GREAT-EASTCHEAP.-Particular Baptist, Extinct.

motest from his intention. On the contrary, he laboured to improve the doctrine of grace to a strict regard for the precepts of the gospel. The zeal he discovered in defending the peculiarities of the supra-lapsarian scheme, sometimes led him into uncharitable censures of his brethren; but it was remarked, that when he took the chair at the monthly association of Baptist ministers, he behaved with great prudence and moderation. In his last illness, he expressed a cheerful resignation to the divine pleasure, declaring that the truths he had preached to others, were the comfort and support of his own soul in the near views of death and eternity. He was buried in the ground belonging to the Park-Meeting, Southwark.*

Mr. Noble was assisted in the latter part of his life by several ministers. One of these was the learned Mr. SAMUEL WILSON, afterwards of Goodman's-Fields, concerning whom we shall have occasion to make particular mention hereafter. Mr. Wilson removing to Broad street, Wapping, about the year 1726, was succeeded by Mr. PETER DAVENPORT, to whose name we can add no particulars. Mr. Noble was succeeded in the pastoral office by Mr. Dew.

SAMUEL DEW.-Concerning this gentleman our information is extremely slender. His origin appears to have been humble, and he was bred to the trade of a stone-cutter; but how long he followed this profession, we are not able to say. His mind being seriously impressed, he applied in early life to the study of the sacred scriptures, and having embraced the principles of the Baptists, commenced preacher in that denomination. After spending a few years in occasional labours, he settled with a Baptist congreation at Mitchel-Dean, in Glocestershire, where he was very popular, and not a little useful. In 1731, he removed to London, to succeed Mr. Noble, at • Mr. Wallin's Sermon, ubi supra.-Crosby's History of the Baptists, vol. iv. p. 375-390.

GREAT-EAST CHEAP.—Particular Baptist, Extinct.

Great-Eastcheap. Here his popularity abated, nor did his labours meet with that success with which they had formerly been attended. In consequence, his congregation greatly declined, and, at length, upon the expiration of their lease about 1760, dissolved their church state. After this, Mr. Dew did not assume any ministerial charge, but preached occasionally for his brethren, and communicated with the church upon Horsleydown, under the pastoral care of Dr. Gill. Mr. Dew was a man of respectable character, and esteemed a good preacher by the admirers of high Calvinism. But the manner in which he explained some doctrines, was considered by many persons as having an Antinomian tendency. Nothing, however, could be farther from his design. His only publication that we have met with, is a funeral sermon for Mrs. Mary Bevois, preached at Mr. Gill's meeting-house, April 1, 1735, on Job xix. 25. Mr. Dew survived the dissolution of his church only a few years.*

The meeting-house in Great Eastcheap, after the Baptists quitted it, was never occupied by a regular Dissenting church; but has passed through the hands of various adventurers. It was taken first by Mr. Richard Elliot, who was assisted by the late Mr. Thomas Tuppen, of Bath, and held it from 1760 to 1773, when he removed to Glass-house-yard. Mr. West, a builder, who afterwards erected a meeting-house at Hammersmith, then occupied it for a short time. Upon his removal, the Swedenborgians held it for some years. The meeting-house was afterwards taken by the Rev. Christopher Frederic Triebner, a German Lutheran Divine, who occupied it about two years. Mr. Waterman, also, preached here for some time before he settled at Ratcliff; but, we believe, his services were confined to an evening lecture. About eight years ago, the meeting-house was taken down,

• Private Information.

MILES'S-LANE. Inderendent. Extinct. First Church.

together with the adjoining buildings, and all traces, even of the court, are now lost in a large house and warehouse erected upon the site.

MILES'S-LANE.

INDEPENDENT.-EXTINCT.

First Church.

MILES'S-LANE, properly ST. MICHAEL'S-LANE,

so called from the saint to whom the parochial church is dedicated, falls into Cannon-street, at the north end, and on the south into Crooked-lane, and so into Thames-street. The meeting-house stands in a paved court, called Meetinghouse-yard, on the right hand side from Cannon-street. It is a large, substantial brick-building, with three good galleries; and is one of the oldest places of worship among the Dissenters. Though the exact date of the building is not now to be obtained, there is good evidence that it must have been erected very soon after the restoration of Charles the Second. Being a large and commodious place, it was fixed upon as a prey to the parish minister, when his church was consumed in the fire of London, A. D. 1666; nor could the rightful owners regain possession till the new church was built. This was the fate of many other meeting-houses, at that time, and places in a strong light the unprincipled power of the ecclesiastical government, during the reign of Charles the Second.

MILES'S-LAN E.Independent, Extinct. First Church.

The meeting-house in Miles's-lane, was occupied in its early state by two different congregations, both Independent. Each of them is become extinct; one in our own time, under the late Dr. Stephen Addington; the other nearly a century ago. These we shall take up separately in their proper order; beginning with the latter, as least known; and better suited to chronological precision.

The first church that falls under our notice, was collected soon after the act of Uniformity, by the Rev. Matthew Barker, the ejected minister of St. Leonard's, Eastcheap. Mr. Baxter mentions him among the Independent Ministers, who began to set up their separate meetings after the fire of London, in 1666. His congregation assembled at Miles'slaue on the morning of the Lord's-day; and he continued their pastor through successive persecutions, between thirty and forty years. He was succeeded in the pastoral charge, by the Rev. John Short, in whose time the congregation greatly declined; so that, at his death, which happened in 1718, they dissolved into other societies. About two or three years prior to this event, they removed to some other meeting-house. Both these ministers were Calvinists, and men of good learning and reputation, by which they helped to support the cause of Nonconformity, at a time when its enemies expected that it would sink into oblivion. We shall follow up our plan by giving a brief account of each of these Divines.

MATTHEW BARKER, M. A.-This excellent minister was born about the year 1619, at Cransley, a small village

MILES'S-LANE.-Independent, Extinct. First Church.

near Broughton, in Northamptonshire. Being designed for the ministry, he was placed at a proper age, at Trinity College, Cambridge; and having taken his degrees, removed to Banbury, in Oxfordshire, where he superintended an academy. On the breaking out of the civil war in 1641, he was forced to leave that place, and retired to London. Soon afterwards, he was chosen minister of St. James's, Garlickhill, in which situation he continued about five years. Thence, he removed to Mortlake, in Surry, being invited to the lectureship at that place, by some citizens who resided there in the summer. On the death of Mr. Robrough, in 1650, he was called to the living of St. Leonard's, Eastcheap, which he held till Bartholomew-day, 1662, when, not being able to satisfy himself in some things required by the act of Uniformity, he was forced to resign. He, however, continued in the ministry, though with many hazards and difficulties; preaching to a separate congregation of his own gathering, as the times would allow. It does not appear where his people first met for public worship, but as they were composed of some of his old parishioners, it, probably, was somewhere in the same neighbourhood. The meeting-house in Miles's-lane, being erected early in the reign of Charles the Second, they were allowed the joint use of that place, and Mr. Barker preached to them for many years with great acceptance, till the time of his death, which happened March 25th, 1698, being then in his 80th year.

From a MS. account of Mr. Barker's life, left behind him at his death, he appears to have been a person of great sincerity, and remarkable humility; much addicted to prayer, very diffident concerning the success of his ministry, and ardently concerned for the promotion of true godliness. He was a man of considerable learning, great piety, and universal candour and moderation. As he disliked controversy, he earnestly avoided it, laying but little stress upon points of inferior importance, in which he was sensible