be prevailed with to delay any longer, told him, that on the morrow he should be convicted. But that very night, it pleased God, that Mr. Thoroughgood was seized with the gout in his arm, which was so very painful, that oath was made in court that he was not able to bear his cloaths on. The judge then gave him till Lady-day assizes, before which the king died; and so he happily escaped this trouble, and saved his estate, which would have been seized had they proceeded to a conviction. His last remove (which was occasioned by the unkindness of some people at Rochester) was to Godalming in Surrey, where he had not continued long before death silenced him, on November 17, 1691. His funeral sermon was preached by Mr. John Buck, and printed.

In his diary he recorded various interpositions of providence, in the course of his life, with great expressions of thankfulness. In particular, he there notices some very remarkable things attending the faithful discharge of his duty in reproving sin, which he always did with fidelity, but with great meekness. At one time, while he was at Monkton, when he had preached against swearing, one of his hearers, sensible of his guilt, and thinking he was the person particularly intended, resolved to kill him; in order to which he hid himself behind a hedge by which he knew Mr. Thoroughgood would ride, to preach his weekly lecture. Accordingly, when he came to the place, this man attempted to shoot him; but his piece failed, and only flashed in the pan. The next week he went again to the same place with the same intent. When Mr. Thoroughgood was come up, the wretch offered to fire again, but the gun would not go off. Upon this his conscience accusing him for such a wickedness, he went after him, and falling down on his knees, with tears in his eyes, related the whole to him, and begged his pardon. This providence proved the means of this man's conversion. Mr. Thoroughgood was much in fasting and prayer; and had many remarkable returns of prayer, which he carefully noted. He was eminent for humility; and made conscience of visiting the poorest of his flock. He was unwearied in his studies; and constantly rose at four in the morning. He was a very strict observer of the Lord's-day; and had a wonderful art of sliding in good discourse wherever he came. He constantly laid by two shillings out of every twenty for the poor. He was naturally very timorous; but in the cause of God he was as bold as a lion, He was a most hearty lover of all that he thought loved the Lord Jesus; received all in

juries with great meekness; was most ready to forgive, and to do good to those that had done him wrong; and he was beloved even of the high church-party for his peaceable behaviour.

ST. LAWRENCE. PETER JOHNSON, M. A. He was of a very reputable family in this island. He was minister of Marsfield in Sussex, before he came to settle at this place, where he was ejected in 1660. He was ordained at London in 1654. The certificate of his ordination may be seen in Dr. Calamy's Account, signed by Edm. Calamy, Simeon Ash, and three more. After his ejectment he taught some scholars, and now and then preached at Ramsgate, where he first gathered a dissenting congregation; but he did not altogether absent himself from the established worship. He was a man of good learning and very useful gifts. But at last he lost his sight, and for several years was confined, by various afflictions. He died in 1704, and was buried in St. Lawrence church.

MINSTER [V. 2001.] RICHARD CULMER, M. A. Of Magd. Col. Camb. He met with unusual opposition in this parish, of which a particular account was published, by his son Richard Culmer, in a pamphlet entitled, A Parish Looking-glass for Persecutors of Ministers, &c. 4to. 1657. From thence it appears, that he continued at Cambridge about eight years. Being settled minister of Goodnestone in East-Kent, he was driven from thence by Abp. Laud, because he would not read the Book of Sports. He then continued three years and a half silenced. He was afterwards assistant to Dr. Robert Austin, at Harbledown near Canterbury, where he preached several years. But many clamoured against him, for his opposition against drunkenness, and prophaning the Sabbath by cricket-playing, &c. He afterwards preached in Canterbury, and was one of those appointed by parliament to detect, and cause to be demolished, the superstitious inscriptions and idolatrous monuments in that cathedral. It was he that broke the great window there, for which many were enraged against him. Soon after he published a book entitled, Cathedral News from

It is presumed that this was not meant to be recorded as matter of approbation, but merely as matter of fact. Mr. Culmer, with many good qualities, appears to have possessed too much of that false zeal which is injurious to any cause, and which naturally excited the prejudices against him, hereafter mentioned. ED.

