THOMAS

HOMAS TAYLOR was born at Richmond in Yorkshire, of worthy and godly parents: His father was recorder of that town, and a very Gaius or Onesiphorus to the silenced ministers of England, and to the exiled ministers of Scotland. He brought up several sons to the ministry. This son of his was a child trained up in the holy Scriptures, which are able to make wise to salvation. Afterward, as age came on, he was well grounded in other learning, and was sent to Cambridge, where he became fellow of Christ's college. He was there most laborious in the study of tongues, arts, sciences, and all sorts of exercises about them; and especially in divinity, which was his profession. For a time he was Hebrew reader to the college. Being soon ripe, he entered into the ministry at the age of one-and-twenty years.

In Queen Elizabeth's time, he was called to preach at Paul's Cross, and preached the sermon there in King James's time.

In the course and work of his ministry, he spent thirtyfive years, with all diligence and painfulness, even to the very end, when by right he might have spared himself; living in all sincerity and godly pureness, with entire love of souls, with all watchfulness, with meekness, and wonderfully quickened with zeal. He was an utter enemy of popery, arminianism, antimonianism, and other sects which crept up in those times, as appeareth partly by his writings. Amidst all his solid discourses, he was an excellent and ready orator, and wound up his matter with a good application, even when at times it was but ordinary. And from this course he would scarce suffer himself to be withdrawn, at any time, to refresh his spirits by a little freedom. Yea, sometimes when he was drawn forth into the country for recreation, by the soli citation of God's people, he escaped not without his usual burden: Or he spent his vacant time in preparing books for the press, which were both many and very useful. And men of understanding observed a great seal put to his ministry, in several places whereto he was called: Some were converted, others confirmed, others

comforted

comforted in the way of GOD: And in those times of division, wherein many professors have turned into byways, those that were his constant hearers continued in that way stedfast and unshaken in faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. At Reading there was a generation of young preachers, who, under his ministry, grew up in knowledge and holiness, and some eminency of gifts, profiting by him and his pains there; as also in the city of London, and at Cambridge.

Neither was he altogether for the public, but pious in private; and not only in the course of his family, but in keeping fasts among the godly of the place, which in those days was rather a dangerous exercise. And, to make them solid professors indeed, he put them upon a weekly way of handling catechetical points of divinity; that is, every week to confer of one of the heads of religion, according to the catechism subjoined to Mr. Dod's Treatise on the Commandments, still proving the doctrines by testimonies of Scripture. For other personal qualifications, he was a man full of love, alms-deeds, and merciful consideration of the needy, though not with a trumpet. And he was a man blessed of GoD with all the blessings of wisdom, Prov. iii. 16. Length of days, riches and honour.

In this holy and blessed course, he drew on towards his end. It was his climacterical year of fifty-six, and the year of our Lord 1632. Having over-laboured himself with preaching in the city,, he betook himself to his country house at Isleworth, to be a little refreshed. But having inflamed and corrupted his blood by preaching, be soon fell into his mortal disease, a pleurisy; for curing whereof, though no means were wanting, yet the desired effect (through the counsel of GoD) followed not. In the beginning of his sickness he set his house in order most holily, and as became so worthy a father, and then hade farewell to all, as one thoroughly prepared for his departure; full of faith and patience, and joy iu the Holy Ghost: careful of the welfare of the church at home, then in danger to be corrupted; grieved for the evils he knew in some men's dealings. He thus expressed his joy in GoD, and in the conquest of Christ:

Oh, (said he) we serve a good Lord, who covers all "imperfections, and gives great wages for little work; "and in mercy he hath provided for me some of the great"est." He used other holy speeches, full of faith and joy, which his infirmity would not suffer him to utter

perfectly.

perfectly. In this manner he languished by degrees, and at last, on the Lord's Day, being the usual day of his principal labours, he was dismissed of all, and went to keep a perpetual Sabbath in heaven, where now he resteth from his labours, and his works follow him, even a full reward in endless glory, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither can enter into the heart of man to conceive, what those things are which God hath prepared for

them that love him.

Mr. Leigh calls him a solid and judicious divine,' and gives us this short list of his WORKS:

"There are divers useful treatises of his published: A Comment on Titus, and the Twelfth Chapter of the Revelation:

A book in folio, containing divers Tracts:

And other Treatises mentioned in the late catalogue of divinity books."

WILLIAM AMES, D. D.

IN the Christian church, some of its ministers are appointed to gather in the flock, others to feed and nourish it; some to guide by the still waters of grace, others to guard against the incursions of the foe; some to build up in the truths of the Gospel, others to maintain and fight for those truths against the attacks of error. Of this last kind was our learned divine, who was famous for his controversial writings, but much more so abroad than in his native country; for he lived many years in foreign parts, and there ended his days. He was descended from an ancient family in Norfolk, where he was born in the year 1576.

