Thomas Blake

, a Staffordshire man born, was entred into Ch. Church in the year 1616, and in that of his age 19, (but whether in the condition of a Student or Servitour, I know not,) took the degrees in Arts, Holy Orders, and had some petite employment in the Church bestowed on him. At length when the Presbyterian began to be dominant, he adhered to that Party, took the Covenant, and soon after shewing himself a zealous Brother while he was Pastor of S. Alkmonds in Shrewsbury, (where I find him in 1647) he received a Call, and was made Minister of Tamworth in Staffordshire and Warwickshire, where also being a constant Preacher up of the cause, was thought fit by Oliver and his Council to be nominated one of the Assistants to the Commissioners of Staffordshire, for the ejecting of such, whom they then called ignorant and scandalous Ministers and Schoolmasters. His works are these.

Births priviledg: or, right of Infants Baptisme. Lond. 1644. qu. In which year one Charles Blackwood having published a Book intit. The storming of Antichrist in his two strong garrisons, of compulsion of conscience, and Infants baptisme, &c. Our Author came out with another book intit.

Infants Baptisme freed from Antichristianisme against Mr. Blackwood, &c. Lond. 1645. qu. Afterwards our Author published.

An answer to Mr. Tombes his Letter in vindication of the birth, priviledge or covenant holyness of believers and their issue, in the time of the Gospel, together with the right of Infants to Baptisme, &c Lond 1646. See more in Jo. Tombes.

Vindiciae Foederis. A treatise of the Covenant of God with mankind, in the several kinds and degrees of it: wherein the condition of the Covenant of grace on mans part is asserted, &c. several corollaries containing many controverted heads of Divinity, &c. Infant Baptisme maintained in its Latitude, &c. Lond 1653. qu.

The Covenant sealed: or, a treatise of the Sacrament of both Covenants polemical and practical; especially of the Sacrament of the Covenant of grace, &c. Lond. 1655. qu. Commended to the Reader by the Epistles of Rich. Vines of S. Laurence Jewry in Lond. and Christop. Cartwright of York.

Postscript to the rev. and learned Mr. Rich. Baxter, in which these following questions are friendly debated, &c. With an enquiry into the judgment of antiquity about several things in reference to justification—This Postscript is added to The Covenant sealed, &c.

Mr. Joh. Humphreys second Vindication of a disciplinary, anti-erastian, orthodox, free admission to the Lords Supper taken into consideration Lond. 1656. qu. This is written by way of Letter.

Several Sermons as (1) Serm. on Gal. 2.15.—Printed 1644. qu. (2) Serm. on Acts 20.36. &c. printed 1658. qu. and others, which I have not ye [•] seen, nor his answer to B. Cox about Free admission to the Sacrament, and his meditations called Living truths in dying times. Printed 1665. in tw. He was bu [•] ied in the Church at Tamworth beforementioned on the eleventh day of June, in sixteen hundred fifty and seven,1657. at which time being many of the Ministers and others of the neighbourhood present, Mr. Anth. Burgess of Sutton Colfield stept up into the Pulpit and preached his Funeral Sermon, wherein, in the conclusion, he said many things of the Defunct relating to his learning and godliness. The Sermon is scarce, and I could never see a copie of it, otherwise I might have been more large of our learned Author.