"making that all their religion, as if they intended, "μunimpiedai (as the expression is Gal. vi. 7.) that is, to "mock God, and go to heaven in their sins, whether he ❝ will or no."

He was a person of unwearied diligence; and tho' his time was greatly taken up with his school above forty years, he wrote his sermons verbatim. He was a man of great wisdom, tenderness of conscience, and real piety, who took frequent occasions to instill good thoughts into them that were about him. He walked with God; and was frequent, tho' always short, in prayer. He was also a peaceable, humble, and charitable man. After his ejectment in 1662 he continued his school at Mackworth, till the fivemile-act took effect, when he fled into Yorkshire; but after some time he returned to his employment at Derby, where his school flourished, and he had many gentlemen's sons under his care. In the year 1685, the public schoolmaster of the town, (a man of no great reputation) commenced a suit against him for teaching school there, to the prejudice of the free-school, and contrary to the Canon, &c. Mr. Ogden tried the cause in the court of Arches, which cost him a hundred pounds, and he was cast after all. Whereupon Sir John Gell gave him the free-school of Wirksworth, in 1686, where he continued to his dying day, diligently instructing his scholars daily; and, after liberty was granted, preaching to the inhabitants thereabouts on the Lord's days. He was seized with the palsy in the pulpit, which greatly impaired his faculties. He continued several weeks in patient expectation of his change, which happened May 25, 1697, when he was aged above 70, and was buried in the church at Wirksworth.

WORKS. Besides the MSS. beforementioned, which were never published, he wrote and printed only one piece, which was on a political subject, &c. in 1683, or 1684, and was very suitable to the complexion of those times.

MARSTON upon DOVE [V. 701.] Mr. JOHN BingHAM. Of St. John's Col. Camb. He was born at Derby, and educated at Repton school. Having staid at college till he was about twenty-four years of age, he removed to London, for the cure of a foot, which was hurt when he was a child. He was two years under the surgeon's hands, and at last was forced to have his leg taken off. The anguish attending this sore had turned him as white at twenty-six years

4

old as he was at eighty. He was sometime chaplain in a family, and about the year 1640 was chosen middle master of the free school at Derby, and afterwards the chief master. He would not for a great while undertake a pastoral charge; but was at last prevailed upon, and was presented by the earl of Devonshire, to the vicarage of Marston, in which he continued till the fatal year 1662. Upon the coming out of the Five-mile-act, he removed to BradlyHall for three years, and taught several gentlemen's sons, who boarded with him. He afterwards lived seven years at Brailsford, where he met with much trouble, and was excommunicated by means of the incumbent, notwithstanding that he was a man of great moderation, and used to attend with his family at church every Lord's-day morning; tho' in the afternoon he preached in his own house, only to the number allowed by the act. Upon K. Charles's Indulgence he preached at Hollington, where his friends, Mr. Seddon, Mr. Charles, Mr. Ogden, and Mr. S. Hieron, took their turns. Mr. Bingham's excommunication made a great dis turbance in Brailsford parish, and therefore, to avoid giving offence, he removed to Upper Thurneston in Sutton parish, where he and his family were interred.

He was a good scholar, and well acquainted with the languages. He subscribed to the Polyglot bible, and stirred up others to encourage so noble a work. He was remarkably temperate, of a charitable disposition, and of true unaffected piety; loving real goodness wheresover it appeared, how much soever persons might differ from him in their sentiments. He was always chearful under the greatest difficulties, contented and thankful in all circumstances, and a great contemner of the world when it interferred with his conscience. One instance of it deserves remark: Dr. Sheldon, Abp. of Canterbury, with whom he had an intimacy of a long standing, wrote to persuade him to conform; telling him that he lay so near his heart, that he would help him to any preferment he desired. He acknowledged the favour, but told him that they two had not been such strangers, but that he might very well know his sentiments on the subject; and added, that he would not offer violence to his conscience for the best preferment in the world. He was a person of great faith, in the darkest times; and bore up his spirit in confidence that all things would work together 'for good' to the church of God.- -When he was about seventy years of age, he broke an arm by a fall from his

horse.

M. Ichn Howel

from an Original Picture" in the Possession of the Auther:

horse. The next year he was taken with a quartan ague, which held him seven years, and brought him so low, that his life was despaired of. And yet, when the fits were gone off, he would often say, he was fully persuaded he should live to see a very great change, tho' he knew not which way it would be effected. Accordingly he lived, tho' in great weakness, to see K. William and Q. Mary settled on the throne of England, which much rejoiced his heart. He at length expired through age, as a lamp goes out for want of oil, on the Lord's-day, Feb. 3, 1689, aged 82. His funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Crompton, on Ps. xii. 1.

Of

MATLOCK [R.] Mr. THOMAS SHELMERDINE. Christ's Col. Camb. A native of Lancashire. He was a diligent preacher several years at Criche, where he was surrounded with good old Puritans, in that parish and the neighbourhood, who greatly strengthened his hands in his work. He was very chearful in conversation, but had the affliction to have a very melancholy, tho' pious wife, to whom he made a tender husband. From Criche he removed to Matlock, where he faithfully discharged his duty, and lived peaceably with his neighbours; in which he found more benefit than his successor did from his contentious behaviour. When he was silenced he removed to Wirksworth, where he did not long survive.-In his last sickness he expressed good hope with respect to futurity, and much satisfaction in the review of his conduct. He told his friends "he was going to his preferment," and said to one of them, “Next to my hope of heaven, I rejoice that I 66 was turned out of Matlock."

MICKLEOVER [V.] SAMUEL CHARLES, M. A. Of Corp. Chr. Col. Camb. Born at Chesterfield, Sept. 6. 1633. Ordained in 1655. He first settled at Kniveton, and then resided in Sir John Gell's family at Hopton. He was afterwards presented by Sir John Curzon to this parish of Mickleover. His early ministrations were affectionate, judicious, and successful. He exercised a particular and constant watch over his own soul, especially in solemn duties, public and private. He laboured for some time under strong temptations, which increased his spiritual experience. He observed the day of his ejection out of his living as a fast all his life after. He viewed conformity in such a light, that he could not yield to it without doing such violence to his conVOL. I. No. 9. science