Quotation

The malignant opposition made to him (the Holy Spirit) by some, and the vile contempt cast on him by others, are things which have quenched and grieved him, and caused him to depart to that degree, as hereby almost all vital religion is lost out of the world. Hence it is that the glory of God in Christ, the faith, joy, and zeal, of Christians, are under such a cloud at this day.
Sermon on the Holy Spirit

Transactions Congregational History Society

John Hurrion. Hare Court: Ap. 1727. His principal works are The Knowledge of Christ and Him crucified, The Scripture Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and two vols. of Pinners' Hall sermons. D. 1731

John Browne on Denton

The Norwich Church Book informs us that on the 29th day of the second month (April), 1655, Brother Thomas Lawson was dismissed to join with the Christians at Denton. He had joined the church at Norwich, October 28th, 1649, at which time he resided at Doningland. We infer from the wording of the above entry that the church had not, at that date, been formed; but the next entry in the Norwich book informs us that the inchurching had then taken place, and "on the 3rd day, 4th month (June), the right hand of fellowship was given to the church there."

The early records of this church are lost, and the following account is therefore gathered from various sources.
There is no doubt that Mr. Lawson was pastor of this church from its commencement. He appears also to have been Rector of Denton, (He was presented by Robert Wilton, Esq. to the living of Denton in 1650 or 1651, and remained until 1659. Robert Rogerson succeeded him in that ycar. - Denton Parish Register) and was silenced after the Restoration. He was MA; was educated at Kath. Hall, Cambridge, where he was so well esteemed as to be chosen afterwards to a fellowship in St. John's.
After his removal from Denton he united with the church at Weston (Wattesfield), as we find by a notice in the Bury Church Book.

"Jabez, the son of Tho. Lawson, Minister, and four other children of brethren of the church which is at Weston (ye said church being without a pastor,) were baptized in this church, at a meeting of several the brethren thereof together with the pastor, appointed by the whole to meet at Wortham for that end, upon the sixth and twentieth day of the fifth month [July], in the yeare 1661."

Mr. Lawson had therefore left Denton before the Bartholomew Act came into operation, and was not ejected from that living, though he was silenced at Weston. Calamy tells us that "he was a man of ability, but had no good utterance;" notwithstanding this, in the unsettled times after the Restoration, the church at Bury were glad of his services, whilst their pastor was obliged to retire to London; and for some time he preached to the major part of that divided church.

In 1672, April 17th, a license was granted for "the house of Thomas Lawson, in Norten, Suffolk, to be an Independent meeting place," and on the same day, another was granted to him to be an "Independent teacher in his own house."

"In 1689, October 20th. Thomas Lawson, a minister of the gospel, aged near 70, who had been a member of the church at Norwich, and from thence removed to Denton, but now having no membership, was desirous to be found in the way of his duty, and to remove by death from some church of Christ. After a large account of his faith, and experience, and settled judgment about the Congregational Churches, he gave up himself to the Lord and us, and was received into the fellowship of the church and broke bread with us." (Bury Church Book).

He died in the year 1695, aged about 75, and the Bury Church Book says, that "Upon Black Bartholomew, 1662, he left all to follow Christ, and ceased not to teach and preach the gospel in perilous times ... He passed out of the church militant into the church triumphant, where he possesseth the joy of the Lord."

The Rev. T. W. Davids says (Evangclical Nonconformity in Essex, p. 551) that he was settled in the sequestration of Jos. Long, at Fingringhoe, in June, 1646; and on the union of that parish with the neighbouring one of East Donniland, he was instituted to that living also by order of the House of Commons, May 4th, 1647, on the presentation of Henry Tunstall the patron. He continued to discharge the united cure until after 1650, at which date he is returned at Fingringhoe as, " by order of the Committee of Plundered Ministers." He signed the "Essex Testimony" in 1648.
We do not quite see how this will all agree with the fact that on October 28th, 1649, he joined the church at Norwich, and yet the Norwich Church Book describes him as of Doningland.

