It is probable that Mr. Purser commenced his ministry in 1660, but did not receive ordination until some years later. In the mean time one Mr. Cowell was the chief preacher at Natton, and an author of some eminence, having published a book entitled "The Snare Broken," which seems to have occasioned considerable difficulty between the observers of the first and seventh day. Mr. Cowell appears to have been rather wavering and unstable, but withal a pious and well-meaning man. He departed this life in 1680, when Mr. Purser took the principal charge of the church. The Sabbatarians at this time were widely scattered. There was no meeting-house, and Mr. Purser opened his dwelling for that purpose. He also held meetings at various other private houses, in different places, by which those living at a distance were accommodated by his labours. It may be remarked, that although this worthy man steadily pursued the occupation of husbandry, and reared a large family, he faithfully served the church. While his hands were industriously employed, his meditations were upon things above, and upon these occasions he was highly favoured with manifestations of the divine presence. All his children and grandchildren were also distinguished for virtue and piety, though many of them adopted the first day for the sake of convenience, and became worthy members of Baptist churches. Mr. Purser, through age and infirmity, was unable to discharge the duties of the sacred office for some time before his death, which occurred in 1720.
His successor, Mr. Edmund Townsend, was plain and unobtrusive in his manners, but was highly respected for his candour and integrity. Soon after his ordination he took up his residence for a time with the Mill-Yard Church; and then, in 1727, accepted an invitation to become the pastor of the Cripplegate fraternity, which had been left destitute by the death of Joseph Stennett.
When Mr. Townsend left this church, he was succeeded by Mr. Philip Jones, who discharged the duties pertaining to this sacred office for nearly fifty years. His colleague, Mr. Thomas Boston, was a young man of great promise and usefulness. Mr. Jones lived for several years at Cheltenham, but held meetings at Natton, Panford, and other towns, for the purpose of accommodating members living at each of those places. In 1731, he removed to Upton, but continued his ministry in different places. In this way he encountered many difficulties, sometimes having to travel in the worst of weather, and at others running great risks from the floods of the Severn and Avon. Yet neither dangers nor inconveniences were suffered to interfere with his duty. His character has been thus given by a contemporary: "He was a holy man of God, and a great and lively preacher of the gospel. Few were better acquainted with the scriptures; for, whatever his subject was, he could have chapter and verse to prove the whole. In short he was a living concordance; a man of unblemished character, a sincere friend, and a faithful reformer, but always in the spirit of meekness. Perhaps but a few living had a greater command over the passions than he had."
Previous to the death of this worthy man, in 1770, Mr. Thomas Hiller, his nephew, accepted the pastoral care of the Baptist church in Tewksbury, near Natton. He was a Sabbatarian in both opinion and practice, and consequently was invited to serve the Sabbath-keeping church at the same time that he remained pastor of the First-day Baptist church. He accepted the invitation, and continued to minister to both churches until his death, a few years ago. His ministry is said to have been successful in both Natton and Tewksbury; although in what that success was seen it would probably be problematical to determine. The church over which he presided has become a mere handful, in the greatest want of spiritual strength and support. Mr. Hiller was doubtlessly a man of worth, and deeply interested in the Spiritual welfare of both churches, by whom his memory is still highly venerated; but the history of his connexion with these fraternities proves that no man can successfully serve two masters. It is barely possible that a minister of the gospel, who is at one and the same time the pastor of one church worshipping on the seventh day of the week, and another church worshipping on the first day of the week, can be faithful to both. Since the death of Mr. Hiller, the congregation at Natton have been without a pastor. However, it has engaged the services of a worthy Baptist minister from Tewksbury for a considerable time.
It is worthy of note, that, in 1746, Mr. Benjamin Purser, the youngest son of Rev. John Purser before mentioned, purchased an estate in the village of Natton, and fitted up, at his own expense, a chapel for divine worship, adjoining his dwelling-house. It is a small room, distinguished only for neatness and convenience. He also walled in a corner of his orchard for a burial-place. When he died, in 1765, he donated the house and burial-place to the church, together with ten pounds a year out of his estate to all succeeding ministers. At the present time the congregation is so small that the chapel is not opened except upon extraordinary occasions, such as a funeral or the like. It serves, however, as the depository for a small collection of rare and valuable books.
