him as ejected from Exeter college upon the visitation of the parliament, consequently as a sufferer among the Royalists; and says, that his name was crossed out of the buttery-book Oct. 20, 1648. He preached however publicly at Oxford before the lord general Fairfax, at whose desire the sermon was published. He afterwards had the sequestered living of Dr. Hammond at Penshurst in Kent. Being obliged to quit it at the Restoration, he went to his relations at Exeter, and preached occasionally about the country: probably more frequently at Ansty than at other places. He afterwards. continued at Exeter till the Corporation-act drove him and other ministers from thence. He then removed his family to St. Mary Ottery, ten miles from Exeter, and frequently preached as he had opportunity at several places; freely giving his labours to those who were not able to maintain a minister. Upon the Indulgence in 1672, he licensed a meeting-house, and preached in it as long as liberty for so doing was continued. On Saturday, March 4, 1674, he told his family that he should die on the Monday following; which accordingly he did, with full assurance of faith, triumphantly entering on another and happier life, after he had with holy longings expressed his joyful waiting for the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit. He was a man of an exemplary conversation, and of a very chearful disposition; and for his learning and affability he was much respected by the gentry of his neighbourhood. His son died pastor of a congregation of Protestant Dissenters in Southwark. [He was the father of the late worthy Jasper Mauduit, Esq. of Hackney, Chairman of the Committee of deputies for managing the affairs of the Dissenters; a zealous friend, and a distinguished ornament to the dissenting interest. It deserves to be mentioned here, that he always observed Bartholomew-day with some special marks of veneration and grief.] WORKS. A Sermon at Oxford, mentioned above.-A Warning-Piece to afflicted England, 1659.-Letter to Gen. Monk on the Causes of the Ruin of Governments and Commonwealths. ASHBURY [R. S. 377. 11s.] Mr. DANIEL MORTON. Dr. Walker has nothing worse to say of him than that he had no education but in a private school: He had made the same assertion with respect to some others, whom Dr. Calamy proves to have been brought up at the universities. § But admitting the fact, he might have been better qualified for the ministry than some who had spent many years in a college, college, and if he could have conformed he would not have been ejected. ASHPRINGTON [R. 160l.] JOHN BURGESS, M. A. The son of a minister in this county. When he was a boy he was bit by an adder, and remarkably preserved from the fatal effects of it by the sagacity of his mother, who had no other help at hand. And his life was retrieved for good purpose; for he proved a judicious, laborious, and useful minister of Christ. About the time of his ejectment, such was the respect which the patron of this living had for him, that he made him a present of the next presentation, which he afterwards disposed of for 500l. He removed to Dartmouth, and resided about four months with Mr. Geare, after whose death he was a great support to his widow. From thence he removed to London, where his daughter was married to Mr. Tho. Brook, and he retired to Hackney, where he and some other ministers united in carrying on a private lecture, and other exercises of religion, to a society of about thirty families. He was much tempted to conform, by the offers of preferment in the church; but he refused them all, and contented himself with boarding the sons of citizens, who went to school to Mr. Singleton, who had a flourishing school at Islington. And there he died about 1663*. He was a very polite man, of a graceful presence, and a charitable generous temper; well beloved in his parish, greatly respected by his brethren, and much followed by many in adjacent places; being a person of extraordinary abilities, and very eminent both in prayer and preaching. AXMINSTER [R.] Mr. BARTHOLOMEW ASHWOOD. A judicious, godly, and laborious divine; ejected by the Act of uniformity. Probably the person whom Dr. Walker mentions at Bickleigh in this county. [He had a son in the ministry, who died at Peckham in Surrey, whose life was published by Mr. Reynolds. He often said of his father, "If there was a good man upon earth he was one, being strictly pious, and much devoted to prayer." He related this remarkable circumstance of him (the like to which also happened to his great-grandfather) that being under extraordinary solicitude about his children, those words were strangely impressed upon him as by an audible voice, I will be a God to thee and to thy seed.' His family shared in the sufferings of the If this date is correct, it seems most probable he was ejected before 1662.-The chapel at Brook-house was lately in being. * B 2 times, times, and he died 407. in debt; but God graciously appeared in opening the hearts of strangers for their relief. Reynold's Life of Mr. John Ashwood, p. 54 and 99.] WORKS. The Heavenly Trade.-The Best Treasure. BARNSTAPLE [V. S. 471.] NATHANIEL MAther, M. A. One of the four sons of Mr. Richard Mather of Dorchester, who, on account of the severity of the times, took him when he was young into New England, where he was educated at Harvard college. He succeeded his brother Samuel as pastor of a church in Dublin. He was afterwards in the living of Harberton, near Totness, and was presented to this at Barnstaple by Oliver, in 1656. Mr. Martin Blake, the sequestered minister, a learned, pious, and moderate man, was treated exceedingly ill; but Dr. Walker, who relates the particulars, does not even insinuate that Mr. Mather was any way chargeable with it. Upon his ejectment he went into Holland, and became minister at Rotterdam. He afterwards returned to London, where he was pastor of a congregational church, and one of the lecturers at PinnersHall. He died July 26, 1697, aged 67, having been in the ministry forty-seven years, and was buried at Bunhillfields, where there is a long Latin inscription upon his tombstone, [which represents him as a man of great mental endowments and literary accomplishments, which he consecrated to the service of God: one every way qualified for his office; who, while he sincerely published the gospel, adorned it by his life; being particularly eminent for modesty, patience and piety. He was a ready and laborious preacher, a faithful and vigilant pastor; who in his ministrations had the sacred art of concealing the MAN, that God alone might be seen and exalted. "In sacre functionis exercitiis, arte pia celavit Hominem, ut solus conspiceretur DEUS."] See WATT'S Lyric Poems. WORKS. The Righteousness of God by Faith; two Sermons at Pinners-Hall.