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the prayer; and when he said that he had not, they proceeded instantly, without consideration, or giving him time either to retreat or to defend his conduct, and suspended him from his office and benefice. Mr. Wilson was next called, and being asked whether he had read the prayer, he answered that he had not, "because in the Rubrick of the Common Prayer, it is enjoined that no prayer shall be publicly read, excepting those which are contained in the Book of Common Prayer: and that a prayer against the Scots is not there." This unexpected answer puzzled and confounded the arch-deacon, at whose tribunal they stood, and he knew not what to say. It cooled his fury, and caused him to proceed more deliberately with Mr. Wilson, than he had with Mr. Bright. He allowed him fourteen days for consideration, and then he was to deliver his answer at Canterbury; but whether he was ever called upon, or whether he appeared before the archbishop we are not informed. Probably they were satisfied to relinquish the prosecution of a man so able and ready to defend himself.

Soon after this prosecution, a warrant was issued from the lords of the Privy Council, among whom were archbishop Laud, and the bishop of London, to apprehend Mr. Thomas Wilson, and bring him before them. We are not informed for what crime this warrant was issued, but probably for non-conformity. The pursuivant went to Otham; and although he heard Mr. Wilson preach, and was sometime in the same room with him, he suffered him to escape out of his hands. Mr. Wilson suspecting his business, retired and concealed himself, and so escaped from the snare; and being thus providentially delivered, he lay concealed until the meeting of the Long Parliament, when he went to London, and presented to the House of Commons a representation of his case, and a petition for redress. The subject was referred to a committee, of which Mr. Rouse was the chairman, who brought in a report, November 30, 1640, "That Mr. Wilson had been suspended for four years from his living, worth sixty pounds a year, only for not

reading the Book of Recreations on the Lord's day; that the archbishop himself had suspended him; and that for three years he had been kept in attendance on the High Commission Court." The House, therefore, resolved, that Mr. Wilson had just cause of complaint; and that there was just cause for the House to afford him relief. When his petition was presented, Sir Edward Deering, a member from Kent, arose and said, "that Mr. Wilson, your petitioner, is as orthodox in doctrine, as laborious in preaching, and as unblemished in life, as any minister we have. He is now separated from his flock, to the grief of them and himself; for it is not with him as with some, who are glad when they see a pursuivant coming, that they may have an excuse to retire out of the pulpit; for it is his delight to preach." He went on further to say, respecting Mr. Wilson, " He is now a sufferer, as all good men are, under the general obloquy of being a Puritan. The officer watches his door, and separates him from his cure, to the great grief of both of them. About a week since, I went to Lambeth to move that great bishop (too great indeed) to take this danger from off this minister, and to recall the pursuivant. And I did undertake for Mr. Wilson, that he would answer his accusers in any of the king's courts at Westminster. The bishop answered "I am sure that he will not be absent from his cure a twelve month together."

Upon passing the aforesaid resolution, Mr. Wilson was restored to his parish and to his benefice at Otham.

In 1643 he was chosen a member of the Assembly of Divines at Westminster; and though at a considerable distance, he constantly attended, but supplied his flock on Sunday. In the Assembly he was much esteemed for his meek and humble deportment, and his grave and judicious counsels and discourses. When the Assembly was over, he removed from Otham to Maidstone, where he had before resided, and here he continued to labour until his death. His great object was to promote a thorough reformation,

which he accomplished in some good degree, although he met with no small opposition.

He was not only laborious in the pulpit, but in the study. Usually he continued his studies to a late hour on Saturday night, that he might be the better prepared for his Sabbath-work. On the Lord's day, he rose by two or three o'clock in the morning, and was displeased with himself if he was much later. At seven he came out of his study, called his family together, read and expounded a chapter, and required from those present, some account of the exposition; he then sung a part of a psalm, and concluded with prayer. About nine o'clock he went to church, and commenced public worship by singing a psalm, then prayed for the divine blessing, and then expounded six or seven verses from the Old Testament, continuing about an hour in this exercise, then preached another hour, and concluded. He then went home and prayed again with his family, before dinner, and spent some time with them in singing and other religious exercises. In the afternoon he observed the same order of exercises as in the morning, only his expository discourse was on a portion of the New Testament: and it is said that he was an excellent expositor.

