troubles from which he had protected others. He was prosecuted by Archbishop Laud, particularly for refusing to read the Book of Sports. Mr. Whitfield, being a man of great moderation and self-denial, would not contend with the metropolitical power of the archbishop; but peaceably resigned his benefice and the public charge of his flock. As there was no prospect of any reformation of the church, nor of his further employ in the ministry in his native country, he sold his estate, and, in the year 1639, retired to New England. Many of his religious friends and acquaintances accompanied him; who, upon their arrival, began a new plantation, and called the place of their settlement Guildford. There they formed themselves into a christian society, choosing Mr. Whitfield to the office of pastor. After sojourning at Guildford eleven years, patiently enduring the hardships of the new colony; and having a pressing invitation to his native country, he returned to England in 1650. On his arrival, he was most cordially received by his old friends, and highly respected by some of the first persons in the nation. He settled in the ministry at Winchester, where he probably continued the rest of his days. He was an excellent preacher, eminent for liberality and self-denial, and appears to have died about the restoration. He was author of a work entitled, "Some Help to stir up to Christian Duties," 1636.

ADONIRAM BYFIELD, A. M.-This pious divine was the son of Mr. Nicholas Byfield, another worthy puritan, and educated in Emanuel college, Cambridge. In the year 1642 he became chaplain to Sir Henry Colmly's regiment, in the parliament's army; and the year following was appointed scribe to the assembly of divines, being, according to Wood, "a most zealous covenanter." Upon the first publication of the Directory, by order of the parliament, the profits arising from the sale of it were bestowed upon Mr. Byfield and Mr. Henry Roborough, the other scribe, who sold the copy, it is said, for several hundred pounds. In the year 1646, when the "Confession of Faith" was drawn up by the assembly of divines, Mr. Byfield, Mr. Thomas Wilson, and Mr. Stanley Gower, were

* Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 151.

Mather's Hist. of New England, b. iii. p. 217, 218.

Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 229.

Fuller's Church Hist. b. xi. p. 222.

appointed to collect proofs of the various articles from scripture; all of which, upon the examination of the assembly, were inserted in the margin; and the year following, when it was printed, Mr. Byfield, by order of the house of commons, delivered a copy to each member of the house.*

He was rector of Fulham in Middlesex; and after the wars, he became rector of Collingborn-Ducis in Wiltshire. Upon his removal to the latter situation, he was nominated assistant to the commissioners in that county for ejecting ignorant and scandalous ministers. In this capacity he was not likely to escape the bitter censures of Dr. Walker; who endeavours to prove, that in the examination of Mr. Bushnell, he was not only too officious, but guilty of some illegal proceeding. The charges are supported, however, by very slender evidence, or rather no evidence at all. Mr. Byfield is one of those few writers, says Granger, who have, by name, been stigmatized by Butler, in his "Hudibras." This may be true, and he might be, as he was in truth, a very pious, excellent, and useful divine. He observes, that Mr. Byfield was said to have been a broken apothecary; that he was of special note; and a very active zealot in the busy and boisterous reign of Charles I.; and then adds, that his portrait was published, "with a windmill on his head, and the devil blowing the sails." The best of men have, in all ages, suffered the vile reproaches of the wicked, who frequently account them "the offscouring of all things." Mr. Byfield, with two or three others, assisted Dr. Chambers in compiling his "Apology for the Ministers of the County of Wiltshire," 1654. He died in the year 1660. Mr. Isaac Knight, his successor at Fulham, and Mr. Daniel Burgess, his successor at Collingborn, were both ejected nonconformists in 1662.1

CONSTANTINE JESSOP, A. M.-This person was the son of Mr. John Jessop, minister of Pembroke, born in the year 1602, and educated in Jesus college, Oxford. Having passed through a regular course of study in that university, he went into Ireland, and entered Trinity college, Dublin;

*Neal's Puritans, vol. iii. p. 351.

+ Walker's Attempt, part i. p. 182–194. Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. ii. p. 187. Wood's Athenæ, vol. ii, p. 230. Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. ii. p. 447. iii. 361.

but after some time returned to Oxford. About the year 1632 he entered into the ministerial office; and, upon the commencement of the civil war, he espoused the cause of the parliament, took the covenant, and succeeded the celebrated Dr. John Owen, as minister of Coggeshall in Essex. Having continued his ministerial labours for some time at this place, he removed to Wimborn-Minster in Dorsetshire; in which county he was appointed assistant to the commissioners for ejecting ignorant and scandalous ministers and schoolmasters. He did not, however, continue in this situation many years, but became rector of Tyfield in Essex, where he died about the year 1660, aged fifty-eight years. The Oxford historian denominates him "a learned, faithful, and suffering minister of Jesus Christ." He was author of "The Angel of the Church of Ephesus, no Bishop of Ephesus," 1644; and a piece "Concerning the Nature of the Covenant of Grace; wherein is a Discovery of the Judgment of Dr. Twisse in the point of Justification, clearing him therein from Antinomianism," 1655.

