Aristotle praised moderation as a virtue. Given how much polarization there is in American politics right now, I concur with Aristotle’s sentiment. In Christian parlance, moderation is closely aligned with the biblical word “temperance.”
Edward Reynolds (1599-1676) was a Puritan with moderate sympathies. One Puritan described him as a “solid, honest man with considerable mildness.” As one of the few Puritans who accepted an appointment as a Church of England bishop, Edward exercised considerable restraint in his leadership role. While many bishops wanted to punish nonconformists, he welcomed them, even permitting ministers who refused to sign the Act of Uniformity to preach in vacant pulpits. Once, while dining at the bishop’s table at a ministerial gathering, he courteously accompanied nonconformist John Cromwell to the door, much to the scorn and ridicule of his fellow bishops. Edward challenged their uncharitable conduct, declaring that Cromwell “had more solid divinity in his little finger than they had in their whole bodies.” Earlier, when he served as dean at the University of Oxford, Edward refused to sign the politically charged “statement of engagement,” for which he was expelled from his position. He left his dean’s residence (called a deanery) willingly. Mary, his wife, was not so obliging. She had to be carried out of the deanery in her chair!
One objection Puritans had to the Church of England’s prayer book was the dearth of thanksgiving prayers. Edward supplied what has become known as “the Great Thanksgiving,” which was added to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He wrote of prayer, “Let our chief prayer be, ‘Lord, make us happy people by being our God.’”