Page:Protestant Exiles from France Agnew vol 2.djvu/449

 contained in their Talmud and other mystical writings; likewise the opinions of that people concerning the Messiah, and the time and manner of His Appealing; with an inquiry into the origin, progress, authority, and usefulness of those Traditions,” two vols., 1748. I applied to an unfailing source—The Rev. Dr. A. B. Grosart’s library—and found that a very nice copy is there. The fortunate possessor describes the work as a collection of the quaintly absurd yet not altogether unmeaning usages of the ritualistic Jews, well put together, evidencing extensive reading, and occasionally introducing a pathetic legend.

The surname Stehelin, is connected with the military service. In 1790 Colonel Stehelin was Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military Academy. In 1818 Major-General Edward Stehelin, of the Royal Artillery, wrote to John Mackintosh, Esq., Assistant-Surgeon, recalling “the great zeal and attention paid by you in the execution of your duty as a medical officer under my command in the West Indies,” and “a series of almost continued heavy rains while the operations were carrying on against the island of Martinique in the year 1809.” In the Times, August 1846, an advertisement appeared:— “The next of kin of the undermentioned will hear of something to their advantage by applying to Brundrett, Randall, Simmons, and Brown, 10 King’s Bench Walk, Temple, London, agents for the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Madras, namely, Captain E. B. Stehelin, H.M. 41st regiment Foot, 1827.”

 (born 12th February 1704) is the connecting link between those children of the refugees whose recollections of “the noble army of martyrs” of France made them French in their sympathies, and those more remote descendants who had assumed the less modest assurance of a true-born Englishman. In 1731 he commenced a pastorate over a numerous flock of refugee birth, but his jubilee sermon was preached to a few people, and to empty pews. This sermon was printed, but is now extremely rare; the late Mr. Burn possessed the only known copy of it (I believe):—"Sermon du Jubile prononce dans l’Eglise François de l’Artillerie en Spitalfields 13 Janvier 1782, par Jacob Bourdillon qui en a été le pasteur dès le 25 Decembre 1731.” In this sermon the appellation signifies the collective body of French Protestant Refugees (see a few extracts in Burn’s History, p. 162); see also my Historical Introduction, p. 33.

, whose ancestors enjoyed the station of gentlemen in France, and whose grandfather was condemned to the galleys for his constancy to Protestant faith, was born in London on 15th July 1730. He was baptised on the 30th in the French Church of St. Martin-Orgars as Jaques, fils d’Antoine Rouquet et Elisabeth. (The first of the name among the refugees was John Rouquet, naturalised in 1700, see List xxiv.) James’s natural talents were good, and he was a creditable scholar of Merchant Tailors’ Schools, London, and St. John’s College, Oxford. The preaching of Whitefield led to his dedication to the Christian ministry. Though always a member of the Established Church he for a time superintended Wesley’s celebrated School at Kingswood, near Bristol. He was ordained as deacon by Dr. Johnson, Bishop of Gloucester, and as priest by Dr. Willes, Bishop of Bath and Wells. His favourite occupation was to preach in Bristol gaol, and to go with the Gospel to the most abandoned of the population. His relations with Whitefield and Wesley exposed him to prejudice; and he was dismissed from his first curacy for preaching from house to house and within the Bristol gaol. But the Lord Chancellor having presented him to the vicarage of West Harptree, Bishop Willes proved a steadfast friend, declaring how much pleased he was with his examination, and appointing him to preach at his next ordination. The good prelate sent to him for the manuscript of the sermon which had been spoken against, and having perused it, he returned it, expressed his entire approbation of the sermon, and assured Mr. Rouquet of his friendship and affection. The text of the sermon was, Feed my Sheep. The good parson’s predilection for instructing and reclaiming outcasts made him resign his vicarage, and accept the curacy of St. Werburgh, in Bristol. This was in 1768. One motive may have been to console himself in beneficent labours for the loss of his wife, Sarah, daughter of Honourable E. Fenwicke of Charles-Town, South Carolina (and sister of the Countess of Deloraine), whom he had married on 22nd September 1756, and who died on 28th April 1762, Owing to that relationship he had the honorary office of the Earl of Deloraine’s chaplain; he held the chaplaincy of St Peter’s Hospital, and the lectureship of St. Nicholas, Bristol. On the 13th March 1773 he married his second wife, Mary, relict of John Cannon, Esq. of Greenwich, Kent. The great Rowland Hill preached his first sermon in Mr. Rouquet’s church, on Tuesday, 8th June 1773. Mr. Rouquet continued his intimacy with the Wesleyans, and others called Methodists. He was