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DANIEL LISTER, Esq.

OF HACKNEY,

GRANDSON OF THE REV. DANIEL NEAL,

IN GRATEFUL TESTIMONY OF THE

ASSISTANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT

WITH WHICH,

INDUCED BY STRONG ATTACHMENT TO THE CAUSE OF

GENERAL LIBERTY AND PIOUS VENERATION FOR

THE NAME OF HIS WORTHY ANCESTOR,

HE HAS POLITELY AND GENEROUSLY FAVORED THE UNDERTAKING,

THIS NEW EDITION

OF

THE HISTORY OF THE PURITANS

IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED,

BY HIS OBLIGED

HUMBLE SERVANT,

THE EDITOR.

MORE

ORE than half a century has elapsed, since the work, now again offered to the public, made its first appearance. The author gave it a second edition in 4to. In 1755 it was printed at Dub lin, on the plan of the first impression, in four volumes octavo. The English editions have, for number of years, been scarce: and copies of the work, as it has been, justly, held in high estimation by Dissenters, have borne a high price. Foreigners also have referred to it as a book of authority, affording the most ample information on that part of the English History, which it comprehends.*

A republication of it will, on these accounts, it is supposed, be acceptable to the friends of religious liberty. Several circumstances concur to render it, at this time, peculiarly seasonable. The Protestant Dissenters, by their repeated applications to Parliaments, have attracted notice and excited an enquiry into their principles and history. The odium and obloquy, of which they have recently be come the objects, are a call upon them to appeal to both in their own justification. Their History, while it brings up to painful review scenes of spiritual tyranny and oppression, connects itself with the rise and progress of religious liberty; and necessarily brings forward many important and interesting transactions, which are not to be met with in the general Histories of our Country, because not falling within the province of the authors to detail.

The Editor has been induced, by these considerations, to comply with a proposal to revise Mr. Neal's work. In doing this, he has taken no other liberty with the original text, than to cast into notes some papers and lists of names, which appeared to him too much to interrupt the narrative. This alteration in the form of it promises to render it more pleasing to the eye, and more agreeable to the perusal. He has, where he could procure the works quoted, which he has been able to do in most instances, examined and corrected the references, and so ascertained the fairness and accuracy of the authorities. He has reviewed the animadversions of Bishops Maddox and Warburton, and Dr. Grey; and given the result of his scrutiny in notes; by which the credit of the author is eventually established. He has not suppressed strictures of his own, where he conceived there was occasion for them. It has been his aim, in conducting this work, through the press, to support the character of the diligent, ac curate, and impartial Editor. How far he has done this, he must leave to the candid to determine. Whatever inaccuracies, or mistakes, the eye of criticism may discover, he is confident, that they cannot essentially affect the execution of the design, any more than the veracity of the author. The remark, which Mr. Neal advanced as a plea, in his own defence, against the censure of Bishop Maddox, will apply with force, the Editor conceives, to his own case; as in the first instance it had great weight. "The commission of errors in writing any history of times past, (says the ingenious Mr. "Wharton, in his letter to Mr. Strype) being altogether unavoidable, ought not to detract from the "credit of the History, or the merits of the Historian, unless it be accompanied with immoderate os" tentation, or unhandsome reflections on the errors of others."+

The Editor has only further to solicit any communications, which may tend to improve this impression of Neal's History; or to furnish materials for the continuation of the History of the Protestant Dissenters from the Revolution, with which period Mr. Neal's design closes, to the present times: as be has it in contemplation, if Providence favor him with life and health, to prepare such a work for the press. Taunton, 13th June, 1793.

* Mosheim, Dictionnaire de Heresies, and Wendeborn.

+ Mr.Wharton discovered as many errors in Mr. Strype's single volume of Memorials of Archbishop Cranmer, as filled three sheets: yet Mr. Strype's collections were justly entitled to the commendations of posterity, as a work of great utility and authority. See Neal's Review, p. 6. 8vo.

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CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

1324 bou

121549

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. Origin 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
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

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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
character. Remarks.

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

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.

Ad-

STATE of the nation. Preaching forbid. Return of the exiles.
vice of foreign divines about the reformation. Resolution of the exiles.
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-
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
churches restored. Scots reformation. Treaty of Edinburgh. Their
kirk discipline. Behavior of the papists. Archbishop visits his dio-
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-
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 Hum-
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.

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 coufederacy.-
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.

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