§ 10. He went unto the immortals, in the month of April, 1677, about the eighty second year of his age; and after he had lived all his days a single man, but a great part of his days engaged in apocalyptical studies, he went unto the apocalyptical virgins, who "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes." He was a person of a most extensive charity, which grain of his temper might contribute to that largeness in his principles about church-government, which exposed him unto many temptations amongst his neighbours, who were not so principled. He would, indeed, express himself dissatisfied at the edge which there was in the writings of his father against the Bishops; and he did himself write a preface unto a book, whereupon Mr. Charles Chancey bestowed a short answer, which begins with this shorter censure: "Let it not be an offence to any Christian that there hath been found one like to Urijah the priest, that would set up the altar of Damascus among us, to thrust out the brazen altar of the Lord's institution; viz: Mr. Thomas Parker, who has published a book, pleading for Episcopacy; wherein is found, Iwλos λalıgwv, a colt kicking against his dam.” Such a difference in apprehension, and in affection too, did on that occasion discover it self between those good men, who are now joyfully met, Ubi Luthi Luthero cum Zuinglio, optime jam Convenit.* Yet the alienation between them was not so great as that between Theoclus and Pollinis, who, being burnt in one funeral fire, after they had killed one another, the very flame of that fire divided it self; the flame of their funeral fire would not be united. Chancey and Parker are united in our church-history; the funeral respects which are here paid unto both of them, agree very well together. Now, That which the learned, pious, and sweet-spirited Bucholtzer provided for himself, we will now assign unto this our sweet-spirited Parker (who spent his life much in chronological studies, like that great Bucholtzer,) for an ЕРІТАРН. Hic, Pie Christie! Tuo recubat quæsita cruore, AN APPENDIX. CONTAINING MEMOIRS OF MR. JAMES NOYES. WHEN we had thus finished our Memoirs of .Mr. Parker, our second thoughts told us, that some of Mr. Noyes must accompany them. Sending therefore to my excellent friend, Mr. Nicholas Noyes, the present • Where now for Luther to commune in Zingle is the joy of both. + JESUS! thy lamb, blood-purchased, on thy breast Is sweetly sleeping-in confiding rest; Soon, soon to hear, in heavenly accents told, minister of Salem, for some account concerning a person so nearly related unto him, he favoured me with the following relation. And though he were pleased in his letters to tell me, "that he had sent me only a rude immethodical jumble of things, intending that I should serve my occa sions out of them, for a composition of my own," yet I find that I shall not give my readers a better satisfaction, any way, than by transcribing the words of my friend. The account, in his own words, is too elegant and expressive to need any alteration: "Mr. James Noyes was born, 1608, at Choulderton in Wiltshire, of godly and worthy parents. His father was minister of the same town, a very learned man, the school-master of Mr. Thomas Parker. His mother was sister to the learned Mr. Robert Parker, and he had much of his education and tutorage under Mr. Thomas Parker. He was called by him from Brazen-Nose-College in Oxford, to help him in teaching the free school at Newberry; where they taught school together till the time they came to New-England. He was converted in his youth by the ministry of Dr. Twiss and Mr. Thomas Parker, and was admired for his piety and his vertue in his younger years. The reason of his coming to New-Eng land was, because he could not comply with the ceremonies of the Church of England. He was married in England to Mrs. Sarah Brown, the eldest daughter of Mr. Joseph Brown, of Southampton, not long before he came to New-England, which was in the year 1634. In the same ship came Mr. Thomas Parker, Mr. James Noyes, and a younger brother of his, Mr. Nicholas Noyes, who then was a single man; between which three was more than ordinary endearment of affection, which was never shaken or broken but by death. Mr. Parker and Mr. James Noyes, and others that came over with them, fasted and prayed together many times before they undertook this voyage; and on the sea Mr. Parker and Mr. Noyes preached or expounded, one in the forenoon, the other in the afternoon, every day during the voyage, unless some extraordinary thing intervened, and were abundant in prayer. "When they arrived, Mr. Parker was at first called to preach at Ipswich, and Mr. Noyes at Mistick, at which places they continued nigh a year. He had a motion made unto him to be minister at Watertown; but Mr. Parker and others of his brethren and acquaintance, settling at Newberry, and gathering the tenth of the churches in the colony, and calling Mr. Noyes to be the teacher of it, he preferred that place; being lothe to be separated from Mr. Parker, and brethren that had