ONE great benefit (says Mr. Baxter) the plague brought to the city—that is, it occasioned the silent ministers more openly and laboriously to preach the gospel, to the exceeding comfort and profit of the people, inasmuch that to this day the freedom of preaching which this occasioned cannot by the soldiers nor by the imprisonment of multitudes be restrained. The ministers that were silenced for nonconformity had ever since 1662 done their work very privately, and to a few (not so much to their timorousness as their lothness to offend the king, and in hopes still that their forbearance might procure them some liberty, and through some timorousness of the people that should hear them). And when the plague grew hot most of the conformable ministers fled and left their flocks in the time of their extremity, whereupon divers non-conformists, pitying the dying and distressed people, that had none to call the impenitent to repentance, nor to help men to prepare for another world, nor to comfort them in their terrors, when about 10,000 died in a week, resolved that no obedience to the laws of any mortal men whatsoever could justify them for neglecting of men’s souls and bodies in such extremities, no more than they can justify parents for famishing their children to death: And that when Christ shall say, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of these ye did it not to Me, it will be poor excuse to say, Lord, I was forbidden by the law. (Life of Baxter, part iii., page 2.)—The pious intrepidity with which one of these ministers (Mr Thomas Vincent, author of a well-known Catechism) devoted himself to this perilous work of love surpasses any of the justly-lauded labours of the philanthropic Howard. To the arguments employed to persuade him not to expose his valuable life by his brethren assembled for the purpose of dissuading him from his purpose, Vincent replied, “that he had very seriously considered the matter before he had come to a resolution; he had carefully examined the state of his own soul, and could look death in the
face with comfort. He thought it was absolutely necessary that such vast numbers of dying people should have some spiritual assistance. He could have no prospect of service in the exercise of his ministry through his whole life like that which now offered itself. He had often committed the case and himself to God in prayer, and, upon the whole, had solemnly devoted himself to the service of God and souls upon this occasion, and therefore hoped none of them would endeavour to weaken his hands in this work.” When the ministers present had heard him out they unanimously declared their satisfaction and joy, that they apprehended the matter was of God, and concurred in their prayers for his protection and success. He went out hereupon to his work with the greatest firmness and assiduity. He constantly preached every Lord’s Day through the whole visitation in some parish church. His subjects were the most moving and important, and his management of them most pathetic and searching. The awfulness of the judgment, then everywhere obvious, gave a peculiar edge to the preacher and his auditors. It was a general inquiry through the preceding week where he was to preach: multitudes followed him wherever he went, and several were awakened by every sermon. He visited all that sent for him without fear, and did the best he could for them in their extremity, especially to save their souls from death. And it pleased God to take particular care of him, for though the whole number reckoned to die of the plague in London this year was 68,596, and seven persons died of it in the family where he lived, he continued in perfect health all the while, and was afterwards useful, by his unwearied labours, to a numerous congregation till the year 1678, when he died at Haxton. (Palmer’s Nonconformist’s Memorial, vol. i. p. 125-6.)