Author: Daniel NealPublisher: Forgotten Books
ISBN: 9780365143598
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 544
Book Description
Excerpt from The History of the Puritans, Vol. 2 of 5: Or Protestant Nonconformists; From the Reformation in 1517 to the Revolution in 1688 But instead of accomplishing his designs, the number of Puritans increased prodigiously in his reign, which was owing to one or other of these causes. First. To the standing firm by the constitution and laws of their brought over to them all those gentlemen in the house of commons, and in the several counties of England, who found it necessary, for the preservation of their properties, to op pose the court, and to insist upon being' governed according to law these were called state Puritans. Secondly. To their steady adherence to the doctrines of Calvin and 'the synod of Dori, in the points of predestination and grace, against the modern interpretations of Arminius and his followers. The court divines fell in with the latter, and were thought not only to deviate from the principles of the first reformers, but to attempt a coalition with the church of Rome; while most of the country clergy, being stiff in their old opinions (though otherwise well enough affected to the discipline and ceremonies of the church), were in a manner shut out from all preferment, and branded with the name of Doctrinal Puritans. Thirdly. To their pious and severe manner of life, which was at this time very extraordinary. If a man kept the sabbath and frequented sermons; if he maintained family religion, and would neither swear, nor be drunk, nor comply with the fashionable vices of the times, he was called a Puritan: this by degrees procured them the compassion. Of the sober part of the nation, who began to think it very hard, that a number of sober, industrious, and consci entions people, should be harassed out of the land, for scrupling to comply with a few indifferent ceremonies, which had no relation to the favour of God, or the practice of virtue. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.