LAMB. 463 appearance before the lord mayor at six o'clock, they were suffered to proceed in their worship. Appearing at the appointed time, the lord mayor asked them by what authority they took upon themselves to preach; and told them they had transgressed an ordinance of parliament. The young man being interrogated, gave several whimsical answers, apparently the offspring of enthusiasm, and de- serving of censure. Mr. Lamb was more rational in his replies : he said, " he was called and appointed to the office of preaching by as reformed a church as any in the world !" alluding to the words of the ordinance. He also acknowledged his rejection of the baptism of infants as invalid. After examination. the lord mayor bound them over to answer for their conduct before a committee of par- liantent ; and, upon their appearance before the committee, they were sent to prison, where they continued a short' time, and then, by the intercession of friends, they were released.* Mr. Lamb was no sooner delivered out of prison than he went on preaching as usual, and, as formerly, made his excursions to distant places in the country. On one of these journies, he had a narrow escape from the violeisce of his enemies. Having to baptize a woman in Oldford river, a plate then much frequented for the purpose, the husband of the woman, a bitter enemy to the baptists, carried a great stone under his coat, designing, as he afterwards confessed, to have thrown it at Mr. Lamb, while he stood in the river. But he was so much affected with the prayer at the com- mencement of the service, that he dropt the stone, fell into tears, and was himself the next person baptized.* Mr. Lamb was made chaplain to a regiment in Cromwell's army ; and many other persons of the same stamp being appointed to similar situations, the sectarian principles, as they were called, made rapid progress among the soldiers. During this period, a spirit for public disputation, espe- cially upon points of religion, very much prevailed among all parties; and the most important doctrines of the gospel were frequently risked upon the strength or weakness of the parties engaged. A dispute of this nature, in which Mr. Lamb was engaged, took place at the Spital, on the day of public thanksgiving for the taking of Dartmouth by the parliament's forces. It respected the immortality and Edwards's Gangrmna, part i, p. 124-127. Second edit.-Crosby's Baptists, vol. i. p. 226, 226. t Crosby's Baptists, vol. iii. p. 5i. ii Luuyli
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