A Christian Library - Volume 15 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Lives Of Various Eminent Persons Chiefly Extracted From Mr. Samuel Clark The Lives of Galeacius Caracciolus and Bernard Gilpin The Lives of William Whitaker, Philip De Morney, John Bruen, and Richard Blarckerby The Lives of Henry Alting, Fredrick Spanheim, Philip Sidney, Richard Mather, and John Row The Lives of Jospeh Woodward, Nicholos Leverton, Sir. Nathanael Barnardiston, and Samuel Fairclough The Lives of Richard Hooker, Sir Henry Wotton, Dr. Donne, and George Herbert The Lives Of Various Eminent Persons Chiefly Extracted From Mr. Samuel Clark A CHRISTIAN LIBRARY: CONSISTING OF EXTRACTS FROM AND ABRIDGMENTS OF THE CHOICEST PIECES OF Practical Divinity WHICH HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE ENGLISH TONGUE. IN THIRTY VOLUMES: FIRST PUBLISHED IN 175O, IN FIFTY VOLUMES, DUODECIMO. BY JOHN WESLEY, MA LATE FELLOW OF LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD. VOL. 15: LONDON: CONTENTS. THE LIVES OF VARIOUS EMINENT PERSONS CHIEFLY EXTRACTED FROM MR. SAMUEL CLARK. VOL, 15: SIR. WESLEY'S PREFACE TO HIS EXTRACTS FROM “CLARK'S LIVES." 1. IN order to illustrate, by examples, the rules already laid down, I at first only designed to abridge the Lives which Mr. CLARK had collected. But, upon a closer inspection, it was easy to perceive, that many of them would not answer the pains of abridging. Many of the persons of whom he speaks were in no way eminent, either for piety or understanding. The accounts he has given of many of the rest, contain few matters worth relating: and even these are generally related in a low and injudicious manner. 2. On the other hand, I found that he had omitted the lives of some of the most eminent men in our nation such were Archbishop Usher and Bishop BEDELL in particular: such were many others of the Established Church, who had no scruple in respect of conforming both to her doctrine and discipline. 3. I have therefore been obliged to vary from my first design, both by omitting many lives which IR. CLARK has inserted, as containing either nothing exemplary, or nothing but what occurs with more advantage in the lives of others; and by inserting those of some whom. he had omitted, but who were men famous in their generations, and highly esteemed by all those who love the image of GOD, in whomsoever it may be found. 4. Perhaps it may be useful, as well as agreeable, to those who have broken loose from that miserable bigotry, which is too often entailed upon us from our forefathers, to observe how the same SPIRIT works the same work of grace in men upright of heart, of whatever denomination. These, how widely soever they differ in opinion; all agree in one mind, one temper. How far distant soever they are from each other, with regard to the circumstances of worship, they all meet in the substance of all true worship, a the faith that worketh by love;" MR. CLARK'S ACCOUNT OF HIS OWN LIFE. I SAMUEL CLARK was born in Woolston, in the county of Warwick, on the 1Oth of October, 1599. My mother, who was a good woman, died when I was young: my father was a faithful and laborious Minister, and exercised his ministry for above forty years in that parish, with much profit and comfort. Under his wing I was trained up till I was about thirteen years old; and then I was sent to school in Coventry; which city, at that time, flourished exceedingly with religious Ministers and people, though for my own part, falling into the company of dissolute youths, I began to degenerate from the principles of my first education, though not without much reluctance, and frequent checks of conscience. Having spent about four years in that school, I was by my father carried to Cambridge, which University was eminent for religion at that time; and was placed by him under MR. THOMAS HOOKER, in Emanuel College, which was the Puritan college, MR. HOOKER was one of the choicest tutors in the University. Yet, neither there did I answer my father's care; for though my carriage was, in the sight of the world blameless, yet did I not walk with GOD either in my general or particular calling as I ought to have done. When I was Bachelor of Arts, my father took me from the University; and immediately after my return homer I fell sick of the small pox, and was so full, of them, that my father despaired of my recovery; yet it pleased my heavenly Father to restore me beyond his expectation. Shortly after, I was sent for to a gentleman in the woodland part of the country, to teach his children, and to be assistant to MR. SLADER, Minister of Knowle. After I had continued in that family somewhat more than a year, I was unexpectedly sent for into Cheshire, to be an. assistant to