From the time of Mr. Lawson's removal till 1676, the church at Denton was, in all probability, materially assisted by the ministers who still continued in the neighbourhood, and who preached as opportunity served. Tradition, in Mr. Harmer's days, mentioned Mr. Starke, one of these, as a frequent preacher here; and in 1672 we find that there was quite a constellation of them in this district (Samuel Petto, ejected from Sandcroft, was living at Wortwell, and preaching at Redenhall, Harleston, Wortwell, and Alburgh. John Starke in Stradbroke was living at Wingfield, and preaching there, and at Syleham and at Rattlesden. Robert Ottie, silenced at Beccles, was preaching there. Richard Vynne from Drayton, was living and preaching at Stratton St. Michael. And Samuel Manning Jun, of Walpole, afterwards of Bungay, preached at Pulham St. Mary. These and others who had no fixed employment would most likely render aid.— License Book, R.O. & Id. Noncon. Memorial.)

Mr. Wm. Bidbank, MA., who had been ejected from Scottow in Norfolk, and had been co-pastor with Mr. Green at Tunstead, was living at Lammas, and licensed to preach at the house of Robert Primrose, of Denton; he appears therefore to have been a regular supply. Four years afterwards, in 1676, he was dismissed from Tunstead to the Church at Denton. Here he lived very comfortably and usefully, with a small estate of his own, and a slender allowance from his people, being greatly beloved by all that knew him, for his sweetness of temper, obliging deportment, and excellent preaching! The concise and expressive form of Church Covenant which continued in use at Denton long afterwards was drawn up by Mr. Bidbanck: — "We do covenant and engage, by the assistance of the Spirit of God, to give up ourselves unto the Lord and unto his people, to walk together in all the ordinances of Christ, according to the order of the gospel, owning Him as our head, Lord, and King." 

