OF RELIGIOUS SECTS.
THE town of Lowestoft has been much distinguished in religious concerns,
for its invoilable attachment to the establishment of the Church of
England, as in civil affairs, for its unshaken loyalty to its sovereign.
Nevertheless, it is not without its sectaries, which, at different times,
have arisen in the town; the principal of which sectaries is that society
denominated Independents or Congregational Dissenters. At what time it
was that this religious sect first began to make its appearance in
Lowestoft is uncertain. Previous to the year 1689, when the learned Mr.
Emlyn came to reside in the town, and commenced as minister to the
Congregational dissenters, it was but an inconsiderable body, destitute
of a regular pastor, and also of a decent structure for the purpose of
religious exercises. {143} The congregation of Protestant dissenters at
Lowestoft might be considered also, at that time, as a kind of dependent
assembly on the Dissenting congregation at Yarmouth; as it was customary
for the members belonging to the former congregation to repair to that at
Yarmouth at the usual seasons of receiving the holy communion, and was
much in the same state of dependence on that society as a chapel-of-ease
is on the mother church.
At this early period the Dissenters of Lowestoft had no other building
for the public exercise of religion than a barn situate in a lane called
Blue Anchor lane, opposite Rant’s score; and they continued in this
obscure situation till the year 1695, when a decent structure was erected
for religious uses. Probably the Society was much increased after the
year 1689, when so distinguished a character as Mr. Emlyn became their
minister, and in consequence thereof might be enabled to erect this
building. This meeting house was erected in 1695 upon a small piece of
ground given for that purpose by Mr. James Ward of this town. The
eminent Mr. Emlyn was born at Stamford, in Lincolnshire, May 22, 1663.
In August, 1674, he was put to a boarding school at Walcot, near
Folkingham, where he continued four years, and on Sundays was the
constant auditor of the noted Mr. Brocklesby, the then incumbent of that
parish. Mr. Emlyn’s parents were of the established church, and were
very intimate with the very learned and worthy Dr. Cumberland, then
minister at Stamford, and afterwards Bishop of Peterborough, but being
inclined to the Puritans, they choose to educate their son among that
sect; for this purpose he was sent, for academical education, in 1678, to
Sulby, near Welford, in Northamptonshire, where he continued four years.
In 1679 he went to Cambridge; and in 1682 was admitted of Emanuel
College, but, returned again to Sulby; and in the same year he removed to
Mr. Doolittle’s academy, first at Islington, then at Clapham, and
afterwards at Battersea. He made his first essay as a preacher December
19, 1682, at Mr. Doolittle’s meeting house, near Cripplegate. In 1683 he
was chaplain to the Countess of Donegal, a lady of great quality and
estate in the north of Ireland, but resided then in Lincoln’s Inn Fields,
London, and the year following accompanied the family to Belfast. While
in this station he made a journey to Dublin, and during his continuance
in that city, preached once before that congregation of which Mr. Daniel
Williams and Mr. Joseph Boyce were at that time pastors, in a manner so
acceptable to the audience, as gave occasion for that people afterwards
to invite him to be their minister. A favourable opportunity for this
purpose offered shortly after; for Mr. Williams having quitted the
congregation at Dublin, Mr. Boyce made some overtures to Mr. Emlyn
relative to his succeeding him, which he declined accepting. Mr. Emlyn
still continued his station as chaplain in this family; but in 1688, when
the disturbances in Ireland occasioned his patron’s family to leave that
Kingdom, he returned to London. On his arrival at that place, and being
out of employment, he was invited by Sir Robert Rich, one of the Lords of
the Admiralty, to his house at Rose Hall, near Beccles, and was by him
prevailed upon to officiate as Minister to the Dissenting congregation at
Lowestoft; which place he supplied about a year and a half, but refused
the invitation of being their pastor; for as he disapproved of Ministers
changing and shitting from one place to another, so he had determined not
to accept any pastoral care but where he thought he should settle, and
purposed to continue. It was during his residence at Lowestoft, that,
reading Dr. Sherlock’s piece on the Trinity, he first began to entertain
some scruples concerning the received doctrine in that point of faith.
