Confessional Identity in Early Stuart England: The “Prayer Book Puritanism” of Elizabeth Isham

2011/01/01 by Isaac Stephens
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Reformation and Early Modern Christianity #American Constitutional Law and Politics #Scottish History and National Identity

paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/656675

Abstract

Let me leave upon Record to the shame of England; That all this is not meerly through idleness, because they will not be at the pains to serve God, but it is out of a bitter enmity to his Word and wayes; for they will be at more pains then this in any way that is evil, or in any worship of mans devising: They are as zealous for Crosses, and Surplices, Processions and Perambulations, reading of a Gospel at a cross way, the observation of Holidays, and Fasting days, the repeating of the Letany, or the like forms in the Common Prayer [Book]. 1 I n his pointed critique, Richard Baxter presaged conventional historical wis- dom-Puritans were intensely hostile to the Book of Common Prayer. Of course, there is considerable evidence to warrant such a conclusion. Two early fathers of the Puritan community, John Field and Thomas Wilcox, proved uncomplimentary in 1572: "We must nedes say as foloweth, that this [Prayer] boke is an unperfect boke, culled and picked out of that popishe dunghil, the . .

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