Part 43

“Dec. 4th. Mr. _Matts. Swallowe_ chosen Lecturer in this town, loco Mr. Edm. Caston decd. by M. A. C. C. as far as in ym lieth, _viz._ to preach 2ce every Ld’s day, in forenoon St. Margt. and afteroon at St Nic. and to help to admyn. sact. Ld’s Sup. every common. day, and to preach on ffestival days by turns with Mr. A. as Mr. Caston did, for 100 marks in money, and house, and a letter o’commendation to ye Bp. in his behalf. And this day M A. C. C as far as in ym lies chose Mr. Edm. Caston, son of Mr. E. C. late decd. to be curate St. Margaret’s Church, loco Mr. Matts. Swallowe this day chose into place of Mr. E. C. deed, he to preach every Ld’s day in ye afternoon at St. Margaret’s Church, and to read divine service, and perform other duties of the church as Mr. S. did for 40_l._ a yr. in money, and such ffees and church duties as Mr. S. had, and on such conditions as Mr. S. had the same.”

—again—

“1637, May 12th at request of Mr. John Arrowsmith, B. D, min. and prcher of Word of God St. Nics. chap. K’s Lyn, on account of indisposition of body, and for his convenience, ordrd. ye Wednesday Lector in St. Margt’s shall be translated to St. Nic. chap. till Michs. next”

—again—

“1641, Oct. 8th. Mr. Mayor to treat with Mr. Arrowsmith concerng. a minr. for St. Margt’s church, [in the room of Mr. Gatford] and Mr. Mayor to get some other minr. to preach on Sundays till we can be provided with a min. and they yt preach shall have for every S. 10_s._”

[It appears that the place of minister of St. Nicholas’ was then preferable to that of St. Margaret’s; otherwise Mr. Arrowsmith, no doubt, would have had the offer of the latter]—again—

“1644, Sept 29th. Mr. John A. minister St. Nic. chap, elected to ye Synod, and elected Mr. St. John’s Coll. Cambridge, by ye pliamt: discharged.”

He was succeeded about a fortnight after, by _Mr. Thomas Hoogan_. But Mr Arrowsmith continued long after to be highly respected here, as appears by their applying to him when in want of ministers, and accepting those whom he recommended. Mr. W. Falkner, Fellow of Peter House, came here as late as 1658, upon his recommendation, and that of Dr. _Tuckney_.

{993} We are assured that Dr. Tho. Goodwin, afterwards the memorable president of Magdalen College, Oxford, was at this time lecturer of Trinity Church, and fellow of Catherine Hall, in Cambridge, of which Arrowsmith, who was afterwards successfully invited to Lynn, was then likewise a fellow: there can therefore be no doubt of his being the very person who was now applied to from this town. (See Aikin’s Biography.)

{994} Granger speaks of him as follows—

“_John Goodwin_, minister of Coleman Street, was a man who made more noise in the world than any person of his age, rank, and profession. He had the hardiness to introduce Arminianism among the Calvinists, which he bravely and jealously defended, both in his sermons and writings. It is hard to say whether he displayed more courage in attacking or repelling the enemy. It is certain he had a very powerful body to deal with, as it was said that _he was a man by himself_: _was against every man_, _and had every man almost against him_. His genius seemed to be adapted to polemical divinity, and to an age of faction and tumult. He was appointed by the council of war to attend upon Charles I. a little before his execution. This was deemed an insult upon fallen majesty; as no man more eagerly promoted, or more zealously defended the murder of the king. His discourses and writings on this subject were well remembered at the restoration; but it was also remembered, that he had sown the seeds of division among the sectaries, which is supposed to have saved his life.”

He was educated at Cambridge, and his sermons were much admired for their elegance and erudition. Brit. Biogr. 6. 378.—He died in 1665, aged 72.

