Neal's History of the Puritans - v. 8 Author:Daniel Neal Volume: v. 8 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1811 Original Publisher: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; and Robinson and Son, Leeds Subjects: Puritans Protestantism England Great Britain History / Europe / Great Britain History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775) Religion / Chr... more »istianity / History Religion / Christianity / Protestant Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: Ridley being now Bishop of London, resolved upon a , visitation of his diocese. His injunctions were as usual, to enquire into the doctrines and manners of the clergy; but the council sent hhn a letter in his Majesty's nan; e, to see that all altars were taken down, and to require the churchwardens of every parish to provide a table decently covered, Mid to place it in such part of the choir or fchancel as should be most meet, so that the ministers and commumcants should be separated from the rest of the people. Ridley, Cranmer, Latimer, and the rest of the English reformers, were unanimously of opinion, that the retaining of altars would serve only to nourish the superstitious , opinion of a propitiatory mass, and would minister an occasion of offence and division among the reformed; and ihe next age will shew they were not mistaken in their conjectures. But some of the Bishops refused to comply with the council's order; insisting on the apostle's words to the Hebrews, " We have an altar," and rather than comply, they suffered themselves to be deprived of their bishoprics for contumacy. Preachers were sent into the rountry to remove the people's prejudice, which had a very good effect; and if they had taken the same methods with respect to the habits, and other relics of popery; these w...« less