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mother took care of his education. In his childhood he had a strong inclination to learning, and discovered serious. impressions. Mr. Durant, schoolmaster at Plympton, judged him fit for the university at the age of fifteen; but for some reasons he was not sent till the year 1620. He made great proficiency, and became as celebrated a tutor as any in the university. His inclinations were to the Puritan way; and some public expressions of it by him and some others, drew on a case which then made a considerable noise, and deserves to be remembered. Dr. Frewen, President of the college, changed the communion-table in the chapel, into an altar, which was the first that was set up in the university after the Reformation. Several of the preachers at St. Mary's inveighed against this innovation; particularly Mr. Thorn of Baliol College, in a sermon on 1 King's xiii. 2. about the altar at Bethel. And Mr. Hodges of Exeter College, in another, on Numb. xiv. 4. Let us make a captain, and return into Egypt.' Mr. Ford also in his turn preached on 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11. June 12, 1631. He made some smart reflections on the innovations then creeping into church; the magnifying tradition; making the eucharist a sacrifice; setting up altars instead of tables, and bowing to them, &c.

The Laudensian faction took fire; and the next Saturday the Vice-chancellor called Mr. Ford before him, and demanded a copy of his sermon. Mr. Ford offered to give him one, if he demanded it statutably. The Vice-chancellor ordered him to surrender himself prisoner at the castle. He offered to go if he would send a beadle or servant with him. That not being complied with, he refused to surrender himself. The next Saturday the Vice-chancellor, much irritated, sealed up his study, and afterwards searched his books and papers; but found nothing that could be urged against him, as he had the precaution to remove out of the way whatever his enemies could lay hold of. In the mean time an information was sent to Abp. Laud, then their Chancellor, who returned orders to punish the preachers. A citation hereupon, in his name, was fixed on St. Mary's, July 2, commanding Mr. Ford's appearance before the Vicechancellor on the 5th. Appearing on the day appointed, he was pressed to take an oath, ex officio, to answer any questions about his sermon; but he refused it, because there were no interrogatories in writing. He again offered a copy of his sermon, if demanded according to the statutes;

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and the next day delivered a copy, which was accepted. But, on pretence of former contumacy, the Vice-chancellor commanded him again to surrender himself prisoner. Mr. Ford appealed from him to the congregation, and delivered his appeal in writing to the two proctors, Mr. Atherton Bruch and Mr. John Doughty: ("two men, says Fuller, in his Church Hist. B. ii. p. 141. of eminent integrity and ability.") They carried it to the Convocation, who referred the cause to delegates; the major part of whom, viz. ten out of sixteen, upon a full hearing, acquitted him of all breach of peace. From them the Vice-chancellor appealed to the Convocation, who appointed delegates also; but the time limited by statute expired before they came to sentence. Hereupon Laud brought the whole matter before the king and council at Woodstock. Mr. Ford appearing there, the king asked him, 1. Why he refused a copy of his sermon ?" He answered, he had not denied it, but offered it according to the statutes. 2." Whether Dr. Prideaux dissuaded him from giving it?" (the king, it seems, being made to suspect him). He assured his majesty he had never consulted the Dr. about it. 3. 66 Why he did not go to prison, when the vice-chancellor commanded him thither upon his faith?" He gave him the same answer as before to the vice-chancellor; adding, "that he hoped his majesty's poor scholars "in the university should not be in a worse condition than "the worst of felons, who were imprisoned by a mittimus, "and with legal officers to conduct them." The king said no more; and Laud, tho' present, interposed not one word. But the result was, the three preachers were expelled; for the rest made appeals as well as Mr. Ford: the proctors were deposed for receiving their appeals, tho' legally they could not refuse them; and Dr. Prideaux and Dr. Wilkinson were checked for meddling on their behalf.-Mr. Thorn and Mr. Hodges, upon a recantation and a year's suspension, were fully restored, and afterwards promoted to be archdeacons. But Mr. Ford by the final sentence, was obliged to quit the university within four days, and was conducted out of the town with much honour, by a vast multitude of scholars in their habits; and he was soon afterwards invited by the magistrates of Plymouth to be their minister. But Abp. Laud obtained a letter to them from the king, signed with his own hand, accompanied with another from himself, forbidding them to admit him, on pain of his highest displeasure; which obliged them to recede from their choice.

Mr.

Mr. Ford finding the bishop set upon excluding him from all preferment in England, embraced an opportunity of going abroad as chaplain to an English regiment, under the command of Col. George Fleetwood, in the service of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden. He travelled with the Colonel into Germany, and lay some time in garrison at Stode and Elbing. His merit recommended him to learned men of all professions in his travels. He was invited by the English merchants at Hamburgh, to be their minister, with the promise of a salary of 200l. per annum. But he grew weary of a foreign country, and chose to return home. Whether the bishop's prejudice was abated, or length of time had worn out the remembrance of hiin, on his return he met with no opposition in a presentation to the rectory of Aldwinckle, in Northamptonshire. There he performed his ministerial work with great assiduity for some years, and married the daughter of Fleetwood, Esq. of Gray's Inn, by whom he had several children. He was chosen proctor for the clergy of the diocese of Peterborough, to the famous convocation, in 1640, who framed the Et cætera oath. When the war broke out he retired to Londou, and was chosen minister of St. Faith's, and a member of the Westminster Assembly.

