rose up again, and said, "The sermon is not yet done, but now you are awake, I hope you'll hearken more diligently; and so went on. He often expressed a great desire to die in sight of his congregation, to which he had so long been pastor and he had his request. For in the November after his being ejected and silenced, going towards his church on a Lord's-day in the afternoon, he met a brother minister in the street, with whom he exchanged a few words, and took a solemn farewell of him. He was observed to walk towards the church more briskly than usual. He found the people singing, and he joined them with a louder and more chearful voice than ordinary, but stopped on a sudden. Some who observed this, went up to him, and found him dead before the psalm was done.-There is no writing of his extant, but The Life of Ignatius Jordan,, a pious alderman of that place, which was transcribed into Mr. Clark's Lives.

ST. EDMUND'S. THOMAS Down, M. A. He was a diligent and useful preacher, and eminent for zeal and affection. He had the parish of St. Mary Step united with this, both of which were the most ignorant and profane part of the city; but he wrought a great reformation among them. He was grievously afflicted with the stone and gout, which he bore with wonderful patience. Under severe fits, when asked how he did, he would say, "I am upon my father's rack." He at last died of these disorders, just before the Oxford act took place. A young minister taking his leave of him, said, "Sir, you are now going into the haven, and we into the storm;" referring to the Oxford act. No; (said he) you are in the haven, and I in the storm: Oh! my pain and grievous torments! but the Lord will end them speedily." He died an hour after. He had two daughters, the one of whom married Mr. Whidden of Totness; and the other, Mr. Flavel of Dartmouth.

ST. PETROCK'S, MARK Down, M. A. Brother to the former. He was a judicious preacher, and remarkable for introducing texts of scripture, not commonly thought of, but most aptly applied, and clearly interpreted. He generally insisted on the most heavenly and melting subjects, and had an excellent gift in prayer. He died, and was buried at Exeter, in Oct. 1680; but his reason was impaired some time before.

ST. THOMAS's. ALEXANDER HODGES, M. A. Some time Fellow of Wadh. Col. Oxf. Mr. Gould, his

patron, had such a respect for him, that he obliged his successor to pay him 20l. per ann. for seven years. Soon after his ejectment he went to Holland, to visit some relations of his wife. Having spent some time there, he took shipping with a view to return to his family; when a violent storm arose, which made such an impression upon him, that he resolved to spend the remainder of his life in whatever country he should first be set on shore, and not expose himself to the danger of the sea again. The ship was driven back to the haven from whence it set out. His friends rejoiced at his return, and he was soon after invited to Delf; from whence, after preaching a while, he removed to Amsterdam, where he continued minister of the English church to the day of his death, in Dec. 1689.

FALCONBRIDGE. Mr. COSLIN.

FINITON. SAMUEL HIERON, M. A. Of Merton Col. Oxf. He was grandson to Mr. Samuel Hieron, minister of Modbury, and was born at Honiton. He was a good scholar, a very agreeable preacher, and an excellent expositor. He was ejected soon after the Restoration, and the former incumbent was restored. Upon which he returned to Honiton, and preached publicly as he had opportunity, till August 1662. He was a man of peace, and of great moderation; he kept a good correspondence with the conforming minister of the town, and frequently attended the public worship, When that was over he preached in his own house gratis, but he was often disturbed, and suffered greatly for Nonconformity. At one time his house was violently broke open, by the order of several justices, when his goods were seized, his plate and his very bed were taken from him; and they would have rifled his study, had not his mother interposed, and produced her own plate to satisfy their demands. His goods were exposed to sale in the public market-place, but he employed a friend to buy them. He was excommunicated for baptizing some children, and was imprisoned upon the Five-mile-act in Exeter jail, with Mr. F. Soreton, but was released by the order of Sir W. Courtney, high sheriff of the county.-He was a very charitable man, kept many poor children at school, and gave them books, as he did to many other persons; nor was he confined to a party, in this or any other of his charities. Wherever he saw real want, he was ready to shew his com

passion.

passion. His house was a common receptacle of poor ejected ministers and private Christians, who were forced from their homes by the rigor of the times. He was ready to his utmost to compose differences between neighbours, and always free to give his advice when desired, either in spiritual or civil matters; and all his carriage was so obliging, that it forced the good word of many who were enemies to his cause. A female neighbour of his, who was zealous enough for the church, seeing Mr. Hieron's house so closely beset by the officers that he could not escape them, invited them to her house, with the offer of a treat, and then sent him notice to make his escape.-Though he suffered much, he still kept on preaching, taking nothing for his services, till after the Indulgence in 1672, when he assisted Mr. Soreton, the ejected minister of the town; and then he gave away his whole stipend in charity; as he had been accustomed to do, when he was in the living of Finiton. He was a man of great temperance, and yet was sorely afflicted with the gout. He often preached and prayed when he was not able to stir out of his place, not so much as to hold a book in his hand; but he was eminent for his patience. He kept very good order in the family; and though his mother was a shop-keeper, and had great business, the house and shop were shut at eight o'clock on Saturday night, and all business laid aside. He continued in Honiton till about the time of the duke of Monmouth's landing, when he was forced out of the country. He offered all the yearly income of his estate, which was considerable, (reserving but a competency for himself), to be disposed of for the common benefit of the town and parish as the price of his peaceable continuance at home; but the offer was rejected. He therefore removed to London, and soon afterwards died at Newington.

