Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

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Yesterday, being February 24, 1673, I was left and led on to a rash inconsiderate act. For, being at Halifax at the funeral of Ben Baite’s son, etc., having dispatched much business in town, as buying me a cloak, hat, etc., just as I was ready to come home, Michael Boys (at whose house I set up my horse) came up town, told me that A.G., a constant hearer of mine, desired me to baptize a kinswoman’s child. I gave him no answer, but told him I would follow him. When I came thither, women were ready with the child. I asked for the father. They told me he was a Quaker, and was unwilling it should be baptized. I desired them to get someone else to do it. They urged me to it, I condescended, did it, but it hath cost me a restless night, wakening by two of clock, pondering things in my mind, aggravating matters, so that it kept me waking the rest of the night. This morning, my mind was disquieted, lest it prove a reproach to my ministry, and disparagement to my profession and my brethren, 1) because I had not sent for the father of the child first to talk with him, 2) because I did it in an ale-house, 3) because I fear the mother and grandmother are (I fear) not serious Christians, 4) because of the relation, the child baptized being Mr Gill’s great-grandchild, who is Dr Hooke’s curate, who (as I urged) might have done it, and the Dr. will know of it and upbraid us with such acts, 5) because I did not give such serious exhortations as I ought, 6) this M.B. brother of that stamp hath two children unbaptized, the mother having been twice with me, I had told her I would speak with her husband first, but acted contrary now, 7) it’s a doubtful case to act in about such persons’ children, I have found reluctancy in my own spirit, yet would go on, being too flexible to yield to people’s importunity. But for this act thus circumstantiated god hath cast me down in mine own eyes this morning, laid me low, took this occasion to awake conscience, and soften my heart, in prayer, and hath helped me to plead with him for pardon power for future, favour for church ministers securing the credit of the gospel notwithstanding this and all other occasions – blessed be god – ended well.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Abbreviations:

• ER: East Riding
• GM: Greater Manchester
• NR: North Riding
• NY: North Yorkshire
• SY: South Yorkshire
• WR: West Riding
• WY: West Yorkshire

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Original

Yesterday, being February 24, 1673, I was left and led on to a rash inconsiderate act. For, being at Halifax at the funeral of Ben Baite’s son, etc., having dispatched much business in town, as buying me a cloak, hat, etc., just as I was ready to come home, Michael Boys (at whose house I set up my horse) came up town, told me that A.G., a constant hearer of mine, desired me to baptize a kinswoman’s child. I gave him no answer, but told him I would follow him. When I came thither, women were ready with the child. I asked for the father. They told me he was a Quaker, and was unwilling it should be baptized. I desired them to get someone else to do it. They urged me to it, I condescended, did it, but it hath cost me a restless night, wakening by two of clock, pondering things in my mind, aggravating matters, so that it kept me waking the rest of the night. This morning, my mind was disquieted, lest it prove a reproach to my ministry, and disparagement to my profession and my brethren, 1) because I had not sent for the father of the child first to talk with him, 2) because I did it in an ale-house, 3) because I fear the mother and grandmother are (I fear) not serious Christians, 4) because of the relation, the child baptized being Mr Gill’s great-grandchild, who is Dr Hooke’s curate, who (as I urged) might have done it, and the Dr. will know of it and upbraid us with such acts, 5) because I did not give such serious exhortations as I ought, 6) this M.B. brother of that stamp hath two children unbaptized, the mother having been twice with me, I had told her I would speak with her husband first, but acted contrary now, 7) it’s a doubtful case to act in about such persons’ children, I have found reluctancy in my own spirit, yet would go on, being too flexible to yield to people’s importunity. But for this act thus circumstantiated god hath cast me down in mine own eyes this morning, laid me low, took this occasion to awake conscience, and soften my heart, in prayer, and hath helped me to plead with him for pardon power for future, favour for church ministers securing the credit of the gospel notwithstanding this and all other occasions – blessed be god – ended well.

412 words.

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• Baptism (6) ·
• 📌Halifax (43) ·
• Heywood, Oliver (1630-1702) (34), Bolton-born nonconformist minister and diarist, active in the West Riding, resident at Northowram, ejected for his beliefs ·
• Pub (19) ·
• Quakers (14) ·

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