The Life of Mr John Hieron, Chapter 1 – Chapter 4
CHAP. I. Of Mr. Hieron's Parentage, Birth, and Childhood.
MR. John Hieron was a Prophet, and the Son of a Prophet. His Father was Miniſter at Stapenhil near Burton upon Trent, a Vicaridge it was, and in that Vicaridge-Houſe he was born in Auguſt, 1608, and baptized the 28th day of that MonethMonth. His Father being puritanically inclined, had no great things in the World; but he was a good Man. I have heard his Son John ſay of him, that he was well eſteemed of by Mr. Hilderſam and his Hearers: And that he did believe that he was found in the way of Righteouſneſs. It hath been the ſin, and the ſhame of this Nation, Oh when ſhall we be cleanſed! that the leaſt ſcandalous Miniſters have been forced to take up with moſt ſcandalous maintenance. They then made ſure to make Old Nonconformiſts poor, and to keep them ſo: But through frugality, and Gods Bleſſing they lived, and brought up their Children well. Since the Year 1662 they have uſed a Method quite to ſtarve Nonconformiſts. Not a poor Vicaridge, not a blind Chappel, not a School, nor any viſible way of maintenance for them, and yet they have lived. Providence is kind and tender! handfuls of Meal are growing, and we almoſt think we may ſome of us live to ſee Puritaniſm better thought of, and provided for in England. I know many Nonconformiſts pinched, but none ſtarved. Though neither Purſe nor Scrip, yet no inſupportable tempting wants: When Bladders are pricked, yet they can't ſink whom God will hold up by the chin, and teach the hand of Faith, the true ſwimming ſtroak.
In his minority he went over Trent, both going to, and coming from School, and was once or twice endangered thereby. In a Note found under his own hand, it is thus ſaid:
Deliverances to me vouchſafed, à teneris annis.
1. From a Cow in his Fathers yard, that took him on her horns, and threw him a great way, yet without any harm.
2. Falling out of a Chamber into a dry Fat in the lower room, yet no harm.
3. Fell out of a Boat into Trent, yet not hurt.
4. Once ventring into the Trent-boat himſelf, and not being able to manage it, and the wind high, he was carried down the River towards ſome deep place, and at leaſt one whirlepit, where he had been in danger to have been loſt: But one ſeeing it, took a private Boat, and ſtopped him, and his drowning was prevented.
Theſe he recounts, and adds a good note, The Lord expects we keep a chronology of remarkable things done by him for us. Greenhil on Ezek. 24. 2. In theſe things we may note, That theſe preſervations were preſages of ſomething more than ordinary, that God had for him to do. Where ſuch notable things occur, they ſignifie ſome eminent Evil the Perſons are reſerved for, or ſome eminent good preſerved for. Moſes drawn out of the Water was a deliverer. There is a paſſage in the minority of Ambroſe, That there was a ſwarm of Bees ſetled on his Face in his Cradle, and flew away without any hurt to him: Whereupon his Father utter'd this ſaying, Si vixerit infantulus iſte, aliquid magni erit, If this Child live, he will be ſome great Man. Again, ſince you ſee he laid theſe in his Records, kept them as the Pot of Manna, let us rehearſe and record Gods goodneſs. It's a real wonder any Child lives to be a Man, or if they do, they are not all Mephiboſheths, through folly. It muſt be aſcribed to God and his Providence, without which all our Watchers and Keepers would be in vain. There are many places that give us occaſion to call them as Hagar, Gen. 16. 13, 14. did the Well Beer-la-hai-roi, places where we have found God ſeeing for us, and looking after us, where we have not looked at him, nor for him.
CHAP. II. Of his Country Education.
