ABSTRACT
Religion permeated every aspect of English society in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The pattern of the cosmos, the history and destiny of the world, and the ordering of social, political and domestic relationships were all explained in biblical and theological terms. Christianity provided a system for understanding, a framework for discussion, and a vocabulary for the expression of complex notions, from the governance of the self to the governance of the state, from Christian dealing in the market place to proper conduct on the Sabbath. Faith and ritual affected people at many different levels, making spiritual, intellectual, emotional and visceral appeals. Public and private affairs alike were deeply infused by religion.
