FRANCIS WOODCOCK, A. B.

INISTER IN LONDON, AND ONE OF THE ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES
AT WESTMINSTER.

FRANCI

RANCIS WOODCOCK was born in the city of hester, the capital of Cheshire, in England, in the year 614. He received his education in Brazen-nose college, xford, where he took one degree in Arts. He entered to the holy ministry while he was at the University, id was episcopally ordained, soon after which he remov 1 from that seat of learning, and had a charge of souls estowed upon him him Wood Wood says, that he was always uritanically affected;" which some persons will account > bad character. Accordingly, upon the commenceent of the differences between the King and the Parliaent, he readily espoused the cause of the latter, and as afterward chosen one of the Assembly of Divines at Testminster; and it is said, that he asiduously attended aring the whole session. Being brought up to London, was chosen Lecturer of Lawrence-Jewry, and frequentpreached at Olaves in Southwark, to which he was afrward appointed minister by an ordinance of Parliament, hich was dated July 10th, 1646. He took the Coveint with the rest of his brethren, and was chosen Procr to the University of Cambridge. He preached severtimes before the House of Commons; and some of his rmons which he preached to that learned and respectole auditory have been published, and are still extant. le died in the midst of his days and of his usefulness. Vood says, that he died in 1651, or thereabout; but Mr. rook says, that he died in the year 1649, aged thirty-five ears. His remains were interred in Olaves' church, Southark. He was esteemed a good scholar, and an excellent reacher.—Mr Woodcock died young: but Hooker said of

a Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. ii. Brook's Puritans, vol. iii.

that famous Prince, Edward the sixth, King of England "That though he died young he lived long, for life is action." And the courtiers of Henry fourth, King France, one day complimenting him upon the strength This constitution, and telling him that he might live to eighty years of age; he replied, "The number of o days is reckoned. I have often prayed to God for grad but never for a long life. A man who has lived we has always lived long enough, however early he may die.

Mr Woodcock has written and published,-1. T Two Witnesses; in several Lectures at Lawrence-Jew London, on Rev. xi. 3, &c. with the great Question cussed, Whether the two Witnesses were slain or no 4. London, 1643.-This work was made public by order from the Committee of the House of Commo dated April 27, 1643. It was afterward reprinted.Christ's Warning piece, Giving Notice to Every O to Watch and Keep Their Garments: delivered in a S mon at Margaret's, Westminster, before the Honoural House of Commons, at their solemn Fast, from Rev. 15. Oct. 30, 1644. 4to. pp. 32. London, 1644.Lex Talionis; or, God Paying Every Man in His O Coin a Fast Sermon from 1 Sam. ii. 30. before the Ho of Commons, July 30th, 1645 4to. London, 164 and 1646-4. Joseph Paralelled by the Present Par ment, in His Sufferings and Advancement: A Serm preached from Gen xlix. 23, 24, before the House Commons, on their Solemn Day of Thanksgiving, 19th, 1645, or 1646. 4to. London, 1646.

"The universal friend, so formed to engage,
Was far too precious for this world and age.
Years were denied, for (such his worth and truth)
Kind Heaven has call'd him to eternal youth."

a Anecdotes of Distinguished Persons, vols. i. and iy.

THOMAS YOUNG, D. D.

MINISTER OF STOW-MARKET, AND A MEMBER OF THE ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES AT WESTMINSTER.

THOMAS YOUNG was an eminently learned and

pious divine. Mr Brook says, "This pious and learned divine was probably educated in the University of Cambridge. He was afterward preacher to the English merchants at Hamburgh; and, upon his return to his native country, he became vicar of Stow-market in Suffolk, in which situation he continued almost thirty years. He was a person of great learning, prudence, and piety, and discovered great fidelity and ability in the work of the ministry."-In the year 1643, he was chosen one of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, and proved him. self to be an eminently distinguished member of that illustrious body during the whole session. He was one of those who reasoned for the divine institution of the ruling elder, in that Assembly, and had an active hand in the Directory for reading of Scriptures, and singing of Psalms. Upon being called to London, he was chosen pastor of Duke's-place in the city. In 1645, he was appointed one of the committee of accommodation; and about the same time he was chosen master of Jesus College, Cambridge, by the Earl of Manchester. In that eminent and public station, he displayed his great abili ties, and was highly useful, until he was turned out of his place, in the year 1650, for refusing the engagement. Upon this he most probably retired to Stow-market, where he afterward died, in the year 1655, and his remains were interred in the church under a marble stone, with a monumental inscription.

a Baillie's Letters, vol. i. pp. 401, and 431.

Mr Baker says, that "he left behind him the character of a learned, wise, and pious man." Mr Leigh, in his Treatise of Religious and Learned Men, p. 369, styles him "a learned divine, one very well versed in the Fathers, and the Author of that excellent Treatise, entitled Dies Dominica." He was also one of the authors of Smectymnuus.—I have seen an excellent Sermon, both in England and Scotland, by Thomas Young, seeming. ly the same divine, entitled, "Hope's Encouragement pointed at, in a Sermon preached from Psalm xxxi. 24. in Margaret's, Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, at the Solemn Fast, Feb. 28th, 1643." 4to. pp. 38. London, 1644.

a Neal and Brook's Puritans, vol. ii.

SCOTTISH COMMISSIONERS.

WE come now to those eminent Ministers, who were

a

Commissioners from the Church of Scotland to the Assembly of Divines at Westminster. Fuller says; "As Livy calls the general meeting of Etolica, Pan-Etolium, this Assembly endeavoured to put on the face of Pan-Britanicum." The English solicited the assistance of some of the Scottish Divines to join with those at Westminster, to settle an Uniformity of Religion and Church-government for the two Nations. The request was granted, and Messrs. Alexander Henderson, Robert Douglas, Samuel Rutherford, George Gillespie, and Robert Baillie, were by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland appointed in August 18th, 1643, to go to London, as Commissioners to the Assembly of Divines at Westmin. ster." Mr Douglas did not go to London, as all those who were appointed were not urged to go; but the other four went.-The writers of the Quarterly Review have very lately made a daring attempt, to consign the memory of our Presbyterian ancestors to contempt and oblivion. They have excommunicated from the pale of talent, literature, and common sense, all the Covenanters in a mass; and they endeavour to vindicate their unjust sentence, by a particular reference to two of our pious and eminently learned Commissioners, Messrs. Henderson and Gillespie. An able writer, who has completely rescued our respectable ancestors, and especially our Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, from the foul aspersions of the Quarterly Reviewers, has made the following just remarks upon this part of their conduct. "They have not only gone wrong in their general state. ment, but through some strange infatuation, and as if to demonstrate their utter ignorance.of fact, or their utter

a Fuller's Church Hist. B. 11. p. 199.

b Baillie's Letters, vol. i. pp. 349, 350, and 387.