Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire

important results to future generations, while they may have a bearing on the eternal interests of a number of undying spirits.

a house in the hamlet of Drayton, where considerable numbers from the town and neighbourhood often assembled, in which was a backdoor opening into the fields, to facilitate retreat

by Mr. Thomas Porter, a member of the Church, then 80 years of age, or

ed, desired the family to come into his room, when he particularly thanked Mr. Lindsey and each of his family for their civility to him, and expressed much satisfaction in the good order of the house; "but," said he, "something leads me to fear there is not the fear of God in this house. It grieves me to see such honesty, civility, economy, and decency, and yet religion is wanting, which is 'the

; but it is suspected that it was Baxter himself. Mr. Lindsey read the book with pleasure, sent

e enjoyed it during his life, having now got a settled minister, and formed into a Church. This was probably after the Revolution. He always intended, and often promised, to settle it in form; but dying suddenly, it never was done. The heir-at-law was well inclined to it, but melancholy,

he signatures of the King and Lord Arlington, the Secretary of State," says the late George Baker, Esq., in his 'History of the County of No

rle

efender of the Faith, &c., to all the mayors, bailiffs, constables, and others

form to the Church of England, who are of the persuasion commonly called Presbyterian, to meet and assemble in order to their public worship and devotion. And all and singular our officers and ministers, ecclesiastical, civil, and

, the 8th day of November, in th

ajesty's

ing

r Congregational, and not the Presbyteria

nted one of the first Puritans in Shropshire, principally on account of his serious preaching and his devoted life. This son, who became pastor of the Church at Daventry, was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge-was ejected from the rectory of Roddington, in Shropshire, in 1662. He did not suffer so much for his Nonconformity as many of his brethren; having some knowledge of medicine, his skill in diseases obtained him favour among the neighbouring gentry. But on one occasion, being invited privately to preach on the Lord's-day, a neighbouring justice came in while he was praying, and fined h

e eminent Nonconformist divine, was the next pasto

Watts so highly recommended to the public. Mr. Mason did not remain at Daventry more than a year or two, when he removed to Spaldwich, in Huntingdonshire, where he died. He was the father of John Mason, author of the well-known treatise on 'Self-knowledge,' who was first minister at Dorkin

blished a 'Funeral Sermon upon the Death of Madam Mary Thornton, the pious relict of the late truly virtuous and honourable John Thornt

hat it considerably raised the interest, and rendered it necessary to erect a larger Meeting House, which was done in the year 1722, and is the building which is now standing. In a letter of Dr. Doddridge's, dated December 22, 1726, he says-"Mr. Mattoc

illage services, which illustrate the spirit in which t

right have you to come into my parish, to invade my province? This parish is mine, and I am their lawful pastor. I wish therefore to know, by what authority you take this liberty." "Sir," replied Mr. Mattock, "I beg leave to inform you, if you do not already know, that I am qualified according to law as a Dissenting minister, and am therefore authorized to do as I have done." "Aye! who authorized you, sir, to invade my province?" "The legislature, sir, by the Act of Toleration. I do nothing by preaching here, but what is strictly legal." "Well, it is strange to me that the legislature should allow you this liberty." "I hope, sir," said Mr. Mattock, "that you do not find fault with the legislature of your country." "No, no, God forbid that I should; but I still wonder that it should grant you such an indulgence. But, sir, I have another question to ask you; pray what is your object in coming here? what do you propose to yourself in doing it?" "Sir, my only motive is the hope of doing good to my fellow creatures." "Good!" replied the Rector, with a contemptuous sneer: "I don't know what good you can expect to do, for I can do no good upon them. They are a parcel of fools. I can make a fool of the wisest of them, in a quarter of an hour." "Sir," says Mr. Mattock, "you give your neighbours a very bad character; but however,

rted; but he sent his clerk the next morni

lified as a Dissentin

ccupied as a place of wor

tended to contin

f your master was not satisfied, why did he not come himself, or send for me?" The honest clerk sai