FREMINGTON [V.S.201.] Mr. JOHN BARTLET, of Exet. Col. Oxf. Son of Mr. Wm. Bartlet, ejected from Bideford. He was a man much respected by all parties, for the sweetness of his temper, his affability and courteousness; but most of all for his ministerial abilities. He was a most acceptable preacher, and had a surprising felicity of address in persuading sinners, and winning souls to Christ, which God eminently succeeded. His very enemies spoke well of him, and owned him to be an accomplished man. But this could not screen him from the fury of the times; in which he suffered considerably by bonds and imprisopments, and other har

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rassing

rassing difficulties. He was made a gazing-stock in StokeCannon and Exeter. However, he rejoiced in it, as appeared remarkably in one of his consolatory addresses, which he left in writing, to one of his fellow-prisoners. It was not a little to his honour that he had contracted a most endearing intimacy with that great man Mr. Howe, who once lived near him, as appears from a great number of affectionate letters which he received from him. He died in 1679, aged but about 44.

HABERTON [V. S. 160l.] Mr. GEORGE MORTIMER. He had the character of a good preacher, and of an affable and courteous, as well as pious man. He freely parted with a good living, rather than wound his conscience, and never discovered the least inclination to conform. After his ejectment he and his wife were entertained for several years at Lupton. He also lived some time at Totness. He died at Exeter, Feb. 27, 1688. Mr. George Trosse preached his funeral sermon,

HALBERTON [R. 311.] Mr. JAMES HADDRIDGE. He kept a public meeting in this town after his ejectment.

Little HEMPSTON. JOHN KNIGHT, M. A. He had his education under Mr. Hoppin, Fel. of Exeter Col. Oxon. He was a very correct man in wording his sermons, but had such an impediment in his speech, as not to be acceptable in his preaching, After his ejectment he lived in Exeter. He was so kind as to send the author some hints with respect to the ministers of this county, of which proper use has been made.

HENNOCK. Mr. ROBERT LAW. He was said to have conformed: but from the papers of Mr. Quick, it appears, that tho' he did so for a time, and practised physic, he afterwards renounced his conformity, and died a Nonconformist.

HOLSWORTHY. HUMPHREY SAUNDERS, M. A. He was eight years in Oxford; yet Wood takes no notice of him. He had the character of a good scholar, and a very worthy man. He disgusted some of the gentry while he was in his living, by not admitting them to the sacrament: but he looked upon that affair, not as a matter of civility, but of conscience. He was moderator of the general assembly at Exeter, May 12, 1658. He had several children who were all comfortably provided for.

WORKS.

WORKS. An Apology for administering the Lord's Supper to a Select Company only, in answer to a Piece by Mr. (afterwards Sir Wm.) Morrice, for a promiscuous Admission.

HONITON [R. 250l.] Mr. FRANCIS SORETON. Educated in the free-school at Plymouth, and Fel. of Exeter Col. A man of great learning, a close student, and surprizingly humble. He was an excellent preacher; and his labours were successful to the good of many. His sermons

were kept as a treasure in several hands in that town, and were sometimes repeated to the satisfaction of many. He had always such a reverent and awful sense of God upon his soul, that it gave a majesty to his presence. When the rabble of the town were guilty of any rudeness, he would go and reprove them, and they would retire at the sight of him. Besides a monthly preparation sermon, he set up a weekly lecture in the town, and had the assistance of several neighbouring ministers in it; which he continued till the act of uniformity ejected him. He then retired to the house of Sir Wm. Courtney of Poderham, whose aunt he married, and who presented him to this living. Upon the Indulgence in 1672, he returned to his flock. Upon the Five-mile act, he was imprisoned in Exeter jail; but Sir Wm. Courtney, being then high-sheriff of the county, got him released and conveyed him in his coach to his own house, where he continued till his death. While he was incumbent, he never troubled any with law-suits for his tithes, lest it should. hinder the success of his ministry. None of his worst enemies had any thing to lay to his charge, but the crime of Nonconformity. He had been formerly cast out of his fellowship by the parliamentary visitors. He printed nothing but a Translation of Monsieur Dailly's Sermons on the epistle to the Colossians.

ILSINGTON [V. 180l.] WILLIAM STUKE, M. A. of Oxf. University. Born at Trusham near Chudleigh. He was settled in this living about the year 1653. After he was turned out he removed to Whitcombe in the parish of Trusham, where he had a good estate; and when the times admitted, he built a meeting-house upon his own land, and preached in it for some years to a large congregation. He died of a pleurisy, after three days illness, about the year 1677. Mr. Saterleigh, rector of Trusham, preached his funeral sermon, and spoke of him to this effect: "Now 'tis "expected I should say something of the deceased. He