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
Short was the course of his ministry here; for we are further informed,
that "the Rev. Thomas Milway died the Lord's-day, May 31st, 1724, in the
morning, aged 47. He lies buried in the aisle, immediately in front of
the pulpit, as does his wife, Mrs. Mary Milway, who died September 9th,
1751, aged 75. He appears to have been honoured and useful during his
short ministry at Ipswich.
During this period, about the year 1715, the Meeting House at Kettering
was threatened, and thought to be in danger of being pulled down by a
lawless mob. The reaction that had taken place in favour of the
Dissenters when they aided in effecting the glorious Revolution by
William the Third, had now passed by. During the reign of Anne, the
enemies of Dissent exerted themselves to abridge their liberties. The
trial of Sacheveral, a high Church bigot, under the Whig ministry, and
the triumph he obtained among the people, produced a great excitement.
Mob violence was employed against the Dissenters, and many Meeting
Houses were pulled down. The death of Anne, in 1714, was succeeded by
the peaceful accession of the first monarch of the House of Hanover, who
at once declared that "he was determined to adhere to the principles of
toleration, and endeavour to unite all his Protestant subjects by
affording them all equal protection."
But there were numbers who considered it hard not to be allowed to
persecute by law, and who therefore determined to avenge themselves and
their defeated party by setting the law at defiance, in order to enjoy
the luxury of worrying Dissenters. Hence in many towns in England,
during this year, Dissenters were insulted, and their places of worship
pulled down or burned. But the Meeting House at Kettering, though
threatened, was preserved. "The mob supposed that the building was well
guarded within by people armed for the purpose, which prevented them
from making the attempt. It is not known what defence was made, but no
mischief was done."
At the time when Mr. Milway, junior, removed from Kettering, a small
congregation of Dissenters in the noted town of Coventry had a Mr.
Thomas Saunders preaching to them. He was a descendant from Lawrence
Saunders, the martyr, who was burnt at Coventry in Queen Mary's days,
1555. The family had possessed a large estate at or near Bedworth, but
lost the greater part of it on account of religion. A Mr. Julian
Saunders, uncle of this Mr. Thomas Saunders, was a Nonconformist
minister at Bedworth; and under him the nephew was educated for the
ministry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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