The Puritans in America: a narrative anthology

458 Pages·2001·20.93 MB·English

by  Alan Heimert

~ THE PURITANS IN AMERICA

THE
PURITANS
IN
AMERICA
A Narrative Anthology
edited by
ALAN HEIMERT
and
ANDREW DELBANCO
HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge, Massachusetts
and London, England
Copyright © 1985 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Seventh printing, 2001
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Main entry under title:
The Puritans in America.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
I. Puritans-United States-Doctrines-Addresses, essays, lectures.
2. Puritans-United States-Addresses, essays, lectures.
I. Heimert, Alan. II. Delbanco, Andrew, 1952-
BX93I8.P87 1985 285'.9'0974 84-10926
ISBN 0-674-74065-3 (alk. paper)
ISBN 0-674-74066-1 (pbk.)
Designed by Gwen Frankfeldt
This book has been digitally reprinted. The content remains
identical to that of previous printings.
To our students and colleagues in English 70
who showed us that the Puritans can still find
the readers they deserve

~ CONTENTS
PREFACE xi
0
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xv
0
A NOTE ON EDITORIAL METHOD xvii
Introduction I
0
ONE: L 0 0 MIN G S 17
0
Thomas Hooker, The Soul's Preparation for Christ (co 1626) 22
0
John Cotton, Christ the Fountain of Life (co 1628) 27
0
Thomas Shepard, The Sound Believer (co 1633) 33
0
TWO: THE MIGRATION 37
0
Plymouth
Robert Cushman, Reasons and Considerations Touching the Lawfulness of
Removing out of England into the Parts of America (1622) 41
0
"Go Mourt," Mourt's Relation (1622) 45
0
Thomas Morton, New English Canaan (1634-1635) 48
0
William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation (1630-165°) 5I
Massachusetts Bay
William Ames, Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof (co 163 0) 59
0
Thomas Hooker, The Danger of Desertion (1631) 62
0
John Winthrop, Reasons to Be Considered for the Intended Plantation
0 0 0
in New England (1629) 70
0
John Cotton, God's Promise to His Plantations (1630) 75
0
Vlll CONTENTS
0
John Winthrop, A Model of Christian Charity (1630) 81
0
John Cotton, Letter from New England (1634) 93
0
John Winthrop, Journal (1642) 97
0
William Hooke, New England's Tears for Old England's Fears (1640) 102
0
John Cotton, Foreword to John Norton, The Answer (1648) 107
0
Edward Johnson, Wonder-Working Providence of Sian's Savior in New
England (co 1650) II2
0
Peter Bulkeley, The Gospel-Covenant (co 1639-164°) . II7
T H R E E: CITY 0 N A HI L L . 123
The First American Poetry
Thomas Tillam, "Upon the First Sight of New England" (1638) . 126
Anne Bradstreet, Poems and Prose (c. 1635-167°) . 128
The Antinomian Crisis
John Cotton, A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (c. 1636) . 149
Anne Hutchinson, The Examination of Mrs. Anne Hutchinson (1637) . 154
John Winthrop, A Defense of an Order of Court (1637) . 164
Henry Vane, A Brief Answer (1637) . 168
Thomas Shepard, The Parable of the Ten Virgins (1636-164°) . 171
Thomas Hooker, The Application of Redemption (c. 1640) 176
0
The Specter of Toleration
Nathaniel Ward, The Simple Cobbler of Aggawam (c. 1646) . 179
Business in the Bible Commonwealth
Robert Keayne, Last Will and Testament (1653) . 185
FOUR: 0 NEW ENGLAND!· 189
The Cotton-Williams Debate
Roger Williams, The Bloody Tenent of Persecution (1643) . 196
John Cotton, The Bloody Tenent, Washed and Made White in the Blood of
the Lamb (1646) . 201
Roger Williams, Experiments of Spiritual Life and Health (c. 1650) . 207
CONTENTS • IX
The Passing of the Fathers
John Norton, Abel Being Dead Yet Speaketh (c. 1655) . 210
New England Alone
John Davenport, The Saint's Anchor-Hold (1661) . 218
John Norton, Election Sermon: Sion the Outcast Healed of Her Wounds
(1661) . 224
The Jeremiad
Michael Wigglesworth, "God's Controversy with New England" (1662) . 229
Increase Mather, The Mystery of Israel's Salvation (1667) . 237
Thomas Shepard, Jr., Eye-Salve (1672) . 247
The Revival of Piety
Mary Rowlandson, Narrative of Captivity and Restoration (c. 1677) 261
Solomon Stoddard, The Safety of Appearing at the Day of Judgment
(c. 1685) . 268
FIVE: COMING OF AGE· 273
The Faith Once Delivered to the Saints
Samuel Sewall, Diary (1675-1727) . 277
Samuel Sewall, Phaenomena quaedam Apocalyptica (1697) . 291
Edward Taylor, Poems (c. 1680-1725) . 294
Cotton Mather, Magnalia Christi Americana (1693-1702) . 316
Cotton Mather, Reserved Memorials (1681-1724) . 323
Cotton Mather, Agricola (c. 1725) . 330
Witchcraft
Cotton Mather, The Wonders of the Invisible World (1692) • 337
Susanna Martin, Examination of Susanna Martin (1692) . 342
Mary Easty, Petition of Mary Easty (1692) . 345
Robert Calef, More Wonders of the Invisible World (1697) . 347
Politics and Society
Gershom Bulkeley, Will and Doom (1692) . 351
John Wise, A Vindication of the Government of New England
Churches (1717) . 359
Jeremiah Dummer, A Defense of the New England Charters (1715) . 366