THE PURITANS A Sourcebook of Their Writings Two Volumes Bound as One
Edited by Perry Miller and Thomas H.Johnson
DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC. Mineola, New York CONTENTS Volume / GENERAL INTRODUCTION I. THE PURITAN WAY OF LIFE i 1. The Puritan in His Age, i 2. The Spirit of the Age, 5 3. Puritan Humanism, 19 4. The Essential Issue, 41 5. Estimations, 55 II. THE PURITANS AS LITERARY ARTISTS 64 Chapter I HISTORY 81 Readings WILLIAM BRADFORD go History of Plymouth Plantation, 91 THOMAS SHEPARD 117 A Defence of the Answer, 118 FRANCIS HIOOINSON 122 New Englands Plantation, 123 JOHN WINTHROP 125 Journal: The Landing at Salem, 126 The Antinomian Crisis, 129 EDWARD JOHNSON 143 Wonder-working Providence, 143 COTTON MATHER 162 A General Introduction, 163 Chapter II THE THEORY OF THE STATE AND OF SOCIETY 181 Readings JOHN WINTHROP 194 A Modell of Christian Charity, 195 A Defence of an Order of Court, 199 Journal, 202 Speech to the General Court, 205 JOHN COTTON 207 Letter to Lord Say and Seal, 209 Limitation of Government, 212 ix x Contents
ROGER WILLIAMS 214 The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, 216 Letter to the Town of Providence, 224 NATHANIEL WARD 225 The Simple Cobler of Aggawam, 226 JONATHAN MITCHELL 237 Nehemiah on the Wall, 237 WILLIAM STOUOHTON 243 New-Englands True Interest, 243 WILLIAM HUBBARD 246 The Happiness of a People, 247 SAMUEL WILLARD 250 The Character of a Good Ruler, 250 JOHN WISE 256 Vindication, 257 JOHN BARNARD 270 The Throne Established by Righteousness, 270 JONATHAN MAYHEW 277 A Discourse concerning Unlimited Submission, 277
Chapter III THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT 281
THOMAS HOOKER 290 A True Sight of Sin, 292 Meditation, 301 Wandering Thoughts, 306 Repentant Sinners and Their Ministers, 309 JOHN COTTON 314 Swine and Goats, 314 Hypocrites and Saints, 316 Wading in Grace, 318 Christian Calling, 319 Purchasing Christ, 327 INCREASE MATHER 334 Predestination and Human Exertions, 335 Man Knows Not His Time, 340 Sleeping at Sermons, 348 URIAN OAKES 350 The Sovereign Efficacy of Divine Providence, 350 JOSHUA MOODY 367 Souldiery Spiritualized, 367 Contents
SAMUEL WILLARD Saints Not Known by Externals, 369 The Death of a Saint, 371 Degenerating New England, 374 SAMUEL SEWALL Phaenomena, 376 NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHIES xxix
Volume II
Chapter IV MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND BEHAVIOR. . . 379 Readings JOHN SMITH 395 The Sea Marke, 395 Advertisement for the Unexperienced Planters, 396 THOMAS LECHFORD 401 Plain Dealing, 401 JASPER DANCKAERTS 403 Journal, 404 INCREASE MATHER 411 An Arrow against Profane and Promiscuous Dancing, 411 JOHN DUNTON 413 Letters, 414 SARAH KEMBLE KNIGHT 425 The Journal of Madam Knight, 425 JOSEPH GREEN 447 Extracts from Diary, 448 COTTON MATHER 450 The Accomplished Singer, 451 SOLOMON STODDARD .... 