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killed a buck: At the fall of the buck the keeper came in with his faulchion and staff, and met Mr Rothwel, who had a staff also; they fell from words to blows; he got the keeper down, bound him by the thumbs, and drew him up to his full height, that he could but touch the ground with his toes, and so left him tied to a tree till next morning, when others found him and loosed him.

At length it pleased GOD, who separated him from his mother's womb, as he did St Paul, and called him by his grace, to reveal his Son in him. Which because it was famous, and he himself afterwards proved the conversion of so many, I shall set it down as I remember I have heard him speak it. He was playing at bowls amongst some Papists and vain gentlemen upon Saturday, somewhere about Rochdale in Lancashire; there comes into the green to him one Mr Midgley, a grave and godly minister of Rochdale, whose praise is great in the gospel, though far inferior to Mr Rothwel in parts and learning; he took him aside and fell into a large commendation of him, at length told him, what pity it was that such a man as he should be a companion for Papists, and that upon a Saturday, when he should be preparing for the Lord's day. Mr Rothwel slighted his words, and checked him for his meddling. This good old man left him, went home, and prayed privately for him; Mr Rothwel, when he was retired from that company, could not rest, Mr Midgley's words had struck so deep in his thoughts.

The next day he went to Rochdale church to hear Mr Midgley, where it pleased GOD so to bless that ordinance, that Mr Rothwel was by the sermon brought home to Christ. He came after sermon to Mr Midgley, thanked him for his reproof, and besought his direction and prayers, for he was in a miserable condition of nature; and under the spirit of bondage he lay for a time, till afterwards, and by Mr Midgley's hands also, he received the spirit of adoption, wherewith he was so sealed, that he never lost his assurance to his dying day.

Though he was a man subject to many temptations, the devil assaulting him very much, yet GOD was mightily with him, that out of his own experience he was able to comfort many. He esteemed and counted Mr Midgley ever afterwards for his spiritual father. This makes me think upon Augustine's speech to GOD when he came to` hear Ambrose preach, I did not come hither as a doctor, or teacher, but upon another account, I was brought by thee as an ignorant person to him, that I might be led by

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him to thee as one endued with knowledge.' So did the Lord, by Mr Midgley's plain kind of teaching, put forth the evidence of his Spirit, upon this mighty and learned Rabbi. Consequent upon this change, he disposed of his temporal estate amongst his friends, and lived of the gospel, 1 Cor. ix. 11, 14.

He was made chaplain to a regiment under the earl of Essex in Ireland, in which capacity he was exceedingly useful. His preaching run evidently in another manner than formerly, opening the depths of Satan, and deceitfulness of the heart, so that he was called the rough-hewer. He had the power of God went with his ministry, when he preached the law to make men tremble, yea sometimes to cry out in the church: And when he preached the gospel, he was another Barnabas, and had great skill in comforting afflicted consciences.

He studied now the controversies between the conformists and the non-conformists; and had such an apprehension of persecution, that he would neither marry nor receive a benefice, though he had the offer of several; but contented himself with being lecturer at a chapel in Lancashire, and domestic chaplain to the earl of Devonshire. A very common expression of his was," Persecution is a "pledge of future happiness."

At length he came to spend most part of his time in the bishopric of Durham, by means of an honourable lady, the lady Bowes, afterwards the lady Darcy in the North. She gave about one hundred pounds per annum to maintain preachers where there were none, nor any means for them. She would lay out all her interest to get them, and then she would dispose of them where there needed, in the North, or in the Peak in Derbyshire, or in other places, and allow them pensions. Sir William Bowes her husband dying, his funerals were kept at Barnard's-castle, where he had some estate : Mr Dike (father of the writers of that name) was then her household chaplain, and went into the North to that funeral; at his return he represented the state of the people destitute of a minister to this lady, who would have sent him thither, but he told her he durst not venture on so surly a people, but commended Mr Rothwel to her. She sent to him then at the earl of Devonshire's house, and proffered him this employment; his answer was, " He would go thither, and if the people "called him, he would then accept of her motion."

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At his first day's labour they all desired him. He re turned to the lady, and told her, he would go; she replied, though for their sakes she was glad, yet she was afraid to send him. Understanding that they were of a fierce disposition, and having never heard the gospel, they might deal unkindly with him; he answered, "Madam, if I "thought I should never meet the devil there, I would "never go: He and I have been at odds in other places; " and I hope we shall not agree there." The lady allowed him forty pounds per annum; and such as GOD wrought upon by his ministry, contributed to him; but he would not have a penny from any other.

There was once collected in his absence, thirty pounds by Sir Talbot Bowes, who lived there, from the people; but when he returned and knew it, he caused it to be restored to the parties that gave it, and told them," he sought "them, not theirs."

At his first entrance he had great oppositions, and sometimes was way-laid to take away his life, but he overcame all with such patience and courage, that his greatest enemies were afraid of him; and he preached few sermons, but it was believed he gained some souls.

