Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire: with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.Coleman, Thomas
History
Memorials of the Independent Churches in Northamptonshire: with biographical notices of their pastors, and some account of the puritan ministers who laboured in the county.
Coleman, Thomas
Clergy -- England -- Northamptonshire; Independent churches -- England -- Northamptonshire; Puritans -- England -- Northamptonshire
After this he remained in Kettering about four years; set up a separate
interest; drew up a Church covenant, July 15th, 1715, in which mention
is made of 46 members, most of whom had belonged to the other Church,
having been drawn away by him, though most of them returned during the
ministry of his successor. His bad conduct caused him to be soon
rejected by the party that went off with him.
There was another part of his conduct towards his former charge which
appears to have been very dishonourable. The people had raised a
subscription, and purchased a dwelling-house for their minister, with a
considerable garden. Mr. Wills occupied it as the minister, but wished
to make some addition to it, and to secure himself prevailed on the
people to have the house surrendered to him, which, from the regard they
then had for him, they unwisely permitted to be done. Consequently,
after the Church had dismissed him from his office, he still retained
the house, and at length sold it, keeping the whole amount of the money,
pleading as his excuse that it was but as much as he had laid out upon
it, with other disadvantages that he had in removing. He went to
Wellingham, Cambridgeshire.
Such things as these would present some serious hindrances to the
advancement of religion among the people, while a man of this character
sustained the office of pastor, and afterwards sought to draw away
disciples after him.
On the 11th of November, 1714, Mr. Thomas Milway, jun., the son of the
former pastor of this name, was settled over them. At the time when his
settlement took place, 112 persons are registered as belonging to the
Church. During his ministry, which continued only for six years and a
half, 48 members were admitted. He removed to Ipswich in March, 1721.
In reference to the removal of Mr. Milway from Kettering to Ipswich, we
have received the following extracts from the Church records of the
latter place:--
At a Church-meeting, the 26th of October, 1720, the Church gave a
call to Mr. Thomas Milway, at Kettering, to the pastoral office, in
the following words, and signed as underwritten by the brethren of
the Church:--
"_To the Rev. Mr. Thomas Milway, at Kettering._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account