Here also he contracted a close and intimate acquaintance with Mr.
William Manning, a Nonconformist Minister at Peasanhall, and corresponded
with him during Mr. Manning’s life. As both were of an inquisitive
temper, they frequently conferred together on the highest mysteries of
religion; and Dr. Sherlock’s book on the Trinity became a stumbling block
to both. Manning even became a Socinian, and strove hard to bring his
friend into those opinions, but Mr. Emlyn could never be made to doubt
either of the pre-existence of our Saviour, as the Logos, or that God
created the material world by him.
King James having fled into France, and Ireland being nearly reduced by
King William, the affairs of that Kingdom began to be in a more settled
state, and the dissenting congregations assembled in larger numbers.
This induced Mr. Boyce to renew his application to Mr. Emlyn, to accept,
jointly, with himself, the pastoral care of his congregation at Dublin;
and to effect his purpose, wrote him a very pressing letter, and sent it
to Mr. Nathaniel Taylor, minister at Salter’s Hall, London, who
transmitted it enclosed in one from himself, to Mr. Emlyn, at Lowestoft.
Mr. Emlyn being so strongly solicited to accept the office of assistant
pastor to the congregation at Dublin, complied with the invitation, and
accordingly arrived in Dublin in May, 1691, and continued there until
1702, when his troubles began; for Dr. Duncan Cummins, a physician in
that city, suspecting him of heterodox notions, about the Trinity, put
Mr. Boyce first upon the enquiry, and went afterwards with him to Mr.
Emlyn’s house, where the Unitarian freely confessed his belief “That God
the Father of Jesus Christ, is above the Supreme Being, and superior in
excellency and authority to his Son, who derives all from him.”
Protesting, however, that he had no design to cause strife among them, he
offered to leave the congregation peaceably. But, Mr. Boyce, not willing
to take such a weighty matter on himself, brought before the meeting of
the Dublin ministers; in consequence of which, Mr. Emlyn was immediately
prohibited from preaching, and in a few days obliged to withdraw into
England. But some zealous Dissenters, having resolved to prosecute him
with the utmost rigour, they obtained a special warrant from the Lord
Chief Justice to seize him and his books, and went with the keeper of
Newgate to execute it upon him. The Chief Justice refused at first to
take bail, but at length accepted of a recognizance, from two sufficient
persons, of £800 for his appearance. On his trial he was found guilty.
He was moved to retract, which he absolutely refused; and was therefore
sentenced to suffer a year’s imprisonment, to pay a fine of £1,000 to the
Queen, to live in prison till it was paid, and to find security for his
good behaviour during life; telling him that the pillory was the
punishment due, but because he was a man of letters it was not inflicted.
After this he was led round the four Courts to be exposed, with a paper
on his breast, signifying his crime. The fine was afterwards mitigated
to £70, and this, together with £20, claimed by the Primate, as the
Queen’s Almoner, was paid. Thus, after an imprisonment from the 14th of
June, 1703, to the 21st July, 1705, and on giving security for his good
behaviour, during life, he obtained his discharge. Soon after Mr. Emlyn
returned to London, where a few friends gathered a small congregation, to
whom he preached once every Sunday; this liberty gave great offence to
several clergymen of the Established Church, and complaint thereof was
made to Archbishop Jenison; but His Grace, being fully acquainted with
the proceedings against him in Dublin, and his accusers not alleging that
Mr. Emlyn made the controverted points the subject of his sermons, on the
account of his character, was not inclined to molest him. This
congregation was dissolved by the death of the principal persons who
supported it, and their preacher retired into silence and obscurity, and
died July 30th, 1741. Mr. Emlyn was a man of a lively and cheerful
temper, of strong parts, and clear way of thinking, of great learning,
and abounding in all religious graces; he was a popular and much admired
preacher, for he not only had a portly presence, a strong clear voice,
and a graceful delivery, but his discourses were, for the most part,
rational and persuasive, always concluding somewhat serious and
pathetical. He wrote several tracts, which, with his sermons on
practical subjects, were collected and printed, in 1754, in three
volumes, octavo, to which are prefixed Memoirs of his Life and Writings.
