great seriousness; and a private fast in every kalendar month, with unusual strictness. He was remarkably patient and, submissive under pains and sicknesses. No changes of providence could be discerned to make any considerable change in him. In dangers and difficulties, he placed his confidence in God. He had formed a noble idea of his perfections, and of the wisdom of his government, which brought him to such a calmness of temper, that sudden accidents which were shocking to others, made little impression upon him. He was cloathed with humility and with the utmost sincerity declared himself to be (as he ordered it to be engraved on his tomb-stone)" The greatest of sinners, and the least of saints."—He was very courteous and affable to all. He understood and observed the rules of conversation, and gave ⚫ honour to whom honour was due.' Tho' he was naturally warm and hasty in his temper, he had so mastered it, as seldom to be ruffled with passion. He was scrupulously honest and faithful to his word. He had put on bowels of mercies and kindness;' and was tender-hearted and compassionate to those in distress. His temperance, sobriety, heavenly-mindedness, and contempt of riches were remarkable. His mother, who died rich, would have made him her executor, but he refused it. She offered him what proportion he pleased of her estate, but he chose only a competency to provide him food and raiment, with something for books and works of charity; and freely let the bulk of her estate go to his elder brother's son. He continually behaved himself as a son of peace, and was of a moderate healing spirit. While he used his own liberty, he had great charity for such as were not of his mind. His friendship was sincere, and his love without dissimulation.' He was a man of a public spirit, and preferred the prosperity of the church of God. above his chief joy.

When zealous endeavours were used to overthrow the Protestant religion among us, and to subvert the laws and liberties of the nation; when he saw a Romanist high-sheriff of Devon, and a mass-house opened in his native city, in order to seduce the ignorant and unstable; he set himself strenuously to confute the errors of the church of Rome, and took unwearied pains to establish people in the truth, and prepare them for a day of trial. He would not join in

Herein, perhaps, his conduct was not altogether commendable, unless he had good evidence that his nephew would improve the property better than he himself could have done.

an

an address of thanks to K. James, for granting liberty to the Dissenters, that he might not so much as seem to approve the dispensing power, or be at all accessary to the designs of such as were patrons of Popery, or arbitrary government. He abounded in works of charity; and took as much delight in dispersing and giving to the poor, as others do in heaping up riches. He laid aside the tenth part of all his income for charitable uses; to which he added much more when need required. His charity was not confined to a party; nor did he consider mens opinions, but their necessities. He had such love to souls, that he never refused to visit sick persons in the most infectious distempers; and did not count his labour, his purse, his health dear unto himself, when he was in the way of his duty. He also provoked others unto love and to good works. He kept a constant watch over his heart and ways; guarding against the particular temptations with which he was assaulted.

He

walked within his house with a perfect heart,' and filled up all his particular relations in life with suitable duty. After his return to God, he enjoyed settled peace of conscience, and had a lively joyful hope, with very little interruption.

When his end drew near, his serenity was great, and his hope unshaken. Tho' he complained much of his indisposition for some weeks before his decease, he would not remit any thing of his public work, private studies, or secret devotions. The evening before his removal, he told his wife very positively, that the time of his departure was at hand, which he said without discovering any fear. The next day being the Lord's-day, he preached as usual; but was seized with faintness in going home; and being carried into an apothecary's house, he said, "I'm dying." When he was a little recovered, his friends expostulated with him for preaching under such disorders; to which he replied, " It becomes a minister to die preaching." He walked home, but grew faint again; and was no sooner within his own doors, than he fell down; his speech failed him, and in about three quarters of an hour, he quietly surrendered his soul to God, on Jan. 11, 1713, aged upwards of 81 years; and on the Thursday following, he was interred in Bartholomew churchyard, in Exeter, where, upon a black marble stone, there is the following epitaph of his own composing:-Hic jacet peccatorum maximus, sanctorum minimus, concionatorum indignissimus, Georgius Trosse, hujus civitatis indigena & incola qui huic maligno valedixit Mundo, undecimo die mensis Januarii, Anno Dom. 1713, Etat. suæ 82, Immediately

Immediately after his interment, a funeral sernion was preached by his fellow-labourer Mr. Joseph Hallet, on 1 Tim. i. 15, a text of his own choosing. The sermon is added to Mr. Trosse's narrative of his own life.

WORKS. The Lord's-day vindicated, &c. in Answer to Mr. Bampfield's Plea for the Seventh Day.-The Pastor's Care and Dignity, and the People's Duty; a Sermon at the Assembly of Ministers, at Taunton.-A Discourse of Schism: designed for the Satisfaction of conscientious and peaceable Dissenters--A Defence of the former, against Aerius Prostratus. Mr. Trosse's Vindication of himself from several Aspersions. He also drew up the Explication of the last five Answers in Mr. Flavel's Expos. of the Assemb. Catech. and wrote a Preface to it,

