Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 1.djvu/106

  Primrose, in the year 1610, according to Anthony a Wood, had published four volumes, entitled “Jacob’s Vow opposed to the vows of monks and friars.” The first volume, containing two books, was translated into English “by John Bulteel, a minister,” and published in 4to, London, 1617. [Primrose became a refugee minister in London in 1623.]

There was also published, “The Christian Combate, with a sermon of [on] Prayer in time of affliction, on Psalm, 1. 15,” translated by John Bulteel from the French of Du Moulin. The great Du Moulin’s book, of which the fourth French edition was published in 1632, was entitled, “Du Combat Chrestien ou des Afflictions — à Messieurs de l’Eglise Reformée de Paris.”

From this list it appears that Mr. Bulteel was alive in 1645. There is an uncertainty whether the Pasteur Paul Gorgier, who died in 1689, officiated for forty-one years, or only for four and a half (see my “Gleanings from Registers,” in vol. ii.); if it was for the longer period, he came in 1648, and the vacancy may have been occasioned by Mr. Bulteel’s death.

I will close this chapter with a brief notice of a layman eminent both for piety and for success in life, the son of a refugee from Flanders. The refugee was Pierre Houblon, merchant-stranger, as to whom, see my Chapter IX. His eminent descendant was his son Jacques, known as James Houblon, Esq., merchant of London, and father of the Royal Exchange, who was born in 1592, and baptized in the City of London French Church, Threadncedle Street, where, on November 1620, he married Marie Du Quesne, “a woman of a meek and humble spirit,” by whom he had ten sons and two daughters, all nursed by her. He died in 1682, and was survived by seven sons. His funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Gilbert Burnet, D.D. (afterwards Bishop of Salisbury), upon the text Psalm xxxvii. 37 (authorised version). The preacher alluded to his anxious care of his children, and added, “not being satisfied with what he said to them by word of mouth while he lived, he took care that after his death he should still speak to them in a great many excellent letters and papers which he left behind him.” Some of these were printed in 1863, with the title, “Pious Memories of Mr. James Houblon, senior, merchant of London, who died June the 20th, 1682, in the ninetieth year of his age — being the substance of several letters of counsell and advice, written with his own hand, for direction and government of all his children in their short pilgrimage upon earth. London, Basil Montague Pickering, 196 Piccadilly.” Opposite the title-page is the note, “Printed by John Archer Houblon, for private distribution, in remembrance of his good ancestor.” This monumental volume includes Burnet’s Funeral Sermon.

From the sermon I extract some biographical notes:— “He was baptized in the French congregation and continued a member of it his whole life. He was one of the chief pillars of that congregation, in which he often served as Antient [an ancien, or elder], and to the support of which, and of all the poor exiles that came over, he contributed always so liberally, that if he did not still live in so many children, to whom God has given hearts as well as fortunes like his, this loss would be very sensibly felt. He did communicate once a month constantly, and was never absent from their assemblies either on the Lord’s day or on the week-day, and this was become so customary for him, that it was not without difficulty that he was kept from going thither even during his sickness.” “He looked on the Reformed churches by reason of the unreformed lives of the members of them with great regret, and did apprehend there was a severe cup to go round them, and was afraid England might drink the dregs of it, and might be again brought under the tyranny of the Church of Rome and the inundation of a foreign power.” “About forty-seven years ago an unhappy accident had almost cut him off when he was yet in the strength of his age; be being at a training [militia drill] near Morefields, some powder took fire, by which he with several others were blown up; but though some of the rest were struck dead outright, yet God had a great deal of more service for him in the world, and so, after an illness of six or seven weeks’ continuance, of which it was long doubted whether he would ever recover, he was again restored to his family, and lived to see his children’s children and some of their children, to so great an increase, that in his time a full hundred came into the world descended from him, all born in full time, and all baptized save one. Of these, sixty-seven are yet alive, to which, if eleven that are come into his family by marriages be joined, there wanted but two of fourscore that had a right to his daily blessing.”

The following is a characteristic specimen of his written address to his children:—

“If for our sins God should permit Popery to come in, labour by earnest prayers and supplications to Him that He would give you His grace that you may be able to stand in the