MR. BYROM, Minister of Thornton, with whom I continued almost two years; and by reason of some’suits in law wherein he was entangled, I was put upon preaching twice a Sabbath, a great part of that time. In that family I was cast upon some great temptations: but it pleased the LORD in mercy to hedge up my way with thorns, and by striking me with extraordinary fear and terror, he made me reflect upon myself, humbled me. for my sins, and by degrees gave me some comfort in believing. Yet SATAN often interrupted me in my secret duties; and one of his instruments was also raised up to prosecute me in the Chancellor's court at Chester, for the omission of some ceremonies: so that, receiving divers discouragements, I resolved to leave that place; and being importuned by some friends in London to come thither, I went to Chester at Michaelmas Fair, with a purpose of sending my trunk to London, and of shortly after following myself: but some inhabitants of Wirral, a peninsula beyond West Chester, who had been my frequent hearers at Thornton, meeting me at the fair, importuned my coming to Shotwick amongst them, and. would receive no repulse. That country is about fourteen miles long, and five broad. There were several understanding Christians scattered up and down in it; but scarce a constant preacher besides myself: so that, as my maintenance carne by a voluntary contribution from all those Christians, all of then, within six or seven miles' compass, repaired to my ministry, both old and young, men and women, summer and winter; spending the time between the sermons in repetition, singing of psalms, and conference; and as they took extraordinary pains for the word, so they highly prized it, and much profited by it. I also set up monthly sacraments, in which we enjoyed much sweet liberty and communion. And besides these public ordinances, we had once in three weeks ordinarily a day of conference, unto which repaired many, both men and women, out of all the country; and this meeting was held by turns at the richer men's houses. In the morning, when they first met, the master of the family began with prayer_; then was the question to be conferred of, read, and the younger Christians first gave in their answers, together with their proofs of Scripture for them; and then the more experienced Christians gathered up the other answers which were omitted by the former; and thus they continued till dinner-time, when they dined together with much cheerfulness. After dinner, having sung a psalm, they returned to their conference upon the other questions, which were three in all, till towards the evening; at which time, as the master of the family began, so he concluded with prayer, and I gave them three new questions against their next meeting; which being appointed for time and place, every one repaired to his own home. The benefits which came by these days of conference were many and great. I Hereby knowledge was wonderfully increased,- so that I was never acquainted with more understanding Christians in all my life, thou the best of them followed husbandry. 2. Holy affections, by this mutual whetting of each other, were exceedingly kindled, and kept alive. 3. Love, by frequent society, was nourished and increased; so that all the professors, though living ten or twelve miles asunder, were as intimate and familiar as if they had been all of one household. 4. The necessities of the poorer sort being made known, there was plentiful provision made for them. 5, The weak were strengthened, the mourners comforted, the wanderers reclaimed, the dejected raised up, and all of them mutually edified in their most holy faith. 6. Under the pretence of these meetings, we enjoyed the opportunities, as occasion was offered, of private fasts and days of thanksgiving, which otherwise would quickly have been taken notice of and suppressed. In this place I found the first seal of my ministry, by being an instrument of the conversion of many souls to GOD: amongst these persons I had abundance of comfort, by their hearty prayers for me, entire affection to me, and care to provide for me. Whilst I was in this place, GOD disposed of me in marriage to an holy, humble, prudent, and sweet-natured yoke-fellow, unto which, of all the outward mercies I ever enjoyed from GOD, none is to be compared. She came of religious parents; her father was a faithful Minister at Bedford, in Warwickshire. But after I had continued about the space of five years in this place, where we enjoyed so much happiness, the Devil raised up some of his instruments to prosecute me in the Chancellor's court, for the omission of ceremonies; who was so violently bent against me, that he would not suffer me to preach a farewell-sermon to my people.