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"That, convinced of the insufficiency of what is called Natural Religion, and confirmed by evidence in their belief in Revelation, your petitioners receive the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as containing the revealed will of . God.

That, desirous of obeying in all things the will of God, as made known by Revelation, they reject all human authority in matters of religion, making the laws of God, as contained in the Scriptures, the sole rule of their faith, discipline, and practice.

That, from a serious, unremitting, and free enquiry into the Scriptures, they have concluded and believe

That, "there is none other God but ONE."

That "the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob," God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ,” is “ ONLY TRUE GOD."

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That" Jesus of Nazareth" was "a man approved of God by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him,?, That he died, and, by the power of God, was "raised again, according to the Scriptures."

That God hath appointed a day in which he will judge, the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained."

That God hath separated to himself a people on earth, "which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth.”

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That this Church, as "the household of God," is governed by God alone, being "built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus, the Christ, himself being the chief corner stone."

That the constitution, laws, and government of this Church are, in the Scriptures of the New Testament, so expressly set forth as not to need, but absolutely to preclude, all human legislation therein.

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That this constitution, these laws, and this government, being of Divine appointment, cannot be violated be dispensed with cannot be altered, abridged, or added to, without rebellion against God, and treason against his authority.jar

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That your petitioners, as the Church of God, acknowledge the constitution, maintain the laws, and submit to the go vernment, thus given by God to his Church.

They acknowledge Jesus as the sole and exclusive HEAD of the Church; for God "hath put all things under his feet, and given him to be head over all things to the Church."

They are one united and indivisible Body-" for as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one," so also is the Church of God.

Their members possess an equality of rights, no one being permitted to arrogate to himself religious titles and distinctions, or to call any man master on earth- "for one is your Master, even the Christ, and all ye are brethren."

They reject all hired or exclusive teachers, and in their assemblies "admonish one another" and "edify one another" according to the Scriptures - "for ye may all teach, one by one, that all may learn and all may be comforted."

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They "choose out of themselves" certain officers for the regulation of their affairs, that all things may cently and in order."

These officers of the Church are Bishops (i. e. overseers) or Elders and Deacons (i. e. servants) who are to serve and to take “the oversight thereof—not by constraint but willingly

not by filthy lucre, but of a ready mind-neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock."

Your petitioners further submit to your Honourable House, that, where God hath fully revealed his will to man, the rites, ceremonies, and acts of worship, in order to be acceptable to God, must be appointed by him; and believing that, since the abolition of the Mosaic ritual and temple worship, no rites, ceremonies, or public social prayer and worship, have ever been appointed by Divine Authority, they, as the disciples of Jesus, and in obedience to his commands, " pray in secret to the Father," and, as the true worshippers, "worship the Father in spirit and in truth."

That rejecting, like the Jewish people of old, the pretensions of every Church whose doctrines, discipline, and worship are not founded on the laws of God without any

admixture of human authority, and required, as they are, by law, to conform to the established Church in the instance of marriage, your petitioners DECLARE AND AVOW that the Church of England, whose religious worship they are thus called upon to sanction, they know only as a Church teaching for doctrines the commandments of men—as a Church professing a religion which has no other claim than that of being “by law established”. as a Church whose laws have no earlier date than Popery, no higher authority than Acts of Parliament; -as a Church whose only head is an earthly potentate, fallible in all cases; corrupt and wicked in the instance of its founder Henry VIII., yet nevertheless, by law" vested with all power to exercise all manner of ecclesiastical jurisdiction" ➡ as a Church whose ministers and pastors are the servants of the State only, possessing no manner of jurisdiction ecclesiastical, but by and under the King or Queen's Majesty;” as a Church whose rites and ceremonies, whether of baptism, the Lord's Supper, or for the solemnisation of marriage, dre maintained only by a self-asserted authority" to decree Rites and Ceremonies; - as a Church whose lordly Prelates and aspiring Priesthood retain their office, titles, and privileges in opposition to the clear and express commands of Jesus'; Church whose tithes and revenues constitute a violation at once of the rights of property, and of the laws of God; — as à Church whose unrighteous claims are supported by an appeal to the hopes and fears of men, profanely asserting "that every priest of this church hath power and authority from Almighty God, in the name of the Holy Trinity, to forgive or to retain the sins of men; as a Church whose unscriptural faith is fulminated by means of a creed which is at the same time intolerant in its spirit and contradictory in its assertions; "which faith," it is impiously avowed, "except every one doth keep whole and undefiled, he shall, without doubt, perish everlastingly;" as a Church whose canons denounce curses and excommunication upon all who, following the dictates of conscience, shall, like your petitioners, "affirm that the form of God's worship, contained in the Common Prayer," is unscriptural; " that any of its thirty-nine articles are in any part uperstitious," or "that the Government of