HENRY DENNE.-This zealous person was educated in the university of Cambridge, and ordained by the Bishop of St. David's about the year 1630. Afterwards he signalized himself by his preaching and writings, his disputing and sufferings. He entered upon his ministerial labours at Pirton in Hertfordshire, where he remained about ten years, and was much beloved and respected by his parishioners. In the year 1641 he was appointed to preach at a visitation held at Baldock in the same county. This occasioned him to be more publicly known, and made him many friends and enemies. He had always been suspected of puritanism. The difference now subsisting betwixt the king and parliament gave many ministers an opportunity of declaring their sentiments more openly, and of endeavouring to promote the desired reformation of the church. Among these was Mr. Denne, who embraced this opportunity of exposing the sin of persecution, the vices of the clergy, and the numerous corruptions in the worship and discipline of the established church. The introduction to his sermon was extremely singular, but discovered considerable ingenuity. His text was John v. 35. He was a burning and a shining light, and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

* Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. p. 175, 176.

In the sermon he freely censured the principal evils of the time, and laid open the numerous vices of the clergy; particularly their pride, their covetousness, their pluralities, and nonresidence. His applications were close and searching; one instance of which it may not be improper to give. The court for receiving presentments against nonconformists being held at those visitations, after having enumerated and exposed some of the most flagrant crimes of the clergy with great freedom, he said, "I must call upon those in authority, that they would make diligent search after these foxes. If the courts had been as diligent to find out these, as nonconformable ministers; surely by this time the church would have been as free from them, as the land is from wolves. But they have preferred the traditions of men before the commandments of God. I tell you, that conformity hath ever fared the worse for their sakes, who, breaking the commandments of God, think to make amends by conformity to the traditions of men."

During the delivery of the sermon, some of the clergy could hardly exercise patience to hear it out; and afterwards there was so great a noise in the country, and so many false reports were propagated against both the preacher and the sermon, that he was obliged to publish it in his own defence. From this time he began to be much noticed, not only as a man of considerable parts, but as one suitable to help forwards the reformation of the church. The revolution which soon after took place in the state occasioned a material alteration in the affairs of religion. Many learned men were led to a closer study of the sacred scriptures, as well as a more accurate investigation of some doctrines, then generally received as true. Of this number was Mr. Denne, who, judging that the baptism of infants had no foundation in scripture, or in the purest ages of the church, publicly professed himself a baptist, and, about the year 1643, was baptized by immersion. He immediately joined himself to Mr. Lamb's church, meeting in Bell-alley, Coleman-street, London; where he still continued to preach, as well as in different parts of the country.*

This change in Mr. Denne's sentiments exposed him to the resentment of the ruling powers, who put frequent obstructions in the way of his preaching and public usefulness. In the year 1644 he was apprehended in Cambridgeshire, by the committee of that county, and sent to prison

* Crosby's Hist. of Baptists, vol. i. p. 297-302.

for preaching against infant baptism. Having suffered confinement for some time, his case, through the intercession of friends, was referred to a committee of parliament. He was accordingly sent up to London, where he was kept prisoner in Lord Petre's house in Aldersgate-street, till the committee heard his case and released him.

At this time there was confined in the same prison, the learned Dr. Daniel Featly, famous for his opposition to the baptists. The doctor having just published his book, entitled, "The Dippers Dipt; or, the Anabaptists Ducked and Plunged over Head and Ears, at a Disputation in Southwark," it was laid in the way of Mr. Denne, who having read it, thought himself called upon to defend his principles. He therefore challenged the doctor to a dispu tation, which being accepted, Mr. Denne is reported to have had the best of the argument, and that the doctor declined proceeding further, under pretence that it was dangerous so to do without a license from government. Mr. Denne, upon the invitation of the doctor, immediately set about answering the book, and in the course of a few weeks produced a very learned and ingenious reply.

After his release, notwithstanding the obnoxious nature of his opinions, Mr. Denne obtained, by some means, the vicarage of Eltisley in Cambridgeshire, where he preached publicly in the church, and was much followed. But this excited the jealousy and opposition of the presbyterians. Having, on a certain occasion, to preach a lecture at St. Ives in Huntingdonshire, the committee of the county issued an order to prevent him; upon which he went into a neighbouring church-yard, and preached under a tree to a great number of people, and to the great mortification of his opponents. In June, 1646, he was again committed to prison, for preaching his own sentiments and baptizing by immersion, at Spalding in Lincolnshire. Here his chief persecutors were two justices, who sent the constable on the Lord's day morning to apprehend him. Their object was to prevent him preaching; for, to their great mortification, multitudes flocked to hear him. Upon the examination of his case, the only crime brought against him was that of dipping, and only one person could be produced in evidence of the charge. When first called before his spiritual judges, he was urged to accuse himself; but this he utterly refused. The single witness produced in proof of the

• Edwards's Gangræna, part i. p. 77.