Sal LIVES OF THE PURITANS. fact mostprobably was, that Mr. Bowen, when a youth, or during the former part of his life, had been employed in this business ; and what disgrace was there in this ? If the doctor had said, that he followed his trade even while he was an itinerant, it would have shewn him to be a man of most extraordinary abilities, and the charge would have been no great crime. " He was untaught in the English tongue, and confessed he bad never read the Primer in English. "- Had lie been well taught in the English tongue, it would have been no very important qualification for preachingamong the moun- tains of Wales. Ther- were thousands of excellent scholars who never read the Pruner. The puritans were not very partial to that book. The truth is, Mr. B_ owen was a most laborious, acceptable and useful preacher. He was a noncon- formist to the established church, and supposed to have been of the baptist denomination. He died about the year 1660.-t- WALTER .CRADOCK was descended from a reputable family, born at Trefela, near Llangeven in Monmouthshire, and educated at Oxford, most probablywith a design to the christian ministry. Upon his return from the university, having heard of the fameof Mr. Wroth, a zealous puritan minister in Wales, and of his singular way of preaching, he had the curiosity to go and hear him. The happy con- sequence was, -that he believed Mr. Wroth waS a true minister of Christ; was fully convinced of the truth and importance of his doctrine ; and began himself not long after to preach the same -gospel, with much concern for the salvation of his countrymen.. Afterwards he became curate to Mi. William Erbery, another zealous puritan, who was vicar of St. Mary's church, Cardiff, in Glarnorganshire. Mr. Cradock was remarkably zealous and courageous in the cause of Christ ; on which account the Bishop of Landaff calls him " a bold ignorant young fellow ;" and says, ," he was very disobedient -to his majesty's instructions,'' most probably by refusing to read the Book of Sports, and that hepreached very schismatical and dangerous doctrine; for which hesuspended him and deprived him of his curacy. For proof of his disobedience, and of his schismatical and dangerous doctrine, his lordship observes, " that he used this base and unchristian passage in the pulpit : Walker's Attempt, part i. p. 161. ii. 409. 1. Thomas's MS. Hist. p, 129.
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