BIO LIVES OF THE PURITANS. Upon the sequestration of Mr. William Jenkin he became minister of Christ's chdrch, London,. and afterwards one of the lecturers at Blackfriars; but was most violent against Cromwell's government. He is denominated a bold and crafty orator, of high reputation among the anabaptists. He preached with great bitterness against the civil administration during the commonwealth, but especially against the protec- tor, calling him " the man of sin, the old dragon, and the most dissembling and perjured villain in the world ;" and desired, that if any of his friends were present, they would go and tell him what he said.t The protector, therefov, to support his own authority, ordered him to be taken into custody. He was apprehended in the year 1653, when he was carried before Cromwell and the council, and committed 'prisoner to Windsor-castle.1 The baptists, disliking the proceedings of government, protested against them in, a work entitled, " A Declaration of several of the Churches of Christ, and godly 'people in and about the city of London, concerning the kingly interest of Christ, and the present sufferings of his cause and saints in England," 1654. In this piece they declare, " That they value the churches of Christ, which are the lot of God's inheritance, a thousand , times beyond their own lives ; that it is their' duty to perse- vere therein to the utmost hazard of their lives ; that the Lord made them instruments to vex all in his sore displeasure, who take counsel against Christ, whom the Lord bath anointed and decreed king ; and that they were not merely the servants of man ; and that they not only proclaimed Jesus Christ to be king, but that they would submit to him alone upon his own tesins, and admit him only to the exercise of his royal authority." This declaration v as subscribed by agreat number of persons ; ten of whom are said to be "of the church that walks with Mr. Feake, now close prisoner for this cause of Christ, at Windsor-castie."§ He remained under confinement several years; was in prison in 1655; but enjoyed his liberty in 1657.j These tribulations did not cause him to desist from his public labours. For he was no sooner released from prison than he renewed his ministerial exer- cise, and was preacher in the city, most probably at various places, in the year 1658 ;5 but when.he died we are not able Kennet's Chronicle, p. 793. Thurloe's State Papers, vol. i. p. 621. t Ibid. vol. ii. p. 67. Declaration, p 9, 21. Thurloe's State Papers, vol. iii. p. 485. v. 755. Ibid. vol. vii. p. 57.
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