among the presbyterians." After Cromwell had deserted these sectaries, he took umbrage at the great popularity and enterprizing spirit of Rogers; and was little less apprehensive of Feake, who was also regarded as a leader of that party. They were both imprisoned, and the protector was thought to act with extraordinary clemency in sparing their lives. This was imputed to a secret regard that he retained for his old friends, the independents. Mr. Rogers's writings are very singular. One of his books is entitled, "A Tabernacle for the Sun, or Irenicum Evangelicum, an Idea of Church Discipline," 1653. In the same year Mr. Crofton published a smart reply to this work, entitled, "Bethshemesh Clouded, or some Animadversions on the Rabbinical Talmud of Rabbi John Rogers." Another of his pieces is entitled, “A Christian Concertation with Mr. Prynne, Mr. Baxter, and Mr. James Harrington, for the true Cause of the Commonwealth," 1659. MORGAN LLOYD was born in Wales, and brought to the knowledge of the gospel by the ministry of Mr. William Erbery. He afterwards entered upon the ministerial work, and preached, during the commonwealth, at Wrexham, where he is supposed to have been the immediate successor of Mr. Walter Cradock. He was a person of great piety and peculiar ministerial talents, but rather inclining to mysticism. He was fond of expressing himself in figurative and mysteri ous language; yet what he delivered was often very striking. Several of his letters, descriptive of his character and sentiments, are preserved among the writings of Mr. Erbery, to whom they were addressed; one of which we shall give as a specimen. Though it is without date, it was written about the year 1652, and is as follows:t "Sir, "The sweetness of the Father's love in you is very pleasant to my taste. Though you have particularly and clearly written to me concerning the things I desired to know of you; yet your promise of more makes me now only mind you again. We never write, hear, or speak in the light of the Father, but when our inner man is withdrawn from the spirit of this world, which is the devil's street, in which his coaches trundle; which life and spirit of nature is a whirlwind that * Granger's Biog. Hist, vol. iii. p. 50. catcheth many into the fleshly pits and unprofitable forms, and keepeth the poor offspring of Adam in the outward court of this creation. I dare not believe what I hear of you. It is no matter what flesh without truth speaketh; yet love would be satisfied. I long to know the teachings of God within, more effectually concerning the hypostasis of the Lord Jesus, and in what spirit you leave off public teaching, and what the witnesses are, and the olive trees. If men, and books, and letters, were my teachers, I should little know myself in him who fashioned me; but the more spiritual any is, the more communicative, as the angels of the Father. Therefore I enquire what that morning-star is that is risen; what vial, or seal, or trumpet are we under; and what manner of people should we be in this age. It will possibly be as a word upon the wheel, and as apples of gold in pictures of silver, if you will let me hear further of truth from you, and of the wisdom of God, which, though it cannot be comprehended in any words, is thereby hinted, and so communicated. My true love, with my wive's, to yourself and to Mrs. Erbery. I add this truth, that I am "Yours in the love, light, and peace of "the Comforter, though as nothing, Mr. Lloyd was well known and greatly esteemed in the Principality. Some have supposed that he was a baptist, but this appears extremely doubtful. He was pastor of a church formed upon the principles of the independents, which most probably held communion with certain persons of the baptist persuasion. He was author of several pieces, the titles of which we have not been able to collect. Having finished his labours, he died at Wrexham in the year 1659,* and Mr. Ambrose Mostyn, afterwards ejected in 1662, was his successor in the pastoral office.+ EDWARD BARBER was a person of great learning, and first a minister in the established church, but long before the commencement of the civil wars he embraced the principles of the baptists. He was the means, says Crosby, of convincing many that infant-baptism has no foundation in scripture, and soon gathered a numerous congregation. They as sembled in the Spital in Bishopsgate-street, London; and * Thomas's MS. History, p. 159, 160. + Palmer's Noncon, Mem. vol. iii. p. 479. they appear to be the first church among the baptists that practised the laying on of hands upon persons when received into the church. He was a man of considerable eminence, but he felt the cruel oppressions of the times in which he lived. Previous to the year 1641, he was apprehended by his inhuman persecutors, and cast into prison, where he remained eleven months. The particular crimes with which he was charged, and for which he was thus punished, were, his disbelieving the baptism of infants, and denying that to pay tithes to the clergy was a divine ordinance under the gospel. He endured this persecution, therefore, for exercising the right of private judgment, and believing according to the convictions of his own mind. He died some time previous to the restoration, but we cannot learn in what year. Mr. Edwards, who has always something base to say of men of this description, gives the following curious account of a meeting, in which, if the account be true, Mr. Barber was a principal person concerned. November 12, 1645, there assembled about eighty anabaptists, many of whom were members of Mr. Barber's church, in a house in Bishopsgatestreet, and held a love-feast, at which five new members, lately dipped, were present. The meeting was conducted in the following manner: When the company were assembled, they commenced their exercise by prayer; and after prayer, all the company being on their knees, Mr. Barber and another person went to them one after another, and laid their hands upon each of their heads, women as well as men, and either prayed that they might receive the Holy Ghost, or said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." They afterwards sat down to supper; and supper being ended, before the cloth was taken away, they administered the Lord's supper. This finished, the question was proposed for discussion, Whether Christ died for all men or not? They next entered upon a disputation, which they continued to a late hour. It is also added, that those persons, who, after the laying on of hands, should possess sufficient gifts, were sent forth to preach.