Mr. Bidbanck wrote a little book entitled ''A Present for Children" and prefixed an "Epistle Dedicatory" to a posthumoous volume of sermons by Mr. Robert Ottie, of Beccles, printed in 1690, addressed to the congregation there. He died here much lamented about 1693.
The Rev. John Hurrion came to Denton, and was set apart July 29th, 1701, and removed to Hare Court, London, in 1724. (John Hurrion was born November 15th or 16th, 1676. His maternal grandfiitherwis Mr. Edmund Whincop [see Wattisfield]. In 1698 he was studying with Mr. Robinson or Robertson, then minister at Walpole, and in tne same year he began to preach. His settlement at Denton took place 29th July. 1701. On that occasion Mr. Stackhouse of Norwich, delivered a discourse from Acts xx. 28 — John Baker's MSS. At his coming there were only thirteen members at Denton. The congregation originally met in a barn; but in the first year of Mr. Hurrion's pastorate, the land was bought on which the chapel was built. There is an estimate of his works and character in Evangelical Mag, 1819, p. 147.
In a letter from Samuel Hurrion, son of the Denton pastor, to his son John, he says: "You are a descendant of remarkably pious ancestors. As to myself I wish you may be a greater honour to them than I have been, and better bear up the name than I have done. Your great-grandfather, and grandfather, and uncle Hurrion were eminent in their day. You bear their name; may you inherit their graces, and be another John Hurrion, a burning and a shining light, &c." "Be kind and loving to your dear sister."' - Fletcher's MSS. From this it appears that John Hurrion, of Denton, was the son of a minister of the same name. In the License Book in the Record Office the house of John Hurrion, of Sibton, [near Yoxford] was licensed for a preaching place, and he was licensed to be a Congregational Teacher there. This was no doubt the father of the Denton mmister. And in Candler's MSS. in the British Museum, we find that Mr. Thomas Hill, of Ipswich, married as his second wife Agnes Hurrion, daughter of Thomas Hurrion, of Yoxford, some time before 1595. This Thomas Hurrion was owner of sundry lands and tenements in Yoxford. and was probably the grandfather or great-grandfather of the Denton minister. The sister of the youngest John Hurrion was named Jane; she married Mr. Robert Dawson, and died March 4th, 1827, aged 82.)
He found the church here in a low and declining condition, and in the early part of his ministry was instrumental in bringing it into a very flourishing state, but in the latter part of his pastorate it again declined. This was probably the result of his method of living. "He addicted himself to close study, by which means he gained a great stock of knowledge," and was so much of a recluse that "he shut himself from the world, unless when he appeared in public on the Lord's day, and hardly conversed with his own family excepting in what respected the necessary duties belonging thereto." He appeared with eminence among his brethren in the country, and had a large share of the affections and esteem of the churches in these counties; but his sedentary life induced a dropsical habit of body, which made him a burden to himself.
In early life he was engaged in private controversy with Mr Wm Manning, who had exerted a perverting influence on the mind of Rev T Emlyn, but continued true to his original principles in regard to the proper deity of Jesus Christ, and in his later years wrote considerably on this subject.
He married Jane, the daughter of Samuel Baker, Esq., of Wattesfield, and left two sons, John, who was ordained at Gosport, May 3rd, 1732; and Samuel, who was pastor of Guestwick. He died in London, December 31st, 1731, aged 56. Dr. Ridgely published a funeral sermon for him, and Mr. Abraham Taylor published a considerable volume "Of the difficult work and happy end of faithful ministers," a discourse occasioned by his death; to which is added some account of his life.
The Rev. Julius Saunders son of the Rev. Julius Saunders of Bedworth, was ordained at Denton, July 8th, 1725. He was a pupil of Mr. Shuttlewood, of Creaton, and had for his companion there Mr. Thomas Emlyn. He died at Denton; was interred in the burying ground connected with the meeting house; and Dr. Wood, of Norwich, prepared the following inscription for his tomb.
In memory of the Rev. Mr. Julius Saunders, who died Jany. 28th, 1749, in the 59th year of his age. A person of singular prudence, Tender conscience, Deep seriousness. Great liberality, exact and eminent piety. A fervent laborious minister, and 24 years a faithful and much loved pastor of the Dissenting Church at Denton.
He enjoyed a remarkable degree of health, never having been laid aside from his work during the twenty-four years of his ministry, but at last was seized by a paralytic affection, which removed him in a few days. ....

Particular Redemption

Banner of Truth have just republished Hurrion's book on Particular Redemption. This edition includes a preface written by John Elias for the Welsh language edition that John Aaron has translated into English. You can see the original here.

Anecdote Pride of dress

Pride in Dress. The Rev. John Hurrion, a dissenting minister at Denton, in Norfolk, had two daughters who were much too fond of dress, which was a great grief to him. He had often reproved them in vain; and preaching one Sabbath-day on the sin of pride, he took occasion to notice, among other things pride in dress. After speaking some considerable time on this subject, he suddenly stopped short, and said with much feeling and expression, "But you will say, Look at home. My good friends, I do look at home till my heart aches."

(This anecdote appeared in the Christian Herald Volume 7 around 1820)

PRDL Works List

See here

Walter Wilson on Hurrion

In his History and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches and Meeting Houses

