CONTENTS
Volume I
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
I. THE PURITAN WAY OP LIFE
1. The Puritan in His Age
2. The Spirit of the Age
3. Puritan Humanism
4. The Essential Issue
5. Estimations
II. THE PURITANS AS LITERARY ARTISTS
Chapter I
HISTORY
Readings
WILLIAM BRADFORD
History of Plymouth Plantation
THOMAS SHEPARD
A Defence of the Answer
FRANCIS HIGGINSON
New Englands Plantation
JOHN WINTHROP
Journal: The Landing at Salem
The Antinomian Crisis
EDWARD JOHNSON
Wonder-working Providence
COTTON MATHER
A General Introduction
Chapter II
THE THEORY OF THE STATE AND OF SOCIETY
Readings
JOHN WINTHROP
A Modell of Christian Charity
A Defence of an Order of Court
Journal
Speech to the General Court
JOHN COTTON
Letter to Lord Say and Seal
Llimitation of Government
ROGER WILLIAMS
The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution
Letter to the Town of Providence
NATHANIEL WARD
The Simple Cobler of Aggawam
JONATHAN MITCHELL
Nehemiah on the Wall
WILLIAM STOUGHTON
New-Englands True Interest
WILLIAM HUBBARD
The Happiness of a People
SAMUEL WILLARD
The Character of a Good Ruler
JOHN WISE
Vindication
JOHN BARNARD
The Throne Established by Righteousness
JONATHAN MAYHEW
A Discourse concerning Unlimited Submission
Chapter III
THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT
Readings
THOMAS HOOKER
A True Sight of Sin
Meditation
Wandering Thoughts
Repentant Sinners and Their Ministers
JOHN COTTON
Swine and Goats
Hypocrites and Saints
Wading in Grace
Christian Calling
Purchasing Christ
INCREASE MATHER
Predestination and Human Exertions
Man Knows Not His Time
Sleeping at Sermons
URIAN OAKES
The Sovereign Efficacy of Divine Providence
JOSHUA MOODY
Souldiery Spiritualized
SAMUEL WILLARD
Saints Not Known by Externals
The Death of a Saint
Degenerating New England
SAMUEL SEWALL
Phænomena
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
Volume II
Chapter IV
MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND BEHAVIOR
Readings
JOHN SMITH
The Sea Marke
Advertisement for the Unexperienced Planters
THOMAS LEGHFORD
Plain Dealing
JASPER DANCKAERTS
Journal
INCREASE MATHER
An Arrow against Profane and Promiscuous Dancing
JOHN DUNTON
Letters
SARAH KEMBLE KNIGHT
The Journal of Madam Knight
JOSEPH GREEN
Extracts from Diary
COTTON MATHER
The Accomplished Singer
SOLOMON STODDARD
An Answer to Some Cases of Conscience
Chapter V
BIOGRAPHIES AND LETTERS
Readings
JOHN WINTHROP
Letters of the Winthrops
THOMAS SHEPARD
Autobiography
ROGER WILLIAMS
Letters
INCREASE MATHER
The Life of Richard Mather
COTTON MATHER
Life of John Eliot
SAMUEL SEWALL
Diary
JOHN WILLIAMS
The Redeemed Captive
EBENEZER TURELL
Benjamin Colman
Jane Turell
Chapter VI
POETRY
Readings
JOHN WILSON
The London Plague
THE BAY PSALM BOOK
Psalms,
ANNE BRADSTREET
Spring
Contemplations
The Flesh and the Spirit
To My Dear and Loving Husband
A Letter to Her Husband
Meditations
Longing for Heaven
NATHANIEL WARD, JOHN ROGERS, AND JOHN NORTON
On Mrs. Bradstreet’s Tenth Muse (Ward)
Upon Mrs. Anne Bradstreet (Rogers)
A Funeral Elogy (Norton)
MICHAEL WIGGLESWORTH
A Prayer
The Day of Doom
A Short Discourse on Eternity
A Song of Emptiness
God’s Controversy with New-England
Meat Out of the Eater
Light in Darkness
Strength in Weakness
Poor Men’s Wealth
Heavenly Crowns for Thorny Wreaths
EDWARD JOHNSON
Two Epitaphs
SAMUEL BRADSTREET AND DANIEL RUSSELL
Two Almanac Poems
BENJAMIN TOMPSON
New Englands Crisis
URIAN OAKES
An Elegy
EDWARD TAYLOR
Poetical Works
Preparatory Meditations
ROGER WOLCOTT
Poetical Meditations
A Brief Account of Winthrop
MATHER BYLES
An Hymn to Christ
Chapter VII
LITERARY THEORY
Readings
THE BAY PSALM BOOK
The Preface
THOMAS HOOKER
A Survey of the Summe of Church Discipline
MICHAEL WIGGLESWORTH
The Prayse of Eloquence
COTTON MATHER
Psalterium Americanum
JOHN BULKLEY
Wolcott’s Poetical Meditations
COTTON MATHER
Of Poetry and Style
MATHER BYLES
Bombastic and Grubstreet Style
Chapter VIII
EDUCATION
Readings
NEW ENOLANDS FIRST FRUITS
In Respect of the College
CHARLES CHAUNCY
A Commencement Sermon
LEONARD HOAR
Letter to His Nephew
THOMAS SHEPARD, JR
Letter to His Son
INCREASE MATHER
A Presidential Address
COTTON MATHER
An Elegy on Ezekiel Cheever
Some Special Points Relating to Education
Chapter IX
SCIENCE
Readings
SAMUEL DANFORTH
An Astronomical Description
JOHN WINTHROP, JR
Letter concerning Some Natural Curiosities
LEONARD HOAR
Letter to Robert Boyle
NOADIAH RUSSELL AND WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Concerning Lightning and Thunder
Concerning the Nature of Comets
PAUL DUDLEY
Method of Making Maple Sugar
Method for Discovering where Bees Hive
COTTON MATHER
The Christian Philosopher
THOMAS BRATTLE
The Witchcraft Delusion
ZABDIEL BOYLSTON
The Way of Proceeding in Small Pox
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHIES
INDEX
Illustrations
Volume I
Portrait of Richard Mather
Map of New England
Letter of John Winthrop to His Wife
Title Page of Nathaniel Ward’s The Simple Cobler
Volume II
Page of Samuel Sewall’s Diary
Letter of Margaret Winthrop to Her Husband
Page of Edward Taylor’s Manuscript
Broadside of Theses for a Harvard Commencement, 1678
The Map of New England has been prepared especially for this volume. The page of Taylor’s manuscript is reproduced through the courtesy of Yale University Library. All the other reproductions are by courtesy of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
