hem some of the feast days.
After this, I remained silent in my chamber near to his own; and as
there came to me a few of the deacons of the patriarch, and others, I
read to them at their request in the New Testament printed in Rome. But
in a little time after, I entered my room, and found in it none of all
the books that had been there, neither New Testament nor any other, and
I knew that the patriarch had given the order for this purpose, for he
reproved me for reading the gospel to them, but he could accuse me of no
false or erroneous explanations, or that I taught them any thing
heretical.

One day after this, he called me to his presence and began to threaten
me in a most unusual manner. I said, "What do you wish of me, your
reverence? What have I done, and what would you have me do? What is my
sin, except that I conversed with some individuals, shewing them the
errors of the church of Rome?" Then he requested me again, to say, that
I believed as did that church, and said, grasping me firmly by the chin,
"see how I will take you if you do not repent." I begged him to appoint
some one to shew me the truth, by way of discussion, but he would not,
and continued expressing his own sentiment, that we are bound to hold
fast to the church, even to such a length, that if she should even
reject the gospel, we should reject it too.

And here I wish to say a word to every reader that regards and loves the
truth; how does such doctrine appear to you? and how could I believe in
all which the Romish church holds, without _knowing_ all of it? and how
could I say, without a lie, that I believe, when I do not believe?

When I saw the patriarch breaking out with an exceeding loud and unusual
voice, I was afraid that I should be found among "_the fearful_," (Rev.
xxi. 8.) and rose to depart. When I reached the door, I turned and said
to him, "I will hold fast the religion of Jesus Christ, and I am ready
for the sake of it to shed my blood; and though you should all become
infidels, yet will not I;" and so left the room.

One of my friends told me, that he had suggested to the patriarch the
grand reason why I did not believe in the pope, which was, that among
other doctrines of his, he taught, that he could not commit an error,
and that now, though a pope should see any one of his predecessors had
erred, he could not say this, for fear that _he_ also should appear to
be an unbeliever. This friend also told me, that the patriarch wo