term “the godly.”^35 John Coffey and Paul Lim introduce their study of Puritanism by
using five themes to describe and frame a clearer perspective of this term. They
maintain that Puritans were descendants of the Reformation, with Calvinistic roots,
who originated within the Church of England, who eventually proved to be divisive
and that their influence quickly overflowed into the European context.^36 While
scholars continue to wrestle and wrangle over definitions and boundaries and wonder
who might or might not have been Puritans John Spurr helpfully comments “that the
puritans [themselves] could recognize each other as brethren.”^37 Therefore, it may be
valuable to listen to how John Geree, a self-described Puritan, who spoke of himself
and others associated with this term, saying:
The Old English Puritane was such an one that honoured God above all, and
under God gave every one his due. His first care was to serve God, and therein he did not what was good in his own, but in God’s sight, making the
word of God the rule of his worship. He highly esteemed order in the House
of God: but would not under colour of that submit to superstitious rites ... He
was much in prayer; with it he began and closed the day. In it he was
exercised in his closet, family and publike assembly. He esteemed that
manner of praier best, where by the gift of God, expressions were varied
according to present wants and occasions; Yet he did not account setunlawful. Therefore in that circumstance of the Church he did not wholly -forms
reject the liturgy but the corruption of it. He esteemed reading of the word an
ordinance of God both in private and publike; but he did not account reading
to be preaching ... The Lord’s day he esteemed a divine ordinance, and rest on
it necessary so far as it conduced to holinesse. He was very conscientious in
the observance of that day as the Mart day of the Soul... The Lords Supper he
accounted part of his soul’s food: to which he laboured to keep an appetite.
He esteemed it an ordinance of nearest communion with Christ, and so requiring most exact preparation... His family he endeavoured to make a
Church, both in regard of persons and exercises, admitting none into it but
such as feared God; and labouring that those that were born in it, might be
born again to God...He was a man of a tender heart, not only in regard of his
own sin, but others misery, not counting mercy arbitrary, but a necessary
(^35) Collinson, Godly People (^) , 1- (^) 17; Tom Webster, Godly Clergy, esp. 3, 4, 95-121; and
Ann Hughes, “Frustrations of Godly.” 36
Coffey and Lim, Cambridge Companion to Puritanism, 2-7. The final point of
expansion will be evident in later d (^37) Spurr, English Puritanism, 8. iscussions involving the Dutch Nadere Reformatie.