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London, notice was brought into the church, that some troopers were at the gates to apprehend me; but being taken a back way to Water-hall, I escaped.—When preaching at Shadwell, near Leeds, for Mr. Hardcastle, at that time in prison for nonconformity, a bailiff from Leeds, having another man with him, looked in at the window and said, I have nothing to do with this man. He made great inquiries after the name of the preacher, and desired several persons to step to the pulpit for information: but they all refused. Being told of this at the conclusion of service, I went on to the afternoon's work, before the congregation had dispersed. When singing was begun, the bailiffs went off, saying, let us leave them merry: so we enjoyed our liberty that day."

From various circumstances already related, it appears Mr. H. was a child of special providence: this opinion receives additional confirmation from the following short narrative of an event, that transpired between the time of his ejectment and the close of this period. "While I was musing, and pondering how to get my rent discharged, and had no way, at this time, but to borrow it, there came a dear friend to me, and brought me £5. which did furnish me with an overplus besides my rent. It was a seasonable present, sent to me by a liberal hand; yet I own God chiefly in it, who cares for me, as in this and several other experiences is evident. O what a sweet thing is the life of faith! That is a perfumed gift, which thus comes from God as a token of love, after the actings of faith in prayer. How good is God to me! I live nobly, and am so far from wanting, that I have all and abound; and where supplies fail one way, God makes them up another. Many times I expect most where I am most disappointed, and help comes in from quar

ters where I had least reason to look for any; but this I may say, 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want:' and hitherto God hath helped me.'

• This narration corresponds in so many particulars with an anecdote in the "Life of O. Heywood," by the late Dr. Fawcett, that reference is probably made to the same event, only this is Mr. Heywood's relation of the fact, and the other is the account handed down by tradition. Among the numerous private MSS. of Mr. H. still in preservation, and which have been carefully and minutely examined, no allusion is made to such an event, except in the above extract. Dr. Fawcett says: "The little stock of money was quite exhausted, the family provisions were entirely consumed, and Martha could lend no more assistance from the little savings of former days. Mr. H. still trusted that God would provide; when he had nothing but the divine promise to live upon, he said,

"When cruise and barrel both are dry,

We still will trust in God Most High.'

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When the children began to be impatient for want of food, Mr. H. called his servant, and said to her, Martha, take a basket, and go to Halifax ; call upon Mr. N. the shopkeeper, in Northgate, and tell him, I desire him to lend me five shillings: if he will be kind enough to do it, buy us some cheese, some bread, and such other little things as you know we most want; and be as expeditious as you can, for the poor children begin to be fretful for want of something to eat. Put on your hat and cloak, and the Lord give you good speed; in the meantime, we will offer up our requests to him who feeds the young ravens when they cry, and who knows what we have need of before we ask him.' Martha observed her master's directions; but when she came near the house where she was ordered to beg the loan of five shillings, through timidity and bashfulness, her heart failed her. She passed by the door again and again, without having courage to go in and tell her errand. At length, Mr. N. standing at his shop-door, and seeing Martha in the street, called her to him, and said, 'Are not you Mr. Heywood's servant?' When she had, with an anxious heart, answered in the affirmative, he added, I am glad I have this opportunity of seeing you; some friends at M-, have remitted to me five guineas for your master, and I was just thinking how I could contrive to send it.' Martha burst into tears, and, for some time, could not utter a syllable. The necessities of the family, their trust in Providence, the seasonableness of the supply, and a

It was in this year, (1565) that the plague broke out in London, which carried off above 100,000 persons. The clergy belonging to the London churches, mostly forsook their parishioners in this season of extremity; but several of the ejected ministers, who had till now laboured only in private, influenced by a tender compassion for the souls of their suffering fellow-men, occupied the deserted pulpits, and hastened at every call to visit the pestilential chambers of the sick and dying, to administer the consolations of the gospel, or pluck the departing spirit as a brand out of the fire. They preached, and prayed, and exhorted with the zeal of martyrs, and the people listened to their ministry as in the near approach of eternity. The power of God was remarkably displayed in their preservation in the midst of deaths, and his grace was gloriously illustrated in the success of their exertions. Yet while those holy men were thus employed, the parliament, assembled at Oxford, was preparing greater hardships for the Nonconformists, as will appear from the sequel.

variety of other ideas breaking in upon her mind at once, quite overpowered her. At length, she told Mr. N. upon what errand she came, but that she had not courage to ask him to lend her poor master money. The tradesman could not but be affected with the story, and told Martha to come to him when the like necessity should press upon them, at any future time. She made haste to procure the necessary povisions, and, with a heart lightened of its burden, ran home to tell the success of her journey."

PART IV.

The Five-mile Act-Soliloquy-Mr. Heywood's Banishment from Home-His frequent Journeys, Labours, and Dangers-The Fire of London-Mr. Heywood's second Marriage-Various Journeys-Occasional preaching at Coley Chapel-Preservation and Labours continued-Sickness-Recovery, and renewed Labours -Severities increased-Reasons for preaching at his own HouseImprisonment at Leeds-The Conventicle Act revised and enlarged -Mr. Heywood fined for preaching at Coley Chapel-The spoiling of his Goods-Reproach for the Truth-Hazardous Labours -Divine Enjoyments in Private-Observance of Bartholomew's Day-Self-examination and Covenant-Remarkable Providence.

THE Nonconformist ministers were driven from the places in which they had laboured, by the Act of Uniformity, and they were prevented from exercising their ministry publicly, by the Conventicle Act; but their distress was partially mitigated, by the kindness of their former hearers, by the pleasure they enjoyed in teaching them from house to house, and by their domestic comforts in dwelling with their own families. Such, however, was the spirit of persecution which then prevailed, that, because these excellent men would not violate their consciences by perjury, nor in their worship comply with the mandates of bigotted ecclesiastics, they were, by an English parliament, pronounced unworthy to partake of the common blessings of social life. While the plague was raging in the city of London, and the judgments of an offended God were threatening the nation, an act was passed to prevent Nonconformist ministers, except in passing on

the road, from coming within five miles of any parish, town, or place wherein they had acted as ministers, or within five miles of any city, town corporate, or borough, upon forfeiture for every such offence, of the sum of £40; one-third to the king, another to the poor, and the remaining third to the prosecutor. The only means by which the rigours of this act could be avoided, was by taking the following oath: “I, A. B, do swear, that it is not lawful, upon any pretence whatsoever, to take arms against the king: and I do abhor the traitorous position, of taking arms by his authority against his person, or against those that are commissioned by him, in pursuance of such commission: and that I will not at any time endeavour any alteration of the government, either in church or state." The Nonconformist ministers were in general as loyal as most of his majesty's subjects, many of them had suffered in his cause, and they were willing to obey his authority in civil concerns; but to swear they would not, at any time, endeavour any alteration in the government of the church, was to renounce their nonconformity. When this act came out, those ministers who had any private property, settled in some obscure village or market town, that was not a corporation; whilst those who had nothing for their support but what they received from their people, were obliged to leave their wives and children, and wander from place to place, among those who were willing to entertain them, coming home occasionally in the dead of the night, to visit their families. The design of this act was to drive the ministers away from their kind neighbours, who pitied and relieved them, and thus by poverty, and pinching hunger force them to compliance; but the scheme totally failed, for the cruelty of this severe law raised them up friends wherever they went. Their

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