Abstract
This article traces the politics surrounding the ejection of Isaac Allen as rector of Prestwich in Lancashire during the mid sixteen-forties. The political crises of the late sixteen-thirties and the early sixteen-forties, combined with local difficulties, led to strained relations between Allen, a ‘moderate’ puritan, and some lay puritans within the parish. During the first English civil war, these opponents attempted to secure the rector's removal on the basis of accusations of royalist allegiance. The article examines Allen's reactions to these allegations, as he portrayed himself as a clergyman who craved peace and order.
Highlights
Puritanism has long been seen as one of the driving forces as England headed towards civil war in the early sixteen-forties, as religious conviction prompted individuals to support parliament in their armed opposition to King Charles I.1 Yet, many puritans did not make an inevitable journey into parliamentarianism in 1642, but rather, the puritan body fractured
This article traces the politics surrounding the ejection of Isaac Allen as rector of Prestwich in Lancashire during the mid sixteen-forties.The political crises of the late sixteen-thirties and the early sixteen-forties, combined with local difficulties, led to strained relations between Allen, a ‘moderate’ puritan, and some lay puritans within the parish
Many puritans did not make an inevitable journey into parliamentarianism in 1642, but rather, the puritan body fractured
Summary
Puritanism has long been seen as one of the driving forces as England headed towards civil war in the early sixteen-forties, as religious conviction prompted individuals to support parliament in their armed opposition to King Charles I.1 Yet, many puritans did not make an inevitable journey into parliamentarianism in 1642, but rather, the puritan body (itself far from homogeneous) fractured.
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