THE LIFE OF Mr. THOMAS FIRMIN Late Citizen of London Written by one of his most intimate Acquaintance WITH A SERMON On Luke x. 36 37. Preach'd on the occasion of his Death Together with an Account of his RELIGION and of the present State of the Unitarian Controversy LONDON Printed and sold by A. Baldwin in Warwicklane MDCXCVIII THE LIFE OF Mr. THOMAS FIRMIN THE long Acquaintance and intimate Friendship I had with Mr. Firmin are I confess warrantable Causes that so many do expect from me an account of his memorable Life If some other man would answer the publick expectation with more Address as to Expression Method number and value of Observations and Reflections in a word more Ambitiously yet I will not be wanting in Sincerity or Truth Thomas Firmin was born at Ipswich in Suffolk in the month of June Anno 1632. being the Son of Henry Firmin and of Prudence his Wife Henry and Prudence as they did not overflow with wealth of the World so neither was their condition Low or Strait God gave them the wish of Solomon neither Poverty nor Riches but that middle Estate and Rank which containeth all that is valuable and desirable in Wealth without the Gaudery Vanity and Temptations that generally adhere to Riches But these two were very considerable in their degree or place both as to esteem and plenty by means of their Sobriety Diligence and good Conduct the effects of their Piety They were of the number of those who were then called Puritans by the looser sort of people who were wont to impute Precisianism or affected Puritanism to such as were more Devout and withal more Conscientious and Exemplary than is ordinary tho in the way of the Church of England When he was of capable years for it they put their Son Thomas Firmin to an Apprentiship in London under a Master who was by Sect or Opinion an Arminian a Hearer of Mr. John Goodwyn Our young man accompanying his Master to the elegant and learned Sermons of Mr. Goodwyn soon exchanged the harsh Opinions of Calvin in which he had been educated for those more Honourable to God and more accountable to the Human Reason of Arminius and the Remonstrants And now it was that he learned as was the commendable Custom of those times to write Short-hand at which he was so dextrous that he would take into a Book any Sermon that he heard word for word as it was spoke by the Preacher if the Sermon were not delivered with too much precipitance Of this he made a double use both then and in the very busiest part of his Life For if the Sermon was considerable for judicious Morality or weighty Arguments he often read it in his Short-hand Notes for his own further Improvement and then took the pains to write it out in words at length for the benefit of his Acquaintance He left behind him a great many little Books of that kind Sermons copied fair from his Short-hand notes which not seldom are multum in parvo As to his demeanor in his Apprentiship he was so nimble in his motions in taking down opening Goods to Chapmen c. that some gave him the name of Spirit And in making his Bargain his Words and Address were so pleasing and respectful that after some time the Customers rather chose to deal with Thomas than with the Master of the Shop or if a Bargain stuck between a Customer and his Master he would decide the difference to the liking of both He met however with one rub in the course of his Service for the elder Apprentice interverted five pounds of his Masters money and laid it to the charge of Tom Firmin I know not whether the Imputation was believed probably it was not but it pleased God himself to judg in the case For the elder Servant was shortly after taken with a mortal Sickness and before he died made confession that he took and spent his Masters mony Tho. Firmin not being in the least privy to it Thus he that made all things the very least does not disdain or neglect to judg all things even little things in the properest time Many Crimes are suffered to rest or are not presently called to judgment because the delay of Justice ordinarily hurts no body but when the Innocent and Virtuous lie under imputations by occasion of the guilt of others the detection of Offenders and the execution of wrath is but seldom if ever respited So soon as he was made free he began to trade for himself tho his first Stock was but about 100 l. By the opinion he had raised of himself among the Merchants and others and the love he had gained among his Master's Customers the Neighbourhood and a great number of incidental Acquaintance he overcame the difficulties of so weak and incompetent a beginning so that in the year 1660 he married a Citizens Daughter with 500 l. Portion From his first setting up as they speak for himself he would be acquainted with all persons that seemed to be worthy Foreigners as well as English more especially Ministers he seldom dined without some such at his Table which tho somewhat chargeable to his then slender abilities was