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travagancies. The extracts of his letters which are preserved show that he had prudence and wisdom in conducting measures, though he was fierce in opposition to arbitrary mandates. When the officers of the old government were restored to their places, Mr. Bradstreet was again governour and Mr. Danforth the deputy.* They held their offices till the charter of William and Mary arrived. He was then deprived of his place, and his name was not suffer. ed to remain as one of the counsellors, although the agents expressed a particular desire to have it. The people received the intelligence with surprise and grief; but it was easy for politicians to account for the omission, as he was against receiving any other charter than that which the fathers of Massachusetts held sacred. We hear nothing more of him in publick life. He passed his days in the town of Cambridge. His only son, Samuel, who died in England, was graduated 1771; was fellow of Harvard College, and a fine scholar. The name of Danforth in another line is preserved, and few names have exhibited more literary characters. Mather. Hutchinson.

DANFORTH SAMUEL, minister of Roxbury, came into New England, 1134, with his father, Nathaniel Danforth, was graduated at Harvard College, 1643, was chosen a fellow of the corporation, and instructed a class; he was very respectable for his knowledge of the sciences and theology. Being invited to

The ancient magistrates and elders, although they strenu ously advised to further waiting for orders from England, and discouraged any attempts of that nature," as far as they had op. portunity, yet were they now compelled to assist with their presence and councils for the preventing of bloodshed, which had been most certainly the issue, if prudent councils had not been given to both parties." Danforth's letter to agent Mather.

When Mr Danforth was appointed deputy governour, he had likewise another commission, president of the province of Maine, to govern under the Massachusetts,the lords proprietories,and to be accountable to them; thither he repaired, 1779, appointed officers held courts, &c. In that station also he opposed Andross's usurpation.

settle colleague pastor with Mr. Eliot at Roxbury, he was ordained, 1650. He died, 1674, in the midst of his life and usefulness. Dr. Mather says he wrote as a scholar, yet" was very affectionate in his manner of preaching, and seldom left the pulpit without tears." He married the daughter of Mr. Wilson, the first minister of Boston, and was blessed with twelve children, some of whom died before him. Two of his sons were distinguished among the divines of this state. One of Dorchester, and the other was settled at Taunton. One of his daughters married the hon. Mr. Bromfield, of Boston.*

When Mr. D. died, old Mr. Eliot wrote verses and Mr. Weld likewise. It was then very common. The Dorchester burial ground is famous for the epitaphs on gravestones, many of which were written by Mr. D. the minister of that town. If we regard the spirit rather than the metre, we might be edified by reading them. But lest the rising generation should "play with the beard of their fathers," which the author of the Magnalia says is a wicked thing, it is best that most of them should be buried with the mouldering stone. A Latin epitaph upon the Roxbury divine may excite pleasure with remarks.

Non dubium, quin eó iverit, quo stella eunt
Danforthus, qui stellis semper se associavit.

This epitaph alludes to the studies of Mr. D. "Several of his astronomical composures have seen the light of the sun," says Dr. Mather. He published a particular account of the comet, 1664. He observed the motions of it, "from its first appearance in Corvus, whence it crossed the tropick of Capricorn, till it arrived at the maintop sail of the ship, and then it returned through Canis Major, and again crossed the tropick of Capricorn," &c. There is no theological publication of his, except we consider his election sermon as such, which is a recognition of New England's errand into the wilderness. It was delivered 1670.

The rev. Samuel Danforth, of Taunton, was born, 1666; graduated, 1683; died, 1727. He preached the election sermon, 1714.

The rev. John Danforth was born, 1664; graduated, 1677; ordained, at Dorchester, 1682; died 1730. "He understood mathematicks; had a taste for poetry and various learning." His printed works are, a sermon on parting with friends; a sermon on contentment; a sermon on Rom. i 21, 1710; a funeral sermon on Mr. Bromfield; two sermons on the earthquake, 1727 ; a fast sermon. Exod. ix. 33, 34.

The hon. Samuel Danforth of Cambridge was the son of Mr. Danforth of Dorchester. He was president of his majesty's

DAVENPORT JOHN, minister of the first church in Boston, died suddenly of an apoplexy, March 15, 1670. He was a celebrated divine in England as well as this new region of the earth, where he lived from the year 1637 to the time of his removal to a better world.

Dr. Mather quotes a saying of the learned, concerning Salmasius, and applies it to him, Vir nunquam satis laudatus, nec temere sine laude nominandus."