In the evening many of the neighbours attended with his family, and they spent the time in repeating the sermons of the day, and singing a psalm. He then went to a friend's house in the town, where he went over the same exercises with another company. Once a month he administered the Lord's Supper, with much holy fervour. Nine or ten hours of the Sabbath did this laborious man spend in social worship, beside the exercises of the closet.

Mr. Wilson was also very careful to set a good example before his flock. What he preached on Sunday he practised through the week. "In all things showing himself a pattern of good works."

But his piety shone with peculiar brightness in his sickness and death. In his sufferings under acute pains he sometimes mourned, but never murmured.

He cheerfully submitted to the rod in the hands of his Heavenly Father. When lying on his death bed he called his family around him. He desired his wife not to be discouraged, nor "to sorrow as those who have no hope, but to trust in the Lord her God, in whom there is everlasting strength," and to continue in his service. He warmly exhorted his children to fear God, and directing his discourse to his eldest daughter, he said, "Look to it, that you meet me not at the day of judgment in an unregenerated state." He commended all his children to the Lord, and left them in his hand. When Christian friends came to visit him, his mind seemed to collect new vigour, and he earnestly exhorted them to read the Holy Scriptures, to esteem them highly, and meditate much on the promises, to be holy in their conversation, and to attend on divine ordinances with all diligence. He highly praised God, and spoke much of the preciousness of Christ, and said, "That one promise was of more value than a world. The prospect of his approaching death was very comfortable to him. To a pious lady of his acquaintance, who was leaving Maidstone, he pleasantly said, "What will you say good Miss Crisp, if I get the start of you, and get to Heaven before you get to Dover?" Another person, saying, "Sir, I think you are not far from your Father's house," he replied, "that is good news indeed, and is enough to make one leap for joy."

so soon."

To those who mourned over him, he said, "I bless God who has permitted me to live so long to do him some service; and now that I have finished the work appointed for me, that he is pleased to call me away He died in the exercise of faith and hope, commending his spirit into the hands of his dear Redeemer, on the Lord's day, in the year 1653, aged about fifty-two years. He had a strong constitution,. a clear understanding, a quick invention, a sound judgment, and a tenacious memory. He was a good scholar, a hard student, well read, both in ancient and modern authors; an excellent preacher, an emi

nent Christian; and his highest distinction was, that he was manifestly "clothed with humility."

Mr. Wilson was twice married; and by his second wife had eleven children; ten of whom were living at the time of his death. Mr. J. Wilson ejected in 1662, is supposed to have been his son.

Mr. Wilson was too constantly occupied in the active and successful duties of the ministry, to have much time for writing for the public. As far as is known, he left but one printed discourse behind him, and that was, a sermon preached before the House of Commons, entitled, " Jericho's Downfall," from Heb. xi. 30, at the solemn fast, September 28, 1642.

A better model for a Christian pastor, cannot easily be found, than is exhibited in the life of the Rev. Thomas Wilson.

WOODCOCK, FRANCIS, A. B., was born in the city of Chester, England, and received his education in Brazen-nose College, Oxford, where he took the first degree in the arts. While resident at the University he entered the holy ministry, and was episcopally ordained, soon after which he removed from the University and took charge of a parish. Upon the commencement of the differences between the King and Parliament, he espoused the cause of the latter. When the Assembly of Divines was summoned to meet at Westminster, he was appointed one of the number, and was among those who were constant in their attendance. For a time after his coming to London, he was chosen lecturer of Lawrence-Jewry, but afterwards he was appointed minister at Olaves, in Southwark, by an ordinance of Parliament, dated July 10, 1646.

Mr. Woodcock took the covenant with the rest of his brethren. He preached several times before the House of Commons, and some of the sermons which he delivered on those occasions were published, and are still extant.

He was chosen proctor of the University of Cambridge, but he did not live long to enjoy his honours,

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