of great use to him afterwards both in relation to the Poor and the Publick For out of his large Acquanitance and multitude of Friends he engaged the powerful Interest of some and the weighty Purses of others in some of those great designs of Charity or other Services to the Publick for which I shall hereafter account Now also it was that he hapned on Mr. Bidle who much confirmed him in his Arminian Tenents and carried him a great deal further Mr. Bidle perswaded him that the Unity of God is a Unity of Person as well as of Nature that the Holy Spirit is indeed a Person but not God He had a great and just esteem of Mr. Bidle's Piety Exemplariness and Learning and is that Friend mentioned in Mr. Bidle's Life who gave Mr. Bidle his Bed and Board till he was sent Prisoner by Protector Oliv. Cromwel to the Isle of Scilly and when there Mr. Firmin with another Friend procured for him a yearly Pension of 100 Crowns from the Protector besides what he obtained from other Friends or gave himself Mr. Firmin's Diversion in this part of his Life was Gardening for which purpose he cultivated a piece of ground at Hoxton not a mile from London where he raised Flowers and in time attained no small skill in the art of Gardening in the culture of Flowers Herbs Greens and Fruit-trees of all sorts I have often born him company to his Garden but either going or coming back he used often to visit the Poor and Sick this was one of Mr. Bidle's Lessons that 't is a duty not only to relieve but to visit the Sick and Poor because they are hereby encouraged and comforted and we come to know of what nature and degree their straits are and that some are more worthy
and was one of the first that subscribed the Composition but withal sent her a Letter wherein he remitted his whole Debt and desired to see her when her Affair was cleared and she at quiet When she came to him he said He had missed in his aim in what he design'd to procure for her but he would do something himself Shortly after he sent her a good Norwich Stuff that very well clothed her and her Four Children She told me this with many Tears to which I had the more regard because I had long known her to be a Virtuous and very Prudent Woman As Mr. Firmin's Pains and Care in giving forth these Charities were not small so neither were they little in procuring them Not only because many Persons are hardly perswaded to give the Bread of themselves and Families to others but because 't is much more difficult to beg for others than to give ones self He that begs for others must be Master of a great deal of Prudence as well as Wit and Address He must know how to choose the Mollia tempora fandi the fittest opportunity of speaking and when he speaks he must apply himself to those passions of the Person by which only he can be wrought on I remember Mr. Firmin told me of his applying to a Citizen of the highest rank for his Charity in rebuilding St. Thomas's Hospital Of whom he demanded no less than 100 l. The Person had been some way disobliged by the Governours of that Hospital so he refused to subscribe any thing But our Friend seeing him one day among some Friends whom he respected and by whom he was willing to be respected and that also he was in a very good Humour he push'd on his Request for the Hospital and prevailed with him so far as to subscribe the whole 100 l. But to his personal Solicitations he was forced sometimes to add Letters and sometimes succeeded by the Arguments in his Letters better than by the Authority of his personal Mediation I find in one of his Books in the Year 1679. the Sum of 520 l. 6 s. received of seventy two Persons in a Book of the Year 1681. the Sum of 531 l. 19 s. 6 d. received of forty three Persons All these were to be treated with privately and opportunely which required much Time Caution Industry and Discretion which laid out on his own Business what great Effects would it have produced Mr. Firmin might much more easily have been one of the great Men of the World than Almoner General for the Poor and the Hospitals I observe in the same Book of 1681. that the Disbursments against the Sum 531 l. 19 s. 6 d. do amount to 594 15 11. the Balance over paid is 62 15 5. which over-paid Balance is to be found in many of his Accounts and I believe it came out of his own Purse I must note also that the Sums were not given for the Poor alone or for the Spinners alone but of 50 l. given 30 of it is for the Spinners and 20 for the Poor sometimes 20 for the Spinners and 30 for the Poor Elsewhere 100 l. is given 50 for the Poor and 50 for Spinners Another gives 50 l. for Cloth to be divided to the Poor Another 100 l. for the same use Mr. Firmin having set his heart so much on Charity could not but esteem and love Mr. Gouge a Man of the same Spirit whom while he was in London he got to table with him 'T is not to be doubted that 't was the intimate Friendship of these two Persons that gave occasion to that