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From an original pidure

original pidure in the possession of Edn

in the possession of Edmunò Calamy Esqr

THE

NONCONFORMIST'S MEMORIAL:

BEING

AN ACCOUNT OF THE MINISTERS,
Who were EJECTED or SILENCED after the RESTORATION,
particularly by, the ACT of UNIFORMITY, which took
Place on Bartholomew-day, Aug. 24, 1662.

Containing a concise VIEW of

THEIR LIVES AND CHARACTERS,

THEIR

PRINCIPLES, SUFFERINGS, and PRINTED WORKS.
Originally written

By the Reverend and Learned EDMUND CALAMY, D.D.
Now abridged and corrected, and the Author's Additions inferted,
with many further Particulars, and new Anecdotes,

By SAMUEL PALMER.

то WHICH IS PREFIXED

An INTRODUCTION, containing a brief HISTORY
of the TIMES in which they lived, and the GROUNDS of
their NONCONFORMITY.

Embellished with the HEADS of many of those venerable Divines.

VOLUME I.

— ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κοσμος·

HEB. xi. 38.

* Bartholomew-day was fatal to our Church and Religion, in throw-
"ing out a very great number of worthy, learned, pious, and
" orthodox Divines."

LOCKE.

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LONDON:

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Printed for W. HARRIS, No. 70, St. Paul's Church-Yard.

MDCCLXXV.

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THE

EDITOR'S PREFAC E.

M

EMOIRS, of the lives and characters of wife and good men, have been generally esteemed fome of the most entertaining and useful publications. Perhaps no body of men ever lived who better deferved to have their history handed down to pofterity, or the accounts of whom are more adapted to please and profit ferious minds, than the minifters ejected out of the church of England, foon after the restoration of Charles II. and particularly by the Act of Uniformity; the whole number of whom was upwards of two thoufand. "I do not believe (fays "Mr. Pierce +) that any where in hiftory an equal "number of clergymen, voluntarily leaving their all "for a good confcience, can be produced."." If they "did not act from a principle of confcience, they were "the weakest people in the world, for they were active "in their own ruin :" when, had they but roundly declared their affent and confent to the new terms of conformity, they might have continued in their livings, as well as others, and avoided the poverty, difgrace,

The enemies of these men have affected greatly to reduce their number. One of them, having counted the names in Dr. Calamy's Index to his first edition, (in which all thofe are omitted whofe names only are mentioned in the account) reports, with triumph, "that the zooo fufferers, fo much cried up, cannot be made more than 696, of whom a 4th part afterwards conformed." See Cal. Pref. to Contin. p. 19. But from the accurate manufcript catalogue, which is mentioned in the 14th page of this Preface, it appears the number really was 2257.

+ Vindication of the Diffenters, p. 232.

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and perfecution, which most of them fuffered. Their integrity, their fortitude, and their faith, cannot be too warmly celebrated. "To let the memory of fuch men

die, is injurious to pofterity." Efpecially as they not only in this inftance fhewed themselves to be men of principle, but appeared from their general deportment men of fingular piety; peculiarly qualified for their office as minifters, and uncommonly fuccefsful in it.

The Proteftant Diffenters, of all denominations, have ever been wont to reyere their memories, as the fathers of their interest, and the worthy patterns of their conduct. Those who have differed the wideft from the generality of them in their doctrinal sentiments have fpoken of their piety and zeal with rapture. The words of the late Dr. Taylor are remarkable in this view, and deferve ever to accompany their memoirs. In remonftrating against the defign of fome Diffenters in Lancafhire to introduce a Liturgy, he refers them to these their forefathers, as having fet them a better example; of whom he gives the following character: "The principles and worship of Diffenters are not formed upon fuch flight foundation as the unlearned and thoughtless may imagine. They were thoroughly confidered, and judiciously reduced to the standard of Scripture, and the writings of antiquity, by a great number of men of learning and integrity: I mean the Bartholomew-divines, or the minifters ejected in the year 1662 men prepared to lofe all, and to fuffer martyrdom itself, and who actually refigned their livings, (which with most of them were, under God, all that they and their families had to fubfift upon) rather than fin against God, and defert the caufe of civil and religious liberty; which, together with ferious religion, would I am perfuaded have funk to a very low ebb in the nation, had it not been for the bold and noble stand thefe worthies made againft impofition upon conscience, prophaneness and arbitrary power. They had the best education England could afford; moft of them were excellent scholars, judicious divines, pious, faith

ful,

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