During Mr. Emlyn’s residence in Lowestoft, he cultivated the most
friendly intercourse with the Rev. Hudson, at that time vicar of the
parish; accompanying him in collecting public charities, and would
frequently himself with several of his society attend the service of the
church, by which means a perfect harmony subsisted between the members of
the Establishment and the Dissenters. Nevertheless, his conduct in this
respect was not approved altogether by those of his own community. Mr.
Emlyn was also intimately acquainted with the Rev. Whiston, vicar of
Lowestoft, and a successor of Mr. Hudson; and he was also particularly
intimate with Dr. Samuel Clarke, who entertained nearly the same
sentiments in religion as Mr. Emlyn and Mr. Whiston.
It is a little difficult to ascertain precisely who the ministers were
that officiated at Lowestoft from the departure of Mr. Emlyn to the year
1698. There is an account of one Mr. Manning, who was an occasional
preacher in the latter end of the reign of Charles II, or in the time of
his brother James; but who this person was, whether he was an ejected
minister (as there were several of that name in this country) or some
other minister of the name of Manning, does not appear. It is not
improbable that he was the Rev. Manning, of Peasanhall, previously
mentioned, who was the intimate friend of Mr. Emlyn. Be this as it may,
authentic accounts say that the Rev. Samuel Baxter, the eldest son of an
ejected minister of Lancashire, settled here as minister to the
Dissenters about the year 1698. He left the congregation about the year
1703, and removed to Ipswich. He was succeeded by the Rev. Henry Ward,
who left Lowestoft about midsummer, 1707, and settled at Woodbridge,
where he died at the close of the year 1734. Mr. Ward was succeeded at
Lowestoft by Mr. Samuel Say, in 1707 or 1708. Mr. Say was born in the
year 1675, and was the second son of Mr. Giles Say, minister of St.
Michael’s parish, in the town of Southampton, but rejected thence by the
Act of Uniformity in 1662. But after the grant of liberty of conscience,
in the reign of James II, he was chosen pastor of a Dissenting
congregation at Guestwick, in Norfolk, where he continued till his death,
April 7th, 1692. Mr. Samuel Say, the son, received his first education
at Southwark; and having discovered when he was but a young man, a strong
inclination to the ministry, his father accordingly took care to have him
educated in the best manner he could for that purpose, from his earliest
years; and about the year 1692 he entered as a pupil the Rev. Rowe’s
academy at London, where he had for his fellow students Mr. (afterwards
Dr.) Isaac Watts, Mr. John Hughes, and Mr. Josiah Hort, afterwards
Archbishop of Tuam. When he had finished his studies, he became chaplain
to Thomas Scott, Esq., of Liminge, in Kent, a gentleman eminent for piety
and goodness. Mr. Say continued in this family three years, and was well
esteemed by all for his Christian behaviour and exemplary conversation.
From thence he removed to Andover, in Hampshire; but in a short time came
to Yarmouth, in Norfolk, and soon after that became a constant preacher
at Lowestoft. Here he continued eighteen years, labouring in word and
doctrine; but not being able all the time to bring the people among whom
he ministered into a regular church order, he never settled with them as
their pastor. During the residence of Mr. Say, at Lowestoft, the
Dissenters had not the sacrament administered here; but after that Mr.
