The Life of Mr John Hieron, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of the Occurrences of this Good Mans Life, his Tryals, Afflictions, Oppoſitions, and the Mercies mixed with them all.
Sect. 1. THE grudge about Mountney the School-Maſter before mentioned, and the cancered Spirit of his partakers, occaſioned Mr. Hieron his firſt trouble. About December the 13th, 1637. Mr. Hieron and Mr. George Lees of Aſhborn above-mentioned, were ſummoned to appear at the Mannor of Lambeth, on the firſt of February, between the Hours of One and Three in the Afternoon, to anſwer to ſuch Articles as were or ſhould be exhibited againſt them. A Purſivant was ſent, who had his Fees: Mr. Hierons part, as my Author remembers, was Four Pounds paid down; Mr. Lees not being at home, ſome other paid his part, and got a Noble abated.—To London they went at an ill time of year, made more dangerous by reaſon of Floods, they made ſome way to Holt, who was Apparitor Apparitorum. He treated with Sack, and feed with Gold, ſhewed them the Articles, which contained no Capital Crimes deſerving a Purſivant, but trivial things and uncapable of proof; againſt Mr. Lees was objected, that when he was Churchwarden, he had brewed Ale in the Church, which had no other colour then, that the Workman that pointed the Steeple, adviſed the Mortar ſhould be tempered with Liquor made of Malt.—Againſt Mr. Hieron that preaching on that Text, [Fear God, Honour the King,] he had ſaid, there were ſome that neither feared God, nor honoured the King; but walked the ſtreets with impudent faces, whereby he meant, (as they ſuggeſted) my Lord Biſhop and Andrew Kniveton. And that he had uſed the expreſſion of removing Mountains; whereby he reflected on Mr. Mountney and reflected on him, the Governours of the School having removed him, as is aboveſaid.—This they looked on as Mercy, that having ſeen the Articles of their charge, they might ſafely take the Oath ex Officio, the refuſal whereof would have ſent them to Priſon.—. No Proſecutor appeared, they feed a Proctor to make a motion, that ſince no Proſecutor appeared, the Court would pleaſe to diſmiſs them; he like a Proctor of ſuch a Court, moved that the Court would appoint a Proſecutor; ſo they were not diſmiſſed.—They therefore applyed themſelves to Dr. Bak…r, the Biſhops Chaplin; but he did decline them, but Mr. Hieron procured a Letter from Mr. Jackſon before mentioned to Dr. Bray the Arch-Biſhops Chaplin, who courteouſly received them, and went with them to Sir John Lamb, and obtained their diſcharge. Oh how good was God, when he took away the High Commiſſion! And again, how good is God, when it was riſing again in the Eccleſiaſtical Commiſſioners, threw it down, never (I hope) to riſe more. Amen. The Lord ſay ſo.
Sect. 2. The next diſturbance of this Worthy Man was in the beginning of the War. Sir Francis Wortleys party coming to Aſhborn, one Captain Bard and Dennis in the dead time of the night, broke into his Houſe, took him out of his Bed; Captain Dennis ſaid, Gentlemen cannot drink the Kings health, but you muſt reprove them for it: Oh, ſaid Mr. Hieron, Sir John Fitz-Herberts hand is in this. They carried him to their Court of Guard, and kept him there till morning, where urging him to ſpeak of many things, lay at catch for matter to accuſe him: Sir Francis Wortley charged him for preaching againſt Epiſcopacy; he anſwered, never; but againſt the exorbitances of it.—His Wives Father paſſed his word for him, which was at preſent ſatisfying; the next day he appeared, Sir Francis inclined to releaſe him; but would have him call the Parliament a company of diſſemblers, but he would not. In the upſhot they diſcharged him; he deſired his Horſe and Saddle to be reſtored: Nay, ſaith Sir Francis, you may be glad you are at liberty your ſelf.—During this Impriſonment, one of the Captains, (viz) Captain Bard had been with an Honourable Perſon, then living in Aſhborn, Mrs. Cock…in, half Siſter to Philip Earl of Cheſterfield, a Royaliſt of higheſt elevation, yet a Woman of Senſe, that knew Mr. Hierons worth, bare a fair reſpect to Mr. Hieron, and repreſents him in his true Character to the Captain, which he credited, and was ſo convinced, that he came to excuſe himſelf, and told him, they did not meddle with him, until they had received ſome ſcores of Complaints againſt him; through which looking at him, they thought him to be one that had no fellow; but now he perceived his miſtake, was ſorry for what he had done, promiſed, if he came thither in peace, he would ſee him; did all he could to reſtore his Horſe; but not able to effect it without payment of Twenty Shillings for him. Captain Bard was ſo ingenuous, as that after his marching thence, wrote to Mr. Hieron, begging pardon of him and of his Wife. Thus God brought forth this good Mans Righteouſneſs, to the ſhame of all his falſe Accuſers.
