Nathaniel Stephens

son of Rich. Steph. Minister of Staunton Barnwood in Wilts, was born in that County, became a Batler of Magd. Hall in Lent term an. 1622, aged 16 years, took the degrees in Arts, and afterwards became a puritannical Preacher in his own Country. At length upon the change of the times he closed with the Presbyterians, took the Covenant, preached frequently against the Kings Followers and Prelacy, and was not wanting on all turns to carry on the blessed cause. At length having the Rectory of Fenny Drayton or Draiston in the Clay in Leycestershire confer’d on him, wrot and published,

A precept for the baptisme of Infants out of the New Test. &c. partly against the Cavills of Mr. Everard in his late treatise intit. Baby-baptisme routed, &c. Lond. 1651. qu. Animadverted upon by Joh. Tombes in his first part of Antipedobaptisme.

Plain and easie calculation of the name, mark and number of the name of the beast, &c. Lond. 1656. qu. grounded on Rev. 13.18. Which book is much commended by Matth. Poole in his fifth vol. of Synopsis Criticorum, on the Rev. and doth acknowledge that he had some MS. notes from our Author concerning that matter which he had made use of in that volume.

Vindiciae fundamenti: Or a threefold defence of the doctrine of original sin: Together with some other fundamentals of Salvation: The first against the exceptions of Mr. Rob. Everard in his book intit. The Creation and the Fall of man. The second against the Examiners of the late Assemblies Confession of Faith: The third against the Allegations of Dr. Jer. Taylor in his Unum necessarium, and two lesser Treatises of his. Lond. 1658. qu. After his Majesties restauration, he the said Mr. Stephens kept his Rectory of Fenny-Drayton, because the owner of it had been some years before dead, but upon the publication of the Act of Uniformity in 1662 he left it because he would not conform, resided for some time in the said town, and preached thereabouts as a Nonconformist. At length after several disturbances, he removed to Stoke-Golding two miles distant from Fenny-Drayton, and preached there in Conventicles, till he was disabled by lameness some years before his death; which hapning in sixteen hundred seventy and seven,1677/8. was buried in the Church-yard of Stoke-Golding on the 24 of Feb. the same year. One of both his names an Esquire, was appointed one of the Commissioners of Glocestershire, 1654, for the ejection of such whom they then called scandalous, ignorant and insufficient Ministers and Schoolmasters, who had before been educated in this University.