NEW-COURT, CAREY-STREET.-Independent. NEW-COURT, CAREY-STREET. INDEPENDENT. THE meeting-house in New-court, Carey-street, Lin coln's-inn-fields, was erected about the year 1705, for the well known Mr. Daniel Burgess, who was the first pastor of this church. It was gathered, as nearly as can be ascertained, about the year 1687, when King James's declaration for liberty allowed some breathing time for the Nonconformists. About this time, Mr. Burgess began first to be taken notice of in the city, and some little singularities that attended his preaching, contributed to gain him no small share of popularity. His hearers, in a little time, becoming very numerous, formed themselves into a regular society. Many of them were the remains of Dr. Manton's congregation, and among them several persons of distinction. The first meeting-house they engaged for him, as we learn from Matthew Henry, was in Bridges-street, Covent-garden; most probably the same that Dr. Manton had preached in, some years before. After some time they removed to another meeting-house in Russel-court, Drury-lane, where they continued for several years; but the lease of that place expiring about 1705, the landlord turned them out, and it became a chapel of ease to the parish of St. Martin's in the Fields, which has been its condition ever since. Mr. Burgess being deprived of this place, a new meeting-house was built for him in New-court, Carey-street. But it unhappily fell out, that soon after it was erected, he had a difference with some of his people, which occasioned a large part of them to leave him, and join with Dr. Earle, at Hanover-street; by which means a debt of seven or eight hundred pounds for building the meeting-house, was left on those that remained 1 NEW-COURT, CAREY-STREET.--Independent. behind. And to add to this burthen, in March, 1709, Dr. Sacheverell's mob broke all the windows, tore down the pulpit and all the pews, and burnt them in Lincoln's-innfields, which damage amounted to three hundred pounds, or upwards. This happening at such a juncture, the people were not able to repair the damage; so that they were destititute of a place of worship for a considerable time; and had it not been for the kind assistance of their brethren, it is probable they would never have been able to recover the place. By their friendly interposition, however, the loss was now repaired; but the main debt still continued, which was such a discouragement, that the church never flourished during the remainder of Mr. Burgess's life. Nor did it recover itself under his successor; who removing to another place, in 1727, this people were again in danger of breaking up. It happened fortunately enough for them, that about this time the celebrated Thomas Bradbury, had some difference with his people, in Fetter-lane, which occasioned his leaving them. Upon this the people in New-court, in their destitute circumstances, were very willing to receive him; and it being near the old place, well suited Mr. Bradbury, who brought many of his old friends with him; so that the two interests, though weak separately, were a considerable body when united. And what was a farther encouragement, Mr. Bradbury, and his brother, made such interest with many rich citizens, that they soon discharged all the old debt on the meeting-house. During the whole of his time there was a full congregation, and it continued in a respectable state for many years after his death. During some of the latter years of the late Mr. Ricard Winter, who grew old and infirm, the congregation somewhat declined; but it has been greatly revived since his death, and is apprehended to be as large now as during any former period. This church, in its original constitution, was strictly Presbyterian; and till the time of Mr. Bradbury, the ministers carried the contributions of the society to the Presby NEW-COURT, CAREY-STREET.-Independent. terian fund. Mr. Bradbury, however, made it a condition of his acceptance of the pastoral office, that the people should join the Independents, and send their contributions to the Independent fund: and this has been its state ever since. There has been no material alteration in this people, as to doctrinal sentiment, from their origin as a church. Mr. Burgess was a Divine of the old Protestant stamp; Mr. Bradbury's zeal for orthodoxy is well known; and since his time the ministers have been reputed Calvinists. The meeting-house is a good square brick-building, of a moderate size, and has three galleries. Its obscure situation was rendered necessary at the time it was built, when past persecutions were fresh in the recollection, and apprehensions were entertained of their revival; but it is undoubtedly a prejudice to the Dissenting interest in this day of open liberty. The following is a complete catalogue of the ministers who have preached at this place, whether as pastors or assistants, from the foundation of the meeting-house to the present time: NEW-COURT, CAREY-STREET.-Independent. DANIEL BURGESS. This celebrated Divine was born about the year 1645, at Staines, Middlesex, where his father, the Rev. Daniel Burgess, was at that time minister; but afterwards removed to Sutton, in Wiltshire, and then to Collingburn Ducis, in the same county; a very considerable living of about 400l. per annum, which he lost by the fatal act of uniformity, in 1662, chusing rather to relinquish his living, than violate his conscience. But though he was deprived of this support, he contrived with what little he had of his own, by the blessing of God, to maintain and educate a numerous family. His son Daniel, the subject of our present memoir, being looked upon as a child of promising parts, was sent, at nine years of age, to Winchester school, and, after some time, was received on the foundation. There he continued, as is supposed, till he removed to the University. He was entered commoner of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, in Michaelmas term 1660, being about fifteen years of age. That house was then in a flourishing state, under Dr. Henry Wilkinson, the Principal, who was ejected for nonconformity, in 1662. His tutor was a Mr. Northmore, a Devonshire man, of great note for piety and learning, and an acute disputant. One of his contemporaries in Magdalen Hall, describes hin to have been "a very close hard student, and his demeanour in the house in all respects very good." He continued there till he was of bachelors standing, when he and some others, his contemporaries in the same house (Mr. Brice, and Mr. Cudmore,) scrupling some oath that was made necessary for their degree, chose rather to wave taking it, than submit to the impositions, then required. Soon after his leaving the University, he went to reside with his father, in the country, and in a little time became chaplain to Mr. Foyl, of Chute, in Wiltshire; from whence he removed into the family of Mr. Smith, of Tedworth, in the same county, where he was tutor to his son, and some other young gentlemen in the neighbourhood. After some years NEW-COURT, CAREY-STREET.—Independent. he was invited by the Earl of Orrery, Lord President of Munster, to go over with him to Ireland, which he accepted about the year 1667. In order to strengthen the interest of the Protestant religion in that kingdom, the Earl set up a school at Charleville, and appointed Mr. Burgess headmaster of it. There he educated the sons of many of the nobility and gentry of that part of Ireland. After this, he was sometime chaplain to the Lady Mervin, near Dublin; where he was ordained by Dr. Harrison, Dr. Rolls, and some other ministers of the city. During his residence in Dublin he married Mrs. Briscoe, by whom he had a son and two daughters. After continuing in Ireland about seven years, his father, in consequence of growing infirmities, sent for him over to settle near him, which he did in the year 1674. He took up his residence at Marlborough, in Wiltshire, where he applied himself as closely to the work of the ministry, as the difficulty of the times would permit. He laboured abundantly, and with great success, at Marlborough, and the parts adjacent, and afterwards preached statedly at Baden, and occasionally at Hungerford, Ramsbury, Albourn, and other places in the vicinity. As he was much followed by those who loved and valued his ministry, so he was greatly persecuted by those that hated it, and underwent much hardship on that account. Being once taken up for preaching, he was committed to the common jail at Marlborough, and was denied a copy of his commitment. There he had nothing to sit or lie down upon, and was forced to continue walking about, till the following day, when his friends got a bed into him at a window. After some time, he was released upon bail, but his prosecutions at the assizes were very expensive to him; and as he laboured, so he suffered abundantly. The violence of his persecutors in the country, at length forced him to London, about the year 1685; and there he was when the Dissenters had some breathing time allowed |