-Twenty-three Sermons preached at that Lecture, and at Lime-street, [taken in short-hand as they were delivered, but most of them corrected by himself.]-A Discussion of the Lawfulness of a Pastor's officiating in other Churches. § A Fast Sermor, 1711, on 1 Cor. xi. 30. BERRY POMREY, [V.] Mr. Randall. BIDEFORD, [R. S.] New Inn Hall, Oxford. Mr. WILLIAM BARTLET. Of Exeter. Exeter. He was congregational in his judgment, but loved peace with his brethren. He was one of the assistants to the commissioners of Devonshire and Exeter. A man of considerable note in that part of the country: eminent for humility, strictness of life, gravity, authority and experience: a very solid and useful preacher, whose labours were attended with very signal success. He discovered great courage in the cause of his God, for which he became a considerable sufferer; for he was the chief object of the malice and fury of the enemies to strict godliness in those parts, some of whom, it is said, appeared to suffer the rebukes of providence on his account. He was once imprisoned, and at another time he escaped only by the mistake of the officer, who took another person for him. Dr. Walker brings some heinous charges against him, which Dr. Calamy largely considers, and clearly refutes; particularly respecting his conduct towards Mr. Gifford the sequestered minister, whom he represents Mr. Bartlet as treating with great injustice and cruelty. As one among many striking instances of gross misrepresentations in that writer, (which we shall generally pass over,) it may not be improper here to introduce the substance of Dr. Calamy's defence of Mr. Bartlet against this accusation alone. "I have been informed (says the Dr.) by several aged persons, living in 1718, of as good characters as any in the town, that there were scarcely any two ministers of different persuasions to be met with, that lived and died in greater friendship than Mr. Gifford and Mr. Bartlet; and that Mr. Gifford was so far from reckoning Mr. Bartlet his greatest enemy, that he has often, with great warmth declared, that the reproaches cast upon him by such as were enemies to every thing good, upon his account, were altogether undeserved. Nay, he always gave Mr. Bartlet a good character, and would often say, he was a better man than himself." Upon Mr. Gifford's readmission to this living, when a zealous woman of the parish told him, that she had never been at church during his absence, he replied, "The verier wretch thou." And upon his death-bed he expressed a desire to see Mr. Bartlet, but those about him prevented his being sent for. With re gard to this writer's reflection on Mr. Bartlet as having had no university education, there is one testimony against him that will not be contested: it is that of Mr. Anthony Wood, who mentions him among the authors educated at Oxford. He lived to a good old age, and died in 1682. A grandson A of his was very useful among the Dissenters in Bideford, and was much respected, but he died young. WORKS. The Model of the Congregational Way.-Sovereign Balsam for healing such Professors as Satan hath wounded. BISHOP'S TAWTON, [V.] JONATHAN HANMER, M. A. Of Eman. Col. Camb. Born in Barnstaple about 1605; ordained Nov. 23, 1632, by Dr. Field, Bp. of St. David's, in St. Margaret's church, Westminster. He was first presented to the living of Instow, by John Speccot, Esq. and had institution from Bp. Hall in 1632. In 1635 he was ordered by the said bishop to preach at Barnstaple at his visitation. He sent his lordship a very modest and respectful answer, begging to be excused; which shews that he was far from being such a person as Dr. Walker represents him. (Cal. Contin. p. 300.) Mr. Hanmer afterwards had the living of Bishop's Tawton, and the lectureship of Barnstaple; and was cast out of both places Aug. 24, 1662. After his ejectment, very distant parts of the kingdom enjoyed the happiness of his labours, viz. Barnstaple, London, Bristol, Pinner, and Torrington. The troubles he met with for his Nonconformity occasioned frequent changes as to the place of his abode, which were sorely afflictive to himself, but the cause of great joy to those who, by this means, sat under his instruction. He was a 'scribe thoroughly instructed to the kingdom of heaven :' a preacher of the first rank, in regard to matter, method and elocution. He had a wonderful talent in composing sermons, and a manner of delivering them to which few attain, whereby they were rendered uncommonly impressive. Few ministers in his time, were instrumental in doing more good in the conversion of souls. From the places where he preached, he often received letters from ministers, as well as private christians, thanking him for his labours, and blessing God for the great success of them. His lectures at Barnstaple were greatly thronged, numbers attending who lived many miles distant, and some of them persons of character and distinction. Good Mr. "Blake, the vicar of Barnstaple, (contrary to Dr. Walker's account) shewed, by his whole conduct, that he was well pleased with him. This Mr. Blake had a great esteem for others of his brethren who were ejected, several of whom then lived in the town. They frequently visited each other; and he would often say, My heart bleeds whenever I see you, to think that such worthy persons should be silenced and 66 "cast |