esteemed for his steady piety and universal benevolence. When he had finished his labours and his sufferings, he died in a good old age, but at what period we cannot learn, and was succeeded in the pastoral office by his son Mr. John Jeffery. CHRISTOPHER BLACKWOOD received a learned education, and was probably trained up at one of our universities. He was beneficed in Kent, and possessed of a parochial charge in that county at the commencement of the civil wars. In the year 1644, Mr. Francis Cornwell, a zealous baptist, having preached a visitation sermon at Cranbrook in Kent; and having openly declared his sentiments upon the subject of baptism, Mr. Blackwood, who heard the sermon, and took it down in short-hand, became a proselyte to his opinions. Having changed his sentiments about baptism, he did not long continue in the established church. He was equally zealous against national churches, as against infant baptism. Upon his leaving the ecclesiastical establishment, he collected a separate congregation at Staplehurst in Kent; but his sentiments being Calvinistic, and contrary to those of the society, he afterwards left it to the pastoral care of Mr. Kingsnorth. He was a zealous advocate for liberty of conscience, and as much opposed to the establishment of presbyterianism as episcopacy. In the first piece he published, he joined together infant baptism and compulsion of conscience, calling them "The two last and strongest garrisons of antichrist." He was accounted, by one who lived in those times," among those worthy guides, in all respects well qualified for the ministry, who voluntarily left their benefices in the establishment." In the year 1653 he went into Ireland with the army under the command of General Fleetwood and Lieutenant Ludlow; and preached to a congregation in Dublin. He lived till after the restoration, and signed the apology of the baptists in 1660, declaring against Venner's insurrection. His WORKS.-1. The Storming of Antichrist in his two last and strongest Garrisons, Compulsion of Conscience and Infant-baptism, 1644.-2. A brief Catechism concerning Baptism, 1644.-3. Four Treatises. First, the Excellency of Christ. Second, a Preparation * Crosby's Baptists, vol. iii. p. 99. for Death. Third, our Love to Christ. Fourth, our Love to our Neighbours, 1653.-4. A Treatise concerning Repentance, wherein A Soulthe Doctrine of Restitution is largely handled, 1633-5. searching Catechism, 1653.-6. An Exposition of the ten first Chapters of Matthew, delivered in Sermons, 1659.-7. Apostolical Baptism; or, a sober Rejoinder to a Treatise of Mr. Blake's. WILLIAM TAYLOR, A. M.-This worthy person was born at Keighley in Yorkshire, September 30, 1616, and educated in Magdalen-hall, Oxford. Having finished his studies at the university, he was employed for some time in the capacity of schoolmaster, at Keniton in Herefordshire, and afterwards at Cirencester in Gloucestershire. At the latter place he succeeded one Mr. Henry Toppe, who is said to have been ejected by the puritanical townsmen. In the year 1642 the place was stormed and taken by the royal forces, when Taylor was ejected, and Toppe restored. Mr. Taylor being driven from the place, retired to London, became minister at Bow, near the city, and afterwards at St. Stephen's church, Coleman-street, in the place of Mr. John Goodwin, who was turned out by the parliament. Here he met with considerable opposition, and therefore resigned the place; upon which he preached for some time in a church in Woodstreet, and delivered a lecture every Lord's day at St. Giles's, Cripplegate, and another on a week day at St. Peter's, Cornhill. It is said, that he was afterwards called by the rump parliament to his former charge in Coleman-street, which he kept to the day of his death; but, from the register of the place, this manifestly appears to be a mistake.t Dr. Calamy says he was ejected from St. Stephen's, Coleman-street, after the restoration, but he afterwards corrected his improper statement. Mr. Taylor united with his brethren, the London ministers, in their declaration against the death of King Charles; when, it appears, he was pastor at the above place.s He published several sermons, one of which is in the "Morning Exercise at St. Giles's," on Christ's Exaltation; and collected and revised several of Mr. Christopher Love's sermons, to which he prefixed recommendatory epistles. He died September 5, 1661, and his remains were interred in the chancel of the above church. Dr. William Spurstowe preached and published his funeral sermon, giving a high commendation of his character. Wood denominates him Wood's Athenæ Oxon, vol. ii. p. 169. + Kennet's Chronicle, p. 793. "a frequent preacher, a laborious divine, a learned man in his profession, and a zealous and loyal presbyterian."* JOHN JAMES.-This unfortunate man was minister to a baptist congregation which assembled in Bulstake-alley, Whitechapel, London, observing the seventh day as the sabbath. October 19, 1661, being assembled for public worship, with the doors of their meeting-house open, they were interrupted by Justice Chard and Wood the headborough, as Mr. James was preaching, whom they commanded in the king's name to be silent and come down, charging him with treason against his majesty. As Mr. James proceeded in his discourse without noticing their summons, the headborough approached him, and commanded him again to come down, or he would pull him down. The disturbance then became so great that he could not proceed, but told the headborough he would not come down except he was pulled down; upon which he pulled him down and dragged him away. Mr. James was charged by one Tipler, a man of base character, with uttering certain treasonable words in his sermon. The men and the women who were at the meeting were carried at the same time, by sevens, before four justices, then sitting at the Half-moon tavern; to whom they tendered the oath of allegiance, and committed those who refused, some to Newgate, and some to other prisons.