[Gutenberg 51561] • Puritanism and Liberty (1603-1660) / Third Edition

This book offers a fascinating and extensive revelation of Puritan minds in action. It centres on the famous Putney Debates (1647) on political liberty; and the Whitehall Debates (1648) on religious tolerance.

Here are the actual words of Cromwell and Ireton, and of the Levellers Sexby, Rainborough, Wildman and Lilburne, as they were uttered in often heated argument. Selections from over fifty pamphlets and other contemporary documents outline the historical context of the discussions; and supplementary material contains the relevant principles of Calvin and Luther, of Milton and Roger Williams, of john Goodwin, William Del and other Puritan ministers, of Overton and the Levellers, and of Winstanley and the Diggers.