whom to fix, after taking down the names of some, would appear to retire. The sermon would then proceed, but be again interrupted by the return of the officers, who, however, as before, found the congregation singing. Sometimes this would occur thrice in the course of a single service. At St. James's Back, Mr. Weeks's people, instead of a curtain, put a wainscot board in a convenient place in the meetinghouse, behind which the preacher stood out of sight, but within the hearing of the congregation. None but known friends were permitted to come within the pale. So when the informers came, they had the convenience to convey him that spake out of that part of the meeting into another house."

Within a few weeks a fourth minister was added to the three previously confined in the city prison. The sufferings of the Nonconformists in the crowded jail were severe. They are described in a pamphlet of the day. They were crowded together, being sometimes. convicted in gangs of not less than forty or fifty, in "one of the worst places in Newgate, where was a low, damp, earthen floor." They were denied the light of a candle and other necessaries and comforts. The common prisoners felt compassion for their innocent companions, and would sometimes lend them a candle to enable them to read their Bibles. The keeper's vigilance generally deprived them of this indulgence, and his resentment exposed them to increased sufferings, being denied beds and even straw to lie upon, or a form on which to rest their wearied limbs. But what the jailor denied was sometimes supplied to them by the other prisoners. To all these troubled men Mr. John Weeks was a pastor, friend, and most tender comforter. Dr. Calamy says of him, that his spirits were elevated by the zeal of his enemies; the thought of his persecutors would revive him, if he was dejected and dispirited before." Not only did he preach to his fellow-prisoners, but from a window in the jail often addressed crowds of people without, amongst whom were doubtless assembled many of those who had long benefited by his instructions, and now eagerly desired to see his face.

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But a more solemn duty than preaching was soon required of him. The first minister committed to prison was Mr. John Thompson, the pastor of the Independent congregation at the Castle. He was ill at the time of his committal, and, being of a corpulent frame, the confinement and the foul air of a crowded prison aggravated his sickness. Much interest was made for him by some leading men in the city, and Dr. Ichabod Chauncey (also an ejected minister), his physician, represented the urgency of his state; but Sir John Knight, Ollive, the Mayor, and other city authorities, at the instigation of the Bishop, hardened their hearts, and would not relax the severity of his confinement. He grew rapidly worse, and amidst the tears and sobs of many of his fellow-prisoners, but his own heart stayed by the conviction that his hour of release was come, and that he was about to pass from death to life, while Mr. Weeks's voice was uttering the solemn words of prayer and Christian resignation, his spirit passed on to that blessed rest where the wicked cease from troubling. His funeral was necessarily a hurried one. On the very day (March 5, 1674-5) following his death he was carried from his prison to his grave. But his burial was not unhonoured. The news of his death ran swiftly through the city; on

the morrow all the Dissenters (except the Quakers) met in silence and sorrow, but with a stern resolution marked in their countenances; and when the doors of Newgate opened, they formed into a procession of not less than 5000 persons, and followed the corpse of this Nonconformist martyr to St. Philips'. A similar demonstration was made in London on occasion of the death of Mr. Jenkyns, at Bunhill Fields. It was calculated to strike terror into the hearts of the Prelates and their agents to see the numbers and courage of the persecuted Nonconformists, and to make them think that a day of reckoning might be at hand.

The year 1675 opened gloomily for the congregation at St. James's Back. On the first Sunday thereof," the Mayor, with some aldermen, serjeants and informers, were busy at Mr. Weeks's meeting." (Records, p. 233.) The zeal and mutual friendliness of the four pastorless flocks increased through outward persecutions. In addition to their Sunday services, meetings were held in common by the four societies in private houses for religious exercises, one every evening except Saturday, beginning about five o'clock and continuing two hours. The tracking of these "conventicles" made the informers very busy, and the consequent informations and proceedings were frequent and wearisome. The appetite of the magistrates for persecution was dulled. Some of them complained that "they could do little else at the Tolzey but matters about meetings." One day in each week was fixed for this business, and by this arrangement the churches gained a little temporary ease. As difficulties were thrown in the way of punishing Dissenters, Hellier devised a plan of preventing their worship. The watchful Nonconformists stole a march upon him, and filled their meeting-house before he reached the place. The Broadmead people, to secure a second service, stayed in the meeting during the usual hour of dinner. Mr. Weeks's people were less provident; "they going all home, they kept them out in the afternoon, and Hellier dined in their place; and they (the officers) threw their chairs and stools out in the street, and some in the river at James's Back." Some of the congregation meeting in front of the house, were apprehended and charged with a riot. On the following Sunday, the Presbyterians adopted the plan of the Baptists, and remained in their meeting-house until the close of the second service. "Then the Mayor sent for two of the chiefest of them, viz. Mr. Chrismas and Mr. Thompson, the merchant, before him; and after reasoning with them, threatened them that he would come down to the meeting in the afternoon. They told the Mayor, If he did, he should find them there, in the path of their duty, waiting upon the Lord." (Records, p. 239.) Mr. Weeks and three other of the Bristol prisoners were by writ of Habeas Corpus removed to London, and the question of the legality of their commitment was argued in the Court of King's Bench. By the false evidence (so it is alleged in the "Records") of Ralph Ollive, the

March 28. The year previous to the New Style began on March 25th. January and February were then reckoned the eleventh and twelfth months.

