There exists within historical scholarship a natural bias towards the great and the powerful. Historians have always concerned themselves with the affairs of leading politicians, society figures and churchmen, persons who by their very nature have tended to leave the most visible testimony to their own importance. Yet, in order to speak with authority, the student of history must also investigate the lower levels of society, asking questions concerning the economic, social and religious practices of ordinary people. The study of English Dissent during its most expansionist and popular phase accords well with this aim, promising to shed light upon the religious habits and circumstances of a large section of English society at a critical point in its evolution. It has the additional attraction of offering authoritative detail chosen from the rich and largely untapped resources of local history.

Yet mere localism, however carefully employed, is inadequate for the wider task. It cannot support useful generalizations. It can only point with certainty to the situation prevailing in a given area. In seeking to avoid this limitation this study attempts to investigate a wide variety of contrasting localities, making equal use of local and national records, as well as the written material left by individuals. The use of these records, drawn as they have been from all parts of the country, has rendered my obligations to individuals and institutions very extensive, and I would like, therefore, in the following paragraphs to record my thanks to those who have helped me.