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Some thoughts on the development of a lay religious consciousness in pre-Civil-War England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 March 2016

Marc L. Schwarz
Marc L. Schwarz*
Affiliation:
University of New Hampshire
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Extract

One of the most significant aspects of the religious literature written in England in the critical half-century before the Long Parliament was the considerable contribution made by lay writers. Whatever belief one chooses, Anglicanism, Puritanism, mysticism, skepticism, rationalism, deism, a lay representative can be found who espoused it. Whatever type of writing one selects, devotional books, spiritual biographies, polemics, ecclesiastical histories, legal studies, a search of the Short Title Catalogue would readily bring to light a layman who produced such works. From the pietist John Norden to the firebrand William Prynne, to the contemplative moderate Lucius Cary, Viscount Falkland, the age abounds with a rich variety of lay religious opinion.

Type
Research Article
Information
Studies in Church History , Volume 8: Popular Belief and Practice , 1972 , pp. 171 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Ecclesiastical History Society 1972

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References

page no 171 note 1 The persistence of this clerical attitude is noted in William, Haller, The Rise of Puritanism (New York 1938) p 172 Google Scholar, and Charles, and Katherine, George, The Protestant Mind of the English Reformation, 1570-1640 (Princeton 1961) pp 325-6Google Scholar.

page no 172 note 1 John, Norden, A Sinfvill Mans Solace (London 1585) ‘The Epistle Dedicatorie’Google Scholar.

page no 172 note 2 See also Pollard, A. W., ‘The Unity of John Norden: Surveyor and Religious Writer’, The Library, VII, 3 (London 1926) pp 233-52, 240Google Scholar. Professor Pollard also points out that in Norden’s later works he continued to dwell on this theme. Ibid, pp 248-9.

page no 173 note 1 SirThomas, Browne, Religio Medici and Other Writings (London 1965) p 7 Google Scholar.

page no 173 note 2 Ibid, p 3.

page no 174 note 1 SirFrancis, Rous, The Diseases of the Time Attended by Their Remedies (London 1622) pp 189-90Google Scholar.

page no 174 note 2 SirEdwin, Sandys, Evropae Specvlvm, or a View or Survey of the State of Religion in the Westerne Parts of the World (The Hague 1629) pp 27, 34 Google Scholar.

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page no 174 note 4 See Letters between the Ld. George Digby and Sir Kenelm Digby Kt. Concerning Religion (London 1651) p 4, and Lucius, Cary, viscount, Falkland, Of the infallibtilitie of the Church of Rome (Oxford 1645) pp 5–9 Google Scholar.

page no 174 note 5 William, Prynne, Anri-Arminianisme or the Church of Englands old antithesis to New Arminianisme (London 1630) ‘Epistle Dedicatorie’Google Scholar.

page no 175 note 1 The Table Talk of John Seiden, ed Reynolds, Samuel H. (Oxford 1892) p 175 Google Scholar.

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page no 175 note 3 Edward, , Lord Herbert of Cherbury, The Life and Reigne of King Henry the Eighth (London 1672) p 321 Google Scholar.

page no 176 note 1 William, Prynne, A Briefe Survey and Censure of Mr. Cozens His Couzening Devotions (London 1628) ‘The Epistle’Google Scholar.

page no 176 note 2 Ibid.

page no 176 note 3 William, Prynne, Tlie Perpetvitie of a Regenerate Mans Estate (London 1626)Google Scholar ‘To the Christian Reader.’ Some copies of the 1626 edition do not include this preface.

page no 177 note 1 John, Seiden, The Historie of Tithes (London 1618) p xvii Google Scholar.

page no 177 note 2 Ibid, p xx.

page no 177 note 3 The Works of Sir Francis Bacon, ed James, Spedding, x (London 1868) p 103 Google Scholar.