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"Formerly Approved and Applauded" The Continuity of Edwards's Treatise Concenling Religiow Affections- - with Seventeenth-Century Puritan Analyses of True Piety, Spiritual Sensation and Heart-Religion By Brad Walton A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Wycliffe College and the History Department of the Toronto School of Theology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Theology Toronto, 1999 National Library Bibliotheque nationale l*B ,,,,,a du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Your file Votre relerence Our fib Notre reUrence The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde me licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive pennettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, preter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fi, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent &e imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements..................................................................................... i Chapter One: Religious Affections in Recent and Contemporary Scholarship 1: Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 2: Edwards as an Atypical Puritan Psychologist.......................................... 4 3: Edwards and Empiricism: An Alternative Scholarly Tradition............ 24 4: Edwards as an Atypical Theorist of the Conversion............................. 33 5: Scope and Method of the Following Discussion. ................................... 40 Chapter Two: Religious Affections and Its Seventeenth-Century Puritan Background 1: Introduction................................................................................................ 55 2: Edwards's Religious Affections: Structure and Content.......................... -59 3: The Earlier Traditions ................................................................................ 81 4: John Bradford .............................................................................................. 88 5: Richard Greenham..................................................................................... 93 6: Richard Rogers ........................................................................................... 99 7: Laurence Chadderton and John Dodd ..................................................... 101 8: William Perkins ......................................................................................... -102 9: Daniel Dyke .................................................................................................. 106 10: Richard Sibbes............................................................................................ 111 11: William Arnes ........................................................................................... 13 12: John Preston ............................................................................................... 117 13: Thomas Goodwin ...................................................................................... 119 14: Thomas Shepard ......................................................................................... 131 15: John Owen ................................................................................................... 145 16: Richard Baxter ................ .. ....................................................................... -163 17: John Flavel .................................................................................................. -168 18: John Smith................................................................................................. 171 19: Signs versus Steps, and the Role of Terror in the Conversion ................173 a: The traditional morphology of the conversion................................... 173 b: Edwards's attitude to the role of terror in the conversion ................. 177 c: Terror in some of Edwards's puritan predecessors ........................... -185 20: Concluding Summary ................................................................................. 192 Chapter Three: The Language and Psychology of the Heart in Religious Affections and Edwards's Predecessors 1: Introduction................................................................................................... 199 2: Edwards and His Opponents..................................................................... 200 3: The Aristotelian-Thornistic Psychology.................................................... 206 4: Edwards's Analysis of Religious Psychology ............................................. 21 5: The Role of the Intellect in Religious Affections ............................................ 230 6: Summary of Heart-Language and its Connotations in Religious Affections ..234 7: Traditional Heart-Language before Puritanism ........................................... 237 a: Biblical, Greek and Patristic Sources, Particularly Augustine............... 237 b: Monastic and Other Medieval Traditions................................................ 242 c: Renaissance and Reformation Currents, and Especially Neo- Augustinianism .................................................................................................... 247 8: Heart Language in Pre-Edwardsean Puritanism.......................................... 258 9: Religious Affections and Locke's An Essay Cowenling Human Uttdersta~tdirig.......................................................................................... 293 10: Concluding Summary............................................................................. 304 Chapter Four: General Summary and Conclusion................................... -310 Bibliography..................................................................................................... 319 Acknowledgements I wish to express my gratitude to a number of people who gave much appreciated help and encouragement as I worked on this project. Alan Hayes, in agreeing to act as my supervisor, must be considered a sine qua nor1 of this thesis. In addition, his characteristically acute comments and warm support were equally valuable. Kenneth Minkerna of Yale University somehow found the time in his onerous schedule for a exchange of e-mail messages, kindly expressing interest in my research and making a number of helpful suggestions. William K.B.Stoever of Western Washington University kindly read, and offered supportive comments on, a brief abstract of Chapter Three. Paul Friesen, in addition to providing some useful bibliographic leads on revivalism, was a constant source of cheerful friendship and support. Rory Hinton not only expressed much kind interest in the project, but also, at an early stage in my research, generously presented me with a copy of the recently published AJonathati Edwald Reader, edited by Smith, Stout and Minkema. Conversations over coffee with Rory were always the refreshing high-point of days spent mainly in reading puritan literature. Jim Knight was another much appreciated interlocutor tabmlalis, with whom, between long stretches of reading, 1had many enjoyable discussions on evangelical theology and radical politics. Bob Derrenbacker, Dan Smith and Brian Irwin were among the other denizens of the Wycliffe College Library, encountering whom among the stacks and carrels was always a pleasure. Cindy Derrenbacker, librarian of Wycliffe College, a cheerful presence in a somber environment, always made the library a more attractive daily destination. Always going above and beyond the call of duty, Cindy often directed my attention to various resources which she thought might be valuable to my research. Special thanks are also due to Amy Cooper of Los Angeles, who in a lengthy e-mail correspondence, gave me cherished friendship and unflagging support during the seemingly interminable years of graduate school. 1 am also grateful to Wycliffe College which, over the years, offered opportunities of much needed gainful employment. Andrew Lincoln, Advanced-Degree Director of Wycliffe College, was of invaluable administrative assistance. Marie Soderlund, Registrar of Wycliffe College, who made the dreaded Registrar's Office a delightful place to visit, was always able to explain where in the program 1 was and what 1 was supposed to do next. My thanks are also due to Lorna Prideaux, graduate secretary of the Toronto School of Theology, whose organizational abilities were responsible for the defense actually happening. Stirps radicibus olta: 1 dedicate the thesis to my mother and to the memory of my father. Chapter 1: Religious Affections in Recent and Contemporary Scholarship 1 : Introduction It is a widespread scholarly commonplace that the theology of Jonathan Edwards represents, in many respects, a decisive departure from puritan tradition. Perry Miller described Edwards himself as "unique, an aboriginal and monolithic pwer."' Everett Emerson declared that Edwards's thought
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