His manner was to spend the forenoon at his studies, and the afternoon in going through his parish, and conferring with his people, in which he excelled, and thereby gained much upon them; and within four years he had so many judicious and experimental Christians, the people came from London, York, Richmond, Newcastle, and many other places, to see the order of his congregation. He afterwards went to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, where he continued to his death.

About a day or two before his death, he had some lightening of his disorder, and he sat up in his chair, and discoursed freely, chearfully and heavenly, all that and the next day. Some sent to inquire how he did; he answered, "I am "well, and shall be well shortly ;" and whispering to a friend, he said, "Do you know my meaning-I shall be "with Christ ere long; but do not tell them so." He caused that friend to repeat a sermon just preached in his parish church; after which, with tears in his eyes, he laid his hands on that person's head, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and with a short prayer blessed him. The next day, the pangs of death came on. Many of his friends were assembled; and one was praying for him. After prayer (says Mr Stanley Gower) I spoke to him:

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< He turned about his head, took me by the hand, and ‹ bade me pray, pray. I desired a reverend minister to 6 go to prayer again." Mr Rothwel said, "Pray you, "pray you." I did so. After that he smiled: "Now "(says he), I am well: Happy is he that hath not bowed "a knee to Baal." He bade us sing Psalm cxx. He sung • a while, but, in the singing of the Psalm, his soul took its flight above, to sing the Redeemer's praise more per<fectly in the mansions of bliss, which happened in the year 1627, and in the sixty-fourth year of his age.'

Thus departed this honest Puritan: We know of no WRITINGS left behind him; and indeed he seems to have confined himself entirely to the office of preaching, and to the service of his own day and generation.

DOM

NUS TIO

GEORGE CARLETON, D. D.

BISHOP OF CHICHESTER.

HIS very learned bishop, son of Guy, second son of Thomas Carleton, of Carleton-hall in Cumberland, was born at Norham in Northumberland, in the year 1559; his father being then governor of that important castle. By the care of Bernard Gilpin, styled the Northern Apos

tle,' he was educated in grammar learning; and, when fit for the university, sent by the same excellent patron to Edmund-hall, in Oxford, in the beginning of the year 1576, and by his liberal hand encouraged and chiefly maintained in his studies. On the twelfth of February, 1580, he took his degree of bachelor of arts; upon which occasion, he exceeded all that performed their exercises, at that time. The same year, namely 1580, he was elected probationer fellow of Merton-college, and remained in that society about five years before he proceeded in his faculty, not taking the degree of master of arts, till June 14, 1585. While he remained in that college, he was esteemed a great orator and poet; and, in process of time, became a better disputant in divinity, than he had before been in philoso

phy. What preferments he had is not mentioned any where; nor doth it appear, that he was possessed of any dignity in the church, till he became a bishop.

After having continued many years in the university, and taken the degree of bachelor in divinity, May 16, 1594, and that of doctor, December 1. 1613. he was advanced to the bishopric of Landaff; to which he was elected, December 23, 1617. confirmed, July 11. 1618. and consecrated at Lambeth the next day. The same year he was sent by K. James I. with three other English divines, (viz. J. Hall, afterwards bishop of Exeter, and then of Norwich; J. Davenant, afterwards bishop of Sarum; and S. Ward, master of Sidney-college, Cambridge,) and from Scotland to the synod of Dort,*; where he stood up in favour of episcopacy: For it was asserted in that synod, That the ministers of the word of God, in what place soever settled, have the same advantage of character, the same jurisdiction and authority, in regard they are all equally ministers of Christ, the only universal bishop, • and head of the church;' in opposition to this, bishop Carleton made the following protestation: "That where"as in the Confession [i. e. the Belgic Confession at "Dort] there was inserted a strange conceit of the parity "of ministers to be instituted by Christ, I declare our "dissent utterly in that point. I shewed that by Christ "a parity was never instituted in the church: That he "ordained twelve apostles, as also seventy disciples: That "the authority of the twelve was above the other: That "the church preserved this order left by our Savi"our: And therefore, when the extraordinary power of "the apostles ceased, yet this ordinary authority con"tinued in bishops, who succeeded them, who were by "apostles left in the government of the church, to or"dain ministers, and to see that they, who were so or“dained, should preach no other doctrine: That in an ❝ inferior

* The members of this SYNOD (fays a late writer) formed a constellation of the best and most learned theologians, that had ever met in council fince the difperfion of the apostles; unless we except the imperial convocation at Nice, in the fourth century. Read but the names of Heinfius, Lydius, Hommius, Voëtius, Bifterfield, Triglandius, Bojermannus, Sibelius, Gomarus, Polyander, Thyfius, Walaus, Scultetus, Altingius, Deodatus, Carleton, Davenant, Hall; exclufively of the many first-rate worthies, who constituted and adorned this commemorable affembly; and doubt, if you can, whether the fun could fhine on a living collection of more exalted piety and tupendous erudition.

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