the feveral chapels in this parish; on which account he would fometimes fay, that he thought few in modern times had fo truly primitive an ordination, as he confidered Mr. Herle as a primitive bifhop. By an unexpected providence he was called to Torrington in Devon; where, though young, he abundantly fulfilled his miniftry, which was bleffed with great fuccefs. He had a numerous auditory and a flourishing church, to which many of the inhabitants joined themfelves who belonged to an independent church at Biddeford, having had a difmiffion from thence. The manner in which he was used to carry on the fervice here, on faft days (which then were 'very frequent), was very extraordinary. He began at nine with a prayer of a quarter of an hour-read and expounded fcripture for about three quarters-prayed an hour-preached another-then prayed half an hour. The people then fung about a quarter of an hour, during which he retired and took a little refreshment. He then came into the pulpit again, prayed an hour more-preached another hour-and then with a prayer of half an hour concluded the fervice. And a fort of fervice (fays Dr. Calamy very truly) that few could have gone through without inexpreffible wearinefs both to themselves and their auditories! He was upon good terms with the neighboring minifters, particularly Mr. G. Hughes of Plymouth, whofe daughter he married. With him he carried on a weekly correfpondence in Latin letters. The following circumftance in one of them is remarkable : Mr. Howe's houfe being on fire, was, extinguished by a feasonable shower. On that very day he received a letter from his father Hughes, which concluded with this prayer: "Sit Ros cæli fuper habitaculum veftrum; i. e. Let the dew of heaven be upon your dwelling.' Mr. Howe became chaplain to Cromwell, by the protector's own over-bearing importunity, which never endured a refufal. He entered upon this office with great reluctance, and never abused the influence it gave him to injure others or to enrich himself; but ufed it to ferve the intereft of religion and learning among perfons of very different fentiments. His conduc in respect to Dr. Seth Ward, afterwards fucceffively bishop of Exeter and Sarum, deferves particular notice.

The Doctor applied, by means of Mr. Howe, for the principalfhip of Jefus-College in 1657; but it had been promifed to another. However, Mr. Howe fo ftrongly recommended him to the protector, that he gave him an annual allowance equivalent to it; and the Doctor retained

a grateful

a grateful fenfe of the favor, when, upon the change of times, he became a greater man. Mr. Howe always appeared fo difinterefted, that the protector once faid to him, You have obtained many favors for others, I wonder when the time is to come that you will move for fomething for yourfelf and family.' This principle made him faithful in the difcharge of his duty. The following is a remarkable inftance of it: The notion of a particular faith in prayer, with refpect to the obtaining of particular bleffings, had prevailed much at Cromwell's court; and Mr. Howe once heard a fermon there from a person of note defigned to defend it. Being fully convinced of the ill tendency of fuch an opinion, he thought himself bound in confcience, when it came to his turn to preach, to oppofe it; which accordingly he did with great plainnefs. Cromwell heard with great attention, but fometimes frowned and difcovered great uneafinefs, infomuch that a person who was prefent told Mr. Howe, it would be difficult ever to make his peace with him again. Mr. Howe replied,

I have difcharged my confcience, and leave the event with GOD." Nothing, however, paffed between them on the fubject, though Cromwell feemed cooler towards him than before. After Richard Cromwell was fet aside, Mr. Howe returned to his people at Torrington. At the reftoration he met with fome trouble, being informed against as delivering fomething treasonable in the pulpit, but was very honorably acquitted. When the act of uniformity took place, he quitted his public station in the church, and became a filenced nonconformift, after having preached two affecting fermons to his people on Bartholomew-Day, in which he gave them fome reafons why he could not comply with the act. Doctor (afterwards bishop) Wilkins, (with whom he had maintained a long intimacy) on feeing him foon after this, expreffed his furprize that a man of Mr. Howe's latitude fhould have ftood out. He told him, that he would gladly have been under the establishment, if he could have compaffed it with fatisfaction to his conscience; but that, having weighed the matter with all poffible impartiality, he could not do it; and that hist latitude was the very thing that made him a nonconformist. But his principal reafon was, the little vital religion that appeared in the establishment, which, he thought, would eventually fap its foundations. Some rulers in the churchr at that time (to ufe a fimile of the excellent bishop Wilkins upon the occafion) were for fetting the top on the picked end downwards, and fo could not keep it up;

but

but by whipping and fcourging; whereas, if they had fet it on its broad end downwards, it would have ftood firm of itself.' The "lawfulness of eating black-puddings (as Mr. Howe obferved to the fame effect on another occafion) would be a jufter ground of controversy than any point of the difputed conformity." The doctor appeared fatisfied, and advifed him as a friend to ftand to his principles. Mr. Howe continued fome time in Devonfbire, preaching in private houses as he had opportunity. Being acquainted that an officer of the bishop's court had enquired after him, he rode to Exeter, where he met with a friend, a dignified clergyman, who acquainted the bishop that Mr. Howe was there; upon which his lordship expreffed a defire to see him, and received him with great civility as his old acquaintance, but expoftulated with him about his nonconformity, and defired to know the reafons. Mr. Howe, waving many others, only mentioned re-ordination. Why pray, Sir, faid the bishop, what hurt is there in being re-ordained?' "Hurt! my lord, faid Mr. Howe, it is fhocking it hurts my understanding; it is an abfurdity; for nothing can have two beginnings.' The bishop

dropping the matter, told him, as he had done at other times, that if he would come in among them he might have confiderable preferments; and difmiffed him in a friendly manner, without any thing being faid on either fide about the process that was iffued out against him; and accordingly there the matter ended.

