About the same time, small dissenting parties began to organize churches and to boldly maintain the worship of God upon the Sabbath. Of these the Natton Church has been much celebrated. It is situated in the west of England, near Tewksbury, and about fifteen miles from Gloucester, thirty-five from Birmingham, and ninety from London. The first pastor of this church whose name has come down to us was Mr. John Purser. He is represented as a very worthy man, and a great sufferer for conscience sake. He was descended from an honourable family, and was heir to a considerable estate, but his father disinherited him because he observed the seventh day for the Sabbath. Notwithstanding this wrong, it pleased Divine Providence to bless him abundantly in the little that he possessed. He became a respectable farmer, and lived at Ashton-upon-Carrant, in the Parish of Ashchurch, in the county of Gloucester, during the reigns of Charles and James the Second. In common with other nonconformists, he experienced much oppression and great opposition on account of his religion. At one time his persecutors came upon him while he was engaged in ploughing a field, and took from him his team and utensils of husbandry. Notwithstanding the severity of the laws against dissenters, the officers, in many instances, far exceeded their commission, and sometimes were made to suffer for it. Such was the case in this instance; for one William Surman, Esq., a conformist, but worthy man, seeing the cruelty and injustice of thus depriving an honest man of his property and the means for procuring a livelihood, obliged his adversaries to return the property thus wrongfully taken. It appears from authentic testimonies that he suffered much during the persecutions between 1660 and 1690. But he overcame all by faith and patience, and came out of the furnace like gold doubly refined.