Porter, Robert. The Life of Mr. John Hieron. With the Characters and Memorials of Ten other Worthy Ministers of Jesus Christ; Written by Mr. Robert Porter, late Minister of the Gospel in Nottinghamshire. London: Published by D. Burgess | Printed for Tho. Parkhurst, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel, 1691. [5979]
Removed from a bound collection of pamphlets, 6 x 7 1/4 inches, [4], 95, [1] pp. Good. Removed.
ESTC R33944; Wing P2987. ESTC locates 4 copies in North America. "To the reader" by Daniel Burgess.
John Hieron of Ashborne (1608-1682) b. Stapenhil, England. His father was an Anglican minister of puritan principles. He was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge; ordained deacon & presbyter on Trinity-Sunday, 1630, and declined re-ordination by the Presbyterians, with whom he was most cordial and accepting. He was persecuted and fined for his Puritan principles; in one instance he was dragged from his bed by armed men and charged with preaching against Episcopacy, his answer being that he only preached against the exorbitances of it. He was expelled from his pulpit in 1662, began ministering to his people independently, then further abused by the Oxford or Five Mile Act of 1665, which compelled Nonconformist ministers to remove five miles from their parishes unless they conformed by oath to the 1662 Prayer Book. Over the next few years he preached at Conventicles in many places, never settling in one place for long, until after leave was granted for Nonconformist ministers in 1672. "He was Gray by that time he was Forty or before..." p. 27. The Life includes extracts from his diary, a list of "Deliverances," and an account of his death. "He Dyed in the Commencment [sic] Week, when he had been Master of Arts just Fifty Years; and an Ordained Minister above Fifty Years; in which time he hath Preached at Sixty Six Churches and Chappels in Derbyshire; and at Thirty out of Derbyshire: And at little Sanctuaries, since his exclusion from the publick exercise of his Ministry, who knows how many." p. 34
"Where ever he preached at home, or abroad, he preached the Word, he was a Scriptural Preacher, not Chaff, but Wheat was sown by him; not Niceties and Subtleties, but sound Doctrine, well digested truth in significant words was delivered by him. Gingling, tickling the Ear, patching and painting the Face of Truth, daubing with intempered Mortar, were things he practiced not, yeah, he abhorred them. His Sermons were no flattering glasses, but true clear Mirrours to shew Men the true Complexion of their Souls." - p. 15.
The first fifty pages take up the Life of Mr. John Hieron, followed by brief lives of Thomas Shelmerdine, Mr. Stanley of Eyam, John Oldfield or Otefield, John Billingsley, Luke Cranwell, Joseph Moore, Jonathan and Timothy Stanyforth, Samuel Heiron (brother to John Hieron), Samuel Wright, John Bingham, Joseaph Swetam, several other men mentioned by initials only.
The author: Robert Porter, d. 1690, a native of Nottinghamshire, educated at Cambridge, pastor of a congregation at Pentrich. Porter was ejected for nonconformity in 1662, continued to minister to his parish privately, and further removed by the Five Mile Act of 1666. After indulgence was granted in 1672 he established a congregation at Mansfield. "Posthumous was his Life of Mr. John Hieron, with...Memorials of ten other worthy Ministers, &c. 1691, 4to, a valuable collection of Derbyshire nonconformist biographies used by Calamy (four copies in Brit Mus.)" - DNB.
