The History of Lynn, Vol. 2 [of 2]

Transcribed from the 1812 W. G. Whittingham edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org
Civil , Ecclesiastical , Political , Commercial , Biographical , Municipal , and Military ,
FROM THE EARLIEST ACCOUNTS TO THE PRESENT TIME, INTERSPERSED With occasional remarks on such national occurrences as may serve to elucidate the real state of the town, or the manners, character, and condition of the inhabitants at different periods.
TO WHICH IS PREFIXED A COPIOUS INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF ITS Situation , Harbour , Rivers , Inland Trade and Navigation , the Ancient and Modern State OF Marshland, Wisbeach, and the Fens, AND Whatever is most remarkable, memorable, or interesting, in other parts of the adjacent country.
IN TWO VOLUMES. BY WILLIAM RICHARDS , M.A.
Honorary member of the Pennsylvania Society , for promoting the Abolition of Slavery , and the relief of free Negroes unlawfully held in bondage .
VOL. II.
LYNN: PRINTED BY W. G. WHITTINGHAM, AND SOLD BY R. BALDWIN; PATERNOSTER ROW; LONDON.
1812.
Miscellaneous remarks on the Reformation—its rise and progress on the continent—introduction into this island, and effects upon this town.
The reformation formed a new era in the history of the world, and was one of those mighty revolutionary events which have a most extensive and lasting effect on the affairs and destinies of mankind. But men have been ever since greatly divided in their ideas and judgments concerning it. While some have hailed it as a most happy, admirable, and glorious event, fraught with heaven’s choicest blessings, it has been deemed by others, and even by a large majority of the inhabitants of christendom, as an exceedingly unfortunate, pernicious, and execrable occurrence, which has produced all manner of mischief, and, like the opening of Pandora’s box, filled the world with calamities and miseries innumerable. The learned and the wise, as well as the illiterate and fly foolish, have been found among each of these opposite and contending parties: their respective opinions and allegations must therefore be entitled to a serious and candid hearing. But it is not intended here to go deeply or largely into this disputed subject: nor would it well accord with the plan or design of this publication. Some cursory hints, however, on a few of the most prominent facts will not, it is presumed, be either impertinent or uninstructive.