saved: for they were not so careful to be safe
from persecution, as to be faithful and inoffensive under it: being more
concerned to spread the truth by their faith and patience in tribulation,
than to get the worldly power out of their hands that inflicted those
sufferings upon them: and it will be well if the Lord suffer them not to
fall, by the very same way they took to stand.

In doctrine they were in some things short; in other things, to avoid one
extreme, they ran into another: and for worship, there was, for the
generality, more of man in it than of God. They owned the spirit,
inspiration, and revelation, indeed, and grounded their separation and
reformation upon the sense and understanding they received from it, in
the reading of the scriptures of truth. And this was their plea; the
scripture is the text, the spirit the interpreter, and that to every one
for himself. But yet there was too much of human invention, tradition,
and art, that remained both in praying and preaching; and of worldly
authority, and worldly greatness in their ministers; especially in this
kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, and some parts of Germany. God was therefore
pleased in England to shift us from vessel to vessel; and the next remove
humbled the ministry, so that they were more strict in preaching, devout
in praying, and zealous for keeping the Lord's day, and catechising of
children and servants, and repeating at home in their families what they
had heard in public. But even as these grew into power, they were not
only for whipping some out, but others into the temple: and they appeared
rigid in their spirits, rather than severe in their lives, and more for a
party than for piety: which brought forth another people, that were yet
more retired and select.

They would not communicate at large, or in common with others; but formed
churches among themselves of such as could give some account of their
conversion, at least of very promising experiences of the work of God's
grace upon their hearts, and under mutual agreements and covenants of
fellowship, they kept together. These people were somewhat of a softer
temper, and seemed to recommend religion by the charms of its love,
mercy, and goodness, rather than by the terrors of its judgments and
punishments; by which the former party would have awed people into
religion.

They also allowed greater liberty to prophesy than those before them; for
they admitted any member to speak or pray,