NEW ENGLAND HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL REGISTER. VOL. III. APRIL, 1849. NO. II. MEMOIR OF REV. BENJAMIN COLMAN, D. D. BENJAMIN COLMAN, the second son of William and Elizabeth Colman, was born in Boston, Oct. 19, 1673. His father, "who came from London not long before," was the son of Matthew and Grace Colman, of Satterly, near Beccles, in the County of Suffolk, and was baptized there Aug. 31, 1643. The subject of this notice is said to have been "of a tender constitution from his birth, and very backward in his speech and reading 'till he arrived to the age of five years, when at once he grew forward in both, and entred young and small into the Grammar School under the tuition of the venerable and learned Mr. Ezekiel Cheever." Although but seven years of age when he became Perhaps he and his wife, Elizabeth, may be the persons whose names are given as Cooleman" and "Eliza Coleman," in "A List of the Names of the Passengers on board the Ship Arabella, Richard Sprague Master, for New England, May ye 27th, 1671," which is printed in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, II. 407. The first notice, with which we have as yet met, of William and Elizabeth Colman, in Boston, is the record of the birth of their daughter Mary, Dec. 3, 1671. It is not our intention, even had we the ability, to give, at this time, a biographical sketch of the renowned "Corderius Americanus," whose praises have come down to our day. He was born," says Cotton Mather, "in London, many years before the birth of New England. It was Jan. 25, 1614 [i. e. 1614-15.] He arrived into this country in June, 1637, with the rest of those good men, who sought a peaceable secession in an American wilderness, for the pure, evangelical, and instituted worship of our great Redeemer, to which he kept a strict adherence all his days. He then sojourned first, a little while, part. of a year. at Boston; so that at Boston he both commenced and concluded his American race." He accompanied Eaton to New Haven, and his name stands prominent among the one hundred and eleven who subscribed the "Plantation Covenant," June 4, 1639. Here "he began the laborious work of a School-master," occasionally, too, officiating as a Preacher, and devoting some portion of his time to the public service. And here "he continued for twelve years," and then removed to Ipswich, Mass., where he taught the "Grammar School" from Dec. 30, 1650, to November, 1660, and then removed to Charlestown, where he labored nine years. From Charlestown he came over to Boston, Jan. 6, 1670, [i. e. 1670-1] where his labors continued for eight and thirty years," as Master of the Public Grammar School. He died on Saturday morning, Aug. 21, (Dorchester Church Records say Aug. 23,) 1708, "after he had been a skilful, painful, faithful School-master for seventy years; and had the singular favor of Heaven, that, though he had usefully connected with "the Grammar School," "his sprightly genius and advances in learning were soon with pleasure observed by his Preceptor," and "fired with a laudable ambition of excelling at his book, and a fear of being out-done, he always, by his industry at home, kept foremost, or equal to the best of the Form at school." Although he met with a severe loss in the death of his intimate companion and only rival, Prout, inasmuch as he was thereby left "without a spur to daily care and labor," yet still young Colman made such progress in his studies that he was qualified for admission to Harvard College in the year 1688. Remarkable for his serious deportment, even in childhood, "after his admission into College," says his biographer, "he grew in piety and learning, and in favor with God and man." He became a member of the Second Church in Boston, at that time under the pastoral care of Increase and Cotton Mather. As a student he disgraced not his former master, in whose praise it has been said, "it was noted, that when scholars came to be admitted into the College, they who came from the Cheeverian education were generally the most unexceptionable." Performing "all his exercises to good acceptance, many of them had the applauses of his learned Tutor, Mr. John Leverett.* He was much animated to the study of the liberal sciences, and to make the utmost improvement in them, from the shining example spent his life among children, yet he was not become twice a child, but held his abilities, with his usefulness, in an unusual degree, to the very last. His work he lov'd: 0 had we done the same! We came to work as if we came to play. Our lads had been, but for his wond'rous cares, * Afterwards, for sixteen years, President of the Institution at which he was now performing the duties of a Tutor. He was the son of Hudson Leverett, grandson of Governor John Leverett, and great-grandson of Elder Thomas Leverett, and was born in Boston, Aug. 25, 1662. Having received his early education at the Public Grammar School, mostly under the instruction of Ezekiel Cheever, he proceeded Bachelor of Arts at Harvard College in 1680, and Master in due course, received the Degree of Bachelor of Theology in 1692, and was a Tutor and Fellow of the Institution. He was chosen a member of the House of Representatives, and then Speaker of that body. He was a member of his Majesty's Council for the Province, and sustained the offices of a Justice of the Supe rior Court, and Judge of Probate. Having been chosen to succeed Vice-President Willard as the head of the "School of the Prophets," he was inducted into office, Jan. 14, 1707-8, in which station he continued, " a pillar both of the Church and State, an honor and ornament to society, and the glory of New England," until his sudden death, May 3, 1724. He was one of the very few on this side of the Atlantic who have become Fellows of the Royal Society of England. of the excellent Pemberton,* who was a year before him in standing." Receiving the Degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1692, Colman, "being