and after K. James's liberty, he opened a meeting in Tiverton, and invited Mr. Samuel Bartlet to assist him. He died in a good old age, in April, 1689.-What Dr. Walker relates to his disadvantage is refuted in Cal. Contin. p. 261.

WORKS. A Treatise on Self-denial.-The evil of Apostacy and quenching the Spirit...Of Ejaculatory Prayer.-Directions for serving God on the Working-day and on the Lord's-day.-Exhor tations to holy Living, in which Mr. Mall assisted.

Mr. JOHN CHISUL. Of Orf. university. He came to Tiverton from Enfield, in Middlesex, where he kept a boarding-school (to which several eminent citizens sent their sons) and preached occasionally. One Mr. Foot was the chief cause of his removal. He was a very lively florid preacher, and of a courteous obliging temper. Dr. Walker relates some scandalous stories of him, which Dr. Calamy proves utterly groundless (Contin. p. 263.) These are told on the credit of one Mr. Newte, whom Dr. Walker calls reverend and worthy. The following anecdote will shew what regard is to be paid to this man's word, and to some of Dr. Walker's stories. A certain person had charged Mr. Newte with inconstancy, alledging "That he was zealous for K. James, and had prayed for his prince of Wales; and that upon the Revolution he had taken the oaths to K. William, and had prayed for him; and yet, that after his death he had said, It had been well for the nation if he had died seven years sooner." Mr. Newte strongly denied that he had ever prayed for the prince of Wales. His clerk being present (an old man much respected) it was proposed that he should be asked about it. Upon which the old man replied, "Yes sure, master, you did pray for him; and I said Amen to it."

WORKS. The Almost Christian, and young Man's Memento. -Seasonable Thoughts of Divine Providence. 1666.-A Word to Israel in the Wilderness; on Heb. iii. 8, 9.—A Poem prefixed to Dr. Teate's Poems on the Trinity.

His father, the sequestered minister of this place, appears to have deserved this character, See Prince's Worthies of Devon, p. 476, &c. Dr. Calamy relates that Dr. Chisul, a physician, who died at Tiverton, in 1717, wrote a Latin letter to Dr. Walker, in which he challenged him about the untruths he had published, to wound the reputation of very worthy men, and defied Mr. Newte to produce one credible witness for what he had reported of this Mr. Chisul; adding, that ❝ Mr. Newte was a scurrilous fellow, not worthy to carry his father's books."

* Great

M. John Howe?

from an Original Picture in the Possession of the Author:

*

* Great TORRINGTON [R. 64l. 17s. tod.] JOHN HowE, M. A. Of Christ's Col. Camb. Afterwards of Oxford. Mr. Wood says, of Braz. Nose Col. This great man was born May 17, 1630, at Loughborough, in Leicestershire, where his father was settled by Abp. Laud, but afterwards turned out by him for siding with the Puritans, and driven into Ireland; whither he took his son, then very young, and where their lives were remarkably preserved during the execrable rebellion and massacre. In the time of the war, the father returned and settled in Lancashire, where his son had his grammar-learning. He was sent early to college, where his great attainments in literature, joined with his exemplary piety, so recommended him, that he was elected Fellow of Magd. Col. after he had been made Demy by the parliament visitors. At this time Dr. Goodwin was president of that college, and had gathered a church among his scholars; of which Mr. Howe, at the Dr.'s own motion, became a member. (See vol, 1. p. 240.) He was ordained at Winwick, in Lancashire, by Mr. C. Herle, the pastor of that church, and the ministers who officiated in the several chapels in this parish; on which account he would sometimes say, that he thought few in modern times had so truly primitive an ordination, for he considered Mr. Herle as a primitive bishop. By an unexpected event of providence he was called to Torrington, where, tho' young, he abundantly fulfilled his ministry, which was blessed with great success. He had a numerous auditory and a flourishing church, to which many of the inhabitants joined them selves, who belonged to an Independent church, at Bideford, having had a dismission from thence.

The manner in which he was used to carry on the service here, on Fast-days (which were frequent in those times) was very extraordinary. He began at nine o'clock with a prayer of a quarter of an hour-read and expounded scripture for about three quarters-prayed an hour-preached another-then prayed half an hour. The people then sung about a quarter of an hour, during which he retired and took a little refreshment. He then came into the pulpit again, prayed an hour more-preached another hour-and then with a prayer of half an hour concluded the service.-He was upon good terms with the neighbouring ministers, particularly with Mr. George Hughes, of Plymouth, whose daughter he married. With him he carried on a weekly correspondence in Latin. The following circumstance in one

NO. XII.-VOL. II.

G

of

of them is remarkable: Mr. Howe's house being on fire, was extinguished by a seasonable shower. On that very day -he received a letter from his father Hughes, which concluded with this prayer: Sit Ros Cæli super habitaculum vestrum. i. e. Let the dew of heaven be upon your dwelling.

The manner in which Mr. Howe became chaplain to Cromwell, was related in a former article. (See page 17.) He entered upon this office with great reluctance, and never abused the influence it gave him, to injure others, or to enrich himself; but used it to serve the interest of religion and learning among persons of very different sentiments. His conduct in respect to Dr. Seth Ward, afterwards Bp. of Exeter, deserves particular notice. The Dr. applied, by means of Mr. Howe, for the Principalship of Jesus college; but it had been promised to another. However Mr. Howe so strongly recommended. him to the Protector, that he gave him an annual allowance equivalent to it; and the Dr. retained a grateful sense of the favor, when, upon the change of times, he became a greater man. Mr. Howe always appeared so disinterested, that the Protector once said to him, "You have obtained many favors for others, I wonder when the time is to come that you will move for something for yourself and family." This distinguished principle made him faithful in the discharge of his duty. The following is a remarkable instance of it: The notion of a particular faith in prayer, with respect to the obtaining of particular blessings, had prevailed much at Cromwell's court, and Mr. Howe once heard a sermon there from a person of note, designed to defend it. Being fully convinced of the ill tendency of such an opinion, he thought himself bound in conscience, 'when it came to his turn to preach, to oppose it; which accordingly he did with great plainness.* Cromwell heard with great attention, but sometiines frowned and discovered great uneasiness, insomuch that a person who was present told Mr. Howe, it would be difficult ever to make his peace with him again. Mr. Howe replied, "I have discharged my conscience, and leave the event with God." Nothing however passed between them on the subject, tho' Cromwell seemed cooler towards him than before.

66

After Richard Cromwell was set aside, Mr. Howe returned to his people at Torrington. At the Restoration he met with some trouble, being informed against as delivering

*The substance of the discourse may be seen at the end of The Memoirs of Mr. Howe, by Dr. Calamy, from which this account is extracted.

something