John Hurrion. - This excellent Divine descended from a good family in Suffolk, and was grandson, by the mother's side, to Mr. Edmund Whincop, the ejected minister of Layston, but afterwards pastor of a congregational church at Wattesfield, in that county. Of his immediate parents, and of the place of his birth, we have no information, but the last event took place about the year 1675. In his younger years, he was brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; and having experienced the grace of God himself, he thought it his duty to give himself up to the work of the ministry, that he might bring others to know those things which he found to be of the utmost importance. He was sensible that this was a work of labour, and therefore devoted himself to a course of unwearied study. He was educated for the ministry partly under Mr. Robinson, of Walpole, in Suffolk; but the names of his other tutors have not reached us. Mr. Hurrion was never more delighted than when he could apply himself to the increase of knowledge, without interruption; and this desire for improvement continued to the last. When he was scarcely able to walk across a room, he would spend many hours at close study, and seemed never better than when in this manner employed. He carefully and diligently searched the scriptures, and read over with great attention, many bodies of divinity, comparing them with the oracles of divine truth. He also consulted the best commentators. Amongst these, he had a particular esteem for John of Constantinople, commonly called Chrysostom, and he was pleased with the extracts which were made from him by Theophylact. Mr. Hurrion's great abilities being accompanied by a sanctified understanding and judgment, he acquired a good degree of knowledge as to the truths of the gospel, and the controversies relating to them; insomuch that it may be said of him, he was as judicious and accomplished a Divine as any that appeared in his age. (Ab. Taylor's Ace. of Mr. Hurrion, affixed to his Sermon upon hit death, p. 6, 7.)
Mr. Hurrion entered early upon the work of the ministry, and about the year 1696, settled at Denton, in Norfolk, as successor to Mr. William Bidbank, the ejected minister of Scottow, in that county. Not long afterwards, he entered into the married state with Jane, daughter of Samuel Baker, of Wattesfield-Hall, Esq. a gentleman of considerable influence among the Dissenters in that county. The interest at Denton, at the time of his settlement there, was in a low and declining condition; but by the blessing of God upon his labours, it was brought into a very flourishing state. His great abilities gained him also a large share in the affections and esteem of several other churches in that and the neighbouring county. (Dr. Ridgley's Sermon on the death of Mr. Hurrion, p. 36)
During his residence at Denton, he applied himself with indefatigable diligence to his studies, which, with his abundant labours, confining himself to a very spare diet, and using no exercise, brought on a severe fever, and laid the foundation of that languid and uneasy distemper which terminated his life. (Ab.Taylor's Sermon, p. 18) During the early part of his residence at Denton, Mr. Hurrion was engaged in a private controversy upon the subject of our Lord's divinity, with Mr. William Manning, a nonconformist minister at Peasenhall, in the same county, and who had adopted the Socinian side of the question. Mr. Manning, who was a gentleman of considerable natural abilities, and a subtle disputant, had been the occasion, some years before, of effecting a change in the views of the famous Mr. Thomas Emlyn, during his residence at Leostoff. (Biog. Brit. Art. Emlyn).  As Mr. Hurrion was growing into considerable repute amongst the Dissenters in his part of the county, Mr. Manning justly thought, that if he could gain him over, he would be a considerable acquisition to his party. He therefore made strong attempts for that purpose. This put Mr. Hurrion upon studying the controversy, of which he became complete master; and the result was his thorough establishment in the doctrine of the Trinity. The opportunity this afforded him of entering upon the study of this important subject, yielded him great satisfaction; and the more so as but few persons in his part of the county had attended to it; and he lived to see the day when opposition to that doctrine grew more common. It was an observation which he used to make, that whether the Trinity was opposed or no, young Divines could not take a better way to fit themselves for public service, than to be rooted and grounded in that important doctrine. When called afterwards to engage in controversy upon this subject, he discovered singular ability in defending the point of our Lord's divinity, and particularly the deity of the Holy Spirit, in some elaborate discourses upon that subject. (Ab. Taylor's Sermon, p. 7, 8).
Mr. Hurrion's station at Denton was as easy and as agreeable as could well be desired; his ministry was very successful, and he was esteemed a great blessing by all the Dissenters in those parts. It was, therefore, not without a great deal of deliberation, that he left the country to serve a church in London. Mr. Nesbitt being rendered unable to perform any part of the ministerial work, the church at Hare-court, gave Mr. Hurrion an unanimous invitation to become his successor. His compliance with this call was considered by many persons as a very unadvised step; but it appears from his diary, that before he determined upon it, he kept between twenty and thirty fasts, to seek direction from God in that affair. That which influenced him chiefly was the hope that his ministry being employed in a different part of the world, a new scene of usefulness might be opened. He was also greatly desirous to prevent a breach which it was much feared would take place in the society that called him, in case he refused to comply. His expectations, with regard to ministerial usefulness, however, were far from being fulfilled. His popularity in London was by no means so great as it had been in the country. It was also a great unhappiness to him, that his frequent illness, and his unwieldy habit of body rendered him unable to go amongst his people, and incapable of receiving many visits from them. It was probably upon this account that many of his people conducted themselves with coolness towards him, which gave him great uneasiness. The weight with which this circumstance pressed upon his spirits, induced him sometimes to think of relinquishing his charge; and he would probably have effected his design, had he not have apprehended that it would not be long before the chief Shepherd granted him a general discharge from all service below. (Ab. Taylor's Sermon, p. 16-20).