He was educated at Christ-church college, Cambridge, under the famous Mr. William Perkins, by whom, probably, he was brought to the knowledge of the truth, as it is in Jesus. He seems to have been zealous in the maintainance of it, and vehement against every species of sin, and particularly against the corruptions and idolatry of the church of Rome. A remarkable instance of his zeal, in this respect, is given by Dr. Fuller, in his History of the University of Cambridge. • Mr. Ames (says he) was preaching (about the year 1610) at

St. Mary's,

St. Mary's, or, to use his own expression, " having "the place of a watchman for an hour in the tower of "the university," took occasion to inveigh against the liberty taken at that time, especially in those colleges which had Lords of Misrule, a pagan relique, which, he said, as Polydore Virgil observed, remains only in England. Hence he proceeded to condemn all playing at cards and dice, affirming that the latter in all ages was accounted the device of the devil; and that, as GOD invented the one-and-twenty letters whereof he made the Bible, the devil found out the one-andtwenty spots on the die; that canon-law forbade the < use thereof, seeing, Inventio diaboli nullá consuetudine 6 potest validari. His sermon (continues Mr. Fuller) 'gave great offence to many of his auditors, the rather because in him there was a concurrence of much nonconformity, insomuch that, to prevent an expulsion from Dr. Val. Cary, the master, he forsook the college, which proved unto him neither loss nor disgrace, being chosen afterwards, by the States of Friesland, Professor of their University.' In 1613, his Dispute with Grevinchovius, Minister at Rotterdam, appeared in print. He was at the Synod of Dort in 1618, and informed King James's ambassador from time to time of the debates of that assembly.

When he had been twelve years in the doctor's chair at Franeker, he resigned his professorship, and accepted of an invitation to the English congregation at Rotterdam, the air of Franeker being too sharp for him, as he was troubled with a great difficulty of breathing. Upon his removal to Rotterdam, he wrote his Fresh Suit against Ceremonies, but did not live to publish it himself; for his constitution was so shattered, that the air of Holland did him no service. He had determined to remove to New England; but his asthma returning at the beginning of the winter, put an end to his life at Rotterdam, where he was buried on the 14th of November 1633. He was (to use the words of Mr. Leigh) a judicious and solid divine, a strict Calvinist in doctrine, and of the persua sion of the independents with regard to the subordination and power of the classes and Synods.

In the same year he died, the last book he wrote above mentioned was published. The editor informs us, That with the coming forth of this book into the light, the learned and famous author, Dr. Ames, left the light or ⚫ darkness rather of this world. And though his name

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in this controversy was hitherto concealed, yet that which was generally but imagined before, (that the Reply," and this "Fresh Suit," to Dr. Burgess's Rejoinder, were his work) is now certainly known to be his; it pleads truth succinctly and perspicuously, as indeed his vein in all his writings and discourses did most admirably lead him to do: That he shewed him'self a pattern of holiness, a burning and shining light, a lamp of learning and arts, a champion of truth, especially while he was, for the space of twelve years at least, in the doctor's chair at Franeker.'

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After this advertisement follows a copper print of him, in a little black silk cap, thin piqued beard, ruff about his neck, and a cloak over his shoulder. The inscription round it mentions him to be fifty-seven years of age when he died. On the back of this picture is a testimony by S. O. asserting, That the Doctor's books are famous in all Europe; upon which many have come to him out ' of Hungary, Poland, Prussia, and Flanders, to be edu'cated, as sundry students in our land can testify: And I myself, and divers others have heard them affirm, they would not have stayed there, but for the liking they had of him.'

The WORKS of Dr. Ames are as follow:

I. Sermons preached at St. Mary's in Cambridge; but when or where printed, is not known. II. Puritanismus Anglicanus, octavo, 1610. And in English, at London, quarto, 1641, containing the chief doctrines of the Puritans. III. Disputatio scholastica inter Nic. Grevinchovium et Gul. Amesium, &c. octavo, Amsterdam, 1613, concerning Arminius's Opinions of Election, &c. IV. Disputatio inter Amesium et N. Grevinchovium, &c. Rotterdam, octavo, 1615. Lugd. Bat. 1617, 1633, &c. About Reconciliation by the Death of Christ, &c. V. Coronis ad collationem Hagiensem, duodecimo, Lugd. Bat. 1618, 1628, 1630: confuting the Answers given by the Arminians to the Dutch Pastors. VI. Medulla Theologica, duodecimo, Franeker, 1623. Amsterdam, 1627, 1628, 1634, 1641. Also in English, London, duodecimo. VII. Explicatio utriusque Epistola S. Petri, duodecimo, Amsterdam, 1625, 1635. The same in English, London, quarto. VIII. De incarnatione Verbi, octavo, Franeker, 1626, against the Socinians. IX. Bellarminus enervatus, &c. octavo, Amsterdam, 1627, 1628. Oxon, 1629. London, 1633, &c. An excellent Treatise against Popery. X. De conscientia, &c. duodecimo, Amsterdam, 1630,