yman of the parish, having been to take a short ride, met Mr. Mattock; so, after the usual compliments were exchanged, the clergyman said, "So I perceive, sir, that you have been sowing some seed in my

r. Mattock accepted an invitation to remove to Birmi

ompany. He said, my father was in many things like Abraham, which made me look over a small collection I made long ago from annotations on John 9th, that they that would prove themselves the children of Abraham must endeavour to follow hi

ood ministers the world can ill spare. A stroke of the palsy. Lord, what is man-the wisest, the best, the most healthful? What shall we say? what shall we do? Thou hast th

Daventry was supplied by neighbouring

r of the same year co-pastor. In a few years after, Mr. Floyd wholly resigned in favour of his colleague; but continued to reside in the town till his death, which took place July 24th, 1

Job Orton, than the Rev. Mr. Caleb Ashworth, of Daventry; and if it should so happen, as I think it very probably may, that the congregation should desire to put themselves under his ministerial care, I do hereby make my dying request to him that he would accept the united charge, and thereby perpetuate those schemes which he knows

and was buried in the Churchyard, where an altar stone is p

est in

the Rev. Caleb

regation of Prot

of the academ

d

, 1775,

atigable a

e well-regu

ing reputatio

his emine

intance with sacred

ice of his

ing the impor

, religion,

at servant who

shall find

ve eulogized their tutor in the highest terms; one of them, in a memoir of a fellow student, observes-"Dr. Ashworth was a man who, though not distinguished by that acumen of genius and vigour of imagination which some have possessed, yet by strong sense

have been, that there was a sub-tutor who took the heretical side on disputed points, while the principal tutor, with all his love for truth, indulged his candour and kindness

funeral sermon for Mr. Clark, of Birmingham, entitled 'The Regard Christian Congregations owe to their Deceased Ministers represented and urged, from Heb. xiii. 7'; 'A Collect

t the extreme diffidence and modesty of his spirit should prevent him from acceding to the earnest requests that were presented to him. This was the Rev. Thomas Robins, who was at this time minister at West Bromwich, in Staffordshire. He was born at Keysoe, near Bedf

rongly urged to take up the prophet's mantle, but he has an unconquerable diffidence of his own abilities; I wish the many applications he hath received from ministers of all sentiments and denominations may overcome it. If he absolutely refuse, I know not who will be thought of. I pray God to direct in this very important concern." In another letter he writes-"You have heard by this time, August 31st, 1775, that Mr. Robins has accepted the invitation to Daventry. I had a great deal of trouble in writing to him, and

lsby, "one of the wisest and best of men." Mr. Palmer, of Hackney, says, "This was done on my earnest solicitation; and those who are the best judges on such a subject, and who best knew Mr. S

n, in his 'Memoir of t

ampton, on a public occasion. It is to be lamented that he has left none of those productions behind him, which a correct and beautiful imagination, embodied in language of the most classic purity, rendered so impressive and delightful. The qualities of his heart corresponded to those of his genius; an

ublic services and retire into private life. After discharging his offices with increasing reputation and success for six years, his ministerial usefulness was suddenly destroyed, by imprudently preaching three times to a large congregation at Kettering one Sabbath whilst labouring under a severe cold, by which exertion he irrecoverably lost his voice; and being thus incapacitated f

s, improved the death of his former tutor in a discourse delivered to his own people the next Sabbath morning, from 2 Kings ii. 12

tunity of enriching these 'Memorials' with Mr. Toller's description of the character of Mr. Robins, as given in

ved him, as a parent; for truly he had been a father to me. I was his senior student: the last and most important year of my academical course I spent under his roof and tuition: he taught and treated me as a son. It was owing to his advice, under God, that I am this day standing in this pulpit; his decided opinion had more weight with me than that of everybody else. I did always implicitly confide in his judgment. I was sure of his prudence; could entirely trust his fidelity. On a hundred occasions have I experienced his tenderness and his kindness, and, blessed be God! never did I receive in all my intercourse a frown from him; while a hint, by way of reproof, from him, would have had more weight and gone further into my heart than a hun

