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MINISTERS

EJECTED OR SILENCED

IN THE

CITIES OF LONDON AND WESTMINSTER,

AND IN

THE BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK.

MR

ST. ALBAN's, WOOD-STREET, [RS.]

R. HASLEFOOT BRIDGES; of St. John's College, Cambridge. He was a gentleman and a scholar; much, admired, though of a reserved disposition. About the year 1680, he lived at Enfield, in Middlesex; but whether he preached there or not, doth not appear. He was possessed of an estate, and was disposed to do good with it. His only daughter being unhappily married, he gave the whole of it (on condition of her dying childless, as she did in 1695) to charitable uses: principally to the college where he was educated, and to the parish of which he was minister. [Dr. Wm. Watts was sequestered from this rectory. He had been chaplain to Charles I. and, from Dr. Walker's account, appears to have been a respectable and learned man. If it be true, as that writer relates, that he and his family were treated with severity on the change of the times, Mr. Bridges was in no sort accessary to it; nor did he immediately succeed him, but a person of the name of Glendon, so that probably he might not enjoy the living till after Dr. Watts's death, as he died some time before the Restoration.]

Mr. FISHER was assistant to Mr. BRIDGES, and was ejected with him.

ALDER

ALDERMANBURY, [Perp. C. 1507.J

EDMUND CALAMY, B. D. of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. He was the son of a citizen of London; born February 1600, and admitted to the university at the age of fifteen, His inclination to the Anti-Arminian party, hindering his preferment there at that time, Bishop Felton, of Ely, took notice of him, and made him his chaplain. It is not likely therefore that he should then be of the Laudensian faction, as Dr. Walker insinuates, and there is good evidence of the contrary. He was ever after a thankful imitator of the piety, charity, and diligence of that good bishop, whom he used often to mention with honour. And well he might; for the bishop directed him in his early studies, and was very careful that he might not be interrupted in them. Here he studied at the rate of sixteen hours a day. He read all the controversies of Bellarmine intirely, with all his answers: also many of the schoolmen; especially Thomas Aquinas, in whom he was most exactly versed. He read over Augustine's works five times; besides many other eminent authors ancient and modern. The holy scriptures, and commentators upon them, were his daily study.

He first had the vicarage of St. Mary's, in Swaffham, Cambridgeshire, where God owned him for doing much good; though he did not reside there, but in the house of Bishop Felton, who gave him this living, which he resigned after the bishop's death, and went to St. Edmund's Bury, in Suffolk, where Mr. Burroughs was his fellow-labourer. He there continued above ten years, till Bishop Wren's articles, and the Book of Sports, drove him and thirty more worthy ministers out of the diocese. After Mr. Fenner's death, he was presented by the Earl of Warwick to the rectory of Rochford, in Essex, which he accepted, in the hope, that under the wings of such a patron, and of a quiet bishop, he should have more repose: which accordingly he had; but he felt the inconvenience of removing from one of the pleasantest, to one of the most unhealthy airs in England; being seized with a quartan ague, which brought upon him a dizziness in his head, of which he complained all his life afterwards; and on this account he avoided the pulpit, and preached in the desk.

Upon

Upon the death of Dr. Stoughton, he was chosen at Aldermanbury, in the year 1639, and his patron followed him to London. He was one of those divines who, in 1641, met by order of parliament in the Jerusalem chamber, in order to accommodate ecclesiastical matters. He was for the Presbyterian discipline; but of known moderation towards those of other sentiments. No minister in the city was more followed; nor was there ever a week-day lecture so much frequented as his; which was constantly attended by many persons of the greatest quality, for twenty years together; seldom without above sixty coaches:-In Oliver's time he kept himself as private as he could. In 1659 he joined with the Earl of Manchester, and other great men, in encouraging General Monk to restore the King, in order to put an end to the public confusions. He preached before the parliament the day before they voted the King home, and was one of those divines who were sent over to him into Holland. In 1660, after the King was restored, he was made one of his chaplains in ordinary, though neither he nor any of the other Presbyterians preached more than once in that capacity. About this time he was often with his majesty, and was always graciously received. He was very active in order to an accommodation, and had a main hand in drawing up the proposals about Church-government, which laid the foundation of the Savoy conference. And, being one of the commissioners appointed, he was employed with others, in drawing up Exceptions against the Liturgy, and the Reply to the Reasons of the episcopal divines.

He was reckoned to have a greater interest at court, in the city, and the country, than any of the ministers; and therefore was extremely caressed at first; but he soon saw whither things were tending: of which, among other evidences, was the following: Gen. Monk, being his auditor, a little after the Restoration, he had occasion to speak of filthy lucre; " And why," said he, "is it called filthy, but because it makes men do base and filthy things? Some men (waving his handkerchief towards the general's "pew) will betray three kingdoms for filthy lucre's "sake". He commonly had the chair among the city ministers at their meetings, and was much esteemed for his prudence and propriety of conduct. He was one of the Cornhill-lecturers, and a member of the Westminster Assembly. He refused a bishoprick, because he could not have it upon the terms of the King's Declaration; but kept

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his temper and moderation after he was ejected. Bishop Wilkins had such an opinion of his judgment about churchgovernment, as to wish he could have conformed, that he might have confronted the bold assertors of the Jus Divinum of episcopacy in the convocation; in which he was not allowed to sit, though he was chosen by the city ministers, 1661, to represent them. A certain writer had affirmed, that he declared before the king and several lords of the council, "That there was nothing in the church to "which he could not conform, were it not for scandaliz"ing others." To which Mr. Baxter answered, in his Apol. for Nonconf. "We must testify, who were in his company from first to last, we heard him over and over protest, that he took several things in conformity "to be intolerable sins."

46

Mr. Calamy preached his Farewell-sermon a week before the Act of uniformity took place, on 2 Sam. xxiv. 14. And David said unto God, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great, and let me not fall into the hand of man. As a specimen of his spirit and manner, it may not be amiss here to introduce a brief abstract of this discourse. The drift of it is to illustrate and improve this point, "That "sin brings persons and nations into great perplexities." Besides many outward troubles, he observes, this brings a spiritual famine upon a land: a famine of the wordUse 1. This reproves those who commit sin to avoid perplexity-who to escape suffering will do any thing--who will be sure to be of the religion that is uppermost, be it what it will. Consider It is sin only that makes trouble to deserve the name. There is more evil in the least sin, than in the greatest calamity. Whosoever goes out of God's way to avoid danger, shall meet with greater danger. 2. This should teach us above all things, to abhor sin. Cautions against twelve sins, among which, slighting the gospel. 3. What cause to fear that God should bring this nation into great distress? And what reason, you of this congregation and parish, have to expect to be brought into great straits, because of your unfruitfulness under the means of grace? You have long enjoyed the gospel. Dr. Taylor served an apprenticeship in this place, Dr. Stoughton another; and I through divine mercy, almost three and a half. Are there not some of you who begin to loathe the manna, and to look back to Egypt? Have not some of you itching ears,

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