MR. Hierons father removing to Chelaſton, he was with ſeveral Maſters, but at length he placed him at Repton-School, after Mr. Whitehead was come thither, with whom he continued Five years. Mr. Whitehead's Abilities, and Method of Teaching, and Diligence were ſo great, and his Converſation ſo good, that the School obtained a great Name, and bred many worthy Men. It was an excellent Seminary; and here Mr. John Hieron got that true foundation of School-Learning, that bore a very great Superſtructure of Divinity, Hiſtory, and Philoſophy. He was a very great Critick. Oh! the mercy of a good School, and Schoolmaſter where the firſt Elements are well learnt; they give great capacity, and are an happy introduction to all kind of Learning. Let the World ſpeak as contemptibly as they pleaſe, a good School-Maſter is one of the fundamentals of the Learned. World▪ A good School-Maſter makes all his Schollers his Debtors; and I do not know who can be thankful enough for them.
CHAP. III. Of his going to the Ʋniverſity, and continuance there.
HE went to Cambridge, and was admitted into Chriſt's Colledge, May 2. 1625. under the Tuition of Mr. William Chappel, afterwards Biſhop of Cork and Roſs in the Kingdom of Ireland; for whom he had an high veneration to the day of his death, and never mentioned him without honour, as being a Learned, Painful, Careful Tutor, and very faithful to his Truſt, and conſtant Expounder of Scripture in his Chamber at Night when his Pupils came to Prayer, ſhewing them the Logick of their Bibles; which Mr. Hieron alwayes accounted very advantageous and beneficial. On the Lords-days Sermons were repeated, and an account taken of his Pupils, how they ſpent that day. And if any of them walked diſorderly, and perſiſted under Admonitions, he would acquaint their Friends, and ſend them home; reſolving to keep none, who anſwered not the ends of their being ſent thither. In this Colledge he was choſen Schollar of the Houſe, and in the Colledge he continued, without ever abſenting himſelf (except once three Weeks) until Jan. 1628, when he commenced Bachelour of Arts. About March 25th. following he went to Dis in Norfolk, to teach School. The profits of the place he found might have been conſiderable, but ſome other things not ſo well ſuiting: At the Commencement he returned to Cambridge, and continued in the Colledge until September, when he went into York-ſhire to an Acquaintance of his Tutors Mr. Thurſcroſſe, a Prebendary of York. At which place, called Kirkby-Moor-ſide, he had his Table in Mr. Thurſcroſs's Houſe, and ſome other ſmall matters, Reading Prayers for him, and teaching School in the Town.
Thus that Colledge, famous for Worthy Men of old, and of late Mr. Mede, and Dr. Hen. More, received no ſmall honour from Mr. John Hieron, an honourer of his Colledge and Tutor, and an honour to them. He brought from thence Gold and Ivory; but no Apes and Peacocks; ſolid, no uſeleſs Learning.
CHAP. IV. Of his entrance into the Miniſtry at the Door of Ordination.
BEing devoted by his Parents to God, and Educated for the Miniſtry, and God having given him an heart to improve the Advantages of his Education into a preparation for that great tremendous work; he was willing to conſecrate and dedicate himſelf, and deſiring that good work, he (a lover of Order and ſenſible that no adviſed Man dare take that honour to himſelf) did addreſs himſelf to Dr. Morton, a Learned Man, then Biſhop of Coventry and Litchfield, who upon Examination found his worth; which he readily did, about Baptiſmal Regeneration, which he ſo ſtrongly argued out of the paſſages in the Service-Book, that the Biſhop was put to his diſtinctions, ſhewed himſelf much pleaſed with him, and wiſhed he had known him ſooner, that ſo he might have beſtowed on him ſomething that he had lately diſpoſed to another. His Ordination proceeded, and on Trinity-Sunday 1630, he was ordained both Deacon and Presbyter. Thus this good Man entred regularly, put his hand to the Plough, and never looked back. This his Ordination he was well ſatisfied in, and ſo well, that when ſome (run into Errors) would ſpeak of renouncing it, he did with much abhorrency reject ſuch a motion. And yet on the other hand, he was far from thinking Ordination by Presbyters invalid, or a nullity either in the Reformed Churches, or in England. His Acquaintance were moſt of them Presbyterians, and he ever embraced them as the Miniſters of Chriſt: He needed no Reordination becauſe he had Epiſcopal. He never open'd his mouth to encourage any of his Brethren to ſeek Reordination, which Laws (made as hard as uncharitableneſs could make them) required of the Presbyterians.