The History of the Puritans, Or Protestant Non-conformists

CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.

The reign of HENRY VIII.

(TATE of religion before the reformation. Statute of provisors..
Statute of præmunire. Life and writings of John Wickliffe. Rise
of penal laws against heretics. King Henry VIII's birth and character.
Cardinal Wolsey's legantine power. King moves for a divorce from his
Queen. King breaks with the pope. Act of supremacy. Against ap-
peals. King's divorce. Pope's authority over the church of England
taken away. Laws against heretics repealed. Clergy's submission.
Act for revising the canons. Oath of succession and supremacy. Re-
formation of doctrine. Books printed. Supplication of the beggars;
answered with severities. Monasteries visited. Monasteries suppressed.
Their revenues. Bible translated into English. Death of Queen Anne
Bullen. Articles of religion devised by the King. Pope excommuni-
cates the King: occasions insurrections. King's injunctions. Abstract
of the institution of a christian man. Bible set up in churches. Hin-
drances of a further reformation. Persecution of the protestants. Lam-
bert burned. Statute of the six articles. Sad effects of it. Acts in fa-
vor of the prerogative. Lord Cromwell's death. Mixed executions of
the protestants and papists. Abstract of the erudition of a christian
man. Remarks. Rigor of the six articles abated. State of the re-,*
formation at the King's death.

CHAPTER II.

The reign of King EDWARD VI.

THE justice of the English reformation argued. Regally debated.
King Edward's council. Heads of the two parties. Royal visitation.
First book of homilies. Injunctions. Original of bidding prayers. Par-
liament repeals several popish laws, and makes new ones. Act for ap-
pointing bishops. Chauntries given to the crown. Foreign protestant
divines take sanctuary in England. Images taken down out of the
churches, and old rites abolished. All preaching forbid. First refor-
mation of the communion and of other offices. Antiquity of liturgies.
Of retaining the popish rites. Of the habits. Parliament confirms the
new liturgy. Bishop Gardiner hardly used. Rebellions on behalf of
the old religion. Heretics burnt. Joan of Kent. George Van Paris 2
burnt. Bonner deprived: succeeded by Ridley. Reformation of the
ecclesiastical laws; does not take place. Act for consecration of bish-
ops, and ordaining priests and deacons. Mass books called in. Altars
changed into communion tables. Reasons for it. Rise of the controversy
about the habits. Bishop Hooper's character: he refuses the habits;
his reasons. Judgment of foreign divines. Hooper hardly used. The

difference compromised. Sentiments of the reforming clergy about the
Habits. Ridley and Cranmer relax their opinions of the habits. Ger-
man church established. Gardiner deprived. Doctrines of the church
reformed. Remarks. Common prayer book revised a second time: es-
tablished by parliament. Marriages of the clergy legitimated. Blem-
ishes of the reformation. Alienation of church lands. Reformation
left imperfect. Further progress intended. Bucer's sentiments: and
Cranmer's. Original of the English convocation. King's death and
14 character. Remarks.

CHAPTER III.

The reign of Queen MARY.

KING Edward's last will. Queen Jane proclaimed. Queen Mary
enters London. Her declaration about religion. Suffolk men punished.
Reformers imprisoned. Foreigners commanded to leave the kingdom.
Popery restored by parliament. Proceedings of convocation. Wyat's
rebellion. A visitation. Numbers of the clergy ejected. Queen's second
parliament and marriage. Disputation at Oxford. Reformers' decla-
ration of faith. Cardinal Poole arrives from the pope. The kingdom
reconciled to Rome. Laws against the pope repealed. Queen restores
the church lands. Laws against heretics revived. Protestants burnt.
Bonner's cruelty. Petition from beyond sea in behalf of the martyrs.
Mr. Bradford burnt. Bishops Ridley and Latimer. Bishop Gardiner's
death Archbishop Cranmer burnt. Further cruelties.. The numbers
14 that were burnt in this reign. Rise of the controversy about predesti-
nation. Arians. Some recant. Private congregation of protestants.
Their sufferings. Many go into a voluntary exile. Rise of the puritans.
Their manner of worship. The troubles at Frankfort. Disputes about
ceremonies and the service book. They appeal to Calvin. Dr. Cox
restores the use of the service book. Mr. Knox banished. Congrega-
tion divides: part go to Geneva. Remarks. Congregation at Frankfort
divided a second time. The magistrates' advice to them. Their new
book of discipline. Death of bishop Poynet. A visitation of the uni-
versities. Princess Elizabeth, her sufferings. Calamities of the nation.
Queen Mary's death and character.
142.

