Obadiah Sedgwick

elder Brother to John, mentioned under the year 1643. was born in the Parish of S. Peter in Marlborough in Wilts. and there, or near it, was educated in Grammar learning. In 1616 he was sent to Qu. Coll. being then 16 years of age, but making no long stay there, he retired to Magd. Hall, took the degrees in Arts, entred into the sacred function, and became Chaplain to Sir Horatio Vere Baron of Tilbury, with whom he went into the Low Countries in quality of a Chaplain. After his return he retir’d to Oxon. and performing certain exercise, he was admitted to the reading of the Sentences in the latter end of 1629. Afterwards he was Preacher to the Inhabitants of S. Mildrids Parish in Breadstreet within the City of London, which he quitting upon no good account before the beginning of the rebellion, he became the scandalous and seditious Minister (as one ((*))((*)) Br. Ryves in his Merc. Rusticus, printed 1647. p. 212. calls him) of Cogshall in Essex. But soon after, upon appearance of the said rebellion, he retired to the said City again, and being a voluble Preacher, he was thought fit not only to exercise his parts at S. Mildrids beforemention’d, but also before both Houses of Parliament; the Members of which constituted him one of the Assembly of Divines, as being a Covenanteer to the purpose. While he preached at S. Mildrids, which was only to exasperate the People to rebel and confound Episcopacy, ’twas usual with him, especially in hot weather, to unbutton his doublet in the Pulpit, that his breath might be the longer, and his voice more audible to rail against the Kings Party, and those that were near to him, whom he called Popish Counsellors. This he did in an especial manner, in Sept. 1644, when he, with great concernment, told the People several times that God was angry with the Army for not cutting off Delinquents, &c. Afterwards, about 1646 he became Minister of the Church of S. Paul in Convent Garden, where, as also sometimes in the Country, he kept up the vigour of a Presbyterian Ministry, which for divers years prospered according to his mind to the converting of many, and conviction of more. In 1653 he was appointed one of the number of triers or examiners of Ministers, appointed by Parliament, and the year after, he was by the members thereof constituted an Assistant to the Commissioners of London for the ejection of such whom they then called scandalous and ignorant Ministers and Schoolmasters. At length finding himself decayed by his too zealous carrying on the Covenanting work, he resigned his charge in Convent Garden about two years before his death, and retired to Marlborough. Soon after the Earl of Bedford, upon some consideration, confer’d the said Church on the Son-in-law of our Author Sedgwick called Thomas Manton, as zealous a Presbyterian as the former, where he continued till the Act of Uniformity ejected him, as I shall tell you when I come to him As for our Author Sedgwick he hath these things following going under his name.

Several Sermons, as (1) Military discipline for a Christian Soldier, on 1. Cor. 16.13.14. Lond. 1639. oct. (2) Christs counsell to his languishing Church of Sardis: or, the dying and decaying Christian, &c. being the effect of certain Sermons on Rev. 3.2.3. Lond. 1640. in a large oct. (3) Christ the life, and death the gaine, at the funeral of Rowl. Wilson a member of Parliament on 1. Philip. 1.21. Lond. 1650. qu. Before which, is An account given of some years more than ordinary experience of the superlative worth of that eminent servant of Christ Rowl. Wilson (beforementioned) a member of the Parl. of England and of the honorable Counsell of state, and one of the Aldermen and Sherriffs of the City of London, by George Cokayne teacher of the Gospel at S. Pancras in Soper-lane in London. This Rowl. Wilson was Son of Rowl. Wilson a Merchant of London, was a Collonel in the Parliament Army, was nominated one of the Kings Judges, but refused to sit among them, and dyed much lamented by the Citizens of London, and those that were Lovers of the Parliaments cause, in the beginning of March 1649, as having been a Gent. of excellent parts and great piety, of a solid, sober temper and judgment and very honest and just in all his actions. (4) The fountain opened and the water of life flowing forth for the refreshing of thirsty sinners, &c. in several Sermons on Isay 55.1.2.3. Lond. 1657. qu. (5) The riches of grace displayed in the offer and tender of Salvation to poor Sinners, &c. in several Sermons on Rev. 3.20. Lond. 1658. in tw. second edit. (6) Elisha’s Lamentation, upon the suddain translation of Elijah, preached at the funeral of Mr. Will. Strong Preacher of the Gospel at Westminster Abbey, on 2. Kings 2.12. Lond. 1654. qu. This Will. Strong had been Fellow of Catherine Hall in Cambridge, was afterwards Rector of More Chrichel in Dorsetshire; which place he leaving in the time of the Rebellion, upon pretence of being disturb [•] d by the Cavaliers, he retired to London, became Minister of S. Dunstans in the West, one of the Assemb. of Divines, a holder forth before the Parliament and at length preacher of the Gospel at Westminst. Abbey, as before ’tis said; in which Church he was buried on the fourth day of July 1654. but removed to St. Margarets Church yard adjoining, after the Restauration of K. Ch. 2. as I have elsewhere told you. He hath several Theological Treatises and many Sermons extant, as also The Parabole of the Prodigal, which I have not yet seen.

Parliamentarie Sermons, as (1) Englands Preservation, &c. preached before the H. of Commons on Jer. 4 3. Lond. 1642. qu. (2) Hamane Vanity, on Esther 9.3. Lond. 1643. qu. (3) Thanksgiving Sermon, 9. Apr. 1644. on Psal. 3.8. Lond. 1644. qu. (4) An Arke against a deluge, &c. Fast Sermon on Heb. 11.7. Lond. 1645. qu. ’Twas preached 22. of Oct. 1644. for the uniting of the Army together. (5) Nature and danger of Heresies, fast Serm. on Rev. 12.15.16. Lond. 1647. qu. He also preached three more, which I conceive were printed.

Speech in Guildhall in Lond. 6. oct. 1643. to obtain money to carry on the warr, and for the Scots assistance. Lond. in qu.

The best and worst malignant—Printed 1648. qu. This I have not yet seen.

The doubting Christian resolv’d: A treatise of the nature, kinds, springs, and remedies of doubtings. Lond. 1653. oct.

The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved: or, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way for sensible sinners, discovering the quality, objects, acts, &c. of justifying faith, &c. Lond. 1656. qu.

The Shepherd of Israel: or, an exposition of the 23 Psalme, together with the Doctrine of providence, practically handled. Lond. 1658. Published by Humph. Chambers, Simeon Ash, Edm. Calamy and R. Byfield Presbyterian Ministers.

Synopsis of Christianity, in a clear exposition of the Creed, ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer. Lond. in oct.

Anatomy of secret sins, &c. wherein divers weighty cases are resolved, &c. together with the remissibleness of all sin, and the irremissibleness of the sin against the Holy Ghost. Lond. 1660. qu.

The bowells of tender mercy sealed in the everlasting Covenant, &c. Lond. 1661. fol.

A short Catechisme—What other things he hath written I know not, nor any matter else of him, only that he died very wealthy at Marlborough beforemention’d, (being Lord of the mannour of Ashmansworth in Hampshire) about the beginning of January in sixteen hundred fifty and seven,1657/8. and was buried near to the body of his Father in the Chancel of Ogbourne S. Andrew near to the said Town of Marlborough in Wiltshire, not with his feet towards the East, but towards the South, because there wanted room to lay his body otherways.