devoted to the work of the evangelical ministry by his Parents, and inclining to it from his childhood," immediately entered upon the study of Divinity, and began to preach, "first privately and then publicly," the next year. For several months he was engaged in preaching at Medford, where there was no settled Minister, and the inhabitants of the Town seem to have been very desirous to have retained him as their Pastor. But, for some reason or other, Colman did not see fit to accept their invitations to a settlement, and returned to Cambridge, where he remained, pursuing his studies, until he received his Second Degree, that of Master of Arts, in 1695;† on which occasion he pronounced the usual Oration, "when," says his biographer, "his thin and slender appearance, his soft and delicate voice, and the red spots in his cheeks, caused the audience in general to conclude him bordering on a Consumption, and to be designed but for a few weeks of life." About this time young Colman was sent, at the expense of the Second Church in Boston, to Newport, R. I., to preach one Sabbath. He succeeded in accomplishing the object of his mission, notwithstanding the manoeuvres of some of the inhabitants, and was much praised, on his return to Boston, for the prudence which he had displayed on this occasion. Ebenezer Pemberton, the son of James Pemberton, one of the founders of the Old South Church, was baptized Feb. 11, 1671; graduated at Harvard College in 1691, where he was afterwards a Tutor; was ordained colleague with Rev. Samuel Willard, Pastor of the Old South, Aug. 28, 1700; preached his last sermon, Jan. 20, 1716-17; died Feb. 13, 1716-17, and was buried, on the 18th of the same month, "between 4 and 5, in Mr. Willard's tomb." "He was," says a cotemporary, "of a strong genius, extensive learning, a preacher of raised thoughts, and a masculine style, of flaming zeal in the cause of God and religion, violent in his passions, and as soft as you would wish for out of them, a good Christian, and a faithful pastor." Colman, in one and the same discourse, paid a deserved tribute to the memory of his old friend, as well as to that of Rev. William Brattle, of Cambridge, who died two days after Pemberton, Feb. 15, 1716-17, aged 55 years, "respected as a man, a scholar, and a Divine." We have been unable to find the "Order of Performances" for this Commencement, but here give a copy of the QUESTIONES Quas pro modulo DISCUTIENDAS Sub Clarissimo VIRO, D. CRESCENTIO MATHERO, Academiæ HARVARDINE, quæ est CANTABRIGIE Nov-Anglorum, PRAESIDE Literatissimo; Die Comitiorum Proponunt Inceptores in ARTIBUS. Die Tertio Quintilis [i. e. July 3,] MDCXCV. An Detur in non-Renatis Liberum Arbitrium ad bonum Spirituale? Negat Respondens BENJAMIN COLMAN. An Sola Fides, quatenus apprehendit Christi Merita. et Illis innititur, Justificet? An Gentes ex Nature Lumine Salutem possint Consequi? Negat Respondens JOHANNES MORS. An Pontifex Romanus sit Ille Antichristus, Quem futurum Scriptura prædixit? "Having a strong desire to see England, and make improvement by what he could see and learn there," Colman, in less than three weeks after he had proceeded Master of Arts, embarked for London, in the Ship Swan, Captain Thomas Gilbert, Master. A war at this time raged between England and France; and before they had been two months at sea, the Swan was chased by a French Privateer, of superior force, and after a shot conflict, during which she was reduced to a wreck, was obliged to surrender. When the boats of the enemy approached the captured vessel, Colman had in his hands a piece of gold, of the value of nineteen pounds. This was seen by "an ingenious French Gentlewoman," named Madam Allaire, who, with her four children, to whom Colman had endeared himself during the voyage, was on her way to join her husband at London. She requested him "to let her save it for him," to which he consented. The prisoners being transferred to the deck of the Privateer, were there stripped of everything, even to their last garment, and were then covered with a few rags, and thrust into the hold. Arrived at Nantz, they were there committed to prison. Here Madam Allaire* sent to Colman his gold, and his first care, upon the receipt thereof, was to clothe himself "from head to foot," at an expense of about three pounds and ten shillings. After various adventures Colman was at length set at liberty, and succeeded in reaching Portsmouth, with but a few shillings in his pocket, of which he was soon relieved by "a young spark from New York," whom he imprudently assisted with money, on a promise of being repaid by "a rich uncle he had, half way to London." But upon arriving at the house of this "rich uncle," "no credit would he give to this his nephew; he knew him too well, he said;" and notwithstanding Colman's representations that he had "saved him from the expences of Portsmouth," he was obliged to remain satisfied with a night's lodging, a loan of twenty shillings, and a horse and guide to London the next morning. Arrived in London without money, without friends, and having lost all his letters of introduction, his first night in the vast metrop "May 12, 1734, this Gentlewoman paid a visit to Boston, from St. Christopher's, and was received by Mr. Colman with a surprising joy, after so melancholy a parting thirtyeight years before; and after mutual expressions of the most sincere joy, she gave him a large and particular account of her sufferings in France, and deliverance from them, after a wonderful trial of constancy and experience of Divine support and assistance in times of need, till she arrived safely in Holland, which Mr. Colman penned down, and left among his papers;-a most entertaining history." Colman continued to correspond with his former benefactress until his death; after which there was found in his Study a letter from her, dated at London, May, 1747," wrote with her own hand, in the French tongue," although she was then upwards of eighty years of age. |