He was born, A. D. 1597, at a place called Coventry. His parents were respectable and gave him a good education. At the age of fourteen he was a student of Brazen Nose College, Oxford, where he received a degree of B. A. and though a youth, immediately began to preach. He preached constantly in the city of London in the time of the plague, and visited his flock as a faithful minister, which gained him great credit among those who knew how to estimate worth that was then as rare, as it was pure. For what can prayers signify, if a minister does not mingle offices of humanity with his pious walk; this gives a perfume to the sacrifice. He afterwards received the degrees of A. M. and bachelor of divinity,

About the year 1626, there was a plan devised to make a purchase of impropriations, and with the profits of the same to maintain a number of ministers who would assist in reforming abuses. Mr. Davenport was in connexion with Dr. Sibs, Dr. Gouge, and several laymen, one of whom was lord mayor of London. But archbishop Laud took umbrage at it, as favouring nonconformity and obtained a bill to be exhibited in the exchequer chamber, when the court condemned the proceedings, and pronounced the gifts, feoffments and contrivances to be illegal; and confiscated the money to the king's

use.

council several years. In 1774, he was appointed one of the mandamus council. He died 1777, aged 81. He was said to be a great natural philosopher and chymist.

Soon after this Mr. D. became so much of a nonconformist, as to be an object of publick notice, and in consequence of it, he resigned his pastoral office in Colman street, and passed over into Holland. This was about the end of the year 1633.

He soon opened a controversy with the Dutch divines upon the subject of baptism, and tried to introduce the practice which he wrote so much in favour of afterwards, and which has been a controversy in New England ever since he came into the country, viz. "Whether the children of communicants only should be admitted to the ordinance ?"

He went back again to England, 1635. He was one of those by whom the patent of the Massachusetts colony was made out, though his name was not among the patentees. He did this before he went to Holland, and there hearing of the progress and prosperity of New England, he resolved to come over and make a settlement, which he did, being considered as one of the fathers of New Haven colo

ny.

He arrived at Boston, 1637, with Mr. Hopkins, two London merchants, and several other worthies, who did not incline to settle within the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. They were offered any spot they might fix upon, and urged to unite with the people of this colony, but they were disposed to form a new plantation. Mr. Davenport was, however, invited to sit with the synod at Cambridge. And Dr. Mather tells us, his learning and wisdom did contribute more than a little to dispel the mist of errors which then overspread the country. While he was minister of New Haven, he was invited to join the Westminster Assembly with Mr. Cotton and Mr. Hooker, and he had an inclination to cross the Atlantick, but the other gentlemen did not suppose it would answer any special purpose, or thought less of the honour; nor were his church willing to part with him. It certainly was more proper for him to lead the few sheep in this American wilderness,

than to display his gifts amidst so much wisdom, as was collected in that part of the kingdom. If he had gone to England he might have been as zealous as Hugh Peters, who went over as agent for Massachusetts about this time. In this country he acted a part which made him almost as obnoxious to Charles II. He concealed two of the regicides in his own house, and instigated the people of that government by his publick preaching, to protect these unfortunate men, and not suffer the king's commissioners to execute their purpose.

Mr. Davenport was threatened with the vengeance of regal authority for concealing traitors, and had reason to dread the consequences of his democratick zeal, mingled as it was with motives of humanity. Upon this gen. Whaley and Goffe offered to surrender, and appeared publickly in several places. It is supposed they would have done this rather than Mr. D. should suffer on their account. But when he was no longer exposed to any particular danger, and the commissioners had manifested their resentment otherwise, they again concealed themselves.

In 1667, Mr. D. left the people at New Haven and came to Boston to succeed Mr. Norton, the minister of the first church. This caused great grief to his own people, and divided the Boston church. Dr. Mather quotes an observation that "it is ill transplanting a tree that thrives in the soil.” He might have said that a tree should never be transplanted which has past its growth. It will die before it will yield much fruit, however rich the soil in which it is fixed. His making this exchange of

"About the time the pursuers came to New Haven, or a little before, and to prepare the minds of the people for their reception, Mr. Davenport preached publickly from this text, Isaiah, xvi 3, 4. Take counsel, execute judgment, make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noon day, bewray not him that wandereth; let mine outcasts dwell with thee. Moab, be thou a covert for them, from the face of the spoiler. This doubtless had its effect," &c. Stiles's history of the judges.

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