PREFACE.

THE completion of another Volume affords us an opportunity, which we gladly embrace, of returning cordial thanks to our numerous Correspondents, by whose friendly contributions our little work has not only stood its ground against all the efforts of its adversaries, but has obtained such a circulation amongst our Brethren as affords the best evidence of its possessing, very generally, their decided approbation. We therefore earnestly request a continuance of those exertions which have hitherto rendered our Repository acceptable, and, we have the best reasons. to believe, useful to the people whom we love above all others.

The Signs of the times plainly shew that our Lord is about to fulfil his ancient promises; and happy shall that people be who are most active in preparing his way; in this view the progress of our Missionares in the Eastern Continent affords a very pleasing subject of contemplation; and when we reflect that their Success has been in a great degree commensurate with their Exertions, and that their Exertions have been limited only by the means put into their hands; we are anxious to see such a Union prevail in our Denomination as shall most effectually combine all our efforts in the cause of Truth and Righteousness at home, and give ten-fold vigour to our exertions on behalf of the heathen abroad. We hail the disposition to unite which has shewn itself in various communications from our Brethren, and we hope

the day is not far distant when their wishes will be realized; assured as we are that a cordial Union would greatly promote their happiness and extend their usefulness. If a portion of our pages may tend to facilitate this Object, we shall feel that our Labour of love has not been in vain.

When we thus express our wishes, and urge our Brethren to unite their exertions and draw together, in a cause in which they are mutually interested, we feel that we are not justly chargeable with Bigotry, or any Spirit hostile to the most liberal and extended Influence of Christian Benevolence and candour. If there are persons who manifest a cool indifference to the cause of Truth, in connection with the Society to which they profess to belong, we are sure it can never be expected that they will put forth any exertions on more general Principles. The man who is indifferent to the prevalence of any one form of Christian Profession rather than another, is nearly careless respecting Christianity being professed at all. It should also be recollected, that the Union we plead for will direct its energies only against Ignorance and Vice, the common Enemies, whose extermination all true Believers are anxious to effect.

We cannot conclude without congratulating our Brethren on the issue of various attempts to abridge our Religious Privileges, which we have recorded in the present volume; and we especially regard the result of the whole as favourable to the cause of Religious Liberty.

Thus encouraged, we prepare to go forward, uniting earnest prayer with strenuous endeavours; persuaded, as we declared in our first pages, that the success we desire is the gift of God, and not to be commanded by human effort.

BAPTIST MAGAZINE.

JANUARY, 1811.

"Whatever is designed to fit every thing will fit nothing well." DR. JOHNSON. "Names are intended to distinguish Things." Our Work is called the BAPTIST MAGAZINE because it is intended to be a Repository for the Baptists' use.

Brief Memoirs of the English Baptists.

SECTION V.

From the Restoration of Charles the second, to the Revolution under William the III. Part II.

MANY more instances might be produced of the severities used against our brethren in London, in the time above mentioned, but those we have already recited in a former volume,* are sufficient to shew our readers that the days of the years of their oppression were filled with affliction and misery, worm-wood and gall. Let us now glance at the sufferings of our brethren in the country.

Lord's day, May 29, 1670, a congregation of baptists, to the amount of five hundred, met for divine worship near Lewes, in Sussex. Two of their enemies observed them go to their meeting-house, and informed against them, upon which Sir Thomas Nutt, a violent persecutor, and three other justices, convicted the Minister and above 40 of the hearers. The minister was fined 207, and his fine laid upon 5 of the hearers, and the rest of the company were fined 5 shillings each. Warrants were issued, under the hands of the justices, for the recovery of the fines by distress and sale * See Page 365, vol. 2.

Vol. III.

