CALA All', EnmliNu, an eminent non-conformist di vine, was born in the year 1671. Ile was son of Alr Edmund Calamy, minister Of Aloreton, in 1.:ssex, and grandson of Alr Edmund Calamy, minister of Saint Mary Aldermanbuty. The father's life was distin guished by nothing more remarkable than his suffer: ing, like many others, by the infamous act of uniformity. But the grandfather had a character which raised him above most of his contemporaries, and rendered him worthy of some notice. After going through a course of liberal education, he entered the church, and con tinued a conformist, though not a very strict one, till the imposition of Bishop Wren's articles, and the read ing of the book of sports, wounded his conscience, and obliged hint to withdraw his attachment. Ile was one of the authors of the famous hook against Episcopacy, known by the name of Sinectymnuus: he was nominated by the House of Lords, in 1641, as one of the sub•com mittee for religion : he acted a conspicuous part in the Assembly of Divines; his influence in the city of Lon don, on account of his ministerial talents, was greater almost than that of any other man: he strenuously and boldly opposed the regicides of Charles I., and was ac tive in promoting the restoration of the second Charles, who rewarded him, by first offering him a bishopric, of which he could not conscientiously accept, and then sub jecting him to all the rigours that were inflicted by the act of uniformity. He is said to have died of a broken heart, occasioned by his seeing London in ashes, after the great fire in 1666.
The subject of the present article, who, in many points, resembled his grandfather, received his early education chiefly from Mr Samuel Cradock, who kept a private academy at \Vickhambrook, in Suffolk, and under whose able tuition be remained for a considerable number of years. In that and the other schools which he previously attended, he not only studied with so much diligence and success, as to secure the high ap probation of his masters, but also displayed such amia ble dispositions, as to lay a foundation for lasting friend ship, with men whose friendship was equally useful and honourable to him in future life. Among these may be mentioned, Alr Dawes, Alr Hugh Boulter, and Mr Timothy Godwin, who were afterwards archbishops re spectively of York, Armagh, and Cashel, and whose chteem for Ali- Calamy was neither destroyed by the contrariety of their religious opinions, nor diminished by the difference of their ecclesiastical rank.
At the age of seventeen lie went to the university of Utrecht, where he engaged in study with redoubled ardour, and made distinguished proficiency in the seve ral branches of learning to which he applied himself. He was much noticed by the professors. Ile acquired an intimacy, which was never broken off, with Lord Spencer, afterwards Earl of Sunderland, and secretary of state to Queen Anne ; and with Mr Charles Trim nen, who rose sliccessively to the bishoprics of Nor wich and Winchester. And so great was his repu tation, that he had nil offer of a professor's chair the college of Edinburgh from Principal Carstairs, who had been sent over to Holland to procure a per properly qualified for such a place. This offer he declined, and soon after he returoed to England. I lc went first to Oxford, where he laboured to improve himself, by researches in the Bodleian library, con versation with literary men, and other means and op portunities of making intellectual attaimnews, which were to be found in that scat of learning. Having de termined to betake himself to divinity, lie directed his at tention closely and steadily to the various subjects com prehended under that science. Ile carefully searched the
Scriptures ; he perused the writings of the primitive fa thers: Ile made himself well acquainted with eccle siastical history ; and then, entering on the later con troversies, considered with particular care and interest the one which subsisted between the Church of Eng land and the nonconformists. His examination of its merits was long, minute, and temperate ; and it termi nated in a decided attachment to that party, which, the claims of both being supposed equal, a worldly mind would certainly not have preferred. United with the. dissenters from convictions of right and duty, he sooit employed his talents as a preacher of the gospel in that communion ; and, after labouring for some years in this subordinate character, he received Presbyterian ordina tion in 1694. This ordination was the first public trans action of that nature which had taken place since the passing of the act of uniformity. It was usual, on for mer occasions, to have no person present except the ordaincr and the ordained ; but Mr Calamy was resoked to have as great a degree of publicity as possible con nected with his admission into the Christian ministry. And, after encountering some difficulties from the timi dity of his brethren, lie succeeded in procuring the or dination of other six at the same time. The whole ser vice, which was conducted with requisite solemnity, as well as unprecedented openness, lasted from ten in the morning till past six in the evening. Mr Calamy, after holding some inferior situations, was, in 1703, chosen pastor of a large congregation in Westminster, London. Previous to this appointment, he had made himself use ful to the dissenting cause, and acceptable to all its sup porters, by publishing an .dbridgment of ilIr Baxter's History of his Life. and Times ; to which he added, an account of other ejected ministers,—an apology for them selves and their adherents,—and a continuation of their history to the year 1691. Of this work he published, in 1713, a second edition, with considerable improvements, in 2 vols. 8% o. and dedicated it to the duke of Dcvon shire. It, of course, gave great offence to churchmen, and high satisfaction to dissenters, when it first appeared ; and to this day is regarded is ith similar emotions by their respective descendants. Bishop Burnet thanked hint for it, declaring, that he had read it with much pleasure. Some attacks were made upon it ; in repelling which, Mr Calamy evinced both strength of argument and moderation of temper. His conduct to Mr Hoadle), the celebrated bishop of Bangor, was particularly candid and enlightened, and deserves to he recorded as a singu lar fact in the history of religious controversy. Mr Iloadlev had written an answer to the tenth chapter of Air Calamy's Abridgment, respecting the reasonableness of conformity to the church of England. This gave lase o various pamphlets, in which these champions contend d against each other with great talent and great perse verance. At length Mr Hoadley published a defence of Episcopal ordination. To this Mr Calamy composed an argumentative and historical reply ; but, with a forbear ance and a generosity which do his memory the highest honour, he did not print it, because it would have divert ed his antagonist from that struggle in behalf of political and religious freedom, which he so ably maintained against the abettors of the corporation and test acts. Such an exhibition of liberal principle, is of itself sufficient to make the name of Calamy dear to every friend of liberty, and every admirer of moral greatness.