Praise-God Barebone
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Praise-God Barebone (or Barbon; c.1596 – 1679) was an English leather-seller, preacher and Fifth Monarchist.
He became a freeman of the Leathersellers Company in January 1623. Around the same time, he began preaching to large audiences that assembled at his house, The Lock and Key in Fleet Street, London. The exact nature of his religious persuasion is not clear; although his enemies styled him a Brownist and Anabaptist[citation needed], Barebone wrote two books supporting the then-controversial practice of paedo-baptism. Most of his audience were former Baptists.
Barebone later joined the sect known as the Fifth Monarchists and became an object of abuse and ridicule. His meetings were frequently disturbed by riots; on December 20, 1641, his house was stormed by a mob and he was lucky to escape alive.
Barebone was a man of substantial property. On June 6, 1653, Oliver Cromwell summoned him to the Nominated Assembly as a member for London. Barebone's name was then used to deride the Assembly as "Barebone's Parliament". Although Barebone occasionally appears in the surviving records of the Assembly, he appears not to have taken part in any debates.
During 1660, Barebone endeavoured to prevent the Restoration of the English monarchy. He published Marchamont Needham's book News from Brussels in a Letter from a Near Attendant on His Majesty's Person..., which related unfavourable anecdotes about the de jure king of England, Charles II. On February 9, Barebone presented a petition proposing that all officials abjure Charles II and the Stuarts; and that all who publicly supported a restoration of the monarchy should be deemed guilty of high treason. As a consequence, Barebone became the target of renewed Royalist attacks. On March 31, 1660, he was bound over to keep the peace.
Following Charles II's restoration, Barebone was arrested along with John Wildman and James Harrington on November 26, 1661 and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was released on bail on July 27, 1662 and lived peacefully thereafter[citation needed] until his death in 1679.
Barebone was married and had at least one son, Nicholas Barbon.
[edit] Selected works
| 1642 | A Discourse tending to prove ... Baptism ... to be the ordinance of Jesus Christ. As also that the Baptism of Infants is warentable. The preface indicates Barebone's religious tolerance. |
| 1643 | A Reply to the Frivolous and Impertinent answer of R.B. and E.B. to the Discourse of P.B. |