Say had preached at Lowestoft in the afternoon, on Sundays, he would ride
to Yarmouth, attended by such of the congregation as were so disposed,
and there he administered it. Mr. Say left Lowestoft in 1725, being
invited to a co-pastorship with the Rev. Samuel Baxter, of Ipswich, where
he remained nine years; and from thence was called to succeed Dr. Edmund
Calamy, then lately deceased, in the pastorship of the Church of
Protestant Dissenters in Westminister. He removed thither in 1734, and
continued in his pastoral relation till April 12th, 1743; where, after a
week’s illness of a mortification in his bowels he died at his house in
St. James’ street, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. He was a very
ingenious and sensible man; had great candour and good breeding, without
stiffness and formality; an open countenance, and a temper always
communicative; he was a tender husband, an indulgent father, and of a
most benevolent disposition, ever ready to do good, and relieve the wants
of the distressed to the utmost extent of his abilities. He was well
versed in astronomy and natural philosophy. This is evident from an
astronomical and meteorological journal kept by Mr. Say from the year
1713 to 1734; wherein, among the various occurrences related by him, as
an account of the great consternation excited among the inhabitants of
Lowestoft at what is called _the first_ appearance of the Aurora
Borealis. Mr. Say writes: “The market this day is full of discourse
concerning a great and unusual light, from seven to twelve last night,
seen in Lowestoft, Beccles, and at sea. Women rose out of their beds
through fear, others screamed, ships came to anchor fearing an unusual
tempest, so dreadfully the sky opened; the angry clouds also seemed, in
the imagination of the superstitious beholder, to flash one against
another. This curious phenomenon had never been seen either in England
or foreign countries from 1621 to 1707, and then only in a small degree;
therefore the splendour with which this appeared attracted universal
attention. The vulgar viewed it with consternation, and considered it as
marking the introduction of a foreign race of princes into this country;
so strangely do people perplex and bewilder themselves when they depart
from true philosophy, which never fails both to ennoble and enlighten the
human mind.” He had also a taste for music and poetry, and was a good
critic and master of the classics. Soon after his death a thin quarto
volume of his poems with two essays in prose “On the Harmony, Variety,
and Power of Numbers,” written at the request of Mr. Richardson, the
painter, were published for the benefit of his only daughter, who married
the Rev. Mr. Toms, a Dissenting Minister at Hadleigh, Suffolk. The poems
are not destitute of merit, but the two essays have been much admired by
persons of taste and judgment.
In the year 1725 Mr. Say was succeeded by the Rev. Whittick, who removed
to Kingston-on-Thames in 1733. It was during the ministry of Mr.
Whittick, that the dissenting congregation at Lowestoft became a
perfectly distinct body, and dissolved the connection which hitherto had
subsisted with Yarmouth, Mr. Whittick declaring that unless they became a
separate body, distinct from any other congregation, he would leave them.
In 1733 Mr. Whittick was succeeded by the ingenious Mr. Thomas Scott, son
of a Dissenting minister at Norwich. Mr. Scott, the grandfather of Mr.
Thomas Scott, was an eminent merchant in London. He had two wives. By
his first wife he had the above-mentioned Mr. Scott, Dissenting minister
at Norwich, who had (besides other children) two sons of considerable
note in the learned world, namely Mr. Thomas Scott, who was minister at
Lowestoft, and Dr. Joseph Nicoll Scott, who was first a Dissenting
minister, and published two volumes of sermons; but afterwards practised
physic in London, and was well-known by the hand he had in several
ingenious and useful publications. He was an assistant to his father in
the congregation at Norwich; but embracing the Arian principles,
(received there only by a few at that time) his father was under the
painful necessity of expelling him from that society. By his second wife
he had Dr. Daniel Scott, author of the Appendix to H. Stephens’s Greek
Lexicon, in two volumes, folio, dedicated to Archbishop Secker and Bishop
Butler—the New Version of St. Matthew’s Gospel, with critical notes,
etc., a learned and accurate performance—and an Essay towards a
Demonstration of the Scripture Trinity. The design of this last work is
to prove that the common notion of the doctrine of the Trinity (or the
Athanasian scheme) is erroneous. He had the highest esteem for Dr.
