies, he entered upon the ministerial exercise, and became chaplain to Lord Horatio Vere, whom he accompanied to the Low Countries. After his return, he went again to Oxford, and, in the year 1629, was admitted to the reading of the sentences. He was tutor to Matthew Hale, afterwards the celebrated lord chief justice. Leaving the university a second time, he became preacher at St. Mildred's, Bread-street, London; but was driven from the place by the intolerance of the prelates. He became vicar of Coggeshall in Essex, in the year 1639,9 where he continued two or three years. Upon the commencement of the wars, he returned to the city and to his ministry at St. Mildred's, and was often called to preach before the parliament. In the year 1642, he became chaplain to Colonel Hollis's regiment in the parliament's army. The year following, he was appointed one of the licensers of the press, and chosen one of the assembly of divines, and he constantly attended. Wood observes, but certainly with no good design," that while he preached at Mildred's, which was only to exasperate the people to rebel and confound episcopacy, it was usual with him, especially in hot weather, + Ibid. vol. vi. p. 6.

Theolog. Bib. Mag. vol. v. p. 420–422.
Clark's Lives, last vol. part ii. p. 125.
Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. ii. p. 160.
Neal's Puritans, vol. ii. p. 556. iii. 46, 53.

to unbutton his doublet in the pulpit, that his breath might be longer, and his voice more audible, to rail against the king's party, and those about the king's person, whom he called popish counsellors. This he did in an especial manner in September, 1644, when he, with great concernment, told the people, several times, that God was angry with the army for not cutting off delinquents." Dr. Grey, with a similar design, denominates him "a preacher of treason, rebellion, and nonsense;" for the proof of which, he alleges the following passages from Mr. Sedgwick's sermons preached before the parliament:-"The field which I am at this time to work upon, and go over, you see is large. There is much more ground in it than I can conveniently break up and sow. I shall therefore, by God's assistance, who is the only breaker of hearts, set upon the work, and may he in tender mercy so accompany, and water, and prosper his truths at this day, that all our fallow ground may be broken up, and then be so graciously sown in righteousness, that we and all the land may shortly reap in mercy.-Sirs, you must break up this ground, or it will break up our land. There is not such a Godprovoking sin, a God-removing sin, a church-dissolving, a kingdom-breaking sin, as idolatry. Down with it, down with it, even to the ground. Superstition is but a bawd to gross idolatry. Be as earnest and as active as you possibly can to send labourers into the field; I mean to plant the land with a heart-breaking ministry.-God hath been the salvation of the parliament, and in the parliament, and for the parliament. Salvation at Edge-hill; salvation at Reading and Causon; salvation at Gloucester; salvation at Newbury; salvation in Cheshire; salvation in Pembrokeshire; salvation in the north; salvation from several treacheries; and salvation from open hostilities."+ Such are the formidable proofs, in the opinion of the learned doctor, that he was a preacher of treason, rebellion, and nonsense! How far he was guilty, every reader will easily judge.

In the year 1646, Mr. Sedgwick became preacher at St. Paul's, Covent-garden; where he was exceedingly followed, and was instrumental in the conversion of many souls. In 1653, he was, by the parliament, appointed one of the tryers; and the year following was constituted one of the assistant commissioners of London for ejecting ignorant and scandalous ministers. He was very zealous to carry on, as

* Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 139.
+ Grey's Examination, vol. iii. p. 204–206.

in derision it is called, "the good work of reformation in church and state." He was a frequent preacher before the parliament. Sir John Birkenhead casts his foul aspersions upon him and Mr. Marshall, saying, "it is pleasant to observe how finely they play into each other's hands. Marshall procures thanks to be given to Sedgwick; and, for his great pains, Sedgwick obtains as much for Marshall; and so they pimp for one another. But, to their great comfort be it spoken, their whole seven years sermons at Westminster are to be sold in Fetter-lane and Pye-corner." Had this writer known how many of the episcopal clergy purchased and preached the sermons of the puritans, he might have greatly extended his foul aspersions. Mr. Sedgwick finding, at length, that his health began to decline, he resigned all his preferments and retired to Marlborough, his native place, where he died in the month of January, 1658, aged fifty-seven years, and his remains were interred in the chancel of Ogborn St. Andrew, near Marlborough. He was a learned divine, and an orthodox and admired preacher. In his ministry, he was succeeded by the celebrated Dr. Thomas Manton, ejected in 1662.§