JOHN HOPPIN, B. D. Fellow of Exeter Col. Oxf. out of which he had been ejected. He was afterwards pastor of a congregation in Exeter. He had been tutor to a great number of pupils, and being an acute philosopher and a solid divine, they improved much under him. He was episcopally ordained. Bp. Lamplugh, being desirous to gain him to' the church, sent for him to his palace, in Exeter; and it being then a time of great rigour against the Dissenters, he promised him safe ingress and egress. When he came, his good lordship asked him, why he would not conform? He gave him a reason or two, at which the Bishop seemed a little startled, and bade him read Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity. Mr. Hoppin replied, "That from a position in "that book, it appeared that Hooker himself, were he now "alive, must be a Nonconformist." The Bishop took down the book, and asked him where that position was? On shewing him the passage, his lordship read it, and then hastily shutting the book again, said, with his usual passion, "Go your way: I promised you indeed safe conduct out "and home, but afterwards look to yourself." Not long after Mr. Hoppin was apprehended, and cast into the Southgate prison in the sight of the palace, where he was detained six months, in a very cold chamber, and thereby got such a rheumatism, as rendered him a perfect cripple to the day of his death; so that he was carried to the pulpit constantly in a chair. He lived many years in misery; but at length died in peace, March 4, 1705, and was succeeded by Mr. John Withers.

It is to be wished that this curious passage had been referred to. Any reader who can point it out, is requested to communicate it to the editor.

NICHOLAS

*

NICHOLAS SHERWILL, M. A. Of Magd. Col. Oxf. He was born at Plymouth, where his ancestors and many of his relations lived, who were persons of the first rank. Having spent many years in Oxford, and been legally ordained by episcopal hands, he returned to his native place, and betook himself to his private studies, and afterwards became minister of a dissenting congregation there. On Oct. 6, 1665, the officers of the garrison came, as they said, from the governor, to his lodging, and told him, the governor desired to speak with him at the tavern. Mr. Sherwill hasted thither, where he found several ministers on the same business. After they had been there a while, they perceived a guard of soldiers set over them. Oct 9, Mr. Sherwill, with others, was removed to another tavern, and was rudely treated by the serjeant for offering to step to his lodging without his leave. Two centinels were set at his chamber door, and the liberty of the house was denied him. In the evening he was conveyed by four musqueteers, with their matches lighted, to the colonel, who sent him to St. Nicholas island, with orders from the Earl not to converse with Mr. H. (probably Mr. Howe or Mr. Hughes) and Mr. M. who were prisoners there; to have a centinel at his chamber-door, and not to go out without a guard. He continued under this restraint till Dec. 4. In Jan. he was brought before the Earl, who told him, if he could satisfy the Bishop, He would be satisfied. The Bishop having known him at Oxford, wrote a very obliging letter to the Earl, as much as possible in his favour. The oath in the Oxford-act was tendered him, which he refused. His prison was changed, and March 30, he was released, upon his bond to quit the town within 48 hours.* He died suddenly at Plymouth, where he had lived upon his estate, May 15, 1696.

JOHN GIDLEY, M. A. Of Exeter Col. Oxf. He had received episcopal ordination. He possessed excellent abilities, but was one of the most modest men in the world, so as hardly to be engaged to say grace at table. He lived at Exeter, upon his own estate, and generally occupied the table-pew, being with great difficulty got into the pulpit; but whenever he did enter it, he met with good acceptance. The other ministers in that city much esteemed him for his learning and ministerial abilities. He afterwards settled at Great Marlow, Bucks, where he died."

*The above account is taken from the Conformist's Fourth Plea for the Nonconformists, page 65.

Mr.

Mr. OLIVER PEARD. Of Magdalen College, Oxford. He was a gentleman of a good and reputable family in Barnstaple, where he was born in the year 1636, and brought up in school learning under Mr. Humes. His heart was touched betimes with a saving relish of divine things; and he was one among many, whom it pleased God to make Mr. Jonathan Hanmer an instrument of converting. This. he acknowledges in a letter, of which the following is an

extract:

66

"Having so convenient an opportunity, it could not "but invite me to write you these lines, whereby I might give an acknowledgement of that obligation in which I "stand bound to you upon several accounts; but especially "in that which concerns the eternal welfare of my soul. "And indeed the great argument which urged me hereunto, "is that hope which I have of laying a farther engagement "on you, in order to the compleating of that work which "God, by you, hath begun."

When he had spent several years in the university, he returned into the country, and first exercised his ministry at Ashford, near Barnstaple, and afterwards at Barnstaple. He was privately ordained at Bideford, by his father-in-law Mr. Wm. Bartlet, and others. Having taken the charge of his little flock, he fed it as he then could, performing the several offices of a faithful shepherd. The neighbouring towns and villages also had a share in his labours. But he had his troubles for Nonconformity with others of his brethren. He often ran great hazards in the service of his master, and had frequent meetings at midnight, both in town and country; in which he preached and administered the sacrament; and yet it so happened that their assemblies were at no time disturbed when he preached. Once he was apprehended, and (with Mr. Bartlet, of Bideford, and several other neighbouring ministers) was carried to Torrington, where he remained some time in custody. At length they were released, tho' not without difficulty, being bound for one another. His confinement occasioned him an illness, which brought him to the very point of death; and tho' he recovered, his

constitution was broken.

When the Oxford-act took place, he retired for a while to Ilfracombe; but being obliged by the circumstances of his family to return home, he lived retired in his own house; and upon suspicion of his being there, search was several times made for him, but he escaped. However, he survived the

troubles