congregational principles, admitting both pædobaptists and antipædobaptists, and still continues on the same broad foundation. The members of this infant society, after giving themselves to the Lord and to one another, unanimously chose Mr. Gifford to the office of pastor. He accepted the charge, and gave himself up to the service of the Lord and his people, to walk with them, watch over them, and dispense among them the mysteries of the kingdom. This was about the year 1651. The principle on which they entered into church fellowship, and on which they added fresh members, was, "Faith in Christ and holiness of life," without respect to any outward circumstances whatever. "By this means,' it is said, “grace and faith were encouraged, and love and amity maintained; disputing and occasion of janglings, and unprofitable questions, avoided; and many that were weak in faith confirmed in the blessings of eternal life." Mr. Gifford died September 21, 1656; who, on his deathbed, wrote a most excellent letter to the congregation, earnestly persuading them to continue in the faithful maintenance of their principles, and affectionately exhorting them to promote peace, holiness, and brotherly love.* RICHARD CAPEL, A. M.-This worthy divine was born. in the city of Gloucester, in 1586, and descended from the ancient family of that name, being a near relation to Lord Capel. His father was an alderman of the city; one who greatly promoted the cause of Christ in the place; and was a zealous friend to the suffering nonconformists. His son was educated in Magdalen college, Oxford, where he gained a considerable reputation, and was chosen fellow of the house. He had many learned pupils, who became famous in their day; among whom were Dr. Frewen, afterwards archbishop of York, and the celebrated Mr. William Pemble. Mr. Capel, being desirous of greater usefulness, to souls, removed from the university and entered upon the ministerial work, first at Estington, then at Pitchcomb in his own county. He did not enter into the sacred office for a piece of bread, but for the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom and the salvation of men. Therefore he had not sooner entered upon the work, than he gave himself wholly to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine; and his profiting Meen's MS. Collec. p. 313-317, 325; as transcribed from the original church-book at Bedford. soon became so manifest to all, that he was justly reputed a man approved of God, rightly dividing the word of truth. In the exercises of the pulpit he was sometimes a Boanerges, the son of thunder; but more commonly a Barnabas, the son of consolation. Under the intolerance and oppressions of Bishop Laud, when the ceremonies were enforced with the utmost rigour, and the most grievous penalties were inflicted on the nonconformists, he became a sufferer with the rest of his brethren. And, upon the publication of the Book of Sports, in 1633, he could not read it with a safe conscience; therefore, to avoid deprivation, he peaceably resigned his living and turned physician; in which profession he was much esteemed, and very successful. The excellent Dr. Sibbs, who died in the year 1635, bequeathed legacies, in his last will and testament, to his numerous relations and friends; among whom was Mr. Capel, who received a small legacy.+ In the year 1641 he espoused the cause of the parliament, and renewed his ministerial exercises at Pitchcomb, where he had obtained a distinguished reputation. He still continued in the practice of physic, but preached to the people gratuitously all the rest of his days. In 1643 he was nominated one of the assembly of divines, but never attended, choosing rather to continue his uninterrupted labours among the people of his charge. Towards the close of life, this worthy servant of Christ was exercised with many trials, which, by the help of God, he bore with patience and unshaken confidence. He cheerfully resigned himself to his heavenly Father's will. Being particularly desirous not to die a lingering death, the Lord was pleased to grant him his desire. For, having preached twice on the Lord's day, and performed the usual duties of the family and the closet, he went to bed and died immediately, being September 21, 1656, aged seventy years. Mr. Clark denominates him "a man of a quick apprehension, a strong memory, and great picty;" and says, "he was a living library, a full storehouse of all good literature, a judicious preacher, and a sound orthodox divine." the opinion of Wood, "he was a man of great eminence, and much followed by men of note, especially of the Calvinian party. At Estington he was eminent, among the puritans, for his painful and practical preaching, his * Clark's Lives annexed to Martyrologie, p. 303, 309. ◆ Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xxxviii. p. 445. Lives, p. 304, 311. In exemplary life and conversation, and for doing many good offices for his brethren in the ministry. He was esteemed an excellent preacher, and a true follower of Messrs. Dod, Claver, Hildersham, and Dr. Rainolds."* Mr. Daniel Capel, ejected at the restoration, was his son.t His WORKS. 1. God's Valuation of Man's Soul, 1632.-2. A Treatise of Temptations, 1650.-3. A brief Dispute touching Restitution in Cases of Usury, 1650.-4. Remains, 1658.-5. An Apology in Defence of some Exceptions in the Book of Temptations, 1659. JAMES NOYES.