he penalties of the law, were,

1. The Christian resolution of assembling publicly for the worship of
God, in a manner most agreeable to their consciences.

2. Their refusal to pay tithes, which they esteemed a Jewish ceremony,
abrogated by the coming of Christ.

3. Their testimony against wars and fighting, the practice of which they
judged inconsistent with the command of Christ: "Love your enemies," &c.
Matt. v. 44.

4. Their constant obedience to the command of Christ: "Swear not at
all," &c. Matt. v. 34.

5. Their refusal to pay rates or assessments for building and repairing
houses for a worship which they did not approve.

6. Their use of the proper and Scriptural language, "thou," and "thee,"
to a single person: and their disuse of the custom of uncovering their
heads, or pulling off their hats, by way of homage to man.

7. The necessity many found themselves under, of publishing what they
believed to be the doctrine of truth; and sometimes even in the places
appointed for the public national worship.

Their conscientious noncompliance in the preceding particulars, exposed
them to much persecution and suffering, which consisted in prosecutions,
fines, cruel beatings, whippings, and other corporeal punishments;
imprisonment, banishment, and even death.

To relate a particular account of their persecutions and sufferings,
would extend beyond the limits of this work: we shall therefore refer,
for that information, to the histories already mentioned, and more
particularly to Besse's Collection of their sufferings; and shall
confine our account here, mostly to those who sacrificed their lives,
and evinced, by their disposition of mind, constancy, patience, and
faithful perseverance, that they were influenced by a sense of religious
duty.

Numerous and repeated were the persecutions against them; and sometimes
for transgressions or offences which the law did not contemplate or
embrace.

Many of the fines and penalties exacted of them, were not only
unreasonable and exorbitant, but as they could not consistently pay
them, were sometimes distrained to several times the value of the
demand; whereby many poor families were greatly distressed, and obliged
to depend on the assistance of their friends.

Numbers were not only cruelly beaten and whipped in a public manner,
like criminals, but some were branded and others had their ears cut off.

Great numbers were long confined in loathsome prisons; in which so