The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…

On Supposition of this certain truth, all that ever I yet read that Condemn the Nonconformists, and Preach for their Reproach and Ruin, do confess, that If any one thing required of us as necessary to our Ministry or Communion be Sin, our Nonconformity is but our Duty; and all the whole Ministry of England, on whom this was imposed by the Act of Uniformity on Bartholomew-Day, 1662. were bound in Conscience to have been Nonconformists: (Whether also to bave all ceased to Preach the Gospel, I leave to their Consideration.) This being the Confession of all that Silence us, and send us to Gaols, and call out for our utter Extirpation, I know no shorter or likelier way, to stop all this burning Wrath, and end our Mischievous Dissentions, than to try whether no one thing required of us be Sin. Forty of the things required of Ministers, and Twelve of those required of the Laity, in all Fifty two, I have proposed to Examination, not as accusing the Laws or the Conformists, whatever I think of them; but only rendering briefly the Reasons of our own refusals. And Forty three Points in which many falsely suppose we Conform not (and some may perhaps be found that do not Conform to them all) I have first instanced in, as being such as we oppose not, nor are any Parts of our Nonconformity.

On Supposition of this certain truth, all that ever I yet read that Condemn the Nonconformists, and Preach for their Reproach and Ruine, do confess, that If any one thing required of us as necessary to our Ministry or Communion be Sin, our Nonconformity is but our Duty; and all the whole Ministry of England, on whom this was imposed by the Act of Uniformity on Ba•tholomew-Day, 1662. were bound in Conscience to have been Nonconformists: (Whether also to bave all ceased to Preach the Gospel, I leave to their Consideration.) This being the Confession of all that Silence us, and send us to Gaols, and call out for our utter Extirpation, I know no shorter or likelier way, to stop all this burning Wrath, and end our Mischievous Dissentions, than to try whether no one thing required of us be Sin. Forty of the things required of Ministers, and Twelve of those required of the Laity, in all Fifty two, I have proposed to Examination, not as accusing the Laws or the Conformists, whatever I think of them; but only rendering briefly the Reasons of our own refusals. And Forty three Points in which many falsly suppose we Conform not (and some may perhaps be found that do not Conform to them all) I have first instanced in, as being such as we oppose not, nor are any Parts of our Nonconformity.