Mr. Hurrion settled in London in the year 1724, and he met with a share of attention and respect from many worthy and judicious persons, to which his great merits justly entitled him. In 1726, he was chosen one of the Merchants' lecturers, at Pinners'-Hall, and preached his first sermon in that place on the 11th of June, in the same year. In the following year he published Eight Sermons, on "The Knowledge of Christ, and him crucified," preached at that lecture; and some other discourses which he delivered there, were published after his death. In 1730, he was nominated, together with eight other ministers, by Mr. Coward, to deliver a course of sermons at Lime-Street, on some important doctrines of the gospel. The subject allotted to Mr. Hurrion for discussion, was, "The scripture doctrine of Particular Redemption," in four sermons; but he delivered only two of them, being prevented by illness from finishing his plan; he was enabled, however, after a short revival, to transcribe three of them for the press, which he completed about a fortnight before his death; and his friend, Dr. Abraham Taylor, added the fourth from his papers.

Mr. Hurrion possessed but a bad constitution of body, and for some years his health was very much impaired. He had an uncommonly unwieldy body, and the prevalence of the dropsy, a faint and cumbersome distemper, rendered his life very troublesome. To accelerate this complaint, his mode of living, while in the country, greatly contributed. He addicted himself very much to a recluse and sedentary life, seldom appearing in public, excepting on the Lord's days, and associating with his family no more than the necessary duties devolving on the head of it required. This greatly injured his health, and the want of proper exercise brought on a confluence of humours that undermined his constitution, and rendered him a burthen to himself. Yet, under all his bodily distempers, his mind was vigorous and active; and he possessed a surprising cheerfulness of temper. During the seven years that he preached in London, his infirm constitution rendered him very unfit for the constant discharge of his ministerial work; and when he engaged in public, it was oftentimes with more bodily uneasiness than words could express. But even at this period, such was the vigour of his mind, and his thirst after learning, that his application to study was unremitted. He employed his time chiefly in reading the Divines of the ancient church, whom he was satisfied none could despise but such as were unacquainted with them. His afflictions, which were his daily monitors, made him mindful of his great change. He would sometimes compare himself to a ship that had passed through many storms and tempests, but was now drawing near to its desired haven. When in the more immediate prospect of death, he often expressed his entire resignation to the will of God, without the least murmuring or repining thought, concluding that God knew what was best for him. The frame of his spirit was even and composed; not lifted up in an extraordinary manner, with transport and raptures of joy on the one hand; nor, on the other, cast down, or sinking under the weight of fear and dejection of spirit. He desired it should be communicated to the world, that he died in the firm persuasion and belief of those great doctrines which he had preached and maintained, without the least hesitation, and that he found more comfort from them in his last sickness, than ever he had done before. These were the guide, rule, and support of his faith in life; and ii pleased God to send him great relief from them in the hour of death. (Dr. Ridgley and Ab. Taylor's Sermons, ubi supra.)

Mr. Hurrion departed this life on the 31st of December, 1731, in the 56th year of his age, having been engaged in the work of the ministry, and particularly in that of a pastor, for thirty-six years. Dr. Ridgley preached his funeral sermon, from John v. 35. and another was delivered on the same occasion, by Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Abraham Taylor, from 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. Both these discourses were published, and contain a particular account of the deceased.

