contribution to his Biography and has many characteristic touches. It lies on the surface that the gist of the entire opposition lay in the Puritan-Rector's refusal — stern and fearless as that of Ambrose and John Calvin — to administer ' Baptism ' and the ' Lord's Supper ' to those palpably ' unworthy/ — a controversy which has a singular litera- ture of its own from Brooks's treatise to the folio of William Morice, Esq., of Devon (16G0), and the Avell-nigh innumerable polemics of Col- linges, and Blake, and Drake, and Humphrey, and Saunders, and 'Tilenus before the Triers;' until in the next century it culminated in the ' dismissal ' of Jonathan Edwards of America. Brooks's 'Cases Con- sidered ' did its work, and he kept his position. The 'Parish' of 'St Margaret's, Fish-street-hill,' was a populous and a ' burdensome ' one. Full details will be found in Newcourt, but no memorial of Brooks.1 The Church is memorable, as having been the spot 'where that fatal Fire first began that turned London into a ruinous heap.'2
What kind of 'preaching' the Parishioners got from their Pastor, his books attest. From 1 652 onward these followed each other in rapid suc- cession and with unflagging success. There was his ' Precious Remedies ' in 1652; his 'Epistles' or 'Approbations' to Everard's 'Gospel-Treasury Opened/ and to the ' Works ' of Dr Thomas Taylor, 1 653 ; ' Heaven on Earth' in 1654; his 'Unsearchable Riches,' 'Apples of Gold/ and 'String of Pearls,' in 1657; his 'Epistle' to John Durant's 'Altum Silentium,' in 1659; his 'Mute Christian' and 'Believer's Last Day his best Day,' 1660. In the last year — 1660 — his name stands beside that of Thomas Goodwin in the ' Renunciation and Declaration of the Ministers of Congregational Churches, and Public Preachers, of the same judgment, living in and about the city of London : against the late horrid insurrection and rebellion acted in the said City' (1661, 4to). In the same year also — 1660 — he preached the 'Sermons' that com- pose his ' Ark for all God's Noahs/ in the Church of St Olave's, Bread- street — Milton's street — where, as from the Epistle we learn, ' God blessed them then to those Christians that attended on his ministry.' Newcourt makes no mention of a St Olave's in ' Bread-street/ but pro- bably it is intended by ' St Olave's, Haii-street.' Daniel Mills was the 1 Rector,' who would cordially welcome Brooks as a ' Lecturer ' to his
1 Newcourt R. E. as before vol. i. pp. 405-407. Here under date '28th Septr. 1640' is entered 'Rob. Pory S. T. B.' as 'Rector,' 'mort. ult. Rectoris;' then under date 18th August 1660, 'perresig. Pory, George Smalwood, A.M. ;' and under 17th October 1662, 'per cess. Smalwood, Dav. Barton,' who, Newcourt add*, ' I suppose continued Rector here till his Ohurch was burnt down in 1666.' Pory was no doubt the fellow-student and com- panion of Milton, and Newcourt may be accurate in regard to him ; but Smalwood must have held some subordinate post, as it was on Brooks's 'Ejectment' or Resignation, not Smalwood'B, this Barton succeeded. Newcourt in his High-Churchliness does not recog- nise Brooks at all ; and here, as elsewhere, supplies from unnamed sources those whom he chooses to regard as the ' rightful ' occupants. See our note 4 p. xxxiii. ■ Bee B.
MEMOIR OF THOMAS BROOKS. xxxiii
Church.1 When, in 1 662, he published his ' Ark for all God's Noahs in a gloomy stormy day,' he had to describe himself on its title-page as ' late Preacher of the Gospel at Margaret's near Fish-street, and still Preacher of the Word in London, and Pastor of a Congregation there.' The little word 'late,' and the other 'still,1 mark two events: the former, the 'Ejectment' of 1662; the latter, that while, with the illustrious ' two thousand' he had resigned 'St Margaret's' for 'conscience' sake,' he nevertheless did not and could not lay down his commission as a 'minister of the Gospel' and Servant of Christ. It needeth not that I tell the pathetic and heroic story of 'Black' St Bartholomew's Day. It is as imperishable as is the fame of ' this England.' I simply say, that of the many noble and true men who all over the land stood faithful to their convictions, none was nobler, none worthier than the ' ejected ' Rector of ' St Margaret's.' The closing portion of his ' Fare- well Sermon,' and it has not a single bitter or controversial word, appears in all the 'Collections' of the 'Ejected' 'Farewell Sermons.' We give it in the Appendix to this our Memoir.2 The ' Epistles ' or 'Approbations' also, which appeared previous to 1662, follow the 'Fare- well Sermon' there.3 They may be compared with those of Sibbes. They pay worthy tribute to the worthy.
He had not himself alone to consider when he went out from ' St Margaret's.' He had married, probably many years before — though the date is not known — a daughter of the excellent John Burgess.4 It
1 [Cf. Newcourt R. E. as before, vol. i. pp. 510-512.] 2 See B. 8 See C.