Chap. II. ?he HISTORY of the PURITANS. 55 I. That in mattes of faith, the firft reformers followed the doftrine of St. King AUSTIN, in the controverted points of original fin, przdeftination, juftifi -Ed 1553 VI. cation by fai-h alone, effeftual grace, and good works. wtiJ 2. That they were not fatisfied with the prefent difcipline of the church, Remarks. though they thought they might Cubmit to it, till it fhould be amended by the authority of the legiflature. 3. That they believed only two orders of church-men in holy fcripture, (viz.) biflaops and deacons; and confequently, that bithops and priefts were different ranks or degrees of the fame order. 4. That they gave the right-hand of fellowfhip to foreign churches, and to minifters that had not been ordained by bithops ; there being no difpute about re-ordination in order to any church preferment, till the latter end of queen Elizabeth's reign. In all which points many of our modern church -men have departed from them. C H A P. III. The Reign of kueen MARY. ITwill appear in the courfe of this reign, that an abfolute fupremacy Mary,. over the confciences of men, lodged with a (Ingle perfon, may as well 1553 be prejudicial as ferviceable to true religion: For if king Henry VIII. and his fon kingEdward VI. reformed tome abufes by theirfupremacy, againft the inclinations of the majority of the people, queen Mary made Life of the fame power, to turn things back into their old channel, till the had reftored the groffeft and molt idolatrous part of popery. This was begun by pro- clamations and orders of council, till her majefty could procure a parlia- ment difpofed to repeal king Edward's laws, which the quickly found means to accomplilh. 'Tis ftrange indeed, that when there was but feven or eight peers that oppofed the reformation under king Edward, the fame houfe of lords Ihould almoft all turn papifts in the reign of queen Mary; but as to the commons 'tis lefs wonderful, becaufe they are changeable, and the court took care to new model the returning officers in the cities and corpo-
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