New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-25
PURITANISM.
FROM THE QUARREL ABOUT vEsTMENTs
TO PLYMOUTH ROCK.

PURITANIsM IN THE OLD WORLD AMP in
IT. THE NEW i, Pr9 9Re is Of the
tan Theocracy in New-England HistOr,cS
intT@s%saon ~ BY 'S the Rev Amory Bradford
PIP H. 4O6 Fleming H Reveil COMPANY.
The name Puritan. says the author OF 'n'S ooon
els not much more than three hundred years oiu'
But that which 1t describes Is to his mind oider
than Christianity Itself. The prophets OF the oia
Testament were Purtans of the most earnest hi,u
But in the sixteenth century there were epe0'"
causes for an awakening like that OF furi'a"s'"
These causes were the influence Of the Reformation,
The influence of the Bible then newly rahsia'eu
into the language of everyday lfe' the grown VI
the epirit of freedom and the assertion Oh hperS
az conscience and the necessity OF separation from
the Church as established by law Mr. gregory 10
positive In distinguishing between the ChuIe" y.
England. dating from Henry VIII. and the Chuic"
in England which before the Reformation pro-
fessed allegiance to the Pope. HIS cohten'o" "
that the only link between these two was the pos
session Of abuses in common Puritahisr, inc PT
test against these abuses sprang up hrst III inc So
of the Netherlands. In England IL reVeaieu i''e.'
first in the outspoken contempt OF Johh iioope''
Rishop of Gloucester. for the "oId syhiooiiA'i's
pon,sh garments" the yestments of the preiacy.
He consented to these at his consecraton o"y
with the understanding that ne might 'ne" .a''
them aside. His martyrdom IN the reign VI ~
strengthened In the end the party WIFI" ia"
formed under his leadership. Under the sway OF
crnde, carried on the conflict which Hooper began
level IN a letter to Peter Martyr gathered vest
ments and ceremonies under single cohteihp'uou'
phrase about 1.-THE scenic apparatus OF dVihe "or-
ship" ,,.,.,
pur,tonism sought also to destroy the prelacy as
W. source Of all ceremony. 1t resented the oroad
dst,nction made between clergy and laity anu
rlored in that saying Of Lacordaire, -" mere 'neie
is the love Of God there Is Jesus CHRIST anu "ieie
Jesus Christ is there Is the Church with HIM Inc
.x,,s IN Mary's time, the return under Eizape.h'
m. growing conflicts within the Kingdom anu 'he
reneated threats from without only Increased the
numbers Of the Puritans. For the tune AT iea''
they stood forth the very impersoha'ioh anu
fence of ideas that were characterlsucdly Ens,'
II was said Of them by Jesuit three years pe.o.e
IN. Armada. 1.-The only party that would hgh' 10
~. dsath for the Queen, the only real frends she
had were the Puritans-the Puritans OF LONDON
the Puritans Of the sea towns But 'hey were a'so
disturbers Of the Queens peace. lhey chei'sne'
q thought which she could not Tolerate 'hat 'iie
Church needed king or queen at It's heau DIS n.''o
as II needed the Pope. Strong as they were 'hey
-. .,u only a minority of the English people
rha,r attacks on ancient custom and TRADITION met
q fierce response In the Acts OF supremacy anu
Uniformity People were comHanueu W
Worship only the second Prayer BOOK OF I>u""iu
VI and they were fined shilling Neariy - w. a"
lowing for the change in the value or money! each
for every absence from church service without
satisfactory excuse. This law OF uniformity was
vigorously enforced though it wrought mischel anu
nothing else in both Church and state III 'iie
900. worsh,n Of those who refused to obey the
law began that Dissent and Nonconformity which
have since divided the English nation. what furi-
ten,sn, sought to accomplish within the Church was
now 10 be brought about only in the rivalry oil sec
Most Christians hesitated to acknowledge 'i'S
disunion in those times. But there We're lhose cary
and late in England-for example Wicnne IN me
middle of the thirteenth century-who sa" lar iesS
harm in thoroughgong independence than IN mere
~ external agreement. The Independents OF Inv
sixteenth century made practical what was only
theory with the English Reformer Ihey heiu tne
local CONGREGATION to be supreme in its own anairs
Thus step by step was evolved that conception OF
freedom which gives sacredness to the little May
flower and its group Of Pilgrims, Millions 'faith-
mi and freeborn Englishmen." whom nothing but
The wide ocean and the savage deserts Of America
ou,d hide and shelter from the fury Of the bishops
America owes much to Them and Mr.. gregory
book is a vigorous reminder that back OF them there
was long struggle upward from piind uhreaso"i"s
obedience to conscious freedom