{995} Of his matrimonial adventure we have met with the following anecdote—

“The gentlewoman who afterwards was his wife, coming with her two elder sisters to hear him preach at _Hareby_, a village not far from _Bullingbrook_, the clerk, after sermon, insinuating himself into their company, asked them, which of them could like such a man as Mr. H. for a husband? The two elder declared against it, (though they could not but commend his preaching,) and gave their reasons drawn from the poor circumstances ministers’ widows were often left in: but the younger said she should think herself happy if she might have such a man, though she begged her bread with him. This was carried to Mr. H and she became his wife. She survived him [ten years] but never wanted while she lived.” (_Nonconf. Mem._ vol. 2.)

{996} Mr. _Palmer_ dates the commencement of his residence and ministry here in 1647, in which he is mistaken, as appears both from the document above referred to, and also from the old parish-book of South Lynn, which prove beyond all doubt, that he was here in 1646.—The former contains the following curious memoranda—

“Oct. 2. 1646: ord. yt Wedn. 14th be a day set apart for public thanksgiving to God for his so mercifully freeing this town fr ye contagious disease of the _Plague_. Notice to be given to sevl minrs by Mr. ald. John May.—It is this day also agreed and ordered that the sevl. ministers of this Town, viz. _Mr. Almond_, _Mr. Hoogan_, _Mr. Toll_, _Mr. Leech_, and _Mr. Horne_ if he please, shall every one of them be intreated in his turn weekly at the Hour appointed to pray every morning before the Hall here with the company of this House by the space of a quarter of an hour or thereabout; and that every one of the aldermen or comn. Counsell that shall at any time be absent frm. such Prayer shall pay for his respective fine or brogue 6_d._ to the use of the Poor, and yt. ys. order as to the sd. payment of 6_d._ for ye sd. absence from prayer shall be inserted in the Table of ancient orders.”

—again—

“9, Dec. 1646: Whereas _Mr. Almond_, _Mr. Hoogan_, _Mr. Toll_, and _Mr. Leech_, ye now ministers of this Burgh did lately present a Petition unto ys. House concerning an order lately made in ys House for Prayer amongst ourselves by them and _Mr. Horne_: and this day 3 of ym came into this House to desire an answer thereof; which said Petition was now plainly read, wherein were some dark sentences and words not well understood, whereupon ys House hath intreated and nominated _Mr. Hudson_, _Mr. Slany_, _Mr. Bassett_, and _Mr. Wormell_, aldermen; _Mr. Barnard Utber_, _Mr. Williams_, _Mr. Scott_, and _Captain Joshua Greene_, a committe for that purpose, giving ym power forthwith to request all and every the said ministers to meet together, to make explanation of ye sd dark words and sentences; and then to draw up such an answer thereof as they shall conceive fitting, and tender it to this House, that being approved on may be returned in writing.”

—again—

“14. Dec. 1646: Whereas the last Hall day the ministers’ Petition was twice read, and referred to a Committee to consider thereof and certify the several explanations of dark sentences by ye sd ministers. It is ys day upon the report of ye sd. committee ord. that _Mr. Edward Robinson_ shall return this answer to ye sd ministers, that ys House doth adhere to their former vote, mentioned in a former order of ys House.”

{997a} That Mr. Man was settled here as early as 1593 appears from the following passage in the old record already quoted—“1593 Mar. 18. John Man B.A. Bennet Coll. Cambr. chose usher, wages 10_l._ a yr.”—Afterwards we have it noted—“1597, Sept. 26. John Man. _M.A._ eld. M Gr. Sch. loco Nic. Eston M A.”

{997b} “Bartholomew-day (said _Locke_) was fatal to our church and religion, in throwing out a very great number of worthy, learned, pious, and orthodox divines.”

{998} He was doubtless more diligent and laborious in his ministry than any we have here now, or, perhaps, ever had since his time, of any denomination. His memory ought therefore to be revered.