Doddridge, notwithstanding he differed so much from him respecting the
Trinity; and had such a particular regard for that author’s Treatise on
the Rise and Progress of Religion, that he made it a constant travelling
companion. And Dr. Doddridge seems to have held Dr. Scott with equal
estimation; for in his Family Expositor he called him the learned,
ingenious, candid, and accurate Dr. D. Scott. Mr. Thomas Scott, minister
at Lowestoft, in the early part of his life, kept a small boarding school
(for ten scholars only) at Wortwell, near Harleston, and used to preach
at the meeting house at Harleston once every month. From Wortwell Mr.
Scott removed to Lowestoft, where he continued five years; but the
keenness of the air being too severe for the tenderness of his
constitution, he was under the necessity of leaving Lowestoft about the
year 1738, and removed to Ipswich. {147}
After Mr. Scott’s removal to Ipswich, he became well known to the learned
world by several very ingenious publications, particularly by his poetic
translation of the book of Job, with critical notes, and some other
poetical pieces. But finding, during his residence at Ipswich, the
infirmities of age coming on him very hastily, and rendering him
incapable of discharging the duties of his function with that care and
exactness which he had always observed with the most scrupulous
attention, he quitted that town in 1774, and retired to a small
congregation at Hepton, in the neighbourhood of Norwich, where he died
about two years after. Mr. Scott was succeeded in the year 1738 by Mr.
Alderson, who continued pastor till his death, which happened in 1760.
Mr. Alderson having a large family, and the stipend at Lowestoft being
small, Mr. Elisha Barlow, a dissenter and eminent merchant of the town,
was so far influenced by the considerations as to bequeath by will to the
dissenting congregation at Lowestoft a considerable estate in the
adjoining parish of Mutford, as an augmentation of the salary of the
minister; but on this condition, nevertheless, that if Mr. Alderson was
not continued pastor, the said estate should devolve to him and to his
heirs for ever. In pursuance of this obligation, it was agreed on by the
whole body of Dissenters at Lowestoft (in consequence of their great
esteem for Mr. Alderson) to draw up an instrument, in which they formally
expelled him as pastor, in order to give him a legal claim to the estate
and afterwards re-chose him into his former pastoral office. But
notwithstanding all these endeavours on the part of the congregation to
render Mr. Alderson so essential a service, they were soon after entirely
frustrated by the heirs at law of Mr. Barlow, who disputed the legality
of the donation on the Mortmain Act, and commenced a suit in Chancery for
recovering the estate. The result of this suit was, that Mr. Alderson
was obliged to relinquish all future claims whatsoever to the same. This
misfortune was an irreparable loss to Mr. Alderson. The anxiety which he
suffered during the contest greatly impaired his health and shortened his
days; for soon after, as, on the Lord’s day, he was preaching to his
congregation, he was suddenly taken ill, was obliged to be led home, and
died in a short time. Mr. Alderson was a worthy, well-disposed man, of
an exceedingly affable and peaceable disposition, much esteemed by the
whole circle of his acquaintance; and as he lived much respected, so he
died universally lamented.
The Dissenting congregation at Lowestoft appears to have been but very
small before the year 1689, when Mr. Emlyn became their officiating
minister; after this period they became a more numerous body, and
continued increasing till the year 1735, when their number was become
very considerable; after that year they appear to have been in a
decreasing state, and declined very fast, especially since the death of
Mr. Alderson; for, according to an account taken in 1776, the number
amounted to only 35, that could be properly called Independents and
Congregational Dissenters. The number of Dissenting families in 1780 to
1790 (exclusive of the Methodists) was under twenty, but the congregation
usually consisted of 150 and 200 persons.
While the law suit was pending, and for a short time after the death of
Mr. Alderson, the congregation at Lowestoft was under the care of the
Rev. Nasmith. After Mr. Nasmith came Mr. Gardner. From 1760 to 1785
about fifteen ministers had charge of the Dissenting congregation.
A digression may be interesting respecting an extraordinary trial,
concerning two poor old widows belonging to Lowestoft who were tried,
condemned, and executed on a charge of witch-craft.
In the year 1663 Mr. Samuel Pacey, an eminent Dissenter at Lowestoft,
commenced a prosecution against two widows, on a suspicion of witchcraft.