+ Afterwards the justices assembled in the meeting-house, and sent for Mr. James. In the mean time the lieutenant of the Tower, pulling a paper out of his pocket, said, he would inform them what doctrine had that day been preached in that place. Upon the reading of this paper, certain women belonging to the meeting, and still detained, were asked how they could hear such things delivered; to which they, in the fear of God, unanimously replied, "That they never heard such words, as they should answer it before the Lord, and they durst not lie." Nevertheless, upon the evidence of this paper, taken from the mouth of Tipler, the prosecution of Mr. James was founded. When he was brought before the justices he underwent an examination; and among other questions put to him were the following: When the lieutenant asked him whether he had not been before him before, he answered, that he had. "And," said the lieutenant, * Wood's Athenæ, vol. ii. p. 169. + Narrative of the Condemnation and Execution of Mr. James, p. 7, 8. Edit. 1662. "were you not civilly used?" "Yes," replied Mr. James, " and I thank you for your civility." "And were you not counselled," said the lieutenant, "to take heed in future?" "Yes," said Mr. James, "I have taken heed, so far as I could with a good conscience." Upon this, the lieutenant said, "You shall stretch for it; and if you be not hanged, I will be hanged for you." To which Mr. James meekly replied, "I am not careful in that matter: you can do no more than the Lord shall permit you to do." Then said the lieutenant," I think you are not careful; for you have a mind to be hanged, as some of your holy brethren have before you." Mr. James being asked whether he owned the fifth kingdom, and signifying in the affirmative, they laughed at him, and said, now they had it from his own mouth. He was also charged with having learned to sound a trumpet, in order to a rising with Venner's party; when he said, there was a friend of his who lodged in his house, and who, designing to go to sea, and wishing to learn the sound, desired that he might have liberty to be taught in his house: but he never learned himself, neither was he at all concerned in that rising, judging it to be a rash act. The lieutenant of the Tower then called in Captain Hodgskin, who commanded the party of soldiers standing at the door, and said, " Take this man, be careful of him, and commit him close prisoner to Newgate," and a warrant for that purpose.* him gave November 14th, Mr. James was brought to the bar in the King's-bench, Westminster, and was indicted, 1. " For compassing and imagining the king's death.-2. For endeavouring to levy war against the king.-3. For endeavouring a change of government." In compassing, imagining, and contriving the king's death, he was charged with having maliciously, traiterously, and by instigation of the devil, not having the fear of God before his eyes, declared these words: "That the king was a bloody tyrant, a blood-sucker, and a "blood-thirsty man, and his nobles the same.-That the king * This warrant was as follows:-" To the keeper of the goal of Newgate, "or his deputy, Middlesex. "These are in the king's majesty's name, to require you to receive into "your custody, the body of John James, whom we send you herewith; "being taken this present day at a conventicle, or private meeting, in the "parish of Whitechapel; and there speaking in the audience of the people present, treasonable words against his majesty's royal person; you shall "therefore keep him close prisoner until further order, and this shall be your warrant. Given under our hands this 19th day of October, 1661. "John Robinson, Lieutenant of the Tower, Edward Chard, Thomas Bide, Thomas Swallow." Narrative, p. 9, 10. "and his nobles had shed the blood of the saints at Charing66 cross, and the blood of the covenanters in Scotland.-That "the king was brought in to this end, to fill up the measure "of his iniquity; and that the king's cup of iniquity had "filled more within the last year than in many years before, "That he did bemoan they had not improved their opportunity when they had power in their hands, and he said it "would not be long before they had power again, and then "they would improve it better; and that he did bewail the "apostacy of the people of God, and say, they had not fought "the Lord's battles thoroughly, but when the Lord should "give power to them again, and give his work into their "hands, they would do it better. That the death and "destruction of the king drew very near." The indictment being read, and Mr. James required to plead guilty or not guilty, he desired a copy of his charge, and time to consider of it; pleading, that he humbly conceived it to be his privilege as an Englishman, and till then he was unable to plead one way or the other. He alleged, that Chief Justice Cook and Judge Heath had declared it good law, and that the latter gave John Lilburn a copy of his charge, being arraigned for high treason. His request, however, was peremptorily denied; and he was told, that if he would not plead, they would proceed against him for contempt, and consider him as mute. Mr. James seeing he was overruled, pleaded Not guilty either in matter or form. Upon this he was sent to the King's-bench prison in Southwark, where he remained till November 19th, when he was again brought to the bar. During this interval Mr. James received information from a person of respectability, that there was a jury picked on purpose to take away his life; and that if he did not except against them, or most of them, he was a dead man. Upon his appearance at the bar at Westminster before four judges, and still pleading not guilty, four witnesses were produced against him. John Tipler, the first witness, said, that he was, at the time mentioned in the indictment, in a yard adjoining the meeting-house, and, through a window, saw Mr. James preaching, and heard him repeat those words mentioned in the indictment. To this evidence Mr. James excepted, that it was difficult to swear that he was the person, when the witness was not in the place, and only saw him through the window, which might intercept the light. The second witness was Justice Chard, who said he could declare nothing of the words spoken, only he found Mr. James preaching in the place |