{999} Some of them are controversial, in answer to Dr. Owen, Dr. Kendal, Mr. Grantham, &c. Others are funeral sermons preached at different times, at Lynn and other parts of Norfolk: one is a narrative of the penitent behaviour of _Rose Warne of Lynn_, a condemned malefactor; another is a Farewell to his parishioners at the time of his ejection in 1662; another a _Poem_, entitled _The Divine Wooer_, at the end of which is a long Epitaph drawn up by him for his friend and parishioner, Thomas Lilly, Great Great Grandfather of our Sir Martin Browne Folkes. Most of the rest are pious practical discourses, all very creditable to his memory.—From the _Farewell to his Parishioners_, it appears that the income of his vicarage was 80_l._ a year, equal we suppose to 500_l._ of our money. That income he sacrificed for conscience’ sake.

{1001a} It is not easy to conceive what should deter him from taking orders unless it were that he had some serious scruples as to the terms of ordination, which, to say the least of them, seem to be hard enough of all conscience.

{1001b} At his death he bequeathed his books to the town library: and he also bequeathed a handsome legacy to the corporation, as trustees, to lay out the interest of it in apprenticing poor children; which it is presumed, is still applied to the same benevolent purpose.

{1002a} Who immediately succeeded Mr. Horne, as minister or pastor over his people, seems uncertain. We have heard, a _Mr. Williams_ mentioned as holding that situation previously to the settlement here of the elder _Rastrick_, which seems to have taken place about 1710 or 12. Whether he was here during the whole of the intervening period we cannot say: Nor do we know any thing further of him.

{1002b} The exact number of his publications the present writer has not been able to learn. The following were the titles of some of them—A Commentary on the seven first Chapters of Revelation, 4to London, 1678, pp. 935.—A Call to Repentance, &c. 8vo London, 1682 pp. 438.—Calling and Election: or many called but few chosen. 12mo. Lond. 1674—Needful councel for lukewarm christians, 4to Lond.—The object of love, &c. to the end we may love one another. 12mo. London.

{1003} Dugdale does so repeatedly, in different parts of his works, and so does Parkin, if our memory does not fail us—

“I have seen (says he, in one place) a memorandum wrote by Gybon Goddard Esq. Serjeant at Law and recorder of Lynn, who was a _curious collector of Antiquities_, and died in 1671, wherein he observes that in his time in digging to set down a new sluice a little beneath Magdalen fall, which is about half a mile from Magdalen bridge, on the Marshland side, there was found about 16 foot, within soyle a grave stone of about 8 feet long, and a cart wheel near to it. The grave-stone (he adds) is now in Magdalen Church Yard.”

