In his last will and testament he bequeathed £300 for the purchase of lands, the profits of which were to be annually distributed among the poor of Durham; also £200 for two scholarships in Christ's college, Cambridge, one for the north and the other for the south. His own kindred in the south, if any, were first to be chosen; next the vicar's son of Sheephall, if capable; next, such scholars as were educated at Stevenage school; if none there, then at St. Alban's or Hertford school. He also gave £200 for the purchase of lands, the profits of which were to be annually devoted to other charitable purposes.* WILLIAM FENNER, B. D.-This excellent puritan was born in the year 1600, and educated in Pembroke-hall, Cambridge; but took his degree in divinity at Oxford. He entered upon his stated ministerial exercise at Sedgley in Staffordshire, where the Lord greatly blessed his labours. The parish is very large and populous; and, previous to his settlement, was a very heathenish place; but by his holy life and faithful preaching, during the period of four years, many persons were turned to righteousness. Being at length forced away, most probably on account of his nonconformity; and being succeeded by a weak vicar, ignorance and profaneness again returned.+ Mr. Fenner naturally cared for souls; therefore, besides paying the necessary attention to the people of his own particular charge, he took much delight in preaching the gospel from place to place. He was much resorted to as a casuist, and highly esteemed and admired by some of the nobility, particularly the Earl of Warwick, who became his great friend and patron. In the year 1629, he presented him to the rectory of Rochford in Essex. In this situation he continued the rest of his days, and his life and labours reflected much honour on the grace of God. He * Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xvii. p. 106. did not entertain his hearers with dry disputes about unprofitable rites and ceremonies, but fed them with the sincere milk of the word.* The Oxford historian says, " he was much admired and followed by the puritanical party." One Mr. Fenner, a puritan minister, was apprehended by Archbishop Laud, and cast into prison, where he remained many years; but he does not appear to be the same person. Mr. Fenner died about 1640, aged forty years. Mr. Edmund Calamy, one of the ejected nonconformists in 1662, was his successor.t The writings of this pious divine discover much acquaintance with religion in all its parts; and his manner is plain, zealous, and alarming. His WORKS.-1. The Riches of Grace, 1641.-2. A Treatise of Affections, 1642.-3. Christ's Alarm to Drowsy Sinners, 1650.4. Practical Divinity, 1650.-5. Divine Message to the Elect Soul, 1651.-6. Of wilful Impenitency, 1651.-7. Of Conscience, 1651.8. Hidden Manna, 1652.—And some others. SAMUEL WARD, B. D.-This excellent divine, the son of Mr. John Ward, the old puritan, was born at Haverhil in Suffolk, and educated in Sidney college, Cambridge, where he was chosen fellow. Having finished his studies at the university, he became lecturer at Haverhil, where his labours were eminently useful. Among the first fruits of his ministry was the celebrated Mr. Samuel Fairclough. Mr. Ward afterwards became minister to one of the churches Fenner's Works, Pref. Edit. 1651. + Wharton's Troubles of Laud, vol. i. p. 538, 546. Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. i. p. 76. Williams's Christian Preacher, p. 454. The following account is given of Mr. Fairclough's conversion. Mr. Ward having preached on the conversion of Zaccheus, he observed, "That no one who has wronged another can expect pardon from God who does not make restitution, if it be in his power." This was like a dart directed by the hand of God to the heart of young Fairclough, who with one John Trigg (afterwards an eminent physician in London) had the pre'ceding week robbed the orchard of one Goodman Jude. The sermon drew forth many tears, and he could get no sleep during that night, Early the next morning he went to his companion Trigg, and told him that he was going to Jude's to give him a shilling for the pears he had stolen. Trigg, fearing the old man would acquaint the schoolmaster, and they should be beaten, strove to dissuade Fairclough from his purpose, who answered, that God would not pardon the sin without restitution. Trigg replied, "You talk like a fool, Sam: God will forgive us ten times sooner than old Jude will once." But Samuel persisted in his design, when Jude refused to take the money, and readily forgave him the wrong. But he could find no rest till he went to Mr. Ward and opened to him the state of his soul.-Clark's Lives, last vol. part i. p. 154. of Ipswich in Suffolk; but his reputation was so great, that he had the superintendence of the several parishes in that populous town, and was greatly beloved by the numerous parishioners. However, he had his foes, as well as his friends, and was prosecuted by Bishop Harsnet for nonconformity. In the year 1622, upon his prosecution in the consistory of Norwich, he appealed from the bishop to the king; who committed the articles exhibited against him to the examination of the lord keeper Williams. The lord · keeper, announcing the result of his examination to his majesty, is said to have found Mr. Ward not altogether blameless, but a man easily to be won by fair dealing; and persuaded Harsnet to take his submission, and not remove him from Ipswich. The truth is, the lord keeper found that Mr. Ward possessed so much candour, and was so ready to promote the interests of the church, that he could do no less than compound the troubles of so learned and industrious a divine. He was, therefore, released from the prosecution; and most probably continued for some time. without molestation, in the peaceable exercise of his ministry. But this was not the end of his troubles. He afterwards fell into the hands of Archbishop Laud, whose tender mercies were cruelty. In the year 1634, for certain words delivered in his sermons, he was prosecuted in the high commission court. And the year following, for preaching_against bowing at the name of Jesus, and against the Book of Sports, and having said, "that the church of England was ready to ring changes in religion, and that the gospel stood on tiptoe ready to be gone;" he was suspended in the high commission, enjoined a public recantation in such form as the court should appoint, and condemned in costs of suit. Upon his refusal to reproach his understanding, and defile his conscience by a public recantation, he was committed to prison, where, to his great disgrace and unspeakable loss, he remained a long time. Laud was the principal person in procuring this cruel sentence.