A

of goods, and directed to the constables of the hundred, and the church-wardens and overseers of the parish, In the month of June the distresses were made. From Richard White, fined 31. 15s. they took value 101. 13s. From John Tabret, fined 27. 14s. they took a cow. From Walter Brett, a grocer, fined 61. 5s. they took two casks of sugar which cost him 157. From Thomas and Richard Barnard, fined 117. 10s. they took 6 cows, upon which the dairy-maid told them she believed they would have a store of Syllabubs, having taken so much sugar from Mr. Brett! From Thomas Tourle, fined 5 shillings, they took a horse, and another from Richard Mantle for a like fine. From others for similar fines they took bacon, cheese, kitchen furniture, wearing apparel, and other goods, to about treble the amount of their fines. The cattle and other property taken from the said several sufferers, were publicly sold for about half their value.

On the aforesaid 29th of May, a meeting of baptists was held in Brighthelmstone at the house of Mr. William Beard, who was fined 20. for which fine the constable of the place and two assistants took sixty-five bushels of Malt, and sold it for twelve shillings per quarter!

1

At Chillington, 3 Miles from Lewes, Mr. Nicholas Martin was convicted of having a meeting at his house, and fined 201. for which fine the officer of injustice took from him 6 cows, 2 young bullocks, and a horse, being all the stock he had, all of which he recovered again, but not till he had taken a great deal of trouble, and been at more than 231. expense.

The magistrates at Dover began early to shew their unrighteous zeal against the baptists. Many of them were violently taken from their meeting houses, committed to prison, and detained in confinement, to the ruin of their circumstances, and great distress of their families. These hardships urged them to petition the King and Duke of York for redress, but no relief was given them. At Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, the justices endeavoured to revive the old practice of punishing heretics with death. By virtue of a dormant statute made in the reign of queen Elizabeth, Mr. Stephen Dagnal, pastor of a baptist congregation that met at Aylesbury, and eleven of his people, being taken at a meeting, were sentenced to be hanged, and as soon as Sentence was passed against them, officers were sent to their several houses to seize their goods, and whatever effects of theirs could be found; which order was executed immediately, and great havock was made of what possessions they had; but powerful intercession being made for thein at Court, the king

granted them a pardon, and some time afterwards they were all set at liberty again. *

Great were the sufferings of the baptists in Gloucestershire, particularly in the neighbourhood of Fairford, Bourton on the water, Stow, and some other places. The most eminent cavaliers, embittered persecutors, rode about armed with swords and pistols, ransacked their houses and abused their families in a most violent manner."

*

June 3, 1660, B. Collett and B. Collings, gifted brethren from Bourton on the water, and many other baptists from thence and from Stow and elsewhere, met at Brockington in the said county. The Clerk's daughter whose mother had been a violent persecutor attended the meeting with her mother. When they came, B. Collet was preaching from Jude 14, 15, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his suints to execute judgment upon all, &c. While he was in his sermon, the clerk's daughter gave a sudden shriek, and fell down dead be fore them all. As some were carrying her corpse out, an officer of the country troop, with a party of his men, came in, charged, B. Collet and B. Collings, with the death of the young womans and was about to take them away prisoners, saying, they had killed her. But B. Collings replied, "Nay, we have not killed her, but the Most High hath done it, in whose hand is both your breath and ours." After he had pulled the speakers towards the door, and spoke more to them, he and the soldiers left them. The clerk afterwards spoke well of the baptists, saying, "these are the people of God." +

In the country of Wilts, and Diocese of Salisbury, our bre thren were persecuted with great severity. Bishop Ward often disturbed their meetings in person, and encouraged his clergy to follow his example. Informers were every where at work, and having crept into religious assemblies in disguise, levied great sums of money upon ministers and people. Soldiers broke into honest farmer's houses, under pretence of searching for conventicles, and where ready money was wanting, plundered their goods, drove away their Cattle, and sold them a great deal under value. Many of these sordid creatures spent their profits in ill houses, upon lewd women, and then went about again to hunt for more prey.

The baptist church at Calne suffered much; having been often disturbed when they assembled in their meeting house, in order to avoid fresh troubles they sometimes met at a Mill called

* Crosby, Vol. ii, p. 181.

+ Ibid, 31