RANDALL-N. BYFIELD. 297 NICHOLAS BYFIELD.-This pious and learned divine was born in Warwickshire, in the year 1579, and educated in Exeter college, Oxford. He was son to Mr. Richard Byfield, who became minister of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1596. He Was a hard student; and having spent four years in the closest application, he left the university, entered upon the ministerial work, and intended to have gone into Ireland ; but preac'hing at Chester, on his way thither, he received an invitation to be pastor of St. Peter's in that city, where he continued a number of years. He was much followed on account of his pious and profitable preaching, especially by all who had any relish for religion. The excellent and celebrated John Bruen, esq. was one of his hearers, from whom he received many acts ofkindness.* In the year 1615, he removed from Chester, and became vicar ofIsleworth in Middlesex,+where he continued the rest of his days. He was a divine of , a profound judgment, a strong memory, a quick invention, and unwearied industry. 't He was a constant, powerful, and useful preacher; a thorough Calvinist, .a nonconformist to the ceremonies, and a strict observer of the sabbath. By his zeal for the sanctificationofthe Lord's day, his labours in the ministry, and his exemplary life, religion flourished, many were converted, and puritanism gained ground. Yet he was a sufferer with his brethren in the cause of noncon- formity.§ Mr. Byfield, during the latter part of his life, was exceedingly afflicted with the stone in the bladder, most probably the effect of intense study and hard labour. And Mr. Bruen had a servant, named Robert Pasfield, but commonly called Old Robert, who was " mighty in the scriptures," though he could neither write nor read. He was, indeed, as remarkable for remembering texts and sermons, as Judidiah Buxton for remembering numbers. For by the help of his memory, he invented and framed a girdle of leather, long and large, which went twice about him. This he divided into several parts, allottingevery book in the Bible, in their order, to some of these divisions; then for the chapters, he affixed points or thongs of leather to the several divisions, and made knots by fives or tens thereupon, to distinguish the chapters of, that book ; and by other points, he divided the chapters into their particular contents or verses, as occasion required. This he used instead of pen and ink, in hearing sermons, and made so good a use of it, that, coming home, he was able by it to repeat the sermon, quote the texts of scripture ' &c. to his own great comfort and to the benefit of others. This girdle Mr. Bruen kept after Old Robert's death, hung it up inhis study, and would pleasantly call it " The girdle of Verity."-Hinde's Life of Bruen, p. 58, 135.- Granger's Biog. Hist, vol. i. p. 251. + Newcourt's Repert. Eccl. vol. i. p. 676. l Wood's Athenm Oxon. vol. i. p. 402. MS. Chronology, vol. ii. p. 699. (2,)
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