so often fasted and prayed together, both in England and on the Atlantic sea. So he became the teacher of that church, and continued painful and suecessful in that station something above twenty years, without any considerable trouble in the church. Notwithstanding his principles, as to discipline, were something differing from many of the brethren, there was such condescension on both parts, that peace and order was not interrupted. He was very much loved and honoured in Newberry; his memory is precious there to this day, and his catechism (which is a publick and standing testimony of his understanding and orthodoxy in the principles of religion) is publickly and privately used in that church and town hitherto. He was very well learned in the tongues, and in Greek excelled most. He was much read in the fathers and the schoolmen. And he was much esteemed by his brethren in the ministry. Twice he was called by Mr. Wilson and others to preach in the time when the Antinomian principles were in danger of prevailing, which he did with good success and to the satisfaction of those that invited him. Mr. Wilson dearly loved him; and it so happened once at Newberry that he preached in the forenoon about holiness so holily and ably, that Mr. Wilson was so affected with it as to change his own text, and pitch upon Mr. Noyes' for the afternoon; prefacing his discourse with telling the auditory that his brother Noyes' discourse about holiness in the forenoon had so much impression upon his mind, he knew not how in the afternoon to pursue any other argument. His conversation was so unquestionably godly, that they who differed from him in smaller matters, as to discipline, held a most amicable correspondence with him, and had an high estimation of him. Although he was very averse to the ceremonies of the Church of England, accounting them needless, many ways offensive and hurtful at the best, and the rigorous imposition of them abominable and intolerable, so that he left England for their sake; yet he was not equally averse to Episcopacy, but was in opinion for Episcopus Prases,* though not for Episcopus Princeps. His own words testify this, for so he wrote: 'It seemeth he that was called Antistes Præpositus,‡ the Bishop, in a Presbytery, by process of time was only called Bishop, though all elders are also according to their office essentially Bishops, and differing only in gradual jurisdiction.' He no ways approved of a governing vote, in the fraternity, but took their consent in a silential way. He held Ecclesiastical councils so far authoritative and binding, that no particular elder or society might seem to have independency and sovereignity, or the major part of them have liberty to sin with impunity. He was equally afraid of ceremonies and of schism; and when he fled from ceremonies he was afraid of being guilty of schism. For that reason he was jealous (if not too jealous) of particular church-covenants; yet he accounted them adjuncts of the covenant of grace. He held profession of faith, and repentance, and subjection to the ordinances, to be the rule of admis sion into church-fellowship; and that such as show a willingness to repent, and be baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, without known dissimulation, are to be admitted thereto: and that it depended more on God's providence, than his ordinances, to render church members sound in faith; and that God took into covenant some that were vessels of wrath, as for other ends, so to facilitate the conversion of their elect children. He was as religious at home as abroad, in his family and in secret, as he was publickly; and they that best knew him, most loved and esteemed him. Mr. Parker and he kept a private fast once a month so long as they lived together, and Mr. Parker after his own death, till his own departure. Mr. Noyes bitterly lamented the death of K. Charles I., and both he and Mr. Parker too had too great expectations of K. Charles II.; but Mr. Parker lived to see his expectations of Charles the Second frustrated. He had a long and tedious sickness, which he bore patiently and chearfully; and he died joyfully in the forty-eighth year of his age, October 22, 1656. He left six sons and two daughters, all of which lived to be married, and have children, though since one son and one daughter be dead. He hath now living fifty-six children, grand-children, and great-grand-children. And his brother that came over with him a single man, is through the mercy of God yet living; and hath of children, grandchildren, and great-grand-children, above an hundred: which is an instance of divine favour, in making the 'families of his servants in the wilderness like a flock.' There was the greatest amity, intimacy, unanimity, yea, unity imaginable between Mr. Parker and Mr. Noyes. So unshaken was their friendship, nothing but death was able to part them. They taught in one school; came over in one ship; were pastor and teacher of one church; and Mr. Parker continuing always in celibacy, they lived in one house, till death separated them