diately committed to prison, where he remained for some time; till Mr. Pinson made application to Mr. Baxter, by whom his release was procured. This was, indeed, complained of as very hard and illegal usage, not without some reflections upon Mr. Baxter himself, as having procured his imprisonment. This, however, Mr. Baxter denied.* Mr. Cox, after his departure from Coventry, went to London, and was one of the principal managers, on the part of the baptists, of a public dispute concerning infant baptism, at Aldermanbury church, to which a stop was afterwards put by the government. In the year 1644, when the seven churches in London, called anabaptists, published a confession of their faith, and presented it to the parliament, his name was subscribed to it, in behalf of one of those congregations. Though, when the act of uniformity came out, in 1662, he at first conformed, yet his conscience soon after smote him for what he had done, when he threw up his living, and died a nonconformist and a baptist, at a very advanced age. He was a divine of great abilities, learning, and piety, and is said to have been the son of a bishop.‡ It seems more probable, however, that he was the grandson of one; as Dr. Richard Cox, upwards of twenty years bishop of Ely, died in the year 1581.§ His WORKS.-1. A Declaration concerning the public Dispute which should have been in the public Meeting-house of Aldermanbury, December 3, 1645, concerning Infant Baptism.-2. God's Ordinance the Saints Privilege, proved in two Treatises: viz. The Saints Interest by Christ in all the Privileges of Grace cleared, and the Objections against the Same answered. And the peculiar Interest of the Elect in Christ, and his saving Graces: wherein is proved, that Christ hath not satisfied for the Sins of all Men, but only for the Sins of those that do or shall believe in Him; and the Objections against the Same answered. JOHN NORTON, A. M.-This excellent divine was born at Storford in Hertfordshire, May 6, 1606, and educated in Peter-house, Cambridge, where he became a celebrated scholar. Having finished his studies at the university, he became curate at Storford, the place of his nativity; when he formed an acquaintance with the excellent Mr. Jeremiah Dyke of Epping, by whose ministry he was first awakened to * Crosby's Baptists, vol. i. p. 220, 221. Crosby's Baptists, vol. i. p. 353, 354. a serious concern for his soul. He now resolved to devote himself wholly to the ministerial work, and soon became a most accomplished and popular preacher. He frequently preached upon the necessity of faith, repentance, and holiness, which, by the eloquence of his language, accompanied with a spirit of most serious devotion, he set forth in a most interesting and engaging light. Though his prospect of rising in the church was very flattering, he refused all preferment, on account of the ecclesiastical impositions. His aversion to arminianism and the superstitious ceremonies, bindered him from possessing a rich benefice which his uncle designed to have conferred upon him. It is also observed, that the pious Dr. Sibbs was so taken with his excellent endowments, that he earnestly solicited him to accept a fellowship at Cambridge; but he was so thoroughly dissatisfied with the terms of admission, that he could not do it with a good conscience. He was content with lesser things, and therefore became domestic chaplain to Sir William Marsham, preaching as he found opportunity. Though no minister was more highly admired and esteemed for every engaging and excellent accomplishment, he was utterly silenced for nonconformity. Having no prospect of any further usefulness in his native country, he resolved to remove to America, where he could worship God according to the light of scripture and his own conscience, without the impositions of men. He accordingly sailed for New England, where he arrived in October, 1655. During the voyage, the ship, in a most dreadful storm, was in the utmost danger of being lost. The storm is said to have been so tremendous, that as it washed several of the seamen overboard on one side of the ship, it threw them on board on the other side. After Mr. Norton's arrival, he was chosen pastor of the church at Ipswich, where he laboured with great zeal, assiduity, and success about seventeen years. But upon the death of Mr. Cotton, pastor of the church at Boston, he accepted an invitation to become his successor. Upon the restoration of Charles II., Mr. Norton and Simon Bradstreet, esq. were sent to England, as agents of the colony, with an address to his majesty, soliciting the continuance of their privileges. This address contained, among other things, the following passages:-" To enjoy our liberty and to walk "according to the faith and order of the gospel, was the "cause of us transplanting ourselves, with our wives, our * Mather's Hist, of New Eng. b. iii. p. 32, 88. 66 "little ones, and our substance; choosing the pure scripture worship, with a good conscience, in this remote wilder"ness, rather than the pleasures of England, with submission "to the impositions of the hierarchy, to which we could not "yield without an evil conscience. We are not seditious to "the interests of Cæsar, nor schismatical in matters of reli"gion. We distinguish between churches and their impu"rities. We could not live without the public worship of "God, but were not allowed to observe it without such a yoke of superstition and conformity as we could not con"sent to without sin."