+ These legal proceedings cost about £500. This sum was provided by a rate levied on the four congregations according to their supposed ability. The liability, divided into forty shares, was thus apportioned-Presbyterians, 16; Independents, 10; two Baptist, 14.

Mayor's son, the case of the prisoners failed; but the Judges gave an order that the Sheriffs should provide a better prison for them.

On June 15, 1675, the day of the trial at Westminster, the four congregations met to celebrate a special service, and to pray for the two ministers and the others on their trial. This union led to a proposal for closer union, and a committee was appointed to arrange the method of it. Of Mr. Weeks's congregation there were selected the aforesaid Mr. Thompson, Mr. Doleman and Mr. Chock, and afterwards Mr. Pope and Mr. Tucker. But the proposed union was prevented by some scruples on the part of the congregation at St. James's Back. These related, 1stly, to their desire to pray for magistrates, according to the Scriptures, whether good or bad; 2ndly, to their readiness to sing psalms with others besides the church; 3rdly, to their anxiety for properly ordained preachers; and 4thly, to their fear lest the Baptists should avail themselves of the union to convert the others to their doctrine.

Mr. Weeks returned to his prison at Bristol, June 5, 1675. On the following morning, Hellier, "that wretched man," was busy at St. James's Back. "He, with the constables, stayed there, mocking and striking some, pulling and hauling others; and so both morning and afternoon he was there, and hindered them that they could not preach, but sing, pray and read chapters." (Records, p. 244.)

The question of union being again discussed, it was agreed, 1, that the four congregations should join in a quarterly prayer-meeting and fast-day; 2, that they should have other occasional meetings for fasting and prayer; and, "3 and lastly, it was agreed concerning the ordering of ourselves in our meetings in this day of trouble, that none stir from this meeting when the informers or any officers come whatsoever. And if the Mayor himself come, that we move or depart but very slowly, when forced, if he doth much insist on it, and command our departure." (P. 246.)

Mr. Weeks and Mr. Hardcastle were set at liberty August 2, 1675. The latter immediately resumed his public ministry at Broadmead, and was again imprisoned. For a short time Mr. Weeks went out of town, but then resumed his duties, notwithstanding almost constant interruptions and alarms. Hellier, towards the close of the year, intimated to Mr. Weeks's people, through one of their number, John Tucker, that if they would abstain from assembling during the hours of public service at the churches, he would not interfere with them. They accordingly made a fresh arrangement of the hours of service, meeting in the morning at 11, and in the afternoon at 3. This concession or compromise was regarded with great disapprobation by the other congregations, and the expression of the feeling on their part led to an alienation and to the breaking up of the quarterly union, so far as the St. James's Back congregation were concerned. Hellier did not long keep his promise, for before the year was ended the congregation was again disturbed.

The year 1676 and four following years were for the most part peaceful. In 1681 began, according to the Broadmead Records, the tenth persecution, and the Presbyterians were the victims of some gross outrages on both liberty and property.

"On the same day" (Tuesday, Dec. 13, 1681, a monthly day of

prayer), "John Hellier, who came from London the night before, Captain Edward Arundell and his lieutenant, and many constables of James's ward, &c., went before four and five in the evening to Mr. Weeks's, the Presbyterian minister's meeting-house, in James's Back; and there, after many people were come in, expecting to hear a lecture-sermon, as usual at that time, Hellier and his company commanded them to depart; and then ordered a smith, and several other labourers he had provided, to pull down the pulpit, which he called the prattling-box, and the pews; and they broke and tore them all to pieces as fast as they could. As this was doing, much rabble and boys came in, and Hellier encouraged them to help, and said he would send up their names to the King, and they should have £20 a-piece. So about fourteen labourers and the rabble continued late at night, breaking down the galleries, and tore their very windows in pieces; and the rabble carried away the plunder as fast as they could, so that an hundred pounds would not make it good again.

The next day, Walter Watkins broke open the door of the house that goes into Mr. Weeks's meeting, and fetched out the broken stuff and timber plucked down, and had it hauled away to Bridewell."

