sixteen years of age, who attended divine service where the liturgy was not read; ordained that no non-conformist minister should live within five miles of any town; and aimed to suppress all meetings for worship among the non-conformists.  These in a short time made frightful desolations, and all the jails in the kingdom soon became filled with men who were the brightest ornaments of Christianity.  The persecuted included both sexes and all ages, from the child of nine or ten years, to the hoary-headed saint of eighty.  In Picart’s Religious Ceremonies, it is stated that the number of dissenters of all sects, who perished in prison under Charles II., was eight thousand.  On the accession of William III., these penalties and disabilities were removed by the Toleration act.  The Corporation and Test acts, however, disgraced the statute-book of England till the year 1828, when they were triumphantly repealed.  Offer’s Introduction, Hume’s History, and Ency.  Amer. it.  If any man hath received a gift of tinkering, as thou hast done, let him follow his tinkering; and so other men their trades, and the divine his calling, etc.

Bunyan.  Nay, sir, said I, but it is most clear that the apostle speaks here of preaching the word:  if you do but compare both the verses together, the next verse explains this gift what it is; saying, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God;” so that it is plain that the Holy Ghost doth not so much in this place exhort to civil callings, as to the exercising of those gifts that we have received from God.  I would have gone on, but he would not give me leave.

Keeling.  He said we might do it in our families, but not otherwise.

Bunyan.  I said, if it was lawful to do good to some, it was lawful to do good to more.  If it was a good duty to exhort our families, it is good to exhort others; but if they held it a sin to meet together to seek the face of God, and exhort one another to follow Christ, I should sin still; for so we should do.

Keeling.  He said he was not so well versed in scripture as to dispute, or words to that purpose.  And said, moreover, that they could not wait upon me any longer; but said to me, Then you confess the indictment; do you not?  Now, and not till now, I saw I was indicted.

Bunyan.  I said, This I confess:  we have had many meetings together both to pray to God and to exhort one another, and we have had the sweet comforting presence of the Lord among us for encouragement; blessed be his name therefor.  I confessed myself guilty no otherwise.

Keeling.  Then said he, Hear your judgment.  You must be had back again to prison, and there lie for three months following; and at three months’ end, if you do not submit to go to church to hear divine service, and leave your preaching, you must be banished the realm:  and if, after such a day as shall be appointed you to be gone, you shall be found in this realm, or be found to come over again without special license from the king, you must stretch by the neck for it; I tell you plainly.  And so he bid my jailer have me away.