THE CRIPPLEGATE CHURCH.
A congregation of Sabbatarians, known under that denomination, was gathered in London by Francis Bampfield, during the reign of Charles the Second. Mr. Bampfield was descended from an ancient and honourable family in Devonshire, and was a brother of Thomas Bampfield, Speaker in one of Cromwell's Parliaments. Having been designed for the ministry from childhood, he received a classical education, at Wadham College, Oxford, where he remained for eight years. Subsequently he was provided with a living in Dorsetshire, and was likewise chosen Prebend of Exeter Cathedral. Thence he was transferred to the populous town of Sherburne, where he exerted a most extensive and happy influence among the members of the established church. In this connexion he continued only a short time; for beginning to doubt the authority of the church to prescribe forms of worship, he became in the end a decided nonconformist. Consequently he was not only ejected from the ministry, but confined in Dorchester jail, for preaching and conducting religious services contrary to law. During his imprisonment, which continued about eight years, his views upon the subjects of the Sabbath and baptism were materially changed, and he became a decided advocate of Seventh-day Baptist sentiments. He preached his new opinions boldly to his fellow-prisoners, and several were led to embrace them. Soon after his release from Dorchester, Mr. Bampfield went to London, where he preached the gospel for about ten years. In Bethnal Green, in the eastern parts of London, he gathered a small church, whose place of meeting was in his own hired house. This church was organized in 1676, and Mr. Bampfield continued its pastor until 1682, when he was brought before the Court of Sessions, on a variety of charges connected with his nonconformity. He was several times examined, and upon each examination required to take the oath of allegiance, which he persisted in refusing, alleging that his conscience would not allow him to take it. This resulted in his condemnation, the forfeiture of his goods, and a sentence of imprisonment during life, or what was equivalent, during the king's pleasure. The anxieties incident to this trial, combined with a naturally feeble constitution, together with his great privations, brought on a disease, of which he died in Newgate prison, on the 15th of February, 1684, aged 68 years.
The imprisonment of Mr. Bampfield was followed by the dispersion of his flock, but the times becoming more favourable, they reunited in church fellowship in 1686, and invited Mr. Edward Stennett, of Wallingford, to accept the pastoral care of their church. He partly complied, coming to London at stated periods to preach and administer the ordinances, though he still retained his connexion with the people at Wallingford. But finding that he could not consistently serve both churches, he resigned the pastoral care of the London church in 1689. Mr. Stennett is distinguished as being the ancestor of the famous Stennett family, who were all Sabbatarians, and were for several generations an ornament to religion, and champions for the cause of Protestant dissent. Being on the side of Parliament in the civil wars, he was exposed, in consequence, to the neglect of his relations and many other difficulties. Although a faithful minister, he possessed no stated salary, but supported his family by the practice of physic. He bore a part in the persecutions which fell upon the Dissenters of that time. In several instances his escape seems altogether miraculous, and affords a striking evidence of Divine interposition.
He was succeeded by his second son, Joseph Stennett, who had enjoyed the advantages of a liberal education. He came to London in 1685, and was employed for a time in the instruction of youth. His first appearance in the pulpit created a great sensation. His ministry was eminently evangelical and faithful; and while preaching constantly to his own church upon the Sabbath, he almost always waited in the ministry upon other congregations on the first day. Perhaps no Dissenting minister in England, at that time, exerted a more powerful influence, or maintained a higher standing than did Mr. Stennett. He was at different times appointed by his brethren in the ministry to draw up letters and addresses of congratulation to be presented to the sovereign upon particular occasions, Mr. Stennett likewise appeared before the public as the author of other works, which acquired considerable popularity. Early in the year 1713, he began to decline, and on the 11th of July fell asleep, in the forty-ninth year of his age, and the twenty-third of his ministry.
The death of this worthy man was a particularly disastrous event to his little flock, who remained for fourteen years without a shepherd, during which time they generally met for worship with the Mill-Yard Church. But in 1727, Mr. Edmund Townsend became their spiritual guide, in which relation he continued until his death in 1763.