discharged in 1668, but lost his estate. He died near Faversham, after one week's illness, in 1679, aged 63, and was buried at Jordan's, near Beaconsfield. His wife died at Worminghurst, in Sussex, in 1682. The character of Isaac Pennington may be summed up in the words "Given to hospitality, apt to teach." His father was Alderman Pennington, who was appointedbut did not serve on the trial of King Charles I. His writings are numerous, an account of which is published by J. G. Bevan.

WILLIAM BENNET, of Woodbridge, in Suffolk, was early of a religious turn. His life is a series of persecutions. He was imprisoned at Bilborough, 1661; at Yarmouth, 1662; at Norwich, 1664; and at Bury, 1665, where he lay five years. At Melton he was again imprisoned for conscience sake, where he endured great hardships, which put an end to his life in 1684.

JOSIAH COALE was born at Winterborn, near Bristol; and was convinced of Friends' principles, by the ministry of John Audland, about 1655. In 1656, he was imprisoned on account of his

religious views, together with T. Robertson, at Bristol. He was also confined and beaten at Melcomb Regis. In 1658, he sailed for Virginia with T. Thirston; and made a dangerous journey through the wilderness, on foot, for several hundred miles. In New England he was imprisoned, and afterwards banished from Maryland. J. C. travelled, in the work of the ministry, through Barbadoes, most parts of Holland, Belgium, and England. He went through perils, imprisonments, and persecutions; - he was valiant in the cause of truth- undaunted in danger and, by the support of a peaceful conscience, borne up above the fear of men. J. C. died of a decline in the year 1668, aged 35 years.

MARY DYER was a minister in the Society of Friends a woman fearing the Lord, of good report, and the mother of several children. Her husband was a respectable person of Rhode Island. She suffered martyrdom, under the New England persecution, in 1660.

The government of New England had been, for some time previous to this period, in the hands of "The Pilgrim Fathers" of the Inde

pendent Church-known, at that time, under the denomination of Brownists, -a highly professing people, who had fled from Old England, to avoid persecution, and to enjoy liberty of conscience in the then wilderness of North America,—a blessing and a natural right, which was unjustly withheld from them in their native land.

But, alas! alas! for the weakness of poor, fallen, fallible men, when left to themselves in the exercise of irresponsible power. These very men, dissenters from the established mode of worship, on being seated in the government of their new colony, would admit of no dissent from that way, or form, which themselves had set up. Notwithstanding their loud exclamations against the tyranny and oppression of the bishops at home, in endeavouring to enforce a uniformity of worship, by penal laws and coercive measures, they were no sooner invested with the power, than they began to tread in the same steps, and very soon exceeded them in bigotry and cruelty. This unholy spirit of persecution manifested itself before any Quakers had landed in the settlement; and others, who objected to the appointed mode and manner of worship, were made to suffer, or to

succumb to their arbitrary laws. But when "The Friends" began to settle amongst them, the severity of these laws was augmented, from time to time, at the instigation of the dominant priesthood, or church officers, until at length they became absolutely savage and sanguinary; and this barbarity was practised under the garb of religion," To do God service!"

"Thus Satan triumphs, when erring men compel
The arms of heaven to aid the cause of hell!"

However undesirable it may be to have a government of Church and State united, it is pretty evident, from the early history of New England, that to be ruled by such a Church alone, as then predominated in that colony, would be but to increase the evil.

By authority of their laws, "The accursed Quakers," as they were denominated in the public acts of the New England legislature,—and for no other cause than fidelity to their own religious views, were proceeded against by heavy fines, and confiscation of property-long imprisonments cruel whipping of both men and women-cutting off ears and banishment-and, finally, some of

these inoffensive people were made to suffer the extremity of the law, by the hands of the public hangman.

Of this number was Mary Dyer, who was sentenced to death for coming to Boston to visit her friends under suffering, and, as she believed, by Divine command, to testify against the cruelty and oppression of the government, and to warn them to forbear and to repent. This was the second time, sentence of death had been passed upon this devoted servant of the Lord.

On the first occasion she was escorted to the place of execution between two of her friends and fellow-professors, William Robinson and Marmaduke Stephenson, who were condemned to suffer with her on the like score of religion; no other occasion, but the law of their God, being found against them. On their way to the gallows, they held one another by the hand, encouraging each other to faithfulness and constancy to their Lord, in this their hour of nature's trial; for this Mary Dyer was cruelly taunted by the officer who conducted the procession; he asked her, if she were not ashamed of walking between two young men? To which she replied, "No: this is