Mr. Pacey had conceived an opinion that two of his daughters, Elizabeth
and Deborah, respectively eleven and nine years of age, were bewitched;
and that these two women, whose names were Rose Cullender and Amy Duny,
were the cause of the misfortune. In consequence of this suspicion, he
caused Amy Duny to be set in the stocks; but not thinking this a
sufficient punishment, he caused both women to be apprehended; and at the
ensuing Lent assizes, held at Bury, the 10th March, 1664, before Sir
Matthew Hale, Knt., Lord Chief Baron of his Majesty’s Court of Exchequer,
they were severally indicted for bewitching (amongst others) the said
Elizabeth and Deborah Pacey; and being arraigned on the said indictment,
pleaded not guilty; but being afterwards, after a long course of
evidence, found guilty, they were thereupon, on Thursday, March 13th,
sentenced to die for the same, and accordingly, on Monday, the 17th of
March following, they were executed.
Dr. Hutchinson, in his historical essay concerning witchcraft, has given
many pertinent observations respecting this very extraordinary trial;
intending thereby to expose its absurdity, and to detect and ridicule the
evidence on which the sentence was founded. To give a detail of every
ridiculous circumstance that was urged in the course of the evidence,
would be both irksome and disgusting; but two of the most material points
may be related, which were adjudged to have the most weight, and
principally to affect the cause then before the Court; adding thereto the
remarks made thereupon by Mr. Hutchinson.
In the course of the trial it was deposed by Samuel Pacey, that his
younger daughter Deborah, was suddenly taken ill with a lameness in her
legs, was seized with violent fits, and felt the most excruciating pains
in her stomach, like the pricking of pins, which caused her to shriek in
an alarming manner; and also, that his daughter Elizabeth was afflicted
in the same manner, and that they could not open their mouths wide enough
for respiration, sufficient to preserve life, without the help of a tap.
But Dr. Hutchinson says, there was no necessity for putting taps in the
children’s mouths when a sufficient quantity of air to preserve life
could have been drawn through their nostrils. John Soam, of Lowestoft,
deposed, that, in harvest time, as he was going into the field to load,
one of the carts wrenched the window off Rose Cullender’s house,
whereupon she came out in a great rage, and threatened him for having
done wrong. The consequence whereof was, that the cart was overturned
twice that day; and the last time of loading it, as they brought it
through the gate which led out of the field into the town, the cart stuck
so fast in the gate’s head that they could not possibly get it through,
but were obliged to cut down the post of the gate, to make the cart pass
through, although they did not perceive that the cart did of either side
touch the gate-posts. Dr. Hutchinson says, very true, Rose Cullender
might well be in a passion when they ran the cart against her house and
damaged it; and an unruly horse or a careless driver might easily
overturn a cart two or three times a day; and if the cart stuck so fast
in the gate’s head so as they could not get it through (though it did not
touch the gate-post as they could perceive), what made them cut the post
down? These depositions shew the kind of evidence it was on which these
poor unfortunate women were condemned and executed, the ludicrous manner
in which Dr. Hutchinson has treated it, as well as the contemptible light
in which it was regarded by all the wise and discerning part of mankind.
But exclusive of the evidence, they had also recourse, during the trial,
to art and stratagem; for they caused one of Mr. Pacey’s daughters to be
blindfolded and to be touched by one of the supposed witches, in order to
discover what effect it would produce; and on using this experiment, the
girl fell into a violent rage, and gave the Court what they deemed the
most evident demonstration of the criminality of the prisoners.
Nevertheless, Mr. Sergeant Keeling seemed so much dissatisfied with this
proof, that he thought it not sufficient to convict the prisoners; and
therefore Sir Matthew Hale privately desired the Lord Cornwallis, and Mr.