Canter

1

Canterbury, Anno 1643. The mayor, some principal inhabitants of that city, and the Earl of Warwick, recommended him to the committee appointed by parliament for plundered ministers, who placed him in the living of Minster, after the Assembly of divines had sent them a certificate of his being a fit person for that place. But still he was much opposed, and one person resolved he would spend 500l. to drive him from thence. Many stories were raised to prejudice people against him, some refused paying him their tithe of corn, and played him various tricks. Upon which he printed two books concerning the frauds in tithing. But notwithstanding all their ill usage, God was pleased to own him, and the parish was much reformed.

Mr. Lewis objects to the above account of Mr. Culmer, and says, "He left but a very bad character behind him.”† Perhaps prejudice may have much contributed to the badness of it. He adds, "You know Abp. Laud charged him with offering to bribe his servants, to procure Chartham for him." Whereas I must declare (says Dr. Calamy) I had not heard it. I doubt not but that Archbishop was against him; but as for evidence || with which such a charge is supported, I am yet to seek. "However it is certain, says Mr. Lewis, he acted more the part of a bully, than of a christian minister. He was often engaged in broils, and being a very strong man, cared not whom he fought with.-I have now a letter by me from the principal parishioners of Minster to Dr. Casaubon, [the sequestered minister] wherein they tell him, that for the three last Sabbaths they had tumults in their church between the poor people and Mr. Culmer." That there were tumults among them has been owned. But the question is, who was the occasion of them? Mr. Lewis thinks it too favourable an account of him "that God was pleased to own him:” but if what immediately follows be true, viz. that the parish was much reformed, which Mr. Lewis doth not deny, this may safely enough be said. Mr. Lewis adds, "After his leaving Minster, on account of Dr. Casaubon's being repossessed of it, he went to a little village in the parish of St. Peter's, in

*

+"He was of a very warm and violent temper, and had a zeal which was not according to knowledge: broke the church windows, &c." MS. "Culmer was evidence against him at his trial, having been disobliged by him." Id.

See Abp. Laud's diary and trial, published by Mr. Wharton. Id. *"This does not appear, nor that the people here were worse than their neighbours." Id.

the

the same island, called Broad Stairs, where he led a useless vicious life, giving himself in a manner up to drinking. This seems to be a misrepresentation, for Mr. Thoroughgood, of whom Mr. Lewis gives a very good character, writes in his diary thus: "March 20, 1662. My loving faithful friend, old Mr. Culmer, died in my vicarage-house at Monkton, where he was since he was put by as minister at Minster (the next place,) having been ill some time before; and on the 22d, I preached his funeral sermon from Rev. xiv. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord,' &c.”

Mr. EDMUND TRENCH. See HACKNEY, Middlesex.

Mr. DANIEL HAYES, of Preston, afterwards conformed; as also did Mr. OSMANTON, of Ivy-church, who was afterwards parish-minister at Little-Horsted in Sussex.

§ There are so many Inductions in this county, in the year 1662, that there is reason to believe there were many more ministers ejected here than we have any account of.

"Bradstow. This Mr. Lewis was told, and he wrote it to Dr. Calamy, who desired his observations, &c. in a private letter, which should not have been made public without L.'s consent." [To this note is added, apparently written since,] "It is a mistake, for Culmer's son, who was afterwards master of the free-school at Sandwich. Abp. Juxon's papers, MS." Id.

MINISTERS EJECTED OR SILENCED

IN

LANCASHIRE.

N. B. Most of the Places in this County not otherwise distinguished are Chapelries.

ALKINGTON. Mr. Robert Town.

ALTHOME. Mr. THOMAS JOLLIE. Of Trin. Col. Camb. His first stated preaching was at Althome, to which place he was unanimously invited by the parishioners. There he continued near thirteen years with great success. Before his ejectment he was seized by three troopers, according to a warrant from three deputy-lieutenants. When he was brought before them, he was accused of many things, but nothing was proved. They then required him to take the oath of supremacy, with which he readily complied, and was discharged. In the same month he was again seized and confined; and when he was released, his enemies would by violence have prevented his preaching in public; but not succeeding in their attempt, he was cited into the Bishop of Chester's court, and obliged to attend there three times, tho' he lived at forty miles distance. He was at last censured by the court for refusing the service-book, and his suspension, ab officio & beneficio, was to have been published the next court-day, but the death of the Bishop prevented it. Some time after, however, the suspension was declared, but not published, according to their own order; and yet they thereupon proceeded to debar him the liberty of preaching one Sabbath before the Act came to be in force. When the day came, in which he must either submit to what he thought unlawful, or resign his place, he preferred the latter.

Upon