to London, to visit the Dr. and tell him, that if he was molested in his preaching in England, he should have liberty to preach in any part of his diocese in Ireland undisturbed.What interest he had with the Protector (which was very great) he never applied to any sordid ends of his own, but for the benefit of others, Royalists not excepted. Accordingly he applied, at the request of some of the principal of them, for the life of Dr. Hewit, who was condemned for a plot against the government; and had it not been for the peculiar aggravations of guilt in the case, the Protector declared he would have yielded to the Dr's intercession.

In the year 1660 he was very instrumental, with many other Presbyterian divines, in the Restoration of K. Charles II. He was one who waited on the king at BREDA, and was afterwards sworn one of his chaplains. It was this year that he, with Dr. BATES and other Royalists, was created D. D. at Oxford, by virtue of his Majesty's letters. He was also appointed one of the commissioners at the Savoy conference, being the first to receive the commission from the Bp. of London, who wrote him a most respectful letter on the occasion, of which Dr. Harris has preserved a copy. At this time he was offered the deanery of Rochester, which they who had purchased bishops and deans lands pressed him to accept, offering him their money for new leases, which he might have taken, with the deanery, and quitted it again in 1662, as there was then no assent and consent imposed; but he scorned thus to enrich himself with the spoils of others.-In the interval between the restoration and the fatal Bartholomew day, he met with no molestation, being well respected in his parish; only a little before his ejectment, one of his hearers complained to Dr. Sheldon, Bp. of London, that Dr. Manton deprived him of the means of his salvation, by not using the common-prayer; when the bishop answered, "Well, all in good time; but you may go to heaven without the common-prayer." He was also greatly esteemed by persons of the first quality at court. Sir John Baber used to tell him, that the king had a singular respect for him. Lord chancellor Hyde was always highly obliging to him, and gave him free access to him on all occasions; which he improved, not for himself, but for the service of others. One instance of it was before related. But after the Dr. refused to conform in 1662, so fickle is the favour of the great, that he fell under his Lordship's displeasure, who accused him to the king of

some

some treasonable expressions in a sermon. On which his majesty sent for him, with an order to bring his sermon with him. On reading the passage referred to, the king asked whether, upon his word, that was all he said; and upon a solemn assurance that it was, he replied, "Doctor, "I am satisfied, and you may be assured of my favour; "but look to yourself, or else Hyde will be too hard for "you."

After his ejectment, he usually resorted to his own church, where he heard his successor Dr, Patrick, till he was obliged to desist, in consequence of that great man's unjustly and imprudently charging him with being the author of an anonymous and scurrilous letter*.-After this he preached on the Lord's-day evenings in his own house, and on Wednesday mornings; for which one justice Ball often threatened him, and at last proceeded against him. The churchwardens also gave him some trouble; but the Duke of Bedford, having the choice of one of the three, took care to have a friend of the Dr. among them, and in other respects gave him countenance. Lord Wharton allowed him the convenience of his house, which adjoined his meeting in St. Giles, and the Earl of Berkshire, though a Jansenist papist, who lived next door to him, gave him liberty, when in any trouble, to pass over a low wall into his premises.-When the Indulgence given in 1670 expired, and the Dr. was apprehended, after his sermon the Lord'd day, many persons of distinction attended him, among whom was the Duke of Richmond; so that he met with civil treatment; and when a prisoner in the Gatehouse, Lady Broughton who was the keeper, tho' usually severe in her office, granted him every convenience; and when she went in the country, ordered the keys of the common jail to be brought to him every night, and no one but his own servant opened and shut his own apartment; so that he might at any time have escaped, but he only ventured once to go with his keeper to visit his friend Mr. Gunston. After his release, when the Indulgence was renewed, he

on

*Dr. Patrick, afterwards Bp. of Ely, in the heat of his youth, wrote the first volumes of the Friendly Debate, designed to expose the Nonconformists; a work afterwards carried on by Parker with a more virulent spirit. But in his more advanced age, the good bishop grew more moderate, and in a public debate in the House of Lords, on the Occasional conformity Bill, declared that he had lived long enough to alter his opinion of the Dissenters, and to disapprove the manner in which he had, in his younger years, written against them.

