Francis Bampfield

third son of John Bampf. ((a))((a)) Reg. Matric. Un. Ox. PP. fol. 257. b. of Portimon in Devons. Esq. was born in that County, became a Commoner of VVadham Coll. in 1631, aged 16 years, took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1638, and afterwards holy Orders from a Bishop. But being puritannically inclined, he sided with the rebellious party in 1642, took the Covenant, preached up the Cause in several places, and was all things to all men except those of the royal party. At length, on the death of VVilliam Lyford, he became Minister of Shirebourne in Dorsetshire, having before taken the Engagement, an. 1653, where he continued, carrying on the trade among the factious people, not without great disturbance from Quakering Witches, as he pretended, till the Act of Uniformity cast him out, an. 1662. Afterwards he lived in the said Town for some time, kept Conventicles, was imprisoned ((b))((b)) See The fourth Plea of Conformists for Nonconformists, p. 44.45. for so doing several times, and forced to remove his quarters. At length retiring to London, the common refuge of such people, he preached in Conventicles there, was several times committed upon that account, and continued a Prisoner for about the ten last years of his life, at several times. He was always a person so strangely fickle and unsteady in his judgment, that he was first a Church man, then a Presbyterian, afterwards an Independent, or at least a fider with them, an Anabaptist, and at length, almost a compleat Jew, and what not. He was also so enthusiastical and canting, that he did almost craze and distract many of his disciples by his amazing and frightful discourses. He hath written,

His judgment for the observation of the Jewish, or seventh day Sabboth; with his Reasons and Scriptures for the same. Sent in a Letter to Mr. Will. Ben of Dorchester, &c. Lond. 1672 and 1677. oct. See more in VVill. Ben under the year 1680, p. 507. who by one ((c))((c)) Fred. Lossius Medic. Dorchest. in Observat. Medicinal. Lond. 1672. oct. lib. 1. Observ. 5. p. 9. of his perswasion is commended for a pious man, for his holiness of life and for his dexterous preaching.

All in one. All useful Sciences and profitable Arts in one book of Jehovah Aelokim, copied out, and commented upon in created Beings, comprehended and discovered in the fulness and perfection of Scripture-knowledges. The first part—Printed 1677 in 45 sh. in fol. The design of which fantastical and unintelligible book is for the advancement and augment of useful Arts, and of profitable Sciences in a scripture way, and that all Philosophy be taught out of the Scripture, and not from Heathen Authors. The Author shews himself dissatisfied with his Academical education, and is clearly against that way; and would, if he could, have his own Idea take place: and vainly endeavours to represent the many pretended inconveniencies of those methods which have been so long established in our Universities, saying ((d))((d)) In All in one, &c. p. 3. that Enthusiastick Phantasmes, humane Magistralities, self-weaved Ratiocinations, forc’d Extractions, indulg’d Sensuations, and unsetling Scepticismes have laid, some of the most, claim to the highest advance of humane learning, that hath been hitherto made. ’Tis full of bombast great swelling and forc’d language, and oftentimes unintelligible.

The house of wisdome. The house of the sons of the Prophets. An house of exquisite enquiry, and of deep research: where the mind of Jehovah Aeloim in the holy Scripture of truth, in the original words and phrases, and their proper significancy, is diligently studied, faithfully compared and aptly put together for the farther promoting and higher advancing of Scripture knowledge, of all useful Arts, and profitable Sciences, in the one book of books, the word of Christ, copied out and commented upon in created Beings. Lond. 1681. in 7 sh. in fol. In which fantastical book, the Author would have the Hebrew Tongue and Language to be the universal character over all the inhabited earth, to be taught in all Schools, and Children to be taught it as their mother language. He proposes a way for the erection of Academies to have it taught, and all Philosophy to proceed from Scripture, to have all books translated into that language, and I know not what. What other things he hath written and published I cannot tell, nor any thing else of him, only (1) That he having been convicted, and committed for preaching at Pinmakers-Hall in London, was brought on the 24. of Feb. 1682 to the Sessions held at the Old Bayly, where being tendred the Oaths, he said that the King of Kings forbad him to take them, and thereupon was re-committed to Newgate Prison. (2) That he was brought thither again about the 18 of Apr. 1683, and refusing them, was sent to Newgate, from whence he came. (3) That he and one Griffith, Reynolds, and Warner, who had laid a long time in Newgate for refusing the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, were on the 18 of Jan. 1683 indicted for the same, and found guilty at the Old Bayly, and lastly that our Author Bampfield dying in the said Prison of Newgate, on Saturday the sixteenth day of Febr. in sixteen hundred eighty and three,1683/4. his body was two or three days after followed with a very great company of factious and schismatical people to his grave, in the new burying place bought by the Anabaptists in Glass-house Yard joyning to Aldersgate street in London.