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MILES'S-LANE.-Independent, Extinct. First Church.

others were as much at liberty to differ from him, as he from them. This apprehension evidently governed his practice. He discovered a peculiar pleasure in conversing with young ministers; with whom he used great freedom, without regard to any difference of sentiment in smaller matters; cheerfully encouraging them in the work they had undertaken, and rejoicing in the prospect of their usefulness, when, through age, his own abilities visibly declined.* (M)

JOHN SHORT.-This learned Divine descended from a respectable family in the West of England. His grandfather, Mr. John Short, was a gentleman of good estate at Aishwater, in Devonshire, but a great enemy to the Nonconformists. So exasperated was he against his son for not conforming at the Restoration, that he resolved to disinherit him; and left his estate to another person. This was the Rev. Ames Short, who was ejected from Lyme-Regis, in Dorsetshire, and passed through many sufferings on the score of nonconformity. He was a grave and serious Divine, much the gentleman, and a pleasant companion. He died suddenly, July 15, 1697, aged 81. His son, Mr. John

• Calamy's Account, p. 45.-Contin. p. 63.-Nonconformist's Memorial, vol. i p. 144.

(M) WORKS.—Mr. Barker published, 1. Natural Theology; or, the Knowledge of God.-2. A Discourse on Family Prayer.-3. Reformed Reli gion; or, the right Use of Christianity described in its Excellency and Usefulness in the whole Life of Man. 1619.-4. Flores Intellectuales; or, select Notions, Sentences and Observations, out of several Authors, especially for the Use of young Scholars entering into the Ministry.-5. Three Sermons in the Morning Exercises.-6. Two Sermons, preached upon public Occa sions.-7. Annotations on the two Epistles to the Thessalonians; in the Continuation of Mr. Poole.-Mr. Barker, also, had a hand in the EnglishGreek Lexicon.

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MILES'S-LANE.-Independent, Extinct. First Church.

Short, of whom we are now to speak, was exposed, when a child, to all the severity of persecution, in common with his father. Dr. Calamy relates an affair which happened to him at that period, and places the barbarous proceedings of those times in a very strong light. Old Mr. Short being confined prisoner to his own house, by the Five Mile Act, in 1665, the county-troops often entered the town to search after him, and rifled his house. Being several times disappointed, they became enraged; and one of them caught his son, fixed a pistol to his breast, and threatened to kill him, if he did not tell where his father was. The child answered, The child answered, "My father does not acquaint me whither he goes." As they were searching the chimnies, chests, boxes, &c. they threatened the servant-maid after the same manner. She said, "My master doth not hide himself in such places; he has a better Protector." To which they made this reply, "The devil take him and his Protector too!"

town.

Mr. Short was educated for the ministry among the Nonconformists, but at what seminary we are not able to say. It is highly probable that he passed some time in one of the universities of Holland. Having finished his studies, he set up an academy at Lyme, where he was very useful in training young men to the ministry; and occasionally preached for his father, who had a private meeting in that He afterwards removed to Colyton, in Devonshire, where he followed the same profession. Upon the death of the Rev. Matthew Barker, in 1698, he was invited to London, to succeed him in his congregation at Miles's-lane. In this connexion he continued till his death, which happened about the year 1718. Mr. Short was a man of considerable learning, of great piety, and of a sound judgment. He had the misfortune to have an impediment in his utterance, which was a great denial to him, and occasioned his not being heard with pleasure in the pulpit; so that the congregation sunk under his administration. A few years before his death

MILES'S-LANE.-Independent, Extinct. Second Church.

they removed to another meeting-house; and upon the decease of their pastor, dissolved their church-state, and mixed with other societies.*

MILES'S-LANE.

INDEPENDENT.-EXTINCT.

Second Church.

HAVING dismissed the former Society, we proceed to give some account of the other Independent church, to whom the meeting-house in Miles's-lane, properly belonged. It was erected in the early part of the reign of Charles II. as before-mentioned, for the use of the Rev. Stephen Ford, and the congregation under his care. The Society, however, existed many years prior to this. We strongly suspect that it was gathered during the long parliament, by the Rev. Sydrach Sympson, one of the Westminster Assembly, and an eminent Independent Divine, during the interregnum. In his time, the congregation met in St. Mary-Abchurch, Cannon-street; but where it assembled after his death, till the present meeting-house was built, we are not able to say. Mr. Short's congregation removing about 1715, the church now under consideration, which had hitherto met for public worship in the afternoon only, occupied the place on both parts of the day. This Society was originally very large and

* Calamy's Continuation, p. 418, &c.-Neale's Life of Matthew Clarke, prefixed to his Sermons, p. 33.

MILES'S-LANE.- -Indep ndent, Extinct. Second Church.

respectable, and composed of many persons of good substance. Towards the latter end of Mr. Ford's life, the congregation gradually declined; and was, at length, reduced so low, that though he was obliged to have an assistant, they could not raise for him a sufficient maintenance. After his death, however, the congregation greatly revived under the successful labours of the excellent Mr. Matthew Clarke, one of the most popular ministers of his day. Upon his decease, and the choice of Mr. Jollie for pastor, in 1726, an unhappy breach took place; when several of the members withdrew, and founded the present church in New Broadstreet. Though this circumstance operated unfavourably for the Society in Miles's-lane, nevertheless, Mr. Jollie was enabled to stand his ground, and maintained a respectable congregation to the day of his death. A short time previous to this event, he relinquished the afternoon service to Mr. William Porter, whose congregation was accommodated with the use of the meeting-house on that part of the day, for the space of ten years, when they removed to a new place of worship, in Camomile-street. In the time of Mr. William Ford, who was Mr. Jollie's successor, the congregation was in a low state; and continued so under Dr. Addington, notwithstanding he attracted some notice for a short time after his settlement in London. At length, Dr. Addington's growing infirmities, and the necessities of a neighbouring congregation, led the way to an arrangement that gave mutual satisfaction, and eventually issued in the dissolution of his church. The congregation at the WeighHouse, under the pastoral care of the Rev. John Clayton, having determined to erect a new meeting-house, were looking out for a temporary place of worship, while their new one was building. At this time, Dr. Addington being disabled from engaging in more than one service on the sabbath, agreed to resign his pulpit on the other part of the day to Mr. Clayton. This was the state of things for several months. But the Weigh-House being finished at the begin

MILES'S-LANE. ---Independent, Extinct. Second Church.

ning of 1795, Mr. Clayton's congregation returned thither. This proved a discouragement to Dr. Addington's church; and his infirmities still increasing, he resigned the pastoral office, June 14, 1795. After this, his people kept toge ther but a short time; for not agreeing upon the choice of a successor, and the Society being greatly reduced, they thought it best to dissolve their church-state. In point of religious sentiment, there does not appear to have been any material alteration in this Society, since the time of its commencement. The several ministers, whose lives we are about to record, have been distinguished by their zealous attachment to the doctrines of the gospel. For though the separation that took place upon Mr. Jollie's settlement, was occasioned nominally by a difference of sentiment, yet, it does not appear that he differed much from his predecessors. The cry of heterodoxy has often been raised against the most valuable ministers of Christ; and sported by bigots with more zeal to support the dogmas of a party, than to serve the interests of genuine religion.

Upon the dissolution of Dr. Addington's church, the meeting-house was taken by a Society of Scotch Seceders, whose history will pass under our revision in the next article In the mean-time we will present the reader with some account of the pastors in the Independent Society, whose names and succession may be seen at one view, in the following table.

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