+ Mr. Ward, having endured the severity of imprisonment for some time, and having at length obtained his release, fled from the storm, and retired to Holland; where he first * Fuller's Worthies, part iii. p. 70, 71. + Hacket's Life of Abp. Williams, p. 95. Edit, 1693. It is observed, that, upon the censure of Mr. Ward, the Bishop of Norwich would have allowed his people another minister; but they would have Mr. Ward, or none.-Rushworth's Collec. vol. ii. p. 301.-Wharton's Troubles of Laud, vol. i. p. 541. became a member of Mr. Bridge's church at Rotterdam, then his colleague in the pastoral office. The two pastors are said, indeed, to have been perfectly conformable to the church of England, when they left their native country; which is contrary to truth and the plainest matter of fact. Also, upon their going to Holland, they are said to have renounced their episcopal ordination, and to have been reordained; when Mr. Bridge ordained Mr. Ward, and Mr. Ward returned him the compliment. This account, however, appears extremely doubtful. After Mr. Ward had been employed for some time as pastor of the church, he was deposed from his office, though manifestly on very trivial grounds. Having been laid aside a considerable time, he was restored to his former charge, on which occasion the church acknowledged the wrong they had done him. Indeed, his deposition was matter of surprise to many, who had the highest opinion of Mr. Ward's integrity and worth. The only crime with which he appears to have been charged, was, his uniting with Mr. Sympson in endeavours, though in the most peaceable manner, to revive the religious exercises or prophesyings; that, for the better edification of the people, they might, after sermons, propose their doubts to the ministers, and ask them questions.+ It was doubtless an honour to the church to restore so valuable a pastor, and to acknowledge the injustice of its own censure. Mr. Ward does not appear to have long survived these painful trials, but died in Holland, most probably about the year 1640. Fuller denominates him "an excellent artist, linguist, preacher, and divine," and includes him in the list of learned writers of Sidney college, Cambridge. He was one of the learned divines who wrote against Montague, the famous promoter of popery and arminianism. He was author of a work, entitled, "Magnetis Reductorium Theologicum." And about the time of his departure for Holland, several of his pieces were collected and published in one thick duodecimo volume, entitled, "A Collection of such Sermons and Treatises as have been written and published by Samuel Ward, B.D. and Preacher of Ipswich," 1636. Dr. Doddridge observes, that his writings are "worthy to be read through. His language is generally proper, elegant, and nervous. His thoughts are well digested and happily illustrated. He * Bailie's Dissuasive, p. 75, 82. + Edwards's Antapologia, p. 143, 149 -Bailie's Dissuasive, p. 77. Fuller's Worthies, part iii. p. 70.-Hist. of Cambridge, p. 154. has many remarkable veins of wit. Many of the boldest figures of speech are to be found in him beyond any English writer; especially apostrophes, prosopopæias, dialogisms, and allegories. There is, indeed, a mixture of fancy in his writings; but pardonable, considering his youth, and that many of his sermons were not prepared by himself for the press, but copied from his mouth while preaching. He died before he was twenty-eight years old. Had he lived, he would probably have been the phoenix of British preachers."+ HENRY ARCHER was minister of Alhallows, Lombardstreet, London; but, on account of his nonconformity, was suspended, and driven out of the kingdom by the cruel. persecution of Archbishop Laud. He retired to Arnheim in Holland, and there became pastor of the English church, having Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Thomas Goodwin for his colleague in the pastoral office. He had, in his own country, been exercised with very much bodily affliction; but his removal proved the means of his complete restoration to health. In this situation he appears to have continued the rest of his days, and died most probably soon after the year 1640. He was an independent in his views of christian discipline and church government. He was also a millenarian in sentiment. He expected Christ's appearance in those days, and wrote of his personal reign upon the earth in a work, entitled, "The Personall Reign of Christ upon Earth. In a Treatise wherein is fully and largely laid open and proved, that Jesus Christ, together with his Saints, shall visibly possess a monarchicall State and Kingdom in the World," 1642. In this work he said, "Christ will govern universally over the world in these days, known and esteemed; and in a worldly, visible, earthly glory, not by tyranny, oppression, and sensuality, but with honour, peace, riches, and whatsoever is not sinful, all nations and kingdoms doing homage to him, as the great monarch of the world." He is charged with having held several * In this the doctor is certainly very much mistaken; for Mr. Ward was lecturer at Haverhil in the year 1607; and therefore must have been a preacher at least thirty years previous to his departure for Holland.Clark's Lives, part i. p. 153, 154. + Doddridge's Works, vol. v. p. 429, 430. Edit. 1804. Prynne's Cant. Doome, p. 373. |