In the same way one of the Baptist meeting-houses and that of the Quakers were treated. To this outrage was added the insult of valuing the property carried away from Mr. Weeks's at twenty-two shillings, the Quakers' at fifteen shillings, and Mr. Gifford's at twelve shillings and sixpence. The damage really done was estimated at £200. The pretended justification of this violence and plunder was a warrant from the King's deputy-lieutenants to make a distress for five pounds, for not sending a soldier to the muster under Lord Herbert.

On the 12th of March, 168, Mr. Weeks was arrested before the afternoon meeting, in St. James's churchyard, by his old enemy, Hellier. He was taken before the Mayor, who, with that capricious tyranny which marked the times, insisted on Mr. Weeks accompanying him to St. Werburgh's church. At the following sessions he was committed to prison for a violation of the Five-mile Act. The accusation against him was of having been with the Baptists on the Downs,-according to the "Records," a false charge. He was removed to London on a writ of Habeas Corpus, and there succeeded in obtaining his discharge. The persecution now became so hot, and the penalties of the several Acts passed to crush the Nonconformists were so severe, that there was no longer any possibility of continuing their assemblies in their accustomed meeting-houses. But the several flocks gathered together, sometimes on the Downs, sometimes in a wood, sometimes by the river side. The statute of the 23rd of Elizabeth was now raked up for the destruction of the Nonconformists, and not less than 150 of them were convicted by the Recorder, and fined £20 a month, for not coming to church. It is scarcely to be wondered at that some of Mr. Weeks's people could not endure the fiery ordeal, and conformed. In the following year, the fury of Hellier, now Under-Sheriff for Somersetshire, and his crew, led to a very tragical occurrence. Mr. Weeks's people had assembled for worship, on an afternoon in April, on the banks of the river Avon. Hellier came upon them, and many of them escaped over the water. Anticipating this, Hellier had posted Ollive and others on the Gloucestershire side of the river. Waving his hat to them as a

signal to begin the pursuit of the fugitives, Mr. Knight, a minister of Taunton, and Mr. Ford, a mercer of High Street, were selected and chased about half a mile. Wearied and closely pursued, both sought to escape by re-crossing the river. Their enemies were on the bank uttering cries-"Knock them down!"-so wild that persons at a distance thought they were hunting a deer, and the cattle in the neighbouring meadows ran wildly about. Mr. Ford, who first entered the stream, finding himself in deep water and sinking, cried out for help. But his pursuers were men that knew not what mercy or generosity was. Ollive and his companions saw him sink, and then withdrew. On the other side, a poor collier, with a child in his arms, saw the danger of the minister, and, placing the infant on the grass, rushed into the water. He had much difficulty in saving Mr. Knight and bringing him to shore. His appeal to Watkins, the marshal, to aid him, was refused. But the honest colliers came to his help, and, carrying the almost drowned and utterly exhausted man to the house of Mr. Fox, in Pill Marsh, he was put into a warm bed and restored. It sounds almost incredible that the officers who had hunted Mr. Ford to his death, should dare to come to the house and demand that Mr. Knight should be given up to them, that they might carry him to prison. To shield themselves, they raised the false cry that he had killed Mr. Ford. Others said that Mr. Ford had drowned himself. The Coroner's jury impannelled to inquire into the cause of his death, brought a verdict, that one of the officers as principal, and two others (one of whom was Watkins) as accessories, were the cause of Mr. Ford's death. But so wickedly corrupt was the administration of the law at this time, that the prosecution entirely failed, notwithstanding the honest endeavours of the Coroner to bring the guilty men to punishment.

Mr. Weeks for a time gave up the active discharge of his ministry in Bristol and the neighbourhood, and his people resorted very much to hear a Mr. Young, who had been the parish minister of Brislington, but had latterly thrown in his lot with the Nonconformists. But he and many of the flock were seized and committed to the jail at Gloucester. The work of persecution seemed to be successful; for now, except the Baptists, whom nothing succeeded in intimidating, all the Dissenting congregations in the city for a time suspended their meetings. The Baptist prisoners were treated with great severity, and Mr. Fownes, the Broadmead pastor,* after an imprisonment of two years and nine months in Gloucester jail, was released by death, November 29, 1685.

The darkest hour of the night is that which just precedes the dawn of day. The sufferings of the Bristol Nonconformists were coming to a close. First they got relief through the dishonest policy of James II. In 1686, the churches began to re-assemble. In 1687, after being scattered above five years, the Baptists, and probably their neighbours the Presbyterians, returned to their old meeting-houses. In 1688, the glorious Revolution was effected. The Toleration Act followed. In 1692, the records of the Lewin's Mead congregation begin, and the interesting and able summary of the subsequent history of the society

* An ancestor of Mr. Fownes, who was in the last century a Presbyterian minister at Shrewsbury.