The fathers of Nonconformity in England were
no advocates of loose and irregular practises in the
celebration of religious rites. They discarded
the offensive Liturgy of the prelates^ not to abandon
all forms^ but to substitute a pure> simple^ and
evangelical form, which had been established and
approved by all the *^ best reformed churches."

And there is reason to believe that this adoption
of the Calvinistic mode of worship, was universal
among the first congregations of the Nonconform-
ists. In the preceding chapter we have seen,
that many, if not all, of those preachers who, under
the reign of Elizabeth, were tried and punished
for the crime of separation from the Established
Church, had been in the habit of performing
worship according to the ^^ Form used at Geneva."
It was not until a much later day, that this
invaluable Liturgy began to fall into neglect ; and
that doubtless owing rather to the disorders of the
times, than to any change of sentiment regarding
the proper celebration of Divine worship. Even



WORSHIP OF THE EARLY PURITANS. 153

as we shall hereafter see, in the days of Calamy
and Baxter, that prejudice against ritual services
which is commonly imputed to the Puritans, had
not yet spread throughout their body.