remarkable passage in Dr. Tillotson's Funeral Sermon on Mr. Gouge p. 82. Mr. Gouge was of a disposition ready to imbrace and oblige all Men allowing others to differ from him even in Opinions that were very Dear to him Provided Men did but fear God and work Righteousness he loved them heartily how distant soever from him in Judgment about less Necessary things in which he is worthy to be propounded as an Example to Men of all Persuasions And till the Example is followed the World will never have Peace That great Preacher has given us an account of Mr. Gouges Religious Charity in printing divers good Books in the Welch and English Tongues to be given to those that were Poor and sold to such as could buy them the Chief of those Prints and the most Expensive was an Edition of the Bible and Liturgie in the Welch Tongue no fewer than Eight Thousand Copies of this Work were printed together One cannot question that Mr. Firmin contributed to and procured divers Sums for this excellent Undertaking of his Friend tho' all is attributed to Mr. Gouge who was Chief in that great and good Work After Mr. Gouge's Death I find the Sum of 419 l. 9 s. given to buy a Number of those Bibles whereof Dr. Tillotson then Dean of St. Paul's gave 50 l. Mr. Morrice 67 l. other Persons the rest but there wants in the Receipts 26 l. 13 s. to balance the Disbursment and that I judg was Mr. Firmin's mony Now that we are speaking of Books I ought not to forget that Mr. Firmin often printed Ten thousand Copies of the Scripture-Catechism which some think was written by Dr. Worthington But I have cause to believe that the Author was Dr. Fowler now Bishop of Glocester who in compiling it followed the Method of Dr. Worthington These Mr. Firmin gave to his Spinners and their Children and to the Children of the Hospital engaging them to get it by heart and giving something to those that did He lodged also great Numbers of them with Booksellers at cheaper rates than they were printed that they might be sold also cheaper and thereby be dispersed all over England His Acquaintance might at all times have of them what Numbers they would gratis He valued this Catechism because 't is wholly in the Words of Scripture favours no particular Party or Persuasion and therefore is of general Use the Aim of the Judicious Author being to instruct the Youth and the Ignorant in what all Parties agree is necessary to be believ'd and done leaving it to others to engage 'em in Controversies and Debates In the Year 1680. and 1681. came over the French Protestants new work for Mr. Firmin's Charity and Zeal for of all the Objects of Charity he thought those the most Deserving who were undone for Conscience toward God whether such Conscience be a well-inform'd Conscience or an erroneous and mistaken 'T is not the truth or falshood of the Opinion but the Zeal for God and the sincerity to the dictates of Conscience that makes the Martyr Therefore now our Elemosinary General had to beg not only for the Spinners the Poor of the out-Parishes of London the Redemption of Debtors from Prison for Coals and Shirting but for a vast number of Religious Refugees whose Wants required not only a great but an immediate Succour The first and one of the most
sure with great Alacrity and Diligence but at whose charge he erected this large Building was a secret not known to any of the Family but John Morris Esq Sir Robert's Partner in this Work also and perhaps to my Lady In this was laid out near 4000 l. but it was not yet finisht when upon occasion of the unhappy Difference between the Passive-Obedience Men and the Law-Obedience Men the former having the power on their side turn'd out the latter both out of the Government of the City and of that Hospital among whom Sir Robert tho' eminent was ejected together with his faithful Agent and Friend Mr. Firmin another Governour as I have said Then it was that Mr. Firmin broke silence and upbraided those excluding Governours with depriving the Hospital of such a Benefactor as the Builder of that Ward For Sir Robert was now alone Mr. Morris being deceased and having left him the residue of his Estate Mr. Firmin also built a Ward for the Sick to prevent infecting the Healthy and Sound if the small Pox or other contagious distemper should happen among the Children as it often doth This Ward cost 426 l. 4 s. besides 6 l. 5 s. for a Press but the Gentleman that gave the mony for both would not then be known and continues still of the same mind I find however an account in Mr. Firmin's Books of 1537 l. the Sick Ward included received and laid out by Mr. Firmin And another account of 704 l. 10 d. received with the names of the Persons who gave it and the uses for which it was given In the Year of our Lord 1675 our Friend built two Houses for the two Beadles or other Officers of the Hospital at his own charge of which I have a Certificate under the Clerk's hand in these words At his own proper cost and