{1010} They run thus—

“Orders to be observed at the Society when met together—1. That there be a meeting of the several members every Lord’s day evening, after divine service, for religious conference, to be managed in manner following, viz. One of the Stewards with the whole society kneeling, to read the Collect for the second Sunday in Advent, adding thereunto any particular Collect according to his discretions (but he shall make choice of no other but those appointed for Sundays and holidays) and if a chapter be read out of the N. Test, then the Society to discourse of the contents of that chapter, aiming thereby each to improve himself in the undertaking thereof, and in the more lively application thereof to his own heart and conscience, and to render the influence more powerful to the mind both of himself and his brethren.—That every member at his going away, according to his ability, put what he please into the poor-box, which is heartily wished may be done not grudgingly or of necessity, but with joy and alacrity, for God loveth a cheerful giver: After which to conclude with two Collects, one of the Steward’s choice, and the last to be that in the Communion Service, (_Prevent us O Lord_, _&c._) Moreover, beside the forementioned general method of reading and discoursing the scriptures in order, any member hath the liberty to raise any argument of a spiritual or religious nature, provided it be not above our reach and capacity, nor leading to doubtful disputations, but such as may conduce to general benefit and advantage, to counselling the doubtful, and instructing the ignorant, confirming the weak, and encouraging one another to run with patience the race that is set before us. But matters of controversy to be avoided, especially state affairs, as not belonging to us, who pretend to be instructed by that grace of God that teacheth us to be holy without blame before him in love. Wherefore upon deliberate consideration, reflecting upon the confusions and distractions that have been raised by societies on such occasions, it is ordered with full consent, that whosoever shall pretend to start any thing of debate or controversy concerning state affairs, after the first or second admonition, shall be excluded from the society: also all discourse of matters of trade, or other temporal concerns to be forborne.—2_ndly_, that every respective member shall have liberty to recommend an object of charity to the Stewards, to whom a satisfactory account being given of the particular circumstances of those unto whom they, with the consent of the rest of the society, or the greater part of them, shall give out of the aforesaid collections as necessity shall require.—3_rdly_, That every one that is absent from the society at their meeting together, if on a frivolous occasion, such as shews any backwardness to attend, or a mean and slight esteem for the society in conformity to these rules and orders, shall incur the penalty of 6_d._ to be paid into the bank for defraying the necessary charges of the society, for the convenience of meeting; and if a Steward, one shilling: but if any person’s absence appears to be involuntary, as from a master’s restraint upon a servant, or otherwise, not proceeding from sloth or backwardness, a sufficient answer being given to the Steward who shall enquire the cause, the said answer shall suffice for his absence: but if any one be absent four times together without a very sufficient cause, he is to be looked upon as dissaffected to the society until he gives the Stewards satisfactory reasons for his said _absence_.—4_thly_, That upon the Lord’s day next before Whitsunday there shall be an _election of Stewards_ for the year ensuing, to be made in manner following, viz. Every member of the Society to put into a bason two tickets, whereon are written the names of the two persons he desires may be stewards: that is to say, the one name on the one, and the other on the other, each of the present stewards to have duplicate votes, each putting in four tickets, having on two of them the names of the one, and on the other two the names of the other person they prefer for stewards: then the tickets being told over by the old stewards, those two persons whose names are written on the greatest number of tickets are the Stewards elect; and if at any time an equality shall happen, then the determination to be made by lot.—5_thty_, That for the admitting a new member into the Society it is requisite to be introduced by one of the members, who is to accompany him into the Society at their usual meeting, where giving an account of the knowledge he hath of his life and conversation, if approved of by the Stewards and the rest of the Society, the rules and orders to be read to him; and after _one month_, if none of the society make objection against it, he is to be admitted, by subscribing his name to these rules and orders, expressing his approbation of them and resolution to live up to them.—6_thly_, That six times a year every member meet at St. Margaret’s Church to take the holy sacrament together, extent upon unavoidable hinderance.—7_thly_, That the major part of the society shall upon any necessary occasion have power to make a new rule or order with the approbation of a minister of the Church of England, which shall be equally binding with the present upon every member of the Society.—8_thly_, That the rules and orders be read over at least six times every year at the usual meeting of the Society, and every member have liberty to take a copy thereof.—9_thly_, That the person who hath the greatest number of lots next the Stewards, shall be deputy in the absence of one of the Stewards.—_These are the Rules and Orders of a Religious Society in King’s Lynn_, _under the patronage of the reverend Doctor Littel_, _Anno Domini_ 1704.”

The author has more materials relating to this remarkable society, but what has been here given throws a sufficient light upon its character and its objects. Such a society in every parish would be no way dangerous to either church or state.

{1015a} It must not here be concealed, that his reputed heterodoxy, especially in regard to the Athanasian trinity, might also be among the causes, if it was not indeed the very chief cause of his failure in the point of ecclesiastical preferment. That he was decidedly averse to Athanasianism, and made no secret of that aversion, is very well known; a remarkable instance of which was related by his son Dr. Edmd. Pyle in a letter to one of his female friends, dated August 4. 1747; a copy of which has fallen into the hands of the present writer. The passage alluded to is as follows—

“My F—r has been excessive hoarse and stuffed and oppressed on the lungs, and after physic had in vain attempted his relief, he went abroad, the weather being fine, to view his new ch—h, {1015b} where they are putting up a magnificent p—lp—t, as the finishing stroke. There the sight of the Tr—ty in Un—ty emblematically displayed in the front pannel of the said p—l—p—t put him into such a passion, that you would have sworn, that with distemper and indignation he must have been suffocated: but G—d be praised nature got the better both of the m—st—y and the disease, and the conflict produced, what medicines could not, a free and large expectoration, which was succeeded by a fit of as clear and audible raving, as a man would wish to hear from a sound protestant divine, on so provoking an occasion.”