for a time; but they are both now together in one heaven, as they that best knew them have all possible reason to be perswaded. Mr. Parker continued in his house as long as he lived; and as he received a great deal of kindness and respect there, so he showed a great deal of kindness in the educating of his children, and was very liberal to that family during his life and at his death. He never forgot the old friendship, but shewed kindness to the dead in shewing kindness to the living. "Mr. Parker and Mr. Noyes were excellent singers, both of them; and were extraordinary delighted in singing of psalms. They sang four times a day in the publick worship, and always just after evening-prayer in the family, where reading the Scripture, expounding, and praying, were the other constant exercises. Mr. Parker and Mr. Noyes were of the same opinion with Dr. Owen about the Sabbath; yet in practice, were strict observers of the evening after it. Mr. Parker, whose practice I myself remember, was the strictest observer of the Sabbath that ever I knew. I once asked him, seeing his opinion was otherwise, as to * A presiding bishop. The Presiding Priest. + A lord bishop. the evening belonging to the Sabbath, why his practice differed from his opinion? He answered me, 'Because he dare not depart from the footsteps of the flock, for his private opinion.' "Being got into some passages of Mr. Parker's life before I am aware, I will insert a few more; and you may make what use of them you please. He kept a school, as well as preached, at Newbury in New-England. He ordinarily had about twelve or fourteen scholars. He took no pay for his pains, unless any present were freely sent him. He used to say, 'He lived for the churches' sake,' and begrutched no pains that were for its benefit; and by his good will he was not free to teach any but such as were designed for the minis. try by their parents; for he would say, 'He could not bestow his time and pains unless it were for the benefit of the church.' Though he were blind, yet such was his memory, that he could in his old age teach Latin, Greek and Hebrew, very artificially. He seldom corrected a scholar, unless for lying and fighting, which were unpardonable crimes in our school, He promoted learning in his scholars by something an unusual way; encouraging them to learn lessons and make verses, besides and above their stinted tasks, for which they had pardons in store, that were kept on record in the school, and were for lesser school-faults, such as were not immoralities and sins against God, crossed out; but he always told them they must not think to escape unpunished for sin against God by reason of them; though for some lesser defects about their lessons, they were accepted. I heard him tell Mr. Millar, the minister, that the great changes of his life had been signified to him before-hand by dreams. And I heard him say, that before a fiery temptation of the devil befel him, he had a very terrible representation in a dream of the devil assaulting of him, and he wrestled with him, and had more than once like to have prevailed against him; but that when he was most likely and most near to be overcome, he was afresh animated and strengthened to resist him; till at length the devil seemed to break abroad like a flash of lightning, and then disappeared; and that not long after, the most dismal temptation of Satan befel him that ever he was sensible of, and that all the passages of that temptation answered the forementioned representation; and that the hazards of it, and his fresh supplies when almost vanquished, and his deliverance was so remarkable, that every day he had lived since that time, he had given thanks to God particularly for his assistance of him in that temptation, and his deliverance out of it: though it were twenty years before the time of his now telling me concerning it. Mr. Parker excelled in liberty of speech, in praying, preaching, and singing, having a most delicate sweet voice; yet he had all along an impulse upon his spirit, that he should have the palsey in his tongue before he died. His voice held extraordinarily until very old age; and I think the more, because his teeth held sound and good until then; his custom being to wash his mouth and rub his teeth every morning. Some few years before his death, he began to complain of the tooth-ache, and then he quickly began to lose his teeth; and now he said, 'The daughters of his musick began to fail him.' And about a year and half before he died, that which he had long feared befel him, viz: the palsey in his tongue; and so he became speechless, and thus continued until death; having this only help left him, that he could pronounce letters, but not syllables or words. He signified his mind, by spelling his words, which was indeed a tedious way, but yet a mercy so far to him and others. During that time, which was in our first Indian war, when the Indians broke in upon many towns, and committed horrible outrages, and tormented such as they took captives, one night he fell into a dreadful