While residing at Bewdly, he had a public discussion with Baxter, on the subject of baptism, in relation to which it is said by Anthony Wood, (in his Athenæ Oxonienses, being "an exact account of all the writers and bishops who have had their education at the University of Oxford from the year 1500 to 1600,") "that all scholars there and present, who knew the way of disputing and managing arguments, did conclude that Tombes got the better of Baxter by far."*

Mr. Tombes was a powerful writer. Several of his sermons adapted to the times, were printed by order of Parliament. He enjoyed the esteem of Bishop Sanderson and also of Bishop Barlow. Dr. Calamy, in his Life of Baxter, speaking of Mr. Tombes, says of him, "Whom all the world must own to have been a very considerable man and an excellent scholar, how disinclined soever they may be to his particular opinions." The catalogue of his works contains the titles of twentyeight volumes. Having heard that the Baptists were persecuted in Massachusetts, he sent his examen of Marshall's sermon to the ministers, with the following letter:

To all the Elders of the Churches of Christ in New. England, to the Pastor and Teacher of the Church of God at Boston, there, present.

REVEREND Brethren,

Understanding that there is some disquiet in your churches about Pædobaptism, and being moved by some that honor you much in the Lord, and desire

* Athen. Oxon. vol. III, p. 1063—quoted in Orme's Life of Baxter, II, p. 248.

your comfortable account at the day of Christ, that I would yield that a copy of my examen of Master Marshall his sermon of infant baptism might be transcribed to be sent to you; I have consented thereto, and do commend it to your examination, in like manner, as you may perceive by the reading of it, I did to Master Marshall. Not doubting but that you will, as in God's presence, and accountable to Christ Jesus weigh the thing; remembering that [saying] of our Lord Christ, John 7: 24, Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. To the blessing of him who is your God and our God, your judge and our judge, I leave you and the flock of God over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, and rest

Your brother and fellow-servant

in the work of Christ,

JOHN TOMBES.

From my study at the Temple, in London, May 25th, 1645.

The manuscript referred to in this letter, is in the Antiquarian Library at Worcester.

HENRY JESSEY, M. A., was a native of Yorkshire, the son of a clergyman of the Church of England, and early became a student of St. John's College, Cambridge. When twentyone years of age, while at the University, he became a decided christian, and then began to direct his studies with reference to the ministry. In 1627, he received episcopal ordination, and in 1633, became Rector of Aughton, in Yorkshire.

In the course of a year, however, he was removed from his parish, for refusing to practise all the ceremonies enjoined by the Rubric and Canons, and for presuming to remove a crucifix which had been set up there.

In 1635, he visited London, in company with his friend and patron, Sir Matthew Bointon, and being highly esteemed as a preacher, was invited by a congregational church to become their pastor. He accepted their invitation in 1637, and labored among them successfully. It appeared however that from year to year, larger and larger numbers of his church were adopting the sentiments of the Baptists, and joining that denomination. Many of them being persons of note, the subject of baptism engaged his attention. A fresh study of the scriptures and of antiquity, led him to change his views of the mode; and he thence proceeded to practise immersion only, although he applied it to infants. The reasons which he assigned to his church for this change, were, 1st, the original meaning of the term rendered baptism; 2d, the examples of baptism in the scriptures; 3d, the spiritual mysteries of which the rite is an emblem, namely, the death and resurrection of Christ, our own death to sin, and rising to newness of life. It was not till 1644, that he became convinced that there was no warrant in the scriptures for applying the rite to infants, and then he was baptized on a profession of his faith, by Rev. Hansard Knollys.

Being well versed in the Greek and Hebrew languages, the Syriac and Chaldee dialects, and a devoted student of the Bible, he meditated a new translation of the Old and New Testaments. By his correspondence,

he engaged Mr. Row, Hebrew Professor at Aberdeen, and other literary men in this undertaking. They advanced far in their design, but the turn given to public affairs both in church and state, by the restoration, defeated all their purposes.

Mr. Jessey was distinguished in his day for his interest in the welfare of the Jews. When intelligence reached England, that those of them who were living at Jerusalem, had been reduced to a state of extreme suffering, he exerted himself in their behalf, and in a short time three hundred pounds sterling were collected and sent to them. In 1650, when the Jews were permitted to return and trade in England as formerly, he wrote a treatise on the Messiah, addressed to them, which was highly commended by a number of the assembly of divines, and was prepared in Hebrew for dispersion amongst the Jews of all nations.

Distinguished for his piety, industry and learning, Mr. Jessey commanded universal esteem. He was for the most part free from persecution, until the restoration, when he was committed to prison for nonconformity, and died there in the triumphs of faith, on the 4th of September, 1663, in the sixtythird year of His life was published in 1671, and from it Crosby has drawn the materials of the ample sketch which we find in his pages.

his

age.

DANIEL DYKE, was born at Epping, in Essex, in the year 1617. He was the son of a clergyman of the Church of England, was educated at Cambridge, and became rector of Great Haddam, in Hertfordshire.

When Cromwell came to be Lord Protector, Dyke was appointed one of his chaplains in ordinary, and in 1653, when examiners were appointed by government to try such as should be admitted to livings in the established church, he was chosen to be one of them. Not long after he left his rectorship in the established church, he became minister of the Baptist church in Devonshire Square, London, where he labored until his death, in 1688.

JOHN GOSNOLD was a minister of the Church of England, and was ejected by the act of uniformity. He united with the Baptists on the ground of their conformity to the Scriptures in the constitution of the church. He thought that he saw in the Bible no more authority for infant baptism, than for the other ceremonies which are sanctioned by tradition and the authority of councils. He became pastor of a church in London, and notwithstanding the change in his sentiments, he continued to be intimate with many men of high standing in the establishment. Dr. Tillotson, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, used to attend his week-day lecture. Dr. Calamy says of him, "He was bred in the Charter-house School, and in Pembroke Hall, Cambridge; and was afterwards Chaplain to Lord Grey. He was against infant baptism. He was deprived of his liberty of preaching, and forced to hide, though he was always peaceably minded, and never gave any disturbance to the government. He died in the year 1678, in the sixtythird year of his age, and was interred at the burying ground near Bunhillfields, where a tombstone was erected to his memory.