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BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE, LOTHBURY.

end replied, That this argument of Mr. Ives's was of as much force against infants' baptism, as against the doctrines and ceremonies of the church of Rome. To which Mr. Ives replied, That he really granted what he said to be true. The priest, upon this, broke up the dispute, saying, he had been cheated, and that he would proceed no farther; for he came to dispute with a clergyman of the established church, and it was now evident that this was an Anabaptist preacher. This behaviour of the priest afforded his Majesty, and all present, not a little diversion. Mr. Ives was well beloved in his ministerial capacity, and bore a fair character to his dying day. * He published a few books mentioned below. (L)

BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE, LOTHBURY.

DURING the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, the Baptists appear to have had a meeting-house in or near Lothbury. There are some circumstances which have induced us to think this to be the same congregation with that which met in Bell-alley; but there are others again which seem to

Crosby, vol. iv. p. 247, 248.

(L) WORKS.-1. Infant Baptism disproved, and Believers' Baptism proved. Being an Answer to several Arguments propounded by Mr. Alexander Kellie, and sent to him. 4to. 1655.-2. Confidence questioned; or, a brief Examination of some Doctrines delivered by Mr. Thomas Willis, of Botolph's, Billingsgate, in a Sermon preached by him, at Margaret's, New Fish-street, December 7, 1657.-3. An Account of two public Dis. putations with Mr. Tillam, and Mr. Coppinger, about the Seventh-day Sabbath.-4. A Contention for Truth; or, an impartial Account of two Disputations with Mr. Danson. 1672.-There is also a postscript of his in the account of the two meetings at Barbican and Wheeler-street, on account of the Quakers' Appeal to the Baptists against Thomas Hicks. Published by Thomas Plant, 1674.

BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE, LOTHBURY.

destroy this identity. Crosby speaks of a people that met in Lothbury, of whom Mr. Thomas Lamb, and Mr. William Allen, were joint-pastors. Of these persons Mr. Baxter has given the following account. "There were two very sober men in London, Mr. Lamb, and Mr. Allen, who were pastors of an Anabaptist separated church. The wife of one of them, an extraordinary intelligent woman, wrote me a letter, that her husband was in troubled thoughts, not about Anabaptistory, but about separation upon that account; and that if I would write to him now, it might do him good. Which I did, and gave him many arguments to prove, that though he should continue in his opinion against infant-baptism, yet he ought not to make it a reason of denying communion with his brethren of another mind. These arguments met with thoughts of his own that tended the same way, and in conclusion he was satisfied. Afterwards, the same woman persuaded me to try with Mr. Allen also, who in conclusion was satisfied, and they dissolved their church. When this was done, the men being of extraordinary sincerity and understanding, were very zealous for the reduction of their brethren of the Anabaptists' way; and to that end, they had a meeting with divers of the most moderate pastors of the rebaptized churches, and they desired my proposals, or terms, on which we might hold peace and communion with them."* After the Restoration, those two men conformed to the Church of England, and became very zealous against separation. This appears by another quotation from Mr. Baxter. "Two old friends that I had a hand heretofore in turning from Anabaptistry and separation, Mr. Thomas Lamb, and Mr. William Allen, that followed Mr. John Goodwin, and afterwards became pastors of an Anabaptist church, fell on writing against separation more strongly than any of the conformable clergy; but in sense of their old error, ran now into the other extreme,

* Sylvester's Life of Baxter, part ii. p. 180.

ARMOURERS'-HALL, COLEMAN-STREET.-Presbyterian, Extinct.

especially Mr. Lamb, and wrote against our gathering assemblies, and preaching when we were silenced."* From the improbability that there were two persons of the same name, both preachers among the Baptists, at the same time, and in the same neighbourhood, we have been led to suppose that the Thomas Lamb just mentioned, was the person of whom an account has been given in some preceding pages. Crosby, however, has taken some pains to prove the contrary; and it must be allowed that there is considerable difficulty in the way of reconciling them. The observation of this author, that Mr. Lamb was pastor of a church in his own house, at the Spital, near Norton-Falgate, seems to be a mistake; as it is evident from several parts of Edwards's "Gangræna," that Mr. Lamb's meeting-house was in Bell-alley, Coleman-street.

ARMOURERS'-HALL, COLEMAN-STREET.

PRESBYTERIAN.—EXTINCT.

ARMOURED

RMOURERS'-HALL, situated at the north-east corner of Coleman-street, was one of the many city halls appropriated to the use of the nonconformists, in the reign of Charles the Second. A Presbyterian congregation was gathered at this place by the Rev. Richard Steel, an eminent nonconformist minister, who had been ejected from Hanmere, in North

• Sylvester's Life of Baxter, part iii. p. 180.

↑ Crosby's Baptists, vol. iii. p. 56.

ARMOURERS'-HALL, COLEMAN-STREET.—Presbyterian, Extinct.

Wales, and settled in London, about the year 1667. The church is said to have become extinct with his successor, Mr. George Hamond, in 1705. But some people of the same denomination met here for a few years afterwards under the care of Mr. Daniel Alexander; upon whose death, in 1709, they are supposed to have dispersed. Of each of these ministers we shall present the reader with a brief account in their order.

RICHARD STEEL, M. A.-This pious Divine was born near Nantwich, in Cheshire, on the 10th of May, 1629. Of his earlier years we know nothing. Being designed by his parents for the ministry, he was sent, after a course of preparatory education, to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he studied several years, and took his degree of Master of Arts. He was afterwards incorporated into the University of Oxford. Anthony Wood, who mentions him among the Oxford writers, and cites several of his printed works, informs us that he was incorporated into that university July 5, 1656. It is not known where he entered upon the ministerial employment, but he laboured with great acceptance in various places, till the providence of God fixed him in the living of Hanmere, in Flintshire, North-Wales. Mr. Steel had contracted a close and endearing friendship with the pious and excellent Mr. Philip Henry, who coming to reside at Worthenbury, became his near neighbour.

Mr. Steel assisted at Mr. Henry's ordination, and it is remarkable that he was engaged in a similar service about thirty years afterwards when his son, the celebrated Mr. Matthew Henry was set apart to the pastoral office. Being now settled in the same neighbourhood, they became frequent companions, and laboured together in the same honourable employment, with the utmost harmony, zeal, and affection. Mr. Steel became Mr. Henry's confidential friend and counsellor, and they preserved a mutual regard to

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From an original Painting

In Wellman Libary Red Drops Sleet

Published sept1 1809. by Maxwell & Wilson Skinner Street.

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