Mr. Hurrion possessed qualifications for a Divine inferior to few ministers m his day. He was favoured with bright natural parts, a quick apprehension, and a solid judgment; and he was enabled by divine grace to improve his great natural abilities to the most beneficial purposes. By close study and diligent investigation, he became well versed in the doctrines of the gospel, which he unfolded with great ability, both from the pulpit and the press. He was a thorough master of the controversies between the Calvinists on the one hand, and the Arminians and Antinomiaus on the other; and he possessed great courage in defending what he apprehended to be the truth. He appears, from his publications, to have been a close reasoner, and very capable of exhausting a subject. His style is natural, unaffected and manly; possessing a gravity without dullness, and smartness that never degenerates into levity. His pulpit talents were very considerable. He had a strong masculine voice, free from a disagreeable tone, and a false pathos. In the delivery of his discourses he was unaffected, and their matter was substantial. When he insisted on practical subjects, he addressed himself with great plainness to the consciences of men; and in recommending the doctrines of the gospel, he used the greatest strength of argument with the view of establishing his hearers in the faith once delivered to the saints. Upon the whole, he was justly considered an agreeable, as well as a judicious preacher. In his conversation he was heavenly and blameless, in all things acting as one who had experienced the grace of God bringing salvation. His integrity in avowing, and his courage in defending, the doctrines he embraced, were very conspicuous. He disdained concealing his sentiments from the fear of offending man; nor would he compromise what he thought to be the truth, for the sake of gaining the applause of moderation. He said, he had lived to see the day, when it was, by such as should know better, reckoned folly to appear openly in behalf of the truth; but he declared, that "whatever others did, he would, without baulking the cause, serve his Lord, and if this was to be vile, he resolved, as long as he had breath, to be more vile;" adding, "he could not but think, that if others had tasted as much of the sweetness of the exalted Redeemer's love, as he had, they would desire to be as open and zealous for his cause, as he aimed to be. However, the best wish he could bestow on all ministers of the gospel was, that when they came to look death in the face, as he did, they might have as much pleasure as he had, in reflecting on his having kept the faith, and never been ashamed of his Master's name and cause." This was some months before his decease, when he did not expect to be continued so long as he was. (Dr. Ridgley's and Ab. Taylor's Sermons on the death of Mr. Hurrion).

Of Mr. Hurrion's publications, his eight sermons at Pinners'-Hall, on " The Knowledge of Christ, and him crucified," in one volume, octavo, and his four sermons at the Lime-Street lecture, on "Particular Redemption," have been already mentioned. Besides these, he published in his life-time, we believe, only two single sermons, and both on funeral occasions. One, while he was at Denton, for Mrs. Esther Thompson, entitled, "The Hope and Resurrection of the Dead," from 1 Thess. iv. 13, 14. the other on the death of his predecessor, the Rev. John Nesbitt, entitled, "The Christian's hidden Life," from Colos. iii. 3. 1727. After his death, his friend, Mr. Abraham Taylor, presented the public with another volume of his Sermons, entitled, "The Scripture Doctrine of the proper Divinity, real Personality, and the extraordinary Works of the Holy Spirit, stated and defended in Sixteen Sermons, delivered at the Merchants' Lecture, at Pinners'-Hall, in the years 1729, 1730, and 1731." With a preface by Ab. Taylor, 1734.
Mr. Hurrion left behind him two sons, who were both educated for the ministry, under Dr. Ridgley. Mr. John Hurrion, the eldest, preached many years at Gosport, and has been noticed in this work. Mr. Samuel Hurrion, the younger son, was ordained at Guestwick, in Norfolk, Sept. 26, 1733; and continued there till 1754, when a bad state of health obliged him to resign. He retired first to Bungay, and then to Beccles, in Suffolk, where he died on the 25th of October, 1763, aged 53 years, and was buried at Denton, his native town. Mr. Hurrion had likewise a grandson, who was a Dissenting minister at Southwold, in Essex.