The Origins of Puritanism in England IV

Cambridge became the center of "low church" Calvinist Anglicans. The university had a connection to continental Reformed figures such as Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr Vermigli; Henry Bullinger of Zurich, the successor to Zwingli there, kept up an extensive correspondence with the Cambridge faculty. William Perkins (1558-1602) became the chief Cambridge Calvinist. He was something of a father-mentor to the later Puritans; while not often recognized in his own right, his influence on succeeding generations was immense. Cambridge Calvinism was characterized by its preference for logic and orderliness in theology and for a desire to apply theological principles practically to the everyday life of the Christian. Thus, it produced a whole new, integrated outlook on the Christian life.

Tomorrow: Differences over church government.