MAID-LANE.- -Presbyterian, Extinct. a sinner, he preached repentance towards God as necessary to forgiveness, with faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, without curiously determining which is first, when both are needful. The whole stress of our salvation he laid on Jesus Christ, and ascribed all spiritual good entirely to the free grace of God. At the same time, he charged the condemnation of sinners on their own wilfulness and impenitence. His extraordinary application and diligence in his work hastened his death. Of this, some of his friends took notice, and amongst others, that good man Mr. Richard Baxter, by whom he was greatly esteemed. "That Mr. Baxter loved him," says Mr. Shower, "I reckon to his honour, he was one of many who thanked God for the assistance he received as a Christian, and as a minister, from the useful books, preaching, and conversation of that excellent man. And I, adds Mr. Shower, freely concur with him therein, having reason to thank God upon the like account." Mr. Oldfield languished long with pain and weakness, till God was pleased to take him to himself.* DURANT-A manuscript list of Nonconformist ministers in London, in 1695, mentions a Mr. Durant, as an assistant to Mr. Nathaniel Oldfield. He must have been a young minister, but we know nothing further respecting him. THOMAS KENTISH.-Mr. Oldfield was succeeded by Mr. Thomas Kentish, an excellent young minister, who descended from ancestors eminent for piety and ministerial usefulness, and many of them sufferers for nonconformity. His grandfather, Mr. Thomas Kentish, was ejected from the valuable living of Middleton, in the bishopric of Durham. He brought up three sons to the ministry, who all quitted their stations in the church, on Bartholomew-day, * Shower's Funeral Discourses, Part ii. p. 223, &c. MAID-LANE.-Presbyterian, Extinct. in 1662. One of these, Mr. Thomas Kentish, was cast out of Overton, in Hampshire, and afterwards became pastor of a congregation in Cannon-street, London, where he died in 1695. He was the father of Mr. Thomas Kentish, of Maid-lane. He is supposed to have studied university learning under Mr. Charles Moreton, of Newington Green; and about the year 1696, succeeded Mr. Oldfield at this place. He was an useful, acceptable preacher, and during his time there was a large congregation. But it pleased God, whose ways are unsearchable, to take him away in the midst of his labours, and in the prime of life. This was in the year 1700. He had a younger brother, Mr. Joseph Kentish, who preached for a few years to a large congregation at Bristol, and died there in the meridian of life, in 1705. JOSHUA OLDFIELD, D. D.-This eminent Divine, brother to Mr. Nathaniel Oldfield, before-mentioned, was born about the year 1656, at Carsington, in Derbyshire, where his father, Mr. John Oldfield, was at that time minister, and from whence he was afterwards ejected for nonconformity. His mother was the sister of Mr. Porter, another ejected minister, of distinguished worth, in Nottinghamshire: She lived to a great age, and sustained an excellent character as a Christian. Mr. Joshua Oldfield was the second son of his pious parents, and received his school learning under the immediate inspection of his father. The improvement he made at this early period induced an expectation of something very extraordinary; and he did not disappoint the hopes that were entertained of him. It pleased God, also, to bless the instructions and example of his pious parents, so as to affect his mind early with serious religion; and his impressions never wore off, but preserved him from the vanities of youth, and the entanglements of riper life. He studied philosophy under Mr. Reyner, of Lincoln, and afterwards removed to Christ's College, Cambridge, in the MAID-LANE.-Presbyterian, Extinct. latter years of those truly learned and excellent persons, Dr. Henry More, and Dr. Ralph Cudworth, at that time the great oracles of the university, and of whom he always spoke with the greatest reverence. There he was much noticed and valued for his exemplary piety, as well as for his public exercises in the college. When the time arrived for taking his degree, he chose to quit the university, being dissatisfied with the subscription then required. Mr. Oldfield entered upon public life as chaplain to Sir John Gell, in whose family he lived with the highest esteem, and used his influence in supporting the just dignity and authority of religion. He was afterwards tutor to the son of Mr. Paul Foley, who was Speaker to the House of Commons in the reign of King William. Whilst in that family, where he was treated with great respect, a church-living, of the value of two hundred pounds a year, fell in the gift of Mr. Foley, who made an offer of it to Mr. Oldfield, with an earnest invitation to conformity. By the earnest solicitations of a minister in the neighbourhood, he again went over the whole of the controversy, and made up his mind to continue with the Nonconformists. After this, he became chaplain to Lady Lort, sister to Lady Clinton, in Wales. From thence he went over to Ireland, where he was much pressed to continue; and on his return home lost all his juvenile writings, which he had sent by a different vessel. His first stated employment in the ministry was at Mr. Turner's, in conjunction with Mr. Samuel Doolittle. After this, he was pastor of a congregation at Tooting in Surry; at which period, he preached a sermon at Grocers'-hall, before Sir John Shorter, Lord-mayor of London, with great approbation. He then removed to Oxford, by the advice of the London ministers, and lived there several years in great esteem, by some of the most learned men in the university, particularly Dr. Wallis, and Mr. Henry Dodwell, with whom he held frequent converse. He afterVOL. IV. |