e _Apology for the Builder; or a
Discourse showing the Cause and Effects of the Increase of Building_
(1685); _A Discourse of Trade_ (1690); and _A Discourse Concerning Coining
the New Money Lighter_ (1696).

BARBON (BAREBONE or BAREBONES), PRAISE-GOD (_c._ 1596-1679), English
leather-seller and Fifth Monarchy man, was admitted freeman of the
Leathersellers Company on the 20th of January 1623 and liveryman on the
13th of October 1634. About the same time he became minister to a
congregation which assembled at his own house, "The Lock and Key," in Fleet
Street, where his preaching attracted large audiences. The exact nature of
his religious opinions is not perfectly clear. He is styled by his enemies
a Brownist and Anabaptist, _i.e._ probably Baptist, but he wrote two books
in support of paedobaptism, and his congregation had separated from a
larger one of Baptists on that point of controversy. Later he belonged to
the sect of Fifth Monarchy men. He was the object of the abuse and ridicule
of the opposite party, and his meetings were frequently disturbed by riots.
On the 20th of December 1641 his house was stormed by a mob and he narrowly
escaped with his life. Barbon, who was a man of substantial property, was
summoned by Cromwell on the 6th of June 1653 as a member for London to the
assembly of nominees called after him in derision Barebone's Parliament.
His name is occasionally mentioned, but he appears to have taken no part in
the debates. In 1660 he showed great activity in endeavouring to prevent
the Restoration. He published Needham's book, _News from Brussels in a
Letter from a Near Attendant on His Majesty's Person ..._, which retailed
unfavourable anecdotes relating to Charles's morals, and on the 9th of
February he presented the petition to the Parliament, which proposed that
all officials should abjure the Stuarts, and all publicly proposing the
Restoration should be deemed guilty of high treason. His conduct drew upon
him several royalist attacks. On the 31st of March he was obliged to sign
an engagement to the council not to disturb the peace, and on the 26th of
November 1661 he was arrested, together with John Wildman and James
Harrington, and was imprisoned in the Tower till the 27th of July 1662,
when he was released on bail. Barbon, who was married, was buried on the
5th of January 1680. He was the author of _A Discourse tending to prove ...
Baptism ... to be the ordinance of Jesus Christ. As also that th