Mr. Lancaster

Mr. Lancaster was born of good family, and for some time was fellow of King's college, Cambridge, where he most probably received his education. He was a man of great humility, faith, and self-denial, and an excellent scholar, especially in Latin. The famous Dr. Collins used to say, " he delivered his public lectures in as pure Latin as Tully, having no other notes than what he wrote on the nails of his fingers." With his great learning, and other ornamental accomplishments, his preaching was plain, and easy to be understood; and he was content to live among plain people, with a living of less than forty pounds a year. He was beneficed at some place near Banbury, in Oxfordshire ; but, about the year 1610, was suspended both from his office and benefice, by the tyrannical oppression of Archbishop Bancroft. Mr. Clark gives the following account of this excellent divine: " When I was young," says he," I knew Mr. Lancaster. He was a little man, but eminent, as for other things, so especially for living by faith. His charge was great, and his means small. When his wife was about to send her servant-maid to buy provision at Banbury market, she would many times come to him, and tell him she had no money; his usual answer was, Send your maid, and God will provide. And though she sent her maid without money, she never returned empty; for one or other, who knew her to be Mr. Lancaster's maid, would give her money, by which their present wants were supplied."*