Chap, VII. zhe HISTORY tf Iry Ì'L7RZ?Axs. £63 carried in the negative, and refolved by the majority, not to make any X. Charge; I. declaration at prefent, Whether or noparifb churches were true churches? 16-49, Upon this fern' of the more rigid, and others who were diffatisfied about the lawfulnefs of i,fant baptifm, delired their difmifíïon, which was granted them ; thefe let up by themfelves, and chofe Mr. Jefe their minifter, who laid the foundation of the firft baptift congregation that I have met with in England. But the red renewed their covenant, to walk together in theways of Qod, f faras he hadmade them known, orfhould make them known to them, and toforfake allfalfi ways. And fo heady were they to their vows, that hardly an inftance can be produced of one that deferted to the church by the fevereft profecutions. Upon Mr. Lathorp's retiring to New- England, the congregation chofe M. Canner for their paftor the famous Mr. Canne, author of the marginal references in the bible, who after he had preached to them in private houles for a year or two, was driven by the feverity of the times into Holland, and be- came paflór of the brow/silk congregation at .dmfterdam. After Mr. Canne, Mr. Samuel Howe undertook the paftoral care ofMr. Howe. this little flock ; Ire was a man of teaming, and printed a Imall treatife, called The Sufàciency ofthe Spirit's Teaching. But not being enough up- on his guard in converfetion, he laid himfelf open to the informers, by whole means he was cited into thefpiritual courts, and excommuni- cated; hereupon he abfconded, till being at laft taken he was flint up in dole prifon where be died. His friends would have buried him in Shore- ditch churchyard, but being excommunicated the officers of the parifh would not admit it, fo they buried hire in a piece of ground at.1nni- feed Clear, where many of his congregation were buried after him. Upon Mr. Howe's death the little church was forced to take up with a Mr. Moan; lay-man, Mr. Stephen More a citizen of London, of good natural parts, and of confiderable fubftance in the world; he had been their deacon for Tome years, and in the prefent exigence accepted of the paftoral of- fice to the apparent hazard of his eflate and liberty. However the face They appear, ofaffairs beginning now to change, this poor congregation which had in,paótis. fubfiftedalmoft by a miracle for above twenty-four years, fhifting from place to place to avoid the notice of the public, ventured to open their doors in Dead-Man's-Place in Southwark, yan, i8. 1649-i. Mr. Ful,. ter calls them a congregation of .Inabaptifts, who were met together to the number of eighty ; but by their journal or church book, an abflraët of which is now before me, it appears to be Mr. More's congregation of independents, who being affembled in Dead-Man's-placeon the Lord's day, were difturbed by the marfhal of the King's-Bench, and moll of them committed tothe Clink prifon. Next morning fix at feven of the men
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