453 An Answer to Some Cases of Conscience, 454 xii Contents Chapter V BIOGRAPHIES AND LETTERS 459 Readings JOHN WINTHROP 4^5 Letters of the Winthrops, 465 THOMAS SHEPARD 471 Autobiography, 471 ROGER WILLIAMS 475 Letters, 475 INCREASE MATHER 489 The Life of Richard Mather, 489 COTTON MATHER 496 Life of John Eliot, 497 SAMUEL SEWALL 511 Diary, 511 JOHN WILLIAMS 530 The Redeemed Captive, 530 EBENEZER TURELL 536 Benjamin Colman, 536 Jane Turell, 541 Chapter VI POETRY 545 Readings JOHN WILSON 552 The London Plague, 553 THE BAY PSALM BOOK 555 Psalms, 556 ANNE BRADSTREET 561 Spring, 562 Contemplations, 564 The Flesh and the Spirit, 570 To My Dear and Loving Husband, 573 A Letter to Her Husband, 573 Meditations, 574 Longing for Heaven, 579 NATHANIEL WARD, JOHN ROGERS, AND JOHN NORTON . . 580 On Mrs. Bradstreet's Tenth Muse (Ward), 580 Upon Mrs. Anne Bradstreet (Rogers), 581 A Funeral Elogy (Norton), 583 Contents xm
MICHAEL WIGOLESWORTH 585 A Prayer, 586 The Day of Doom, 587 A Short Discourse on Eternity, 606 A Song of Emptiness, 608 God's Controversy with New-England, 611 Meat Out of the Eater, 616 Light in Darkness, 624 Strength in Weakness, 626 Poor Men's Wealth, 626 Heavenly Crowns for Thorny Wreaths, 628 EDWARD JOHNSON 630 Two Epitaphs, 630 SAMUEL BRADSTREET AND DANIEL RUSSELL 631 Two Almanac Poems, 632 BENJAMIN TOMPSON ' 635 New Englands Crisis, 636 URIAN OAKES 640 An Elegy, 641 EDWARD TAYLOR 650 Poetical Works, 652 Preparatory Meditations, 656c ROGER WOLCOTT 6ij6n Poetical Meditations, 657 A Brief Account of Winthrop, 658 MATHER BYLES 661 An Hymn to Christ, 663 Chapter VII LITERARY THEORY 665 Readings THE BAY PSALM BOOK 669 The Preface, 670 THOMAS HOOKER ... 672 A Survey of the Summe of Church Discipline, 672 MICHAEL WIGGLESWORTH 673 The Prayse of Eloquence, 674 COTTON MATHER 678 Psalterium Americanum, 678 JOHN BULKLEY 680 Wolcott's Poetical Meditations, 681 COTTON MATHER 684 Of Poetry and Style, 684 xiv Contents
MATHER BYLES 689 Bombastic and Grubstreet Style, 68 Chapter VIII EDUCATION 695 Readings NEW ENOLANDS FIRST FRUITS 700 In Respect of the College, 701 CHARLES CHAUNCY 704 A Commencement Sermon, 705 LEONARD HOAR 707 Letter to His Nephew, 708 THOMAS SHEPARD, JR 714 Letter to His Son, 715 INCREASE MATHER 720 A Presidential Address, 721 COTTON MATHER 721 An Elegy on Ezekiel Cheever, 722 Some Special Points Relating to Education, 724
Chapter IX SCIENCE 729 Readings SAMUEL DANFORTH 738 An Astronomical Description, 738 JOHN WINTHROP, JR 739 Letter concerning Some Natural Curiosities, 740 LEONARD HOAR 742 Letter to Robert Boyle, 742 NOADIAH RUSSELL AND WILLIAM WILLIAMS 744 Concerning Lightning and Thunder, 744 Concerning the Nature of Comets, 745 PAUL DUDLEY 747 Method of Making Maple Sugar, 747 Method for Discovering where Bees Hive, 748 COTTON MATHER 750 The Christian Philosopher, 750 THOMAS BRATTLE 758 The Witchcraft Delusion, 758 ZABDIEL BOYLSTON 762 The Way of Proceeding in Small Pox, 763 Contents xv
NOTES 765 BIBLIOGRAPHIES 777 INDEX 819
Illustrations Volume I Portrait of Richard Mather frontispiece Map of New England xvi-xvii Letter of John Winthrop to His Wife page 80 Title Page of Nathaniel Ward's The Simple Cobler . . page 180 Volume II Page of Samuel SewalFs Diary frontispiece Letter of Margaret Winthrop to Her Husband . . . page 458 Page of Edward Taylor's Manuscript page 664 Broadside of Theses for a Harvard Commencement, 1678 page 728 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.