150.

CHAPTER IV.

From the beginning of Queen ELIZABETH's reign to the Separation of
the Protestant Non-Conformists.

STATE of the nation. Preaching forbid. Return of the exiles. Ad-
vice of foreign divines about the reformation. Resolution of the exiles.
16 Proceedings of the parliament. The act of supremacy. Original of
the court of high commission. Remarks. Power vested in the crown
by the act of supremacy; with regard to the doctrine, discipline, cere-
monies, nomination of bishops and convocations. Sentiments of the pu-
ritans. Admonition to parliament. Remarks. Dispute between pa-
pists and protestants. King Edward's liturgy revived. Act of uni-
formity. Remarks. Proceedings of convocation. Popish bishops de-

prived. Consecration of archbishop Parker. Principles of the reform- 181.

ers, with the opposite sentiments of the puritans. Queen's injunctions.

Proceedings of the visitors: disliked by the Queen. Numbers of popish

elergy deprived. No reformation of doctrine as yet. Terms of con-

formity not approved by many. Geneva Bible. Dutch and French st

churches restored. Scots reformation. Treaty of Edinburgh. Their

kirk discipline. Behavior of the papists. Archbishop visits his dia-

cese. Appointment of lessons for Sundays and holidays. Sad state

of the clergy and of the universities. Queen averse to the married
clergy. Act of assurance. Convocation review the article of the

church. Controverted clause of the 20th article. They are subscrib- 28
ed.
Debate about ceremonies. Proposals for reformation. Other pro-

posals; rejected by a single proxy. Miles Coverdale dispensed with as

to habits; and Mr. Fox the martyrologist. Variety of forms and hab-

its complained of. Letters of puritans to courtiers against pressing the

habits. Proceedings of the bishops. Advertisements. The Queen

urged to enforce them. Sentiments of the first reformers about the

habits. State of the Question about the habits. Sampson and Ham-

phrey's letter against the habits. Sentiments of foreign divines: of

the Switzers; of the French; of the Scots; of the English laity. Ad-

vertisements, or injunctions for uniformity. New subscriptions. Dr.

Humphreys and Sampson before the commissioners. The archbishop's

questions, and their answers. Other arguments against the habits.-

Proceedings of the commissioners. Sampson deprived. Humphreys?

letter to the Queen; obtains a toleration. Proceedings with the Lon-

don clergy. Numbers deprived. Their reasons for refusing the habits.

New injunctions of the ecclesiastical commissioners. Further severi-

ties against the puritans. Licences taken away. University of Cam-

bridge's privilege of licencing preachers debated. (queen visits the

university of Cambridge. They scruple the habits. Whitgift writes

for dispensing with the habits. The archbishop's rigor, and his com-

plaints. Sad condition of the city of London. Abstract of the suspend-

ed ministers' reasons for non-conformity. Restraint of the press.-

Hardships of the puritans. Some continue in the church: others sep-

arate: sad consequences of it. Remarks. Affairs of Scotland. Birth

of King James I. Kirk discipline established. 25.6.

CHAPTER V.

From the Separation of the Protestant Non-Conformists to the death of

archbishop PARKER.

OBJECTIONS of the puritans against the hierarchy of the church.--

Heads of the separation. They are apprehended at Plumbers' Hall.