tentation, lest the Indians should break in upon Newbury, and the inhabitants might generally escape by fighting or flying, but he being old and blind, and grown decrepit, he must of necessity fall into their hands; and that being a minister, they would urge him by torture to blaspheme Christ, and that he should not have grace to hold out against the tentation of Indian torture; and with the very fear of this, he was for the most part of the night in such agonies of soul, that he was on the very brink of desparation; but at length, God helpt him, by bringing to his mind two places of Scripture: that in Isa. li. 12, 13: 'I, even I, am he that comforts thee; who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and for gettest the Lord thy Maker! And that in Rom. viii. 35, 36: 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?—For thy sake we are killed all the day long;-Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that hath loved us.' Sleep departed from him that night, by reason of the horrour of that tentation; and the joy that came towards morning he was wonderfully affected with; and in the morning early, he pronounced all this to me letter by letter, and glorified God. Once hearing some of us laughing very freely, while, I suppose, he was better busied in his chamber above us, he came down, and gravely said to us, 'Cousins, I wonder you can be so merry, unless you are sure of your salvation! He was a very holy and heavenly-minded man, and as much mortified to the world as almost any in it. He scarce called any thing his own but his books and his cloaths. When he was urged, to vindicate himself to be the author of the Theses de Traductione Peccatoris ad Vitam,* he utterly refused it; saying, being young at the time when he made them, he was afraid he had not so fully aimed at the glory of God as he ought to have done. But a while after, one unbeknown to him in Holland, reprinted them, with the name of the author, and set him forth with more advantage than would have been modest or proper for himself to have done; giving him his parental as well as personal honour; and saying that his father was Pater dignus tali Filio; and that he was Filius dignus tali Patre. Thus 'he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.' "Mr. Wilson once, on occasion of his calibacy, said to him, That if there could be anger in heaven, his father would chide him when he came there, because he had not, like him, a son to follow him. But he had many spiritual children, that were the seals of his ministry: he was also a father to the fatherless; and many scholars were little less beholden to him for their education, than they were to their parents for their generation. "The occasion of his calibacy was this: at the time that he meditated marriage, he was assaulted with violent temptations to infidelity, which made him regardless of every thing, in comparison of confirming his faith about the truth of the Scriptures. This occasioned his falling into the study of the prophecies, which proved a means of confirming his faith; but he fell so in love with that study, that he never got out of it until his death: and the church had doubtless had much benefit by his profound studies in that kind, could the bishops have been perswaded to license his books; which they refused, because he found the Pope to be prophesied of, where they could not understand it. His whole life, besides what was necessary for the support of it, by food and sleep, was prayer, study, preaching, and teaching school. I once heard him say, he felt the whole frame of his nature giving way, which threatened his dissolution to be at hand: but 'he thanked God, he was not amazed at it.' "To conclude all I intend concerning Mr. Parker or Mr. Noyes, I shall give you Mr. Parker's character of Mr. Noyes, who best knew him, and whose testimony of him is very credible: "Mr. James Noyes, my worthy collegue in the ministry of the gospel, was a man of singular qualifications, in piety excelling, an implacable enemy to all heresie and schism, and a most able warriour against the same. He was of a reaching and ready apprehension, a large invention, a most profound judgment, a rare, and tenacious, and comprehensive memory, fixed and unmovable in his grounded conceptions; sure in words and speech, without rashness; gentle and mild in all expressions, without all passion or provoking language. And as he was a notable disputant, so he never would provoke his adversary, saving by the short knocks and heavy weight of argument. He was of so loving, and compassionate, and humble carriage, that I believe never any were acquainted with him, but did desire the continuance of his society and acquaintance. He was resolute for truth, and in defence thereof had no respect to any persons. He was a most excellent counsellor in doubts, and could strike at an hair's-breadth, like the Benjamites, and expedite the entangled out of the briars. Propositions concerning the conversion of the sinner unto life. A son worthy of such a father. A father worthy of such a son. |