51 When the dawne of the gospell began to breake upon this isle, afte,r the darke midnight of papacy, the morning was more cloudy here then in other places by reason of the state interest, which was mixing and working itselfe into the interes t of religion, and which in tbe end quite wrought it ont. King Henry the Eighth, who by his royall authority cast out the pope, did not intend the people of the land should have any ease of oppression, but only change their fon·eigne yoake for homebred fe tters, deviding the pope's spoyles bctweene bimselfe and his bishops, who cared not for their father at Rome, so long as they enioy'tl their pa trimony and their honors here under another head: soe t hat I cannot subscribe to those who entitle that king to the honor of the reformation. But even then there wanted not many who disccrn'd the corruptions that were retcin'J in the church, and eagerly applied their endeavours to obteinc a purer reformation, against whom those who saw no need of further reformation, through exccsse of ioy for that which was allready brought forth, or else through a secret love of superstition rooted in their hearts, thought this too much, were bitterly incens'd, and hating that light which n~proov'd their darknesse, every where stirr'd up spiritts of envy and persecution against them. Upon the grea te revolution which tooke place at the accession of Queene E lizabeth Lo the crown, the nation became divided into three greate fac tions, the papist, the state protestan t, and the more religious zelotts, who afterward were branded with the name of Puritane. I n vaine it was for these to addresse to the queene and the parliament; for the bishops, under the specious pretences of uniformity and obedience, procur'tl severe punishments to be inflicted on such as dmst gainsay their de termina.tions in all things concerning worship, whereupon some even in those godly dayes lost their lives. many obscure points, and, from being so much concentrated, will be useful and acceptab le to many. as servi ng to fix a general and just idea of the public mind, us. well as transactions) in the times of which she treats.
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