MEMOIRS

OF THE

REVEREND OLIVER HEYWOOD, B.A.

PART THE FIRST.

Heywood Family-Birth of O. Heywood-His religious Convictions -Pious Education-Early Attachment to the Ministry-Entrance at the University-Spiritual Privileges there-Religious Society at Cambridge-Return Home-Settlement at Coley.

THE pre-eminent usefulness, which in almost every age distinguishes a few highly honoured individuals, furnishes ample scope for the pen of the biographer; for however closely they may imitate Him, who did not cause "his voice to be heard in the street;" their agency employed in producing the moral changes of a widely extended sphere cannot escape observation. When men have possessed a diversity of talents, which has occasioned a general interest in their favour, or when in the course of their lives, remarkable incidents have occurred, or when amidst dangers they have been peculiarly guarded, and wonderfully rescued by gracious and signal interpositions of Providence, biography in giving a portrait of them becomes interesting. The Rev. O. HEYWOOD comes before the public, with no ordinary advantages. The eventful period in which he lived, and the singular piety with which report has

adorned his character, as well as the unwearied efforts which, it is known, he made to do good, and the extensive usefulness which attended his exertions through the whole of his course, have created a predilection for him, and make it a gratifying task to trace his origin, and sketch the circumstances of his life.

"It is possible,” says the pious subject of this memoir, "that we have sprung from some younger branch of the house of Heywood, of Heywood Hall, an ancient esquire's seat between Rochdale and Bury; for Mr. Robert Heywood, whom I knew, a pious, reverend, old gentleman, and an excellent poet, was wont to call my father cousin: but kinship grew out in process of time; and it is not very material of what family we are, so that we be of the household of faith, and have God for our father, Christ for our elder brother, and grace flowing in our spiritual veins, disposing us to act for God." If he could not boast of descent from the great and noble of the earth, he could rejoice in the number of his relations distinguished for their piety. His grandfather, Oliver Heywood, after whom he was named, "was renowned for his zeal, meekness, humility, love, and growth in grace;" though not brought to a saving acquaintance with the gospel before the sixtieth year of his age. His father and mother, Richard and Alice Heywood, were both esteemed truly pious before marriage, and were much influenced by their attachment to true godliness in their choice of each other. It was a great privilege to be the son of such parents, and a great honour to be the parents of such a son. They had nine children; John, who died in infancy, Hannah, Mary, John, Esther, Oliver, Alice, Nathaniel, and Josiah. Oliver Heywood was born March, 1629, in Little Lever, in the parish of Bolton, and was baptized at the parish

church, the 29th of the same month. Respecting his birth-place, he observes: "it hath long been famous for glorious professors of the gospel, and powerful preachers; and I take it as one of the great mercies of my life, that my nativity was in Goshen, under the star of Jacob's special influence."*

When a child, though under considerable restraints in his father's house, he complains of having indulged his depraved nature in sinful acts when he had opportunity. "When, says he, one of my sisters found fault with me for profane swearing, I replied, 'I had not sworn so much as a neighbour's child with whom I used to play;' so foolish was I, and ignorant. How fond was I of trifles! how backward to good exercises! how forward to sinful practices! how easily led to follow bad examples! I may say, 'childhood and youth are vanity; yea, next akin to brutish stupidity and atheistical blasphemy. When I was a child, I spake as a child;' yea, rather like a devil incarnate. O the desperate wickedness of my deceitful heart!" But God, who had designs of mercy towards him, did not give him up to follow the corrupt inclinations of his heart. His pious parents, who kept a watchful and affectionate eye over him, frequently by love and awe checked his progress in sin, and these endeavours on their part were succeeded by powerful convictions of conscience from the Spirit of God. "Though some," he remarks, "can make punctual and particular state

* The names of George Marsh and John Bradford have long been distinguished among the first and warmest friends of the Reformation in England, and occupy no mean rank in the noble army of martyrs. Thomas Lever, an eloquent and popular preacher in the reign of Edward VI, was the faithful companion of their lives, though not a fellow-sufferer with them in death. The two former were born in the adjoining parishes, and the lastmentioned in the same township as Mr. Heywood.

ments of the method, time, manner, and means of their regeneration, yet for my own part, I cannot give any such account of circumstances; though I am fully satisfied the Lord hath been at work with my soul both in childhood and since. Many a time have I gone alone and been distressed, then I have fallen off again to carelessness; but being awakened after backslidings, I have been so perplexed in spirit, that I have walked in the fields, sought where to weep, being ready to roar out in the bitterness of my soul, keeping up usually secret prayer and other duties. How often have I thought my condition in some respects to be worse than that of birds and beasts, trees and stones, because by sin, I am subject to eternal misery, of which they are not capable! Sometimes I durst not pray, lest I should take God's name in vain. Thus I have had my inward troubles from fears and doubts. That which hath put me to a sad stand in my self-examining work hath been, lest all those shakings should be the fruit of education and the common workings of the Spirit." These fears are the common experience of many who have been favoured with early religious instruction. Mr. Heywood was much encouraged under them, by hearing persons of whose conversion he was fully satisfied making the same complaints, by comparing his present experience and conduct with the past, and a persuasion that a man's safety does not depend on his being able to ascertain the precise period of his regeneration, but on his conformity to the image of Christ.

It was his happiness to have a mother willing and able to instruct him in the important concerns of his soul, and he thus affectionately and gratefully records her spiritual care over him: "I do with thankfulness to God remember that many a time my dear mother

did zealously and familiarly press upon me truths of the greatest concern: as the preciousness of the soulthe misery of man by nature-the necessity of conversion-the brevity of life-and the importance of eternity. She used to take me along with her to hear Mr. Horrocks of Dean Church, Mr. Harrison of Walmsley, Mr. Johnson of Ellinborough, and sometimes to Denton, to hear Mr. Angier. I confess I took much delight in waiting upon her abroad, but what my ends were I cannot tell, yet this I believe, that God disposed of it for much good to my poor soul." Being expected to give an account of the sermons he heard, he was accustomed to take notes at the time of preaching, and when his notes and memory failed, he looked to his kind mother for help. Sometimes she would converse with him when returning home, on the subject they had been hearing. By these means he was early habituated to pay attention to God's word, and early impressions of divine truth were made on his mind. How much he felt himself indebted to his pious mother as the instrument of his conversion, may be learned from what he says in her life, which he afterwards wrote: "I may say, I owe much to her as the instrument under God, of that saving good I at first received; and I hope I shall never forget the instructions of a mother." When only fourteen years of age, he was admitted into the company of some religious persons, among whom were several young people, who met once a fortnight during the winter evenings for spiritual conference and prayer, and at those meetings he was called on in his turn to exercise his gifts. Like Nicodemus, he evaded publicity as much as possible, lest he should meet with reproach from some of his former associates; but he received great encouragement from his parents and others. About this time, he first par

1