eft beyonde
y^e seas, but at her death these people returning into England under
gracious queene Elizabeth, many of them being preferred to bishopricks &
other promotions, according to their aimes and desires, that inveterate
hatered against y^e holy discipline of Christ in his church hath
continued to this day. In somuch that for fear [4] it should preveile,
all plotts & devices have been used to keepe it out, incensing y^e
queene & state against it as dangerous for y^e co[=m]on wealth; and that
it was most needfull y^t y^e fundamentall poynts of Religion should be
preached in those ignorante & superstitious times; and to wi[=n]e y^e
weake & ignorante, they might retaine diverse harmles ceremoneis; and
though it were to be wished y^t diverse things were reformed, yet this
was not a season for it. And many the like, to stop y^e mouthes of y^e
more godly, to bring them over to yeeld to one ceremoney after another,
and one corruption after another; by these wyles begyleing some &
corrupting others till at length they begane to persecute all y^e
zealous professors in y^e land (though they knew little what this
discipline mente) both by word & deed, if they would not submitte to
their ceremonies, & become slaves to them & their popish trash, which
have no ground in y^e word of God, but are relikes of y^t man of sine.
And the more y^e light of y^e gospell grew, y^e more y^ey urged their
subscriptions to these corruptions. So as (notwithstanding all their
former pretences & fair colures) they whose eyes God had not justly
blinded might easily see wherto these things tended. And to cast
contempte the more upon y^e sincere servants of God, they opprobriously
& most injuriously gave unto, & imposed upon them, that name of
Puritans, which [it] is said the Novatians out of prid did assume &
take unto themselves.[E] And lamentable it is to see y^e effects which
have followed. Religion hath been disgraced, the godly greeved,
afflicted, persecuted, and many exiled, sundrie have lost their lives in
prisones & otherways. On the other hand, sin hath been countenanced,
ignorance, profannes, & atheisme increased, & the papists encouraged to
hope againe for a day.

This made that holy man Mr. Perkins[F] crie out in his exhortation to
repentance, upon Zeph. 2. _Religion_ (saith he) _hath been amongst us
this 35. years; but the more it is published, the more it is contemned &
reproached of many, &c. Thus not prophanes nor wickednes, but Reli