PEWTERERS'-HALL, LIME-STREET.- -Independent, Extinct. JOHN WOWEN, or JONATHAN OWEN, for there seems to be some difficulty with regard to his real name. A manuscript, to which we shall have frequent occasion to refer in the course of the present work, speaks of him under the former name, as the founder of the Independent church in Deadman's-Place, Southwark. There he had a numerous congregation, and was very popular. But falling out with his people, he left them about 1702, and, after a short time, was chosen to succeed Mr. Bragge, at Pewterers'Hall. He continued to preach there till 1715, when he embraced the principles of the Baptists, and went down to Bristol, where he assisted the Rev. Andrew Gifford, at the Pithay-meeting. Crosby records the same facts of a Mr. Jonathan Owen, from whence there can be no doubt but he was the same person. Calamy mentions a Mr. John Wowen,§ who was silenced by the Act of Uniformity, and appears to be the person of whom we are speaking. But we defer entering into a discussion of this subject, as we shall have some further particulars to relate under the article DEADMAN'S-PLACE. Upon Mr. Wowen's leaving Pewterers'-Hall, his church broke up, and the people separated into other societies. mains. To this Book is prefixed, the Author's Portrait, by Hollar.-12. A Spiritual Garden of sweet-smelling Flowers; or, Mr. Ralph Venning's Divine Sentences. This is in a Book, entitled, Saints' Memorials : or, Words fitly spoken, like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver. Being a Collection of Divine Sentences, written and delivered by those late Reverend and eminent Ministers, Mr. Edmund Calamy, Mr. Joseph Caryl, Mr. Ralph Venning, and Mr. James Janeway. London. 1674. 8vo. In the Frontispiece to this Book, there is a Portrait of each of these Ministers, in four squares. Mr. Venning, also, had a hand in the English-Greek Lexicon, published in 1661. • MS. penes me. +Crosby's History of the Baptists, vol. iv. p. 168. § Calamy's Account, p. 777. Contin. p. 896. Ibid. PAVED-ALLEY, LIME-STREET. INDEPENDENT. PAVED-ALLEY, of which, at present, no traces re main, was situated at the upper end of Lime-street, towards Leadenhall-street, and the site has been many years covered by a wing of the East India-House. The meeting-house, which was a large building, with three capacious galleries, was erected about the time of King Charles's Indulgence, in 1672. The congregation that assembled in it was of early origin; being gathered by the celebrated Dr. Thomas Goodwin, soon after his return from Holland, at the beginning of the long parliament, in 1640. Their first place of meeting was in the parish of St. Dunstan in the East, but the exact spot cannot be ascertained. Suffice it to say, that it was somewhere about Thames-street. The congregation was for many years very considerable both for numbers and opulence, and made the largest collection for the fund of any church in London. The meeting-house being conveniently situated, was made use of for the purpose of several lectures. Mr. Bragge preached one on the Lord'sday evening for several years. There was, also, a catechetical lecture here on a Wednesday evening, which was removed to Little St. Helen's. In 1730, Mr. Coward fixed upon it as a proper place for carrying on a course of lectures on the most important doctrines of the gospel. They were twenty-six in number, and were preached by nine ministers of approved character and abilities. The lecture was opened November the 12th, 1730, and continued weekly till April 8, 1731. The discourses delivered at it were afterwards published, in two volumes octavo, and are esteemed among the best defences of Calvinism. The church There were Mr. ROBERT BRAGGE, Dr. ABRAHAM TAYLOR, Mr. JOHN SLADEN, Mr. PETER GOODWIN, Mr. JOHN HURRION, Mr. THOMAS BRADBURY, Mr. THOMAS HALL, Mr. SAMUEL WILSON, and Dr. JoиN GILL. The two last were of the Baptist denomination. in Lime-street continued to flourish under a succession of valuable ministers, till Christmas, 1755, when the East India Company having purchased a large plot of ground, including the spot where the meeting-house stood, the congregation was compelled to quit. Soon after, it was taken down, to make way for the enlargement of the Company's premises. Mr. Richardson, who was the pastor, at that time, having relinquished his charge, the congregation divided into two branches. One of these went off to Artillery-street, where Mr. Richardson resumed the pastoral office. The remaining branch removed to Miles's-lane, and chose for their pastor the Rev. William Porter. After assembling there about ten years, they built the present meeting-house in Camomile-street. The history of these two branches we shall take up in their proper order. We now proceed to give the succession of ministers at the old church, in Lime-street, distinguishing pastors from assistants. PAVED-ALLEY, LIME-STREET.Independent. THOMAS GOODWIN, D. D.-This learned and eminent Divine, who was one of the principal leaders of the Independents, during the reign of Charles the First, was born October 5, 1600, at Rolesby, in Norfolk. His parents, who were religious persons, devoted him early to the work of the ministry, and gave him a suitable education with that view. After obtaining a competent knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages, he was sent, at thirteen years of age, to Christ's College, Cambridge; where his good natural abilities were so improved by diligent study, as to secure him great esteem in the University. In 1616, he took the degree of Bachelor of Arts.* After continuing at Christ's College about six years, he removed, in 1619, to Katherine-Hall, under the tuition of the famous Dr. Sibbes. In the following year, he proceeded Master of Arts, was chosen fellow, and a lecturer in the University. After some time, he proceeded Doctor in Divinity.‡ During the first six years which he spent at College, he walked in the vanity of his mind. Ambitious designs entirely engrossed his attention, and his whole aim was to obtain preferment and applause. But God, who had designed him to higher purposes was pleased to change his heart, and turn the course of his life to his own service and glory. It appears from his own account of his conversion, and of his experience both before and after, that, from the time he was six years old, he had strong impressions of religion upon his mind, which led him to the performance of common duties. At his first going to College, he constantly attended the Lord's-Supper; but, his good inclinations were often overcome, and he relapsed into sin. At one time, having made uncommon preparation for the Lord's-Supper at Whitsuntide, expecting to be thereby so confirmed, as never again to fall away, his tutor observing Dr. Goodwin's Life, prefixed to the fifth volume of his works. PAVED-ALLEY, LIME-STREET.Independent. him come to receive, sent to forbid him. To this, he seems to have been actuated on account of his youth. It was such a disappointment, however, to young Goodwin, as to discourage him from attending the ministry of the Puritans. From that time, he left off prayer, gave himself up to a worldly course of life, and followed such studies as were merely calculated to display the wit and learning of the preacher. At length, on a certain day, (Oct. 16, 1620,) while at Cambridge, his attention was engaged by the tolling of a bell for a funeral, and a sermon being expected, one of his companions persuaded him to stay and hear it. Being then averse to serious preaching, he was not much inclined to follow this proposal; but finding Dr. Bambridge, a witty man, was to preach, he staid to hear him. The Doctor preached from Luke xix. 41, 42. And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes. Though Mr. Goodwin had heard the sermon before, yet the preacher's manner greatly engaged his attention. The observations he made were "That every man has his day, or a time in which grace is offered him—that if he neglects it, God is just in hiding it from his eyesand that it behoves every man to pray against blindness of mind, and hardness of heart." The sermon was closed with a warm exhortation to an immediate repentance and return to God. Though the remarks he had heard were far from being uncommon, yet, he was so much affected, that he told his companions, he hoped he should be the better for that sermon as long as he lived. Instead of spending the evening in mirth as he intended, he College, and passed it in retirement. greatly oppressed with a sense of the evil of sin, and its dreadful consequences. He saw the vanity of his former religion, and the deficiency there was in the root of all his devotion, the flowers of which had withered because they returned to his own His mind was now |