Samuel Ward

Samuel WardB. D.—This excellent divine, the son of Mr. John Ward, the old puritan, was born at Haverhil in Suffolk, and educated in Sidney college, Cambridge, where he was chosen fellow. Having finished his studies at the university, he became lecturer at Haverhil, where his labours were eminently useful. Among the first fruits of his ministry was the celebrated Mr. Samuel Fairclough.p Mr. Ward afterwards became minister to one of the churches

• Fenner's Works, Pref. Edit. 1651.

+ Wharton's Troubles of Land, vol. I. p. 538, 546.

% Palmer's Noncon. Mem. vol. i. p. 76.

^ Williams's Christian Preacher, p. 454.

|| The following account is given of Mr. Fairclongh's conversion. Mr. Ward having preached on the conversion of Zaccheus, he observed, " That no one who has wronged another ran expect pardon from God who does not make restitution, if it be in his power." Thinwns like a dart directed by the hand of God to the heart of young Falrelongh, who with one John Trigg (afterwards an eminent physician in London) had the preceding week robbed the orchard of one Goodman Jude. The sermon drew forth many tears, and he could get no sleep during that night. Early the next morning he went to his enmpanien Trigg, and lold him that he was going to Jude's to give him a shilling fur the pears he had stolen. Trigg, fearing the old man would acquaint the schoolmaster, and they should be beaten, strove to dissuade Fairclough from his purpose, who answered, that God would not pardon the sin without restitution, Trigg replied, " You talk like a fool, Sam: God will forgive us ten times sooner than old Jude will once." But Samuel persisted in his design, when Jude refused to take the money, and readily forgave him the wrong. But he could find no rest till be went to Mr. Ward and opened to bhn the state of his soul,—Clark'i T.iccs, last vol. part I. p. 154.

of Ipswich in Suffolk; but bis reputation was so great, that he haOTKe'superTnfcndence of the several parishes in that populous town, and was greatly beloved by the numerous parishioners.* However, he bad his foes, as well as his friends, and was prosecuted by Bishop Harsnet for nonconformity. In the year 1633, upon his prosecution in the consistory of Norwich, he appealed from the bishop to the king; who committed the articles exhibited against him to the examination of the lord keeper Williams. The lord keeper, announcing the result of his examination to his majesty, is said to have found Mr. Ward not altogether blameless, but a man easily to be won by fair dealing; and persuaded Harsnet to take his submission, and not remove him from Ipswich. The truth is, the lord keeper found that Mr. Ward possessed so much candour, and was so ready to promote the interests of the church, that he could do no less than compound the troubles of so learned and industrious a divine.t He was, therefore, released from the prosecution; and most probably continued for some time without molestation, in the peaceable exercise of his ministry. But this was not the end of his troubles. He afterwards fell into the bands of Archbishop Laud, whose tender mercies were cruelty. In the year 1034, for certain words delivered in his sermons, he was prosecuted in the high commission court. And the year following, for preaching against bowing at the name of Jesus, and against the 'Book of Sports, and ha virig* said,~ '** that 'the' church of England was ready to ring changes in religion, and that the gospel stood on tiptoe ready to be gone;" he wasSuspended lii theTiigli commissidh,~eiijo!hed a public recantation in such form as the court should appoint, and condemned in costs of suit. Upon his refusal to reproach bis understanding, and defile his conscience by a public recantation, he was committed to prison, where, to bis great disgrace and unspeakable loss, he remained a long time. Laud was the principal person in procuring this cruel sentence.!

Mr. Ward, having endured the severity of imprisonment for some time, and having at length obtained his release, fled from the storm, and retired to Holland; where he first

• Fuller¹! Worthlei, part HI. p. 70,71.

+ Ilacket't Life of Abp. Wllliami, p. 95. Edit. 1693.

| It it observed, that, upon the censure of Mr. Ward, the Bilbop of Norwich would have allowed his people another minister | but the; would have Mr. Ward, or aont.—ltuthaorth'i Ce'Uc. vol. II. p. SOI.—Whart an't Troubles of Laud, vol. I. p. 541.

became a member of Mr^ Bridge's church at^otterdarnj fheTThTs colleague in the pasloraTjofficK The two pastor* are said, indeed. tbT»aveT)een'perfeciiy conformable to the church of England, when they left their native country; which is contrary to truth and the plainest matter of fact. Also, upon their going to Holland, they are said to have renounced their episcopal ordination, and to have been re1 ordained; when Mr. Bridge ordained Mr. Ward, and Mr. Ward returned hiin thejcpmpliment. This account, how-' ever, appeare~extrenieiy doubtful.'* After Mr. Ward had been employed fdr"som'e 'time' as pastor of the church, he was deposed from his office, though manifestly on very trivial grounds. Having been laid aside a considerable time, he was restored to his former charge, on which occasion the church acknowledged the wrong they had done him. Indeed, his deposition was matter of surprise to many, who had the highest opinion of Mr. Ward's integrity and worth. The only crime with which he appears to have been charged, was, his uniting with Mr. Sympsori in endeavours, though in the most peaceable ^ | manner, to revive the religious exercises or prophesyings; ' I that, for the better edification oT tlie people, they might, [ after sermons, propose their doubts to the ministers, and ask them questions.t It was doubtless an honour to the church to ~restore sor ~valuable a pastor, and to acknowledge the injustice of its own censure.

Mr. Ward does not nppear to have long survived these painful trials, but died in Holland, most probably about the year 1640. Fuller denominates him " an excellent artist, linguist, preacher, and divine/' and includes him in the list oflearnea writers of Sidney college, Cambridge^ He was one of the learned divines who wrote against Montague, the famous promoter of popery and arminianism. He was author of a work, entitled," Magnetis Reductorium Theqlogicuna." And about the time oFhis departureTbr Holland, several of his pieces were collected and published ia one thick duodecimo volume, entitled, " A Collection of such Sermons and Treatises as have been written and published by Samuel /Ward, B. D. and Preacher of Ipswich," 1636. DrJ)o.ddlidg_ /f 'observes, that his writings are " worthy to be read through. S jHis_language_is_ generally proper, ~eje^nt^arid 'nervous. / His thoughts are well digestcdTmdnappiiy illustrated^ He

* Bailie's Dissuasire, p. 75, 82.

+ Edwards's Antapologia, p. US, 149 —Bailie's Pissoasire, p. 77.
t Fuller's Worthies, part i:i. p. 70.—Hist, of Cambridge, p. 154. .

I hw many remarkable veins of wit. Many of the boldest

1figures of speechare to'be ToulidinKun beyond any English writer; especially'apostrophes,'prosopopanas, dialqgisms, and^lcgoriesT~Tlierel8,'inde^/a mixture of fancyin his wriTTngs ; but pardonable, considering his youth, and that many of his sermons were not prepared by himself for the press, J)iit copied from his' mouth while preaching. He_ dleHj&efore^hejwas twenty-eight years bld> Had he lived, he would~probably have_been^ the jphoenix ~of British \ preachers.''* " " " ~