Their examination. Their sufferings. Refugees increase. Danger-

ous state of the reformation. Bishops' Bible. Popish confederacy.-

Their numbers. Rebellion in the north. The Queen and kingdom ex-

communicated. Effects of it. Penal laws against the papists. Death

of Mr. Kingsmill. Proceedings of the spiritual courts. Mr. Axton's

examination. Mr. Cartwright opposes the hierarchy of the church.—

His positions. His punishment. Cartwright goes beyond sea.

ceedings in the parliament for reformation. Act for subscribing arti-
cles of faith. Address of the commons. Convocation. Rules for dis-
cipline. Rise of the prophesyings. Their orders. Their confession of

29 3. faith. Bishop Jewel's death and character. The Rev. Mr. White-

head's death. Archbishop Parker's zeal for uniformity. Puritans sus-

pended. Beza's letter for reformation. Attempts in parliament for

reformation; stopt by the Queen. Subscriptions urged on the clergy.

Puritans apply to parliament. Their first admonition. Ministers that

presented it imprisoned. Second admonition. Apology of the prison-

ers. Their supplication, and confession of faith. Heads of the admoni-
tion to the parliament: answered by Whitgift. Cartwright replies. Re-

marks. The temper and behavior of the disputants. Whitgift's severe

usage of his adversary: the Queen's, and the Bishops. Remarks.

Conclusion of the controversy. Remarks. First presbytery at Wands-

316 worth. Growth of popery. Sad state of religion. Parisian massacre.

Death of Mr. Knox. A severe persecution. Birchet's death and mad-

ness. Visitation of the diocese of Norwich. Puritans offer a public

disputation. Proclamation against Cartwright. Dr. Deering depriv-

ed he is restored. Other ministers deprived. Mr. Johnson's suffer-

ings. Form of a subscription for the clergy. Form of subscription

2. for the laity. Mr. White's examination. Puritan ministers caressed

by the people. Protestation of the members. Dutch and French

churches forbidden to receive puritans to their communion.

syings of the clergy increase: suppressed in the diocese of Norwich.-

Council's letter to continue them. The archbishop prevails. Death

of Parkhurst bishop of Norwich. Religious assemblies broke up.-

Sampson resigns his lecture: writes to Grindal in favor of puritanism.

A sham plot fathered on the puritans. Parker defends his conduct in

the plot. He visits the isle of Wight. Reformation of Guernsey and

Jersey. State of popery. Foreign seminaries erected. Family of

love. Anabaptists burnt. Death of archbishop Parker. 340.

CHAPTER VI.

Prophe-

From the death of Archbishop PARKER, to the death of Archbishop

GRINDAL.

PROCEEDINGS of parliament and convocation. All licences made
void. Diligence of the puritan preachers: Rise of the controversy
about discipline. Associations for this purpose. Conclusions of the
puritans in their synods. Remarks. Ministers deprived: Mr.Harvey,
Mr. Rockrey, Mr. Greenham. Mr. Stroud's troubles. Death of Mr.
Deering. Prophesyings regulated. Queen's reasons for putting them
down. Her letter for that purpose. Bishop of Litchfield and Coven-
try's letter. Grindal refuses to comply: he is sequestered and confin-
ed. Death of Mr. Lever. Puritans ordained at Antwerp. Travers'
testimonials. Dean Whittingham's troubles: the validity of his ordi-
nation disputed his death. Mr. Lawrence deprived. Scarcity of
preachers in divers parts of England; in London: in Cornwall: reasons

374. of it. Mr. Stubb's right hand cut off. Commons vote a fast. Queen

forbids it. Private fastings of the elergy put down. Queen requires a

full conformity. Seditious libellers to suffer. Statute against seducing

the Queen's subjects to popery: and to oblige all persons to come to

church. Visitation in London. Rise of the Brownists. History of 376.

Robert Brown. Principles of the Brownists. Reasons of their separe

ation. Remarks. Severities against them. Puritans received into

gentlemen's families. Execution of Campion the jesuit and others.

Queen assists foreign protestants. Commission of concealments. Mr.

Wright's sufferings. His ordination denied. Presbyterial ordination ad-

mitted by archbishop Grindal. Complaints of bishop Aylmer's severi-

ties. Justices of the peace supplication. Effects of it. Mr. Copping and