In the county of Lincoln on the shores of the North Sea, along the fertile banks of the Humber, Trent, and Witham, and on the slopes of the smiling hills, dwelt many peaceful Christians--labourers, artificers, and shepherds--who spent their days in toil, in keeping their flocks, in doing good, and in reading the Bible.[421] The more the gospel-light increased in England, the greater was the increase in the number of these children of peace.[422] These "just men," as they were called, were devoid of human knowledge, but they thirsted for the knowledge of God. Thinking they were alone the true disciples of the Lord, they married only among themselves.[423] They appeared occasionally at church; but instead of repeating their prayers like the rest, they sat, said their enemies, "mum like beasts."[424] On Sundays and holidays, they assembled in each other's houses, and sometimes passed a whole night in reading a portion of Scripture. If there chanced to be few books among them, one of the brethren, who had learnt by heart the Epistle of St. James, the beginning of St. Luke's gospel, the sermon on the mount, or an epistle of St. Paul's, would recite a few verses in a loud and calm voice; then all would piously converse about the holy truths of the faith, and exhort one another to put them in practice. But if any person joined their meetings, who did not belong to their body, they would all keep silent.[425] Speaking much among each other, they were speechless before those from without: fear of the priests and of the faggot made them dumb. There was no family rejoicing without the Scriptures. At the marriage of a daughter of the aged Durdant, one of their patriarchs, the wedding party met secretly in a barn, and read the whole of one of St. Paul's epistles. Marriages are rarely celebrated with such pastimes as this! [421] Being simple labourers and artificers. Foxe, Acts, iv, p. 240. [422] As the light of the Gospel began more to appear, and the numbers of professors to grow. Ibid. p. 217. [423] Did contract matrimony only with themselves. Ibid. p. 223. [424] Ibid. p. 225. [425] If any came in among them that were not of their side, then they would keep all silent. Foxe, Acts, iv, p. 222.