§ In NICHOLS'S History of Leicestershire, is a list of the names subscribed to "The humble representation of divers well-affected ministers of the gospel," in this county, which was presented to parliament, A. D. 1659, in relation to Sir George Booth's rising in behalf of Charles II. for which they received the thanks of the house. The following copy of it, may be thought worth being inserted here, particularly as it shews where the ministers resided at the time. Mr. James has given the names both of persons and places, according the spelling in DUGDALE's Troubles of England, which book is Nichols's authority. That author stiles these ministers "a precious pack." Nichols every where calls this paper" the famous representation." &c. Minister of the Gospel John Yaxley at Langton William Sheffield, Ibstoke Nicholas Kestyn, Gumley By mistake printed Harborow. + Mis-spelt in the copy, and no place. ** Some additions to the accounts of YAXLEY, SHEFFIELD, HORNEBY, and SHUTTLEWOOD, received too late to be inserted in their proper places, will be found in the AD. DENDA, at the end of this volume. MINISTERS 412 MINISTERS EJECTED OR SILENCED IN LINCOLNSHIRE. LLİNGTON [R. 160/.] Mr. GEORGE BECK. He was chaplain to the Earl of Manchester for some time during the civil war, and particularly attended him at the battle of Winsby near Horncastle. This perhaps might be the chief cause of Dr. Sanderson's great displeasure against him, who drove him out of the country. After the war, he was minister of Rippingal, three miles from Folkingham, at which Mr. Cranwel was sequestered. He was one of the Folkingham classis. About 1655 he was presented to Allington, by the lord-keeper Fiennes, where he succeeded Mr. Robert Clark, an eminent old Puritan. During his residence there, he was one of the Tuesday-lecturers at Grantham, and had a sine cure annexed to his rectory. He was a very popular and useful preacher, an affectionate pastor, and much beloved. His life also was unblameable. He resided some time in London, till the plague drove him away to Tottenham; but it followed him, as it did many others, and he died of it in 1666. AUTHORPE (in the Isle of Axholme) [R.] Mr. TнOMAS SPADEMAN. Of Lincoln Col. Oxf. Born at Rotheram in Yorkshire. He was much esteemed for his learning, diligence and charity. He was so hearty in his affection to the old English form of government, that he refused to sign the Engagement, tho' it was generally signed by the neighbouring ministers, who afterwards conformed. And tho' he would not sign the declaration appointed by the Oxford-act in 1665, yet his known loyalty and peaceable behaviour induced the deputy-lieutenants and justices of the peace, to per mit him to reside unmolested in the place where he had been minister. After the Indulgence granted in 1672, he was chosen pastor of a Presbyterian church in Boston, where he was generally esteemed for his piety and moderation. He died in 1678. He was father to Mr. John Spademan, who was minister first at Rotterdam, and afterwards at London [where he assisted Mr. John Howe.] BAROBY [R.] Mr. ELWOOD. BARTON [V.] Mr. ROATE. BILLINGBOROUGH [V.] Mr. JAMES MORTON. He also had the living of Horblin; a small town within a mile of the other. He was of the Folkingham classis, and one of the Grantham lecturers. He died at Billingborough, in 1663. He was a tall, grave, venerable person, and was in great esteem with good people in those parts. BOOTHBY (on the Cliff) [R.] Mr. JOHN SANDERS. BOSTON [V.] Mr. ANDERSON, He was a very pious man, and a good affectionate preacher. His principles were congregational. BROCKLESBY [R.] Mr. THEOPHILUS BRITTAINE. After his ejectment here he took a house at Swinderby, a small village about seven miles from Lincoln, where he kept a private school for a livelihood; for which he was prosecuted by Sir E. L. the Bp. of Lincoln's chancellor, before whom he appeared several times at the court at Lincoln, and was at length, by the said chancellor, committed to the common jail. The jailor sometimes giving him liberty to go into the city to dine with a friend, was severely reprehended, and strictly charged to keep him close prisoner, which he afterwards did. But God was pleased so to support and refresh him with spiritual consolations, that he was never known to be more chearful than all the time of his imprisonment, which was for several months. At length, by a habeas corpus, he removed himself to London, where his cause was heard; and by means of the Earl of Shaftesbury, then lord-chancellor, he obtained his liberty. He was afterwards chaplain to Col. King of Ashby in this county, and preached publicly till the Colonel's death. He then removed to Roxham, a little village about two miles from Sleaford, where he took a small farm, and taught a few scholars. In