Sergeant Keeling to try the experiment in another place, and by a
different person; but notwithstanding they perceived the same effect, yet
these gentlemen, on their return into Court, declared, that from what
they had discovered, it was, in their opinion, that the whole of the
charge was groundless, and without any foundation. This was a favourable
circumstance in behalf of the prisoners, as it tended to acquit them, and
it actually stopped the proceedings of the Court a considerable time. At
last, however, it was resolved to take the opinion of Dr. Brown, a
physician from Norwich, and who was desired by the Court to give his
sentiments concerning the prisoners, whether he really thought they were
witches or not. The doctor’s evidence amounted to this: “That he was
clearly of opinion that the two girls were really bewitched; for that in
Denmark there had been lately a great discovery of witches, and from some
books that had been published in that kingdom, it appears that the
witches there had used the same methods of afflicting persons as had been
practised by the prisoners.” This evidence of Dr. Brown turned the scale
against these unfortunate women, and appears to have been decisive.
The eyes of all the sensible and inquisitive part of the nation were
fixed on this very extraordinary trial, and waited with impatience the
decision of the Court. They were full of expectations that the point
would be so fully discussed as finally to determine it, and leave no room
for posterity to engage in any farther controversy concerning these
notions. But this was reserved for a more enlightened age; for it
appears that nothing but perplexity and confusion ensued thereupon. The
judge himself was so far from being satisfied with the evidence, that, on
the contrary, he was extremely doubtful concerning it; and was under such
distressing fears and apprehensions during the trial, and proceeded with
such extreme caution therein, that he forebore summing up the evidence,
but left it to the jury, with prayers to God to direct their hearts in so
weighty a matter. Accordingly the jury, after withdrawing about
half-an-hour, returned with their verdict, which pronounced the prisoners
guilty. After this the judge gave the law its course, pronounced
sentence of death upon them, and they were executed very soon after.
Thus were these two unfortunate widows, whose only misfortune was either
the poverty of their circumstances, the deformity of their persons, or
the weakness of their understandings, sacrificed to the superstition of
the age, the insufficiency of the evidence, and the ignorance and
credulity of the jury.
Possibly it may be admitted, as some extenuation of the absurdity of this
prosecution, to remember that it was undertaken in an age in which the
notion of witchcraft was generally received; _that_ not only among the
illiterate and vulgar, but even amongst those who were in the highest
estimation for rank, piety, and learning.
It was in consequence of this ridiculous notion that one Matthew Hopkins,
of Manningtree, in Essex, together with some others, were commissioned by
Parliament in 1664, and the two following years, to perform a circuit, in
order to discover witches. By virtue of this commission they went from
town to town through many parts of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and
Huntingdonshire, for the purpose of detecting them; and caused sixteen to
be hanged at Yarmouth, forty at Bury, and also as many more in different
parts of the country as amounted in the whole to nearly one hundred
persons. It is to this absurd commission that Butler alludes in
Hudebras, when he says:
Hath not this present Parliament
A ledger to the devil sent,
Fully empow’d to treat about,
Finding revolted witches out?
And has he not within a year
Hang’d three score of them in a shire?
This Hopkins used to call himself Witchfinder General, and had twenty
shillings allowed him for every town he visited. He used many arts to
extort confession from suspected persons, and when they failed he had
recourse to swimming them; which was done by tying their thumbs and toes
across one another, and then throwing them into the water. Thus he went
on searching and swimming the poor creatures, till some gentleman, out of
indignation at the barbarity of it, took him and tied his own thumbs and
toes as he used to tie others, and when he was put into the water he
himself swam as others had done before him. This method soon cleared the
country of him, and it was a great pity the experiment was not thought of
sooner.
Returning from the digression it may be noted that another religious sect
which appeared in Lowestoft is the Methodists. The society first made
its appearance here in the year 1761; and was introduced by that great
leader of the sect, the Rev. John Wesley, and has continued. In the year
1776 their number was increased to about fifty; they purchased a piece of
ground on the north side of Frary lane, and soon after erected a meeting
house there, which was opened on the 19th November, 1776, by Mr. John
Wesley, who came to Lowestoft for that purpose.