The History of the Puritans from the Reformation in 1517 to the Revolution in 1688

Our Puritan ancestors were mighty in the things of God. We are little aware of the debt of gratitude which we owe to these defenders of civil and religious liberty – that trial by jury is the law of the land, that the press is free, that we are governed by laws which we help to make, that life and liberty are respected, and above all that we can quietly and peaceably worship God according to the dictates of conscience – we owe to the Puritans.

First published in 1732, The History of the Puritans (originally 5 vols.) has been a historical standard on the life and times of the Puritan fathers. In it the influence of the Puritans in England is carefully documented and traced over the course of over a hundred years, beginning with the time of Henry the VIII. Daniel Neal, a minister and historian, tracks the Puritans’ effects on politics and social change, resulting in a dynamic and contextual exploration of this time frame.

This abridged edition, in one volume, has been edited by G F Main from the Palmer abridged edition (1811) with additions from the Tegg/Toulman edition (1837) and with reference to the first edition (1732-38)