The English Puritans

Publisher's note.

The Reformation in England brought fundamental doctrine back into line with the teaching of the Bible. Catholic practice, however, was retained in the Episcopal system enshrined in the Church of England. The Puritan movement sought to further reform the organisation of the church, abandoning the hierarchical system of leadership and striving to implement a more biblical pattern. This book by John Brown (1830-1922) charts the history of the Puritan movement to the point of its fall as a mechanism for constitutional change in England. The movement as an idea outlived the period covered in this book, finding expression in the development of nonconformist churches but this is not covered here. Rather than the narrow caricature so commonly believed regarding the Puritans, we see their true motivation and willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice for the things they believed so fervently.