TANDY-T. MOORE-DURANCE. 31 THOMAS MOORE was a zealous and active preacher among the separatists during the civil wars. Edwards calls him " a great sectary and manifestarian," who, in his opinion, did much hurt in Lincolnshire, in some parts of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. He obtained great fame at Boston, Lynne and Holland, at which places he had many followers, who accompanied him from place to place, attending upon his ministry. He did not confine his labours to buildings that were consecrated ; but, without distinction of places, he preached in houses, and in all places wherever the people were disposed to assemble. It is observed, that he and his followers refused to keep days of public fasting and thanks- giving, in the time of civil wars ; " because," says my author, " they will not give thanks to God for one man killing another." On account of his opinions and practice, he was shamefully persecuted by the presbyterian ministers and others of a bigotted, party spirit. At Boston he was questioned by Colonel King, governor of the town, when he was cast into prison for keeping a conventicle in the night season. It does not, however, appear how long he remained under the malice and power of his persecutors, nor what afterwards became of him, only he was living in the year 1646.. JOHN DURANCE was azealous andpopular preacherof the independent denomination. Edwards says, " he was formerly an apprentice to awashball-maker inLombard-street, London, and afterwards became a preacher without being ordained ; yea, after preaching some years, he presumed, without ordina- tion, to baptize and administer the Lord's supper." This was certainly a dreadful crime in the opinion of this bigotted writer. Heoften preached at Sandwich in Kent, but lived at Canterbury, where he gathered a separate church, and dis- pensed the word and ordinances of the gospel. The author mentioned above, with a view to reproach his-memory, gives the following curious account of him : " There is one Master Durance, apreacher at Sandwich in Kent, a bold con- ceited man, and an independent, who, since the beginning of this parliament, was a washing-ball maker, or seller of wash- ing-balls, here in London, but now turned preacher; and being never ordained minister, bath consecrated himself to be one of the priests of the high places. Among many high affected strains of new light, and strange expressions, which Ndwarda's Gangrrena, part ii. p. 86. iii. 80.
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