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the Church of England, under His or Her Majesty, by Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, &c. is repugnant to the word of God;"- as a Church whose alliance with the State hath produced that cruel and oppressive " Act of Uniformity," yet unrepealed, by which any one who shall speak any thing to the derogation of the Book of Common Prayer, or any thing therein contained, "shall, for the first offence, forfeit a hundred marks; for the second, four hundred marks; and for the third, all his goods and chattels, and SHALL SUFFER IMPRISONMENT DURING LIFE!!"

That this Church having its foundation in Rome, being a superstructure of ignorance and mystery, of heathenism and Popery maintained by worldly riches and power, and guarded by the sword of persecution is, by your petitioners, regarded as part and parcel of that city shadowed forth in prophecy that great city which hath made merchandise of men's souls, by whose "sorceries all nations were deceived"— in which was "found the blood of the Prophets and the Saints," but which God, by his judgments, hath threatened to destroy. That in this spiritual Babylon your petitioners can, as the true worshippers of God, have no lot nor inherit ance. Yea, rather than partake of its abominations, they are prepared to suffer on the altar of its idolatry, mingling their lives with "the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.”

Viewing the Church of England as part of such a system, of Political Religion and Corrupt Spiritual Power-regarding the form of marriage, as contained in the Book of Common Prayer, as one of the rites of such a Church, how can your petitioners conform thereunto? "How" (in the language of Scripture)" can they do this thing, and sin against God?” And if, haply, on the grounds of false doctrines and corrupt practices, no objections existed against the Established Church, yet will it be evident to your Honourable House that, denying as they do, the authority of any established religion →→→ rejecting the claims of any priesthood → refusing assent to all public social worship your petitioners stand too widely separated from the Established Church, and indeed from all other rede ins mazo «l; ·

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ligious bodies, to join in any religious act with any party other than their own - the true Church of God.' 115 928'S Your petitioners, in addition to these their broad and general grounds of objection against the religion established by law, of which the marriage ceremony forms a part, further and especially object, against that particular ceremony,

That it makes a religious rite where God has made none: marriage being a natural and civil right, which is no where appointed in the Scriptures to be entered upon by means of a religious solemnisation.

That it is a Popish rite, first rendered compulsory in the Church by a corrupt pontiff, as a means of increasing the -revenue of the clergy; and that, though nominally not regarded by the Established Church as a Sacrament -- or Mystery, it is, in substance, and even in terms, made such in the present Church Liturgy.

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That, by reason of its origin from the Popish Mass Book, Stogether with the obsoleteness of certain of its terms; its forms are superstitious, its meaning has in some instances be-come obscure, its assertions false; and its allusions indelicate, Loffensive, and revolting.

That the worship connected with this ceremony is Idolatrous, the language of prayer being therein addressed to "Christ," who, as the Christ, that is, the Anointed or Messiah, is in Scripture expressly called " the Man Jesus,” “ the Son of Man," and who hath himself proclaimed, “ thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

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That it is open and avowed Polytheism, a plurality of gods being expressly worshipped and separately invoked therein, 7-as "God the Father," " God the Son," and " God the Holy "Ghost;" such Polytheism being contrary both to the laws of God and of our country: to the laws of God, by the declaration of the Apostle, that "to us there is but one God, even "the Father, of whom are all things;" to the laws of our country, by the 9th and 10th of William III. cap. 32., as amended by the 53d George III. cap. 160., which alteration of the law still leaves exposed to civil disabilities and imprison→ ́ment, all persons who shall "maintain that there are more "Geds than one."

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