CONTENTS.

PREFATORY ADDRESS, by Joseph Besse

CHAPTER I.—Page 1.

page xi.

1649.-Richard Claridge's birth, parentage, education, academi-

cal and ecclesiastical preferments-His two first marriages-

The births of his children-The death and character of his two

first wives-His manner of life while a priest-The work of

grace upon him- His going to hear Richard Baxter, and other

noted preachers-His reformation of life-His examination of

the doctrines and ceremonies of "the Church of England" by

the Holy Scriptures-His last preaching at Peopleton, and

the heads of his two last Sermons there-The resignation of

his rectory-His scruple as to giving the title of Reverend

Father in Christ, to the bishop-Books written by him

while a priest.

CHAPTER II.-Page 16.

1691.-His joining in society with the Baptists-A remark-
able passage at his being baptized-A mistake in the "Athenæ
Oxonienses," concerning him, rectified-Stories and reports
raised against him-Some testimonials in his defence-His
zeal and fervency upon his leaving "the Church of England,"
expressed in letters to several Baptists-His coming to London
and settling there, upon invitation from the Baptist church at
the Bagnio in Newgate-street-His sense of the weight of the
ministerial office, expressed in a letter to a Baptist preacher-
His third marriage-His desisting to preach at the Bagnio-

b

His Answer to the Baptist Church in Virginia-street, calling
him to the office of an elder among the Baptists-Books
written by him while a Baptist-The Gracious Soul's Expe-
rience: an Hymn.

CHAPTER III.-Page 28.

1696. His withdrawing from communion with the Baptists,
and frequenting the meetings of the people called Quakers—
His exercise at first coming among that people-His first
preaching among them-His account of, and remarks upon a
meeting of the Philadelphians-His conferences with several
noted Baptists-A paper concerning testimonies, and hearing
them-Visits made him by several of the people called Quakers.

CHAPTER IV.—Page 51.

1698. His judgment about bearing arms-A conference between

him and a learned Hungarian-His visiting Mary Gulson, and

her concern for him-His exercise of mind, lest he should

preach any more in his own will-His letter to the aforesaid

Hungarian-His letter of encouragement to a Friend in the

ministry-The substance of two conferences between him and

an Antinomian preacher, with an additional postscript about

election and reprobation.

CHAPTER V.-Page 83.

1700. His removal to Barking-His Letter to the people
called Baptists-His conference with Benjamin Keach-His
publishing a book called "Mercy covering the Judgment-
seat”—His Letter to Mary Gulson-His visiting meetings in
several parts of Essex and Hertfordshire-His Letter to Alice
Hayes-His Letter to the Monthly Meeting at Barking-His
publishing a book, called "Lux Evangelica Attestata❞—His
Letter to Hugh Kirk, a man newly convinced.

CHAPTER VI.-Page 121.

1702. His visiting the Yearly Meeting at Colchester, and other
Meetings on the road-His explanation of John, iii. 5—His
publishing "Carmen Spirituale," and a postscript to Dr.
Philip's "Vindicia Veritatis"-Pious instructions, written for
the use of his own daughter-His accompanying John Love
preaching through the streets at Barking—His visiting the
Yearly Meetings at Colchester and Woodbridge-A Meeting
at Navestock in Essex-The priest highly incensed at it-The
envy of two priests, justices, who prevented the entering the
house they met in-A second Meeting at Navestock-The
substance of his declaration there-His Letter to John Owen,
about a license to teach school.

CHAPTER VII.-Page 140.

1704.-A narrative of his testimony against the steeple-house

rates, being mixed with the poor's rates, in the parish of

Barking-His reasons for not paying to steeple-house rates-

His publishing a little book, entitled, "The Benefit and

Invention of Printing"--His, and Christopher Meidel's de-

claring truth, in the steeple-house yard at Barking, at the

funeral of Elizabeth Skinner-A Letter of advice to a young

woman-His removal from Barking to Edmonton-The

publishing of his "Melius Inquirendum"-His Letter to

Oliver Sansom, on occasion of a visit made him by one

newly convinced.

CHAPTER VIII.-Page 171.

1707. His keeping school at Tottenham-Some great men,
animated by the priests, take offence thereat, and threaten to
prosecute him-His being summoned to take the oaths to the
government-His taking the declaration of fidelity, &c.-A

discourse between the justices and him, about his school-A
narrative of his being prosecuted in Doctors'-commons, on
account of his school-The vicar of Tottenham's preaching
against him-His Letter to the vicar, and the vicar's answer
-His being summoned before the justices, and his goods dis-
trained for non-payment of tithes-A narrative of the pro-
ceedings against him at common law, on account of his
school, with the trial of his cause at the Queen's Bench Bar,
and the verdict given thereupon.

CHAPTER IX.—Page 198.

1708. His profession and declaration against Popery, directed
to the inhabitants of Tottenham-" Abstersio Calumnia-
rum," being a defence of himself, against his adversaries'
charges of apostasy, perjury, folly, Popery, enmity to the
church, and being a seducer of the people.

CHAPTER X.- Page 226.

1709.-His Letter to Joseph Taylor, then newly convinced-

Christ dwelling in his People: a Poem-A Letter of cau-

tion concerning public testimony-His writing his “Tracta-

tus Hierographicus"-The translation of a short Latin manu-

script-An answer to one that had charged the Quakers with

denying priests, preaching, and ordinances—An answer to a

letter concerning tithes, and the payment of them-An ex-

hortation to a faithful obedience to the light of Christ-The

duty of children toward their parents-His own account of
his sickness, and grateful sense of his recovery.

CHAPTER XI.-Page 254.

1712. His publishing an Appendix to John Bocket's "Gen-
tile Divinity"-His removal to London-His publishing
several papers, presented to the Parliament against the Schism-