DENNE. 379 charge was one Anne Jarrat, who, June 22, 1646, made the following deposition : " This exarninate saith, on Wed- nesday la t, in the night, about eleven or twelve o'clock, Anne Stennet and Anne Smith, the servants of John Mackerm-sse, did call out this examinate to go with them to the little croft, with whom this examinate did go ; and coming thither, Master Denne, and John Mackernesse, and a stranger or two, did. follow after. And being come to the river-side, Master Denne went into the water, and there did baptize Anne Stennet, Anne Smith; Godfrey Route, and John Sowter, in this examinate's presence."' It was accounted a sad crime to performthis ceremony in the night. The oppressions of the times not suffering it to be observed in open day, ought, however, to bear all the blame. Though Isis persecutors discovered a must intole- rant spirit, and by their extreme bigotry, exposed them- selves to the reproach of all unbiassed minds, they succeeded in 'one thing according to their wishes. For, through their 'repeated oppressive proceedings, Mr. Denne was at length obliged to quit his living ; and seeing noprospect of useful- ness in the church, he went into the army. As he was a man of great courage and zeal for the liberties of his country, he behaved himself so well in the character of a soldier, as to gain a reputationnot inferior to manywhohad made it the profession of their lives. At the conclusionof the was he returned to his former exercise of preaching, and took every opportunity of defending his principles. In the year 1658 Mr. Denne was engaged in a dispute concerning baptism with Dr. Gunning, in St. Clement's church, near Temple-bar, London. The disputation lasted two days ; and heis said to have afforded strong proofs'of his abilities and, learning, as a good scholar and a complete' disputant. Indeed, he was accounted by one who had a considerable hand iii the public affairs of the nation, " the ablest man in the kingdom for prayer, expounding, and preaching." In his views of the doctrines of the gospel he took the middle way, with Bishop Usher, Bishop Davenant, Mr. Baxter, and others.+ Mr. Edwards, who was never suspected of partiality to those called sectarians, acknow- ledges " that he had a very affectionateway of preaching, and was much esteemed among the people ;" yet he deno- minates him a great antinomian, and a desperate arminianrt Another writer observes, that he was formerly " a high altar- Edwards's Gangrmna, part iii. p. 86, 87. Crosby's Baptists, vol. i. p. 221-224,302-307. Edwards's GangrTna, part i. p. 76, 77.
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