In 1665 he took the oath required by the Oxford act upon the fame principle as Dr. Bates and others did in London: But notwithstanding he was this year imprisoned two months in the ifle of St. Nicholas; though upon what occafion it doth not appear.

In 1671, being reduced to ftraits, he accepted aninvitation from a perfon of quality in Ireland. Being detained by contrary winds on the Welch coaft, (probably at Holyhead) he continued there a Lord's day. The company, being defirous he fhould preach to them, were feeking a convenient place, when they met the parish minifter and his clerk riding to the town. One of them afked the clerk, whether his mafter preached that day? who answered, No; my mafter does not use to preach; he only reads prayers.' On being asked further, whether he would give leave for a minifter who was there to ufe his pulpit, he replied, Very willingly;' which accordingly he did. Mr. Howe preached. In the afternoon the audience was very large, and feemed much af VOL. IV.

K

fected.

fected. The wind continued contrary all the week. The next Lord's day, there was a prodigious multitude gathered together; and the clergyman, having no expectation of further affiftance, was in great confternation, being not able to preach himself, and thinking if there were no preaching it would greatly leffen his reputation. He therefore fent his clerk to Mr. Howe, and begged he would come and preach again, as otherwife he knew not what to do, the country being come in for feveral miles to hear him. Mr. Howe being much indifpofed was in a sweat in bed. But, confidering it as a plain call of providence, he cooled himself as speedily as he could with fafety, and, cafting himself on GOD, went and preached with great freedom. He faid he never faw people more moved, and that, if ever his miniftry was of ufe, it was then. Very foon after, the veffel failed, and he felt no ill effects. In Ireland he lived as chaplain to the lord Maffarene at Antrim, where he was univerfally refpected, and enjoyed the particular friendfhip of the bishop of that diocefe, who, together with his metropolitan, gave him liberty to preach, without demanding any conformity, in the public church, every Lord's day afternoon. And the archbishop, at a meeting of the clergy, told them, that he would have Mr. Howe have every pulpit, where he had any concern, open to him. By his preaching and converfation here he was ufeful to many.

Upon the death of Dr. Seaman, 1675, he was invited by a part of his congregation to fix in London. After mature deliberation, and weighing the arguments on both fides, (which he drew out in writing) he confented to go, and made a peaceable ufe of K. Charles's indulgence. He preached to a confiderable and judicious audience, and was much refpected not only by his brethren among the diffenters, but by feveral eminent divines of the church of England, v. g. Doctors Whitchcote, Kidder, Fowler, Lucas, &c. with whom he often freely and familiarly converfed.

In regard to the steps taken in order to a coalition between the church and the diffenters, fome of the dignified clergy fent for him to their houses, (bifhop Lloyd, Sherlock, &c.) and expreffed great deference to his opinion. He had a particular intimacy with Dr. Tillotson (afterwards archbifhop) in refpect to whom the following anecdote is worthy of notice. The dean, as he then was, (1680) preached a fermon at court, on Job. xxiv. 15. in which he afferted, that no man is obliged to preach against the religion of a country, though a falfe one, unlefs he has the power of working miracles.' K. Charles flept moft of the time.

When

When the fermon was over, a certain nobleman faid to him, It's pity your majefty flept, for we have had the rarest piece of Hobbifm that ever you heard in your life.' Odds fifh, faid the king, he fhall print it then; and immediately called the lord-chamberlain to give his command to the dean to do it. When it came from the prefs, the dean, as was ufual with him, fent it as a prefent to Mr. Howe, who, on the perufal, was grieved to find a fentiment which had fo ill a tendency, and drew up a long letter, in which he freely expoftulated with the dean for giving fuch a wound to the Reformation, and carried it himfelf. The dean, upon the fight of it, moved for a little journey into the country, that they might talk the matter over without interruption. Mr. Howe enlarged on the contents of the letter as they travelled in the chariot. The dean at length wept, and faid, this was the most unhappy thing that had befallen him. for a long time; owned, that what he had afferted was not to be maintained, and urged in his excufe, that he had but little notice of preaching that day, and none of printing the fermon.

When, in 1684, Barlow bishop of Lincoln printed a letter for putting into execution the laws againft diffenters, Mr. Howe wrote a free anfwer to it, of which a copy may be feen in his Mem. p. 104-112. The next year, the profpect of the diffenters being very dark, he accepted an invitation of lord Wharton to travel with him abroad. In the courfe of his travels, he had the fatisfaction to converte with a number of learned papifts, and proteftant divines. In 1686, having no encouragement to return, he fettled at Utrecht, where the earl of Sunderland and his countefs, fome English gentlemen, and two of his own nephews, boarded with him. During this time, he took his turn with Mr. Mat. Mead, &c. who were there alfo, in preaching at the English church; and in the evening preached to his own family. He was of great ufe to feveral English ftudents then at the univerfity, and much refpected by its profeffors, as well as by feveral perfons of diftinction from England, among whom was Dr. G. Burnet, afterwards bishop of Sarum, with whom he had much free converfation. The prince of Orange, afterwards William III. admitted him. feveral times into his prefence, and difcourfed with him with great freedom; as he fometimes did, after he afcended the British throne.

Upon K. James's declaration for liberty of conscience in 1687, Mr. Howe's flock in London earnestly preffed his return, and he readily complied. He waited upon the prince