+ Mr. Barber published a work entitled, "A Treatise of Baptism or Dipping; wherein is clearly shewed, that our Lord Christ ordained Dipping; and the Sprinkling of Children is not according to Christ's Institution; and also the Invalidity of those Arguments which are commonly brought to justify that Practice," 1641. * Crosby's Baptists, vol. i. p. 219, iii. 3. + Edwards's Gangræna, part i. p. 136, 137. Second edit. JOHN CANNE.-This learned and zealous puritan was educated in the established church, and he most probably received episcopal ordination, but afterwards espoused the cause of the separatists. According to Neal, he was chosen pastor to Mr. Lathorp's separate congregation in London, when he retired to New England; but, according to Crosby, he was chosen pastor to Mr. Hubbard's people, upon their return from Ireland. The latter of these historians certainly appears more correct in his calculations.+ Mr. Canne, having laboured among his people, by preaching to them in private houses, for some time, was at length driven by the cruel hand of persecution into Holland, where he was chosen pastor of the Brownist congregation at Amsterdam. He is denominated "a known separatist, and hitherto the busiest disputer for this opinion." He continued at Amsterdam many years, and was greatly esteemed and followed by the puritans who went to Holland. He was banished from his native country, as appears from his own words. "Upon my banishment from Hull," says he, " for what cause I know not, there being nothing to this day (1657) made known to me; I went apart, as Elias did, into the wilderness. And as I lay under hedges, and in holes, my soul in bitterness breathed forth many sad complaints before the Lord. It is enough, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers. Often and sore wrestlings I had with my God, to know his meaning and teaching under this dispensation; and what further work, whether doing or suffering, he had for me, his poor old servant." He is said to have succeeded Mr. Ainsworth as pastor of his church; but shortly after his election to that office, he was censured and deposed by part of the people, who renounced communion with him and the other part of the congregation. This may be true; but it does not appear that he was deserving of such treatment. The party rejecting him were most probably such as could not endure his sound doctrine or his faithful discipline. Mr. Canne was a person who rendered himself very popular, particularly by his controversial writings. He delivered his sentiments with great clearness and freedom, especially upon the controverted points of church discipline. Neal's Puritans, vol. ii, p. 374, + Crosby's Baptists, vol. i. p. 164, iii. 40, 41.—Ainsworth's Life, p. 35.— See Art. Lathorp. None," says he, "may join in spiritual communion with that ministry which hath not a true calling, election, and approbation of the faithful people to which he is minister. So necessary is a right election and calling to every ecclesiastical office, that, without the same, it cannot possibly be true or lawful. If the ministers scandalously sin, the congregation that chose them freely, hath free power to depose them, and put others in their places." He also adds: "And it is sure that Christ hath not subjected any congregation of his to any superior ecclesiastical jurisdiction than to that which is within itself: so that if the whole congregation shall err in a matter of faith or religion, no other church or churchofficer hath any warrant or power from the word of God to censure, punish, or controul the same; but only to advise them; and so to leave their souls to the immediate judgment of Christ." Mr. Canne, while in a state of banishment, published a work entitled, "A Necessity of Separation from the Church of England, proved from the Nonconformists' Principles," 1634; in the preface to which he thus observes:-" I know what I say, and have good experience of this thing; for there is not ten of a hundred which separate from the church of England, but are first moved thereto by the doctrines of the nonconformists, either in word or writing, taught to the people. And, indeed, upon their grounds, how can any one do less than separate, if his heart be tender against every sin, seeing that they confidently affirm, that the ministry, worship, and discipline are from antichrist, and that in the church are swarms of atheists, papists, adulterers, liars, &c. These are their own testimonies, and we know they are true; and, therefore, in obedience to God, and care of our precious souls, we have left our unsanctified standing in their assemblies, and, through the Lord's mercy to us, do walk in the holy order of his gospel, although daily sufferers for it."+ Soon after the meeting of the long parliament, Mr. Canne Writers are divided in their returned to his native country. opinions whether he espoused the peculiar sentiments of the baptists. Crosby himself leaves the matter undetermined. There is no doubt, however, that he belonged to this denomi nation. For it is observed, that, in the year 1640, the baptist congregation in Broad-mead, Bristol, separated from the established church; soon after which, Mr. Canne was called Bailie's Dissuasive, p. 40-42. + Grey's Examination, vol. i. p. 43, 44. |