64 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
Thatcham, who used to preach in Plymouth, had died of fever, 
brought on by his excessive labour, in 1668. Jacob and Martyn 
were imprisoned about six months. 
In 1684 the loyal justices of Exeter made an order offering 
40s. a head for the apprehension of Nonconformist ministers, 
and Bishop Lamplugh commanded it to be read by his clergy 
in their churches;^ but I cannot find that it affected Plymouth, 
although under the new freeman's oath appointed in that year 
every freeman was sworn to give the mayor notice of all con- 
venticles. 
How strongly, notwithstanding such sore afflictions, the fires of 
civil and religious liberty still smouldered in their embers, was 
happily manifested when James was hurled from the throne, and 
persecuted — still Puritan — Plymouth was the first town to declare 
for his successor. The Toleration Act was passed in 1689. This, 
though imperfectly, secured freedom of worship to all Dissenters 
who took the oath to the government, and gave security to their 
preachers who subscribed the doctrinal articles of the Church 
of England. It comprised the Quakers, but " excluded Roman 
Catholics and those who impugned the Trinity from its benefits ; 
and it left the Test and Corporation Acts, passed in Charles II.'s 
reign, which made participation in the Lord's Supper, according 
to the rites of the Church of England, a legal qualification for 
civil office, in full force against Nonconformists." f 
With the accession of Dutch William much of the better feeling 
and spirit returned ; much of the animosity died out. When, full 
of years, Nathaniel Jacob died in 1690, Canon Gilbert preached 
his funeral sermon in St. Andrew Church, and concluded his dis- 
course with the weighty words, "I have said more of this worthy 
man than I dare say of myself, or deserve that any person should 
say of me." 
Freedom once given, Nonconformity speedily took a prominent 
position in the town. Long after the ejection many of the Pres- 
byterians cherished the hope that there might yet be settled terms 
of comprehension. Nor until hope had departed did they commence 
the erection of meeting-houses. Eor nearly thirty years their con- 
venticles were held in private dwellings. Martyn the elder baptized 
at " Greene House, near Charles Church, in Greene Street;" and 
it is not unlikely that this was Sherwill's residence, as we know 
* Neal, " Hist. Puritans," vol. iv. p. 495. f Tayler, p. 533. 