Monmouth's time, he and Mr. Wright of Lessingham, and Mr. Drake, were com mitted mitted to Grantham jail, and were to be removed to Hull; but upon the Duke's defeat, they were set at liberty. He was exercised with lameness and great pain for the five last years of his life, but bore his afflictions with much patience, and a chearful submission to the will of God. He departed this life Sept. 12, 1706. He was a man of a meek and humble spirit, and of but few words. BURTON-PEDWARDIN. Mr. LEE. He was an intimate of Col. King, who was generally supposed to be the first in the House of Commons that moved for K. Charles's Restoration. He was so far from owning the preceding powers, that he never paid any tax for twelve years together, till his goods were distrained by the collectors. Mr. Lee published one pamphlet or more, against the usurpation of the Protector Oliver. He was commonly called the Colonel's confessor and chaplain. COLTSWORTH [R.] Mr. BROWN. He was a CROWLE [V.] Mr. ROBERT DURANT. gentleman of an ancient family; the third son of Mr. Durant, an eminent minister near London. He was of quick parts, and had a very liberal and religious education. The learned languages, as also the French, were very familiar to him. He travelled very young, and visited many of the West Indian islands. After he had a call to the ministry, he settled at Crowle, where he was ejected in 1662. He retained a very tender affection to the people there to his dying day. After being silenced, he removed to Redness, where he buried his only son. He preached there in private till 1664, when being upon a journey with Mr. John Ryther, (another ejected minister, afterwards of Wapping,) they were both seized on in the road, and sent to York castle, but nothing being laid to his charge, he was soon dismissed. Here he became acquainted with Mr. Thomas Woodhouse of Glapwell in Derbyshire, (a great supporter of godly ministers, and then also a prisoner on account of religion) who, upon the death of Mr. Fisher of Sheffield, recommended Mr. Durant to that congregation, to which, after sufficient trial, he had a call, in 1669. Longing to be in his Master's vineyard, he thankfully accepted it, leaving it to the people to give him what they pleased, tho' he had left a benefice of no small value. His behaviour was always that of a gentleman; and few sould exceed him in a sweet mixture of humility and cour teousness His teousness. He had excellent ministerial abilities. stile was scriptural and plain; and his delivery clear and affectionate. He was fervent in prayer; usually large in confession, and particular in thanksgiving. It was his common method on the Lord's-day, to spend the morning in expounding the scriptures, wherein he discovered great skill. In the afternoon he preached on the doctrines of the Christian religion; and once every month he and his congregation kept a fast. In his visits, he endeavoured, by apt questions, to discover how far his hearers profited under his ministry, and he often took leave with prayer. His self-denial and mortification of sin were visible to his nearest acquaintance; his meekness and patience to all. His circumspection was such that envy itself could not charge him with any thing blameworthy. He could never endure railing or backbiting, but exhorted all to love, christian unity and forbearance. He had - an uncommon ability in writing agreeable letters, full of a christian spirit, many of which were long treasured up.When the times grew more favourable, the congregation encreased, and erected a convenient place of worship. In January 1678, he administered the Lord's-supper the last time: when he concluded the exhortation with these words: "I tell you this, and remember it when I am dead and gone; The better any man is, the more humble he is; the better he will think of others, and the lower thoughts he will have of himself." A little before his death, taking leave of a friend, he quoted Ps. xci. 16, and added, "The Lord has made good this his promise to me: He hath satisfied me with length of life, and he hath given me to see his salvation." He died greatly lamented, Feb. 12, 1678, aged 71. When the report of his death was brought to Mr. Lobley the vicar of the town, he expressed his esteem for him by saying, "And is the good old man dead? I am sorry for it: he hath carried it so very well, that I wish they may get one that will tread in his steps." DOWESBY [R.] Mr. ROCKET. A very popular preacher, who met with general applause. He died soon after Bartholomew-day. FLIXBOROUGH [R.] Mr. JONATHAN GRANT. Of Trin. Col. Camb. Born at Rotheram in Yorkshire. He was for a time assistant to Mr. Stiles of Pontefract, and afterwards minister at Ashley near Kidderminster. He was present at Bewdly, at the disputation between Mr. Baxter and Mr. |