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He afterwards settled at Exeter, where he found the city and country overspread with a swarm of errors, and under the influence of those enthusiasts who pretended to be above ordinances. He set himself vigorously to preach against these wild notions, and with wonderful success. The whole city was mightily reformed, and a good relish of the best things appeared in the generality. He preached in the choir of the cathedral (as Mr. Stucley and Mr. Mall did in the body of it) but was once put out of it, in 1649, by majorgeneral Desborough, who quartered there, for refusing the Engagement. He had not only the greatest respect from the body of the people, but was highly esteemed by the magistracy and neighbouring gentry, and maintained a very friendly correspondence with the ministers of the city. He induced them to set on foot a Tuesday's lecture, where they all took their turns, and were well attended; he brought them also to have the Lord's Supper once a fortnight in each church alternately, at which the members of any of the other congregations might communicate. These methods prevented all jealousies among them, and united the people firmly among themselves.

Thus

Thus the ministers of Exeter enjoyed, for about thirteen years, great quiet and comfort in the exercise of their ministry, till Bartholomew-day, 1662. Then Mr. Ford was cast out with his brethren, but still he resided among his people. Upon the coming out of the Oxford-act, he and twelve other ministers who resided in that city, not satisfied with all the particulars of the oath prescribed, and yet knowing that misconstruction would be made of their refusal, thought it advisable to present a petition to the magistracy of Exeter, honestly begging leave to declare, that they could make oath-" that they were so free from all thoughts of raising a new war, or resisting the powers which by Divine Providence were over them; that they were fully resolved never to take up arms against the king's person or authority, or to countenance others in any tumultuous endeavours to the disturbance of his majesty's kingdoms; but to behave themselves peaceably in all things and at all times, under his majesty's government in church and state. Adding, that "this they humbly offered, not as expecting to escape the penalties of the Act by it, but that they might not be represented as disloyal or disaffected to his majesty's person and government." But the present magistrates being such as had no favour for men of their stamp, rejected the petition, and they were forced for a time to leave the city †.

Mr. Ford retired to Exmouth, about nine miles from Exeter, and there lived privately in those evil days. When the Indulgence came out, though he liked not the persons who obtained it, nor their design in it, yet it was his judgment that they should take the opportunity of preaching the gospel; and though his health was greatly impaired, he returned to Exeter, but was incapable of preaching any more than two sermons in public. However he was serviceable to many by private counsel at home, and fervent prayer for them. While numbers were flattering themselves with flourishing times approaching, he told them, there was a sorer storm behind, that would unavoidably fall upon the churches. He declined in his health daily, after his last sermon, and was soon confined to his bed, so that he could now speak but little to visitors. Yet when two ministers of the city came to see him, he spoke much of his own unworthiness, and the all-sufficiency of Christ, saying, "That he would re

+N. B. Several in this county took the oath, with a declaration concerning the sense of it, viz. Mr. Howe, and eleven others.

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pose himself upon that rock in the storms of approaching death." When his ancient colleague, Mr. Bartlet, recited those words of the apostle, The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law,' he stopped him short, and added, But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through Jesus Christ our Lord :' which were his last words. He died in Dec. 1674, in his 76th year, and was buried in St. Lawrence's church in Exeter.

WORKS. Two Sermons; one before the Lords, and the other before the Commons.-A Treatise on singing of Psalms.The Sinner condemned of himself; being a Plea for God against all the Ungodly, proving them alone guilty of their own Destruction.-Scripture's Self-evidence, proving it to be the only Rule of Faith; against the Papists.

Mr. LEWIS STUCLEY. A gentleman of an ancient and honourable family in this county, the seat of which was at Afton in West Worlington. It is said that there were formerly thirteen manors belonging to it, within sight of the gate-house. One of his ancestors was standard bearer to Queen Elizabeth. Sir T. Stucley was his brother. Where he was born and educated, or where he first preached, doth not appear. In July 11, 1646, the standing committee of Devon ordered him into the rectory of Newton Ferrers, but whether he possessed it or not is uncertain. Dr. Walker says, "Mr. Powel was turned out of Great Torrington about 1646, and was then succeeded by the famous Independent Mr. L. Stucley," and mentions his having been before at Tiverton, and as being "thrust upon Mr. Newte as his assistant by the godly," (as he in derision calls them) "whom they compelled him to hire at 100l. a year; and afterwards, as succeeding him at Tidcombe and Clare." From Great Torrington he came to Exeter, and began to gather a church in the congregational way, about the year 1650. Soon after the Restoration, he was obliged to quit the cathedral; and on Bartholomew-day, 1662, he was silenced. He might indeed have obtained considerable preferment, if he would have conformed, by his interest with General Monk, who was his kinsman; but he refused upon a principle of conscience. He was very laborious in his ministerial work; and after his ejectment he did not lie idle, but discharged his duty to his people in private, when he could no longer do it in public. In the latter part of his time he lived and preached at Bideford. He died in July,

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