His WORKS.-1. Several Sermons on public Occasions, 1639, &c. --2. Parliamentary Sermons, 1642, &c.; among which were, England's Preservation," 1642.-" Haman's Vanity," 1643.-" An Ark against a Deluge: or, Safety in Dangerous Times," 1644.-3. Military Discipline for the Christian Soldier, 1639.-4. Christ's Council to his Languishing Church of Sardis, 1640.-5. Speech in Guildhall, 1643.-6. The best and worst Malignant, 1648.-7. The doubting Christian resolved, 1653.-8. The humble Sinner resolved; or, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way for sensible Sinners, discovering the Quality, Objects, and Acts of Justifying Faith,|| 1656.9. The Fountain opened, and the Water of Life flowing, 1657.10. The Shepherd of Israel; or, an Exposition of Psalm xxiii., 1658.— 11. Anatomy of Secret Sins, 1660.-12. The Bowels of tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, 1660.-13. The Parable of the Prodigal, 1660.-14. Synopsis of Christianity.-15. A Catechism.

WILLIAM SANDBROOKE, L. B.-This pious person was educated in Gloucester-hall, Oxford; and in 1635 he became rector of St. Peter's church in that city, where his preaching

48.

✦ Granger's Biog. Hist, vol. iii. p.
+ Wood's Atheus Oxon, vol. ii. p. 139, 140.

Neal's Puritans, vol. iv. p. 184.

Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. i. p. 125, 426.

The MS. of this excellent work, and apparently in Mr. Sedgwick's ●wn hand, is in the possession of the author.

was much followed by the religious and puritanical scholars.Upon the commencement of the civil war, he espoused the cause of the parliament, left the university, and went to sea as chaplain to the Earl of Warwick, admiral to the parliament. However, in 1644, being tired of a sea employment, he became the officiating minister at St. Margaret's church, Rochester, when Mr. Selvey, the incumbent, to his great honour, allowed him all the profits of the living. Afterwards, by the powers which then were, he was appointed one of the three lecturers at the cathedral in that city, " purposely," says our author," to preach down the heresies and blasphemies of Richard Coppin, and his bigoted followers." He died at Rochester in the month of March, 1658, leaving behind him the character of a godly and painful preacher. He published a work entitled, "The Church the proper Subject of the New Covenant," 1646; and "Several Sermons," 1657.

JOHN BEVERLY was fellow of Trinity college, Cambridge, where he most probably received his education. Towards the close of life he settled at Rowell in Northamptonshire; where, by his pious and useful labours, he gathered a church according to the model of the independents. Having been instrumental in the conversion of about thirty persons, he united them in church fellowship, upon congregational principles, when they entered into a covenant to walk with each other in the order of the gospel. The tenor of their covenant was, "To walk together with God, in gospel faith and order, as a particular church, in the performance of all duties towards God, towards each other, and towards all men, in the strength of the spirit of Christ, and according to his word." They chose Mr. Beverly their pastor, two elders, and two deacons. This was in the year 1656. Under Mr. Beverly's ministry, many of the inhabitants of the town were awakened and received into the church. But his excellent and useful labours were not long continued among them after the above period; for he died in the month of June, 1658. After his death, the good people who composed his church mostly attended upon the ministry of Mr. Thomas Browning of Desborough. Upon his ejection, in 1662, they invited him to the office of pastor, and he continued with them to the day of his death. This church is

* Wood's Athenæ Öxon. vol. ii. p. 149.

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