preached

half of the Dissenting Protestants that the votes passed.Ald. Do you call the execution of the king's laws ugly work? Mr. C. But before you execute the king's laws, (God bless him, and prolong his life, and send him to outlive me; I pray you hear me this one thing. There have been some persons in England, who have made as great a figure in the world as any in Huil, no disparagement to the worthiest of you) who were hanged for executing the king's laws.Ald. That is sedition.Mr. C. Sedition! sedition! And all our chronicles and histories, and several of our law-books and acts of parliament ring of it. But if you will execute the law, pray do not out-do the law; for it is severe enough upon us.—Ald. If we do, you may look for your remedy. Mr. C. Remedy! I had rather never be sick than be put to look for my remedy.-Aid. When was there ever any hanged for executing the king's laws? There never was any such thing.—Mr. C. Yes; Empson and Dudley, for executing the king's laws in Harry the Seventh's time, were hanged in the first year of Harry VIII. And this very law which you are about to execute upon me, was obtained of a parliament of such constitution, that it was carried but by two votes, of an 105 yea's, against 103 no's.—Ald. What constitution was that parliament of? Was it not of king, lords, and commons?-Mr. C. Yes, yes.—Ald. We did not send for you to preach to us.Mr. C, I doubt you want one to tell you the truth.——————Ald. We have a protestant church, and a protestant ministry. Mr. C. Long, long, long may you so have! Yet I pray, let me acquaint you with this: The Jews had a church established by God's own law, and a ministry established by law, and yet their silencing, imprisoning, and murdering a few poor fishermen that were commissioned, by the Redeemer of the world, to preach the everlasting gospel, cost them so dear, that God has not done reckoning with them unto this day; and it is now above 1600 years ago.—Ald. It was not for silencing the apostles; it was for crucifying Christ. —Mr. C. It was so indeed; but that did not fill up the measure of their sin, nor bring the wrath of God upon them 1 and their posterity, to the uttermost, till they forbad the apostles to preach to the Gentiles, that they might be saved. 1 Thess. ii. 15, 16,—Ald. We have as learned menin the church of England as you.-Mr. C. Yes, yes; some whose books I am not worthy to wipe the dust from. Town-Clerk. He does not speak as he thinks.————Mr. C.

How

How can you tell that, unless you were God Almighty, the searcher of hearts, whose prerogative only that is? Are not you the town-clerk?-Town-Clerk. Yes. Mr. C. I wish you had as much wisdom and honesty as the townclerk of Ephesus had; he took the part of the blessed apostle St. Paul; but you are very brisk against me. I pray you, gentlemen, do not judge my case, and deprive me of my liberty, by a piece of the law, but let the whole Act be read. -Ald. 'Tis a long act, and we must go to dinner. One of them said, It is a short act, a short act; let it be read. For which he had little thanks given him by some. However, the act was read; and then they went on.- -Mr. C. Where are the two witnesses? Let me see them face to face, (according to the manner of England) that will swear I was the parson, vicar or curate, and did refuse to give my assent and consent to take the oath, and to make the declaration, according to the Act of uniformity.Ald. It is no matter. -Mr. C. There must needs be proof, that I am such a person as the act describes; for there are more preachers in Hull than Mr. Ashley and I: and you may as well, if you have not proof that I am the parson, vicar, or curate, send for the man that goes next by in the streets, and execute the Five-mile-act upon him.Ald. Do you think we sit here like a company of fools? Will you take and subscribe the oath, according to the act?Mr. C. Let me see it proved according to the act, that I am concerned in it, and then I will tell you more of my mind.-Ald. You do preach, you do baptize, you do administer the sacrament.Mr. C. Did you see me?- -Ald. No; but we did hear so. Mr. C. And will you deprive a man of his liberty by hearsay? You may then find yourselves work enough, as the world goes.Upon this they ordered him to withdraw; and he was carried to the jail, where he was imprisoned six months. After he was set at liberty, he continued labouring among his people to the day of his death.

He was an excellent scholar, well skilled in the oriental languages, and a great historian; an accurate, lively, and successful preacher; indefatigably studious; very retired and devout; a prudent economist; of a warm and courageous temper, and a zealous reprover of reigning vices. He enjoyed firm health till overtaken by the student's diseases, the stone and strangury, which he bore with invincible patience, and of which he died December 23, 1603, with great peace and comfort, yea with assurance and triumph.

E e 3

MONEY

MONEY-ASH. Mr. R.:37 COCK.

NORTON W 49% 27. 64.7 Mr. JENT SCOALES He was torn ar Sufferd near Mindene. When he was ejected, be removed to his native place, and there lived on En erate. He was very intonics in his Master's work, and preached as he had opportunity. He med to take moch delight on fass of prayer and Lumiliation, in which be was often charged by his brethren with holding out too long; the he was Luna y pertinent and acceptable. He was an up

thered man. He died Apri 2, 165, aged 36, and left a won in the midlery among the Nonconformists whose name was National!" See Mr. Mathew Henry's Life,

PENTRIDGE IV. 127. 156] Mr. ROBERT PORTER. Of Cash. Univ. He was a native of Nottinghamshire. His ties were great, his fancy rich and fertile, and his wit rendered him the desire and pleasure of gentlemen in conversation. After God had effectually touched his heart, which was not till after his coming from Cambridge, he betook himself to close study and a strict conversation. His proficiency was considerable. Few men berrer understood their Bible than he. His judgment was solid, his eloquence natural, and his language scriprural. His people were poor, but his labours among them were great and very prosperous. His stated income was not above fiteen pounds per ann. but being greatly beloved by the neighbouring gentry and others, they faised it to near fifty. He was invited to places where he might have had much more, but he refused, because he found his ministry successful, and thought it would be difficult for the people to get a suitable supply. He was abundant in praver, preaching, catechizing, and visiting from house to house. If the meanest persons in his parish were sick or in any difficulty, he was always ready to pray with them, or give them a sermon suited to their exigencies, in both which he had an uncommon faculty.

When he was ejected in 1662, he continued as long as he could within the parish, to assist his people in private. Sometimes he preached in his own house; sometimes he went by night to an obscure house about a mile off, till the coming out of the Oxford-act, when he retired to Mansfield, where he ended his days. From thence he used often to visit his former flock, keeping days of prayer with them, &c.

And