Sect. 3. After this Storm he had ſome quiet, till Tutbury became a Garriſon for the King. Whether ſome ill Neighbours going to create him trouble, miſtook the Party, and told the errand to a very Friend of Mr. Hieron's, who ſent him Priſoner to Derby, but the ill ſucceſs of this firſt attempt did not deterr others: But ſtill others aroſe, and a Party beſet the Houſe, entred and ſearched, but by Gods good providence he was not at home, and ſo they returned without him, affrighting his dear Wife, and pilfering ſome few things. This bred great uneaſineſs in Mr. Hieron, and at length forced him to Derby, which at preſent was a place of Retreat, a Zoar to him, ſecured him and his from fears in the Night, and in a very little time after his coming thither, God provided a Laboratory, a Work-houſe for him.
Sect. 4. After this he had a ſerene time at Breadſall. No alarm but once, and then no danger followed. Peaceable Sabbaths, here he met with no War, but did himſelf war againſt the Devils Kingdom. Luſts of Men, and Wickedneſs of Times, contentfully ſeated and ſetled working hard, had great meaſures of health, though mixt with ſome Feavors, which were moſtly the effects of his extraordinary pains, and went off without any very long deteinures from his Work. Here he enjoyed a good Living, converſed with a very precious Wife, lived among his Children. Here he and ſhe ſhewed themſelves Lovers of Hoſpitality, Lovers of good Men, Sober, Juſt, Holy, Temperate, wone much upon ſome that had prejudice againſt him; Thus the Lords Candle ſhone upon his Head for many years—But in the year 1657, his ſprightly, his lively Wife fell ill of an Ague, and a perverſe one, which being a double Tertian, and mixt with an high degree of the Scurvy. No Phyſical Applications, no Change of Air would prevail for (whither ſhe went for Air, viz. to Sir John Gells of Hopton, then John Gell, Eſq;) who with his Wife loved and honoured all good people, and had a ſpecial Reſpect to this Matron and to her Husband, there ſhe expired, and by her deſire, or her Friends, was interred at Aſhburne with a due Solemnity, chargeable to her Husband, but not begrudged, for great was his Love to her, and eſtimation of her, which appears by his own record of her death, July 10th 1657. Mortem obiit Ʋxor mihi cariſſima Nunquam ſatis dilecta quâ ego non fui dignus▪ —And adds that Scripture paſſage, Many Daughters have done vertuouſly, but thou excelleſt them all: This Death of hers was ſomething ſurprizing becauſe her Diſtemper being an Ague, moſt thought her bailable: but it proved otherwiſe. And it was very deeply reſented by her Husband. She brought him Two Children, Samuel and Anne Taylor, Samuel dyed young, but Anne outlived her Father, of whom I ſhall ſpeak hereafter. She bore him Two Children, Joſeph, who is alive, the genuine Son of a Worthy Father, He was alive when this was written: is now tranſlated to a better Life before this comes to be publiſhed: And Rachell who dyed before her Father, one that was glorious within, of excellent Underſtanding, Wit, and Memory, a Lover of every thing that was good. Now though this affliction was very grievous, yet was it to my obſervation wonderfully ſanctified, greatly ſweetned and alienated. In my thoughts that Rod bloſſomed, it was a growing time with him in Grace from that time, he was alwayes above his Fellows, but then above himſelf, made ſenſibly a partaker of Gods Holineſs, and received the peaceable Fruits of Righteouſneſs by that his Exerciſe—And it was greatly ſweetned and alienated by his Daughter in Law, Mrs. Anne Taylor, the true Daughter of her Mother, who was a Mary in her choice of the better part, and bore that Affection to her Father in Law, which few Natural Children equal, and ſcarce any exceed; ſhe was as a Wife to him, as a Mother to his Children, a Governeſs to his Houſe. She took all the Family Burdens on her ſelf; that he might be void of care, and ſerve God in his own buſineſs without diſtraction. She lived ſingle, ſhe cumbred herſelf, would put her hand to every thing, ſhe was frugal, but not ſordid; ſhe was a Reſtorer of his Life, and nouriſher of his Age: So that two great and Singular things may be ſaid of her, that never Man had ſo great a loſs in a Wife made up in a tender, prudeut, provident Daughter in Law; ſhe did the Duties of a Wife, a Mother, and yet lived and dyed a Virgin: Oh this many a time warmed this good Mans heart, and he would mention as a great and good Act of Providence—Again all this ſhe did for his Works ſake, for Gods ſake, for the Goſpels ſake, in my apprehenſion what ſhe did is a good gloſs upon that Text, Philip. 4. 3. Where Paul mentions Women, that laboured with him in the Goſpel, not in preaching, which is forbidden: but in good Offices in miniſtrations and ſervices proper for that Sex. Such an one was Mrs. Anne Taylor, a Phebe, a Priſcilla, a Mary. She out-lived her Father; but I am apt to think a great part of her Life dyed with him; becauſe it was ſo much bound up in his.
Sect. 5. His next Tryal was his divorce from his beloved People, Place and Work in publick, Auguſt 24. 1662. Bartholomew-day was black by the deſtruction of the Temple by the Chaldeans, about that time of the year—It was black by the Maſſacre in Paris, commencing that day called Clades Bartholomaea—It is further black, by the expulſion of Miniſters, ſtopping their Mouths, ſtripping them of their Livelyhoods, turning them into the wide world without any thirds or viſible way of ſubſiſtance—This day Mercy forſook the Earth; ſure, when ſo many of liberal Education muſt be put to dig, beg, or Starve—Hear O Heaven, be aſtoniſht O Earth, Matth. 23. 37.