d any thorough intimacy with him-any comprehensive knowledge of his qualifications and character. I believe, never did any man go down

idence mysteriously laid him aside from a sphere of usefulness for which he was peculiarly adapted, and in which he gave universal s

ssemblage of excellences, which were always very striking to his friends. Some people have great excellences of one kind, and great corresponding faults of another; but there was such a balance of qualities of everything in him, as I have often been charmed with and admired. Oh, that I could say more! And many and many a time have I left his company with this reflection: "Surely thi

cter;-for I have often heard it remarked, and often observed it myself, that were an absent person censured or slandered, if there was anything to be said in his favour Mr. Robins would find out what was to be said, and would make you see that it was not a blind and suppositious notion that dictated it, but that there was reason in what he said. Nevertheless, he could be angry at sin, and yet sin not. He could repr

ithout the Gospel!)-if he had been literally the very chief of sinners, he could not have seemed to depend less upon anything he was or had done in a meritorious sense; he would not even bear to hear any hints about his former qualifications as a minister, or his honourable conduct as a Christian, which all that knew him, knew his great Master would include under the final "Well done, good and faithful servant," and place among the "works of faith and labours of love

elevated piety running through the whole-an evangelical savour, clothed always with the utmost propriety and sometimes unaffected elegance of expression. Since he was laid aside from pulpit labours, if we could prevail upon him to pray at our ministers' meetings in private, it was the ri

lish what he said, used to love to hear Mr. Robins. The last time he ever preached within these walls (on which occasion he attempted to exert himself more than usual, owing to the largeness of the place compared with his own), he appears to have got his bane. He strained the organs of speech so as to bring on the disease that laid him aside. He preached on that passage, "The path of the just is as the shining light, that

hing any of his own compositions; yet as a friend, as an adviser, as a companion, he has been eminently useful. A respectable minister at

him no more." This thought I felt when I stood close by his grave: "I shall see him no more. Here I take my final leave. I have received my last instruction. I shall hear his voice and behold his countenance no more." But while I was weeping over this clause, those words in the burial service went down with an emphasis to my heart, never felt by any grave before-words too promiscuously applied, too often; but their special appropriateness to him struck us all-"As much as it hath pleased Almighty God of his great goodness to take to himself the soul of our dear brother here departed, we commit his body to the ground, earth to earth

icitation of the congregation and the trustees, in the double capacity of pastor and principal or theological tutor. He continued here until 1789, when, having fully embraced Unitarian sentiments, his continuanc

but in 1796 he accepted an invitation from the congregations at Bardon Park and Ashby-de-la-Zouch,

ceed him, but removed in about two years, and became

oming early decided for the Saviour, he devoted himself to the work of the ministry. He became a member of th

dicated himself to the work of the ministry and entered upon a course of preparatory studies for it, havin

gham, where he died, August 1st, 1817, in the 66th year of his age. He published 'Liberality to the Poor and Sick recommended, in a Sermon preached at Harwich for the benefit of the Manchester Infirmary, 1792'; 'A brief Memoir of the Rev. Thomas Robins, late of Daventry; with a Sketch of the Sermon preached May

of the divine blessing. He at length accepted an invitation to become the pastor of the Church at Daventry, and continued his labours here for eight years. He subsequently removed to a destitute congregation at Newport, Salop; from thence he went to Liverpool, in 1838, to endeavour to revive an interest that had fallen into decay. Failing

cceeded Mr. Whittenbury, becoming the

the time Dr. Ashworth erected the adjoining house for the academy. The Meeting House, which stands in the minister's yard, is approac

present pastor, new schoo

cants is 94. There are 190 ch

place; one, of ￡12 per annum, towards the su