* In the month of February, 1661, they entered upon their voyage; and having obtained the king's letter, confirming the privileges of the colony, they returned in September following. Mr. Norton, however, did not long survive his return. His death was very sudden. For he expected to have preached in the afternoon of the day on which he died; but, instead of preaching, his heavenly Father received him to himself. He departed greatly lamented, April 5, 1663, nearly fifty-seven years of age. Mr. Richard Mather preached his funeral sermon to his numerous and mournful Block. He was a man of great piety, an excellent scholar, and a good divine, but certainly of too irritable a temper. He is said to have been at the head of all the hardships which were inflicted upon the quakers in New England, for which they afterwards reproached him as dying under the just judgment of God." John Norton," said they, "chief priest in Boston, was smitten by the immediate power of the Lord; and as he was sinking down by the fire-side, being under just judgment, he confessed the hand of the Lord was upon him, and so he died."+ Though this reflection was undoubtedly unjust, it certainly would have been much better, if neither he, nor any others, had, by their unchristian severities, given them occasion to make it. Mr. Norton was author of several learned and excellent works. His book, entitled "Responsio ad Gal. Appollomum," 1648, rendered his name famous in the controversial world. Fuller observes, "that of all the authors he had ever perused, concerning the opinions of the dissenting brethren, none gave him more information than Mr. John Norton, a man of no less learning than modesty, in his answer to * Massachusets Papers, p. 345-371.-Mather's Hist. b. iii. p. 37. + Neal's Hist. of New Eng. vol. ii. p. 340. Apollonius." This is supposed to have been the first Latin book that was written in America. His WORKS.-1. The Sufferings of Christ, 1653.—2. The Orthodox Evangelist, 1654.-3. The Heart of New England rent at the Blasphemies of the present Generation; or, a brief Tractate concerning the Doctrine of the Quakers, demonstrating the destructive Nature thereof to Religion, the Churches, and the State; with Remedies against it, 1660.-4. Several Sermons. SAMUEL NEWMAN.-This pious divine was born at Banbury in Oxfordshire, in the year 1600, and educated in the university of Oxford. He imbibed the spirit of genuine christianity, became an able minister of the New Testament, and shewed himself an avowed, but moderate nonconformist. This, indeed, rendered him obnoxious to the ruling prelates, by whom he was cruelly harassed and persecuted. Through the episcopal molestations he was silenced, and driven from one place to another, no less than seven times.+ But, agreeably to the advice of Christ, when he was persecuted, and not suffered to labour for the good of souls in one place, he fled to another. This he did till he could find no place of rest; and, at length, to avoid the fury of the persecuting bishops, he resolved to transport himself to New England, where he should be out of their reach. He arrived in the new plantation, with many other excellent christians, in the year 1638; and spent one year and a half at Dorchester, five years at Weymouth, and nineteen at Rehoboth, in Plymouth colony. He gave the name to the town last mentioned, because, upon a removal to that place, his flock, which before had been short of room, might then say, "The Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." Mr. Newman was particularly attentive to the state of religion, both in his family and in the church of God. He was in like manner exceedingly mindful over his own heart, and most exactly attentive to the duty of self-examination. This will appear from an account transcribed from his own papers. For his own advantage, it was his daily practice to examine himself, and make such memorials as the following:"I find, that Ilove God, and desire to love him more.-I find a desire to requite evil with good.-I find, that I am looking up to God, to see him, and his hand, in all things.—I find a * Fuller's Church Hist, b. xi. p. 213. + Mather's Hist, of New England, b. iii. p. 114. greater fear of displeasing God than all the world.-I find a love to such christians as I never saw, or received good from. I find a grief when I see the commands of God broken.-I find a mourning when I do not enjoy the assurance of God's love.-I find a willingness to give God the glory of all my ability to do good.-I find a joy in the company and conversation of the godly.-I find a grief when perceive it goes ill with christians.-I find a constant love to secret duties.-I find a bewailing of such sins as the world cannot accuse me of.-I find I constantly choose suffering to avoid sin." This method did Mr. Newman daily observe betwixt God and his own heart. Towards the close of his life he became more and more watchful. He became more fruitful towards God, as he approached nearer his heavenly Father's kingdom. His last sermon was from Job xiv. 4. All the days of my appointed time will I wait, until my change come. He fell sick immediately after his sermon, and in a few days closed his eyes in peace, saying, "Now, ye angels of the Lord Jesus Christ, come, and do your office." He died July 5, 1663, aged sixty-three years. He was a hard student, a lively preacher, remarkably charitable to the poor; and a person of invincible patience and constancy under numerous and painful trials. He was author of " A Concordance to the Bible," a work well known at the present time. SAMUEL STONE.-This very pious divine was born at Hertford, and educated in Emanuel college, Cambridge. Having finished his studies at the university, he sojourned for some time in the house of the excellent Mr. Richard Blackerby. Here, while he received useful instructions from his venerable Aftertutor, he imbibed his excellent spirit and principles. wards, he became minister at Towcester in Northamptonshire, where his superior accomplishments and great industry were manifest to all. This, however, would not screen him from the oppressions of the times. He was an avowed, but modest nonconformist to the ecclesiastical impositions; and having no prospect of enjoying his liberty in his native country, he resolved to withdraw from the scenes of persecution, and retire to New England. He went in the same ship with Mr. Cotton and Mr. Hooker, and arrived in the year 1633; when he was chosen colleague to Mr. Hooker over * Mather's Hist. of New Eng. b. iii. p. 115, 116. Ibid. p. 114. |