THE REVEREND NATHANIEL WARD, the writer of the following work, was born
at Haverhill, England, in 1570. Of this town his father was a clergyman.
He was educated at Cambridge, studied and practised law, travelled on
the Continent, afterwards commenced the study of divinity, became a
preacher of the Gospel, and was settled at Standon, in Hertfordshire. He
was a strong friend of the early settlers of New England before the
elder Winthrop's coming over. At a General Court of the Massachusetts
Company, held in London, on Wednesday the 25th of November, 1629, "Mr.
Whyte did reco[=m]end Mr. Nathaniel Ward of Standon" to be admitted to
the freedom of the Company. He was ordered before the Bishop, Dec. 12,
1631, to answer for his non-conformity. Being forbidden to preach, he
embarked in April, 1634, for this country. He arrived here in June, and
was settled as Pastor of the church at Ipswich, or Aggawam, the same
year. By reason of indisposition, he was, at his own request, in 1636,
released from his engagement with the church there. However thus
disengaged, he preached often during the time he remained in the colony.
The necessities of the infant Commonwealth called for his time, talents,
and acquirements. Nor did he refuse. Willing to do the good, which he
might, he lent a ready and efficient hand to the formation of our Legal
Code. He was appointed by the General Court, March 12, 1638, on a
committee to draw up a system of laws, for the consideration of the
freemen. The same legislative authority, May 13, 1640, granted him six
hundred acres of land for his service, at Pentucket, afterwards called
Haverhill. He preached the election sermon, 1641, in which he advanced
several things that savored more of liberty, than some of the
magistrates were prepared to approve. The same year, Oct. 7, "The
Govern'^r and m^r Hauthorne were Desired to speake to m^r Ward, for a
coppey of the liberties, and of the Capitall lawes to bee transcribed,
and sent to the severall townes." He wrote the "Simple Cobler" in 1645.
In this year, May 25, he was on a committee to draw up a Body of
Liberties, which were published in 1648, being the first printed volume
of the kind in this Colony. Though greatly assisted by Joseph Hills and
others in the composition and arrangement of so important a work, yet he
appears to have been a principal agent in its accomplishment. He sold
his interest at Haverhill, Nov. 25, 1646, to John Eaton, for L12,00.
Between this date and the 6th of January following, he returned to
England. On June 30th, 1647, he preached before the House of Commons,
and the same year published the "Simple Cobler." He was afterwards
settled in the ministry at Shenfield, near Brentwood, where he died in
1653, in his eighty-third year.
Fuller, in his "Worthies of England," speaking of him, says, that he,
"following the counsel of the poet,
Ridentem dicere verum,
Quis vetat?
What doth forbid but one may smile,
And also tell the truth the while?
hath in a jesting way, in some of his books, delivered much smart truth
of the present times." Dr. Mather, in his "Magnalia," remarks of him,
"he was the author of many composures full of wit and sense; among
which, that entituled _The Simple Cobler_ (_which demonstrated him to be
a subtil statesman_) was most considered." The same author adds, that
"some famous persons of old thought it a greater _glory_ to have it
enquired; _why such a one had not a statue erected for him?_ than to
have it enquired _why he had?_ If it be enquired, _why this our =St.
Hilary= hath among our Lives no statue erected for him?_ let that
enquiry go for part of one." And in the "Remarkables" of Increase
Mather, he observes, "An hundred witty Speeches of our Celebrated
_Ward_, who called himself _The Simple Cobler_ of Agawam, [and over
whose Mantel-piece in his House, by the way, I have seen those three
Words Engraved, SOBRIE, JUSTE, PIE, and a Fourth added, which was LAETE:]
have been reported; but he had one Godly Speech, that was worth 'em all;
which was, _I have only Two Comforts to Live upon; The one is in the
Perfections of CHRIST; The other is in The Imperfections of all
CHRISTIANS._"
Mr. Ward had several children. Among them, were John, settled in the
ministry at Haverhill, Mass., where he died, 1693; James, who practised
medicine; and a daughter, married to Gyles Fyrmin. These three last
accompanied their father to England.
To illustrate how much Mr. Ward benevolently labored for the public good
with but small recompense, we quote another remark of Cotton Mather, as
to his son John. It follows: "He was a son most exemplarily _dutiful_
unto his _parents_; and having paid some considerable _debts_ for his
_father_, he would afterwards humbly observe and confess, that God had
abundantly _recompenced_ this his dutifulness." Whether these debts were
paid in Old or New England is uncertain.
Thus we have given a sketch of one, who deserves well of New England and
of friends to freedom every where,--so that it might be more evident how
he and the subsequent work were estimated by his contemporaries and
successors.