charges Mr. Firmin set up a Clock and Dial for the use of the Hospital at the top of the North-end of the great Hall The said Mr. Firmin built two new brick Houses in the Town-ditch one at the South-West end the other at the North-East to be disposed to such Officers as the Government of the Hospital should think fit Farther at his own cost and charge a Shed or little Room at the East-end of the late Bowling-Ally and a new brick Wall he repaired all the Walls and levelled the Ground At the charge of a Friend of his a Citizen he laid Leaden Pipes to convey the Water to the several Offices of the Hospital and bought them a large Cistern which in all cost about 200 l. these were great Conveniences to the House and the Orphans who before fetched up the water they used on their backs which agreed not well with their strength kept the House foul and prejudiced their Clothes Out of Town he built a School with all conveniences to it for the Hospital Children this he set up at Hartford where many of the Hospital Children are Boarded the School cost 544 l. 13 s. of which he received by the Charity of ten persons the sum of 488 l. the balance is 56 l. 13 s. which lies upon himself for any thing that appears He was wont every Lord's-day at five in the evening to see the Orphans of the Hospital at their Evening service at what time they prayed and sung an Anthem by select Voices the Chorus by all the Boys After this they sate down to Supper at the several Tables under the care of their Matrons here Mr. Firmin viewed them in their Provisions and in the Behaviour both of them and their Officers and Attendents commending or admonishing as there was occasion To this Sight he invited one time or other all his Friends whether of the Town or Country and at last led 'em to the Orphans Box into which they would put somewhat more or less as they were charitably disposed A Country-man was very remarkable for having seen the Order and Methods of the Hospital when he came home he made his Will and gave very considerably to the place I was once with our Friend at the Hospital when looking over the Childrens Supper which was Pudding-pies he took notice of a Pye that seemed not of due bigness he took it immediately into the Kitchin and weighed it himself but it proved down-weight These Cares did not so wholly imploy this active man but that he was also a great and good Common-wealths-man He was always mindful of those who suffered for Conscience or for Asserting the Rights and Liberties of the Nation And he printed a great many Sheets and some Books of that tendency and nature great numbers of which he himself dispersed When King James commanded the reading his Declaration for Toleration and Indulgence in Religion in the Churches a great number of well-wrote Pamphlets were printed and dispersed to convince people of the bad design of that specious Declaration Mr. Firmin was a principal encourager and promoter of those Prints which cost him considerable sums as well for their publication as otherways He furthered as much as in him lay the Heroical Attempt of the Prince of Orange to rescue this Nation from Slavery and Popery And since His Majesty has been seated on the Throne our Friend has been particularly diligent in promoting the Manufacture of the Lustring Company because it is highly Beneficial to this Nation and as Prejudicial to our then Enemy He had the greatest hand and used the most effectual endeavours for procuring Acts of Parliament and Rules of Court in that behalf He and Mr. Renew took great pains and were at much expence to prevent Correspondence with France and the Importation of Silks and other Commodities from thence For this they ran the hazard of their lives from the revenge of Merchants and others whom they prosecuted to Execution A Merchant was so desperately angry at his Detection and the great Damage he should unavoidably sustain thereby that he went into a room alone in a Tavern and ended his Life by shooting himself into the head The Agents of Mr. Renew and Mr. Firmin gave either the first or very early intelligence of the French Invasion which was to have followed the Assassination of the King But he was not more a Friend to the Liberties of the Nation and to the present Establishment than he was an Enemy to Licentiousness He was from the first a Member of the Society for the Reformation of Manners he contributed to it by his Advice Assistance Solicitations as much as his leisure from the cares and endeavours before mentioned and exemplified would permit him but his Purse was always with them He had such a zeal against needless Swearing whereby the Religion of an Oath grows vile and contemptible and False-swearing becomes almost as common as idle and unnecessary Swearing to the indelible scandal of the Christian name and the great danger even as far as Life and Estate of particular persons I say his Zeal against common needless Swearing in what form soever