This letter-writer to be sure was an arch and wicked dog; but there can be no doubt of his statement being founded on fact: and when it is considered how their reputed heterodoxy affected Clarke, Whiston, and others of Pyle’s eminent contemporaries, it will not appear very strange that his rewards were not equal to his merits, or that his preferments were few and inconsiderable.

{1015b} This was St. Margaret’s then rebuilt.

{1017} The correspondence between these two eminent men did not close here. It is certain that some letters afterwards passed between them, as appears from the fragment of Mr. Pyle’s answer to one he had received from the primate, and which reads thus—

“I no sooner received the great favour of your Grace’s kind and good Letter than I wrote to the person intimated therein, and deferred my dutiful answer to it no longer than till I was enabled to acquaint you with his truly filial reply, that he should never find greater pleasure than that of complying with every desire of a father, and the honorable friends of that father.—Meantime I am sorry for the ill state of my friend _C—st—l_, which gives occasion to this affair. I loved the man: my Sons honoured him much. I thank your Grace for your very good remembrance of me and my Sou. Age, my Lord, confines me at home, when yet good providence blesses me with eyes and faculties, still enabling me to read, and even to preach once a day generally. I read every thing and make use of the glorious prerogative of private judgment, the birth-right of protestants. I pass free sentiment upon _Mddltn_, and on all his opponents stronger or weaker. So I shall upon what he is going to say on the only piece of that great man of L— that ever gave me pleasure.—I read _Disquisitions_, and when I’ve done fall to my prayers and wishes, that the good thing desired may be put into the hands of the able, knowing, and impartial, that no church-_tinkers_ may be suffered to mend some few holes and leave others open, at which some vital part of the noble christian scheme may run out and be lost. But no wish of mine is so ardent as that your Grace may live with that excellent [mind {1018}] of _Tlltsn_, which is in you, to preside in, to direct this same good thing, and bring it to perfection.”

Of the residue of this letter we know nothing: this part of it sufficiently shews whereabout Mr. P. and the Primate stood as to the points afterwards agitated in the _Confessional &c._ This epistle is supposed to have been written about 1753, three years before the death of Mr. P. and four years before that of the Abp. than whom it does not appear that a worthier prelate ever occupied the See of Canterbury.

{1018} There is a word wanting here in the MS. Copy, which probably was _mind_ or _spirit_; alluding it is supposed to Tillotson’s liberal mindedness, and wish to get rid of the Athanasian Creed, &c.

{1020} Something is here wanting; _vacate_ perhaps or _relinquish_.

{1021} The same MS. volume, or Collection, from which the above has been taken, contains the following curious fragment or P.S. of a letter of the date of 1742 from the same respectable prelate, to the same correspondent, as we presume, for it has no superscription.—

“I find by the direction of one of your correspondents, whose hand and head I guess at, how great a man a C—n of S— must be, that his titles must follow him into all countries. The other, whose hand and head I pretty well know, has more sense than to adorn the outside of his letters in that manner.—I remember a story of a clergyman of great form in _Surry_, who directed a post letter to _Abp. Sancroft_—_To his Grace_, _my Lord Abp. of Canterbury_, _Primate of all England and Metropolitan_:—which letter a man famous for imitating hands happened to see brought to the post-office at _Epsom_, and finding a little room left after the word _metropolitan_, added the words _to boot_, which caused great wrath in old Sancroft, and a thorough reprimand to the poor man next time he appeared at _Lambeth_, who could not distinguish the addition from his own hand. B. W.”

{1024} Of those letters of his which have fallen in this writer’s way all are of a date posterior to his removal from this town, except that which contains the account of the contested election in 1747, of which we have already given large extracts.—Of the rest the most remarkable is dated 24. July 1756, at Chelsea, where the Bp. of Winchester has a town house, with whom he then resided as his chaplain. Who his correspondent was does not appear; but he writes to him as follows—