-This excellent minister was born at Chaldrington in Wiltshire, in the year 1608, and educated in Brazen-nose college, Oxford. His father was a learned minister and schoolmaster; and his mother was sister to Mr. Robert Parker, the famous puritan. Mr. Noyes, after finishing his studies at the university, became assistant to Mr. Thomas Parker, in his school at Newbury in Berkshire, Here he was converted under the united ministry of Mr. Parker and the celebrated Dr. Twisse, when he became admired for his great piety. He afterwards entered upon the ministerial work; but because he could not, with a safe conscience, observe the ecclesiastical impositions in the established church, he fled to New England. He sailed in the same ship with Mr. Parker, and safely arrived in the year 1634. These two worthy ministers preached, or expounded, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon, every day during the whole voyage. The sweetest affection subsisted betwixt them all their lives. They were true brethren, and never separated one from the other, till constrained by death. Upon their arrival in the new colony, Mr. Noyes preached about a year at Medford; at the expiration of which period he removed, with Mr. Parker and other friends, to Newbury, where they gathered a church, of which Mr. Noyes was chosen teacher, and Mr. Parker pastor, In this office Mr. Noyes continued above twenty years. Though his views of church discipline were different from some of his brethren, both parties exercised so much forbearance, that peace and good order continued uninterrupted. And though he was very averse to the English ceremonies, accounting them needless, in many respects offensive and hurtful, and the imposition of them Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 129. + Palmer's Noncon, Mem, vol. ii. p. 254, intolerable and abominable; yet he could have been satisfied. with moderate episcopacy. He held a profession of faith and repentance, and a subjection to the ordinances of Christ, to be the rule of admission to church fellowship; but admitted to baptism the children of those who had been baptized, without requiring the parents to own any covenant or being in church fellowship. He, as well as his colleague, considered the sabbath as beginning on the Saturday evening. Mr. Noyes, at the close of life, endured a long and tedious affliction, which he bore with christian patience and holy cheerfulness. He died triumphing in the Lord, October 22, 1656, aged forty-eight years. He possessed a quick invention, a sound judgment, a strong memory, and was a good linguist, an able disputant, an excellent counsellor, and one of the greatest men of the age. He was much beloved by his people, and his memory is there respected at the present day. He published a piece entitled," Moses and Aaron, or the Rights of Church and State;" and "A Catechism," for the use of his flock, which, to the honour of his memory, has lately been reprinted.+ EDWARD BRIGHT, A. M.-This worthy minister of Christ was born at Greenwich, near London, and educated in the university of Cambridge, where he was chosen fellow of his college. Afterwards he became vicar of Goudhurst in Kent, where he fell under the displeasure of Archbishop Laud. In the year 1640 he was cited, with other puritan ministers in Kent, to appear before his lordship's visitors at Feversham, to answer for not reading the prayer against the Scots. According to summons, they appeared before Sir Nathaniel Brent, the archbishop's vicar-general, and other officers; when Mr. Bright was first called, and being asked whether he had read the prayer, he answered in the negative. Upon which the archdeacon immediately suspended him from his office and benefice, without the least admonition, or even giving him a moment of time for consideration, This rash act was deemed, even by the favourites of Laud, to be neither prudential nor canonical. It does not appear how long the good man continued under this cruel sentence; * Mather's Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 145-148. but he was most probably released upon the meeting of the long parliament, towards the close of this year. Mr. Bright was afterwards chosen fellow of Emanuel college, Cambridge; but he still continued in his beloved work of preaching. He was next chosen minister of Christchurch, London; but he did not long survive his removal. During his last sickness, he often said, "I thank God I came not to London for money. I brought a good conscience from Cambridge, and I thank God I have not lived to spoil it." He died in the month of December, 1656; when his funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Samuel Jacomb, and afterwards published. He was zealous, courageous, and conscientious in the support of divine truth; yet of great candour, affection, and moderation. He was a man of great piety, good learning, excellent ministerial abilities, and admirable industry. Many elegies were published upon his death. He had the character of a very good man, and was endowed with a considerable share of patience, which indeed he very much needed, having the affliction of a very froward and clamorous wife. On this account, many thought it a happiness to him to be dull of hearing. This worthy servant of Christ is, by mistake, included among the ejected ministers after the restoration.+ ROBERT PECK.-This zealous puritan was rector of Higham in Norfolk, to which he was preferred in the year 1605. He was a zealous nonconformist to the ceremonics and corruptions of the church, for which he was severely persecuted by Bishop Harsnet. Having catechized his family and sung a psalm in his own house, on a Lord's day evening, when some of his neighbours attended, his lordship enjoined him, and all who were present, to do penance, requiring them to say, I confess my errors. Those who refused were immediately excommunicated, and required to pay heavy costs. All this appeared under the bishop's own hand. For this, and similar instances of his oppression and cruelty, the citizens of Norwich, in the year 1623, presented a complaint against his lordship in the house of commons. In the bishop's answer to this complaint, he had nothing to say against Mr. Peck's doctrine and life, only his nonconformity. He pleaded, in his own defence, "That #Jacomb's Funeral Sermon for Mr. Bright, + Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. ii. p. 328. |