Religion and Its Reformation in America, Beginnings to 1730

An Anthology of Primary Sources

Michael J. Colacurcio, Allison M. Johnson, Michael J. Colacurcio, Allison M. Johnson

• Publisher: Baylor University Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781602583016
• eBook ISBN: 9781481311762
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: North American History

Beginning with a brief look at what the European colonists were able to make of indigenous beliefs and practices, and ending in 1730--the year before the first published work of the Rev. Jonathan Edwards-- Religion and Its Reformation in America seeks to highlight the distinguishing features of Christianity in the first century of its life in the colonies that would become the United States.

The transplanted Church of England in Virginia, the Catholicism of Maryland, and, later on, the Quaker experience of Pennsylvania are well represented, but the heaviest emphasis falls on the "Puritans" of Massachusetts and Connecticut. Astonishingly, the leaders of a migrant population produced a religious literature that, in both quantity and intellectual acumen, is unmatched in any other colonial venue on record. Drawing on an array of texts written on the Continent, and in some cases on a personal experience of Reformed churches abroad, these so-called Puritans sought a New Church in a providentially provided New England.

The general outlines of their story--end-time excitement, the establishment of a radical new ecclesiology (which came to be known as Congregationalism), second- and third-generation confusion and compromise which yet refused to concede that their radicalism had been a mistake--are well known to historians who specialize in this period. Presented here, however, for scholar and student alike, is something approaching a full literary record--not just names and dates and creeds and platforms, but a rich human experience of motive, energy, action, and affect. Religion to be sure, with reform its driving force--but also literature in its best sense, eager to upend prevailing assumptions.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title Page, Title Page, Copyright
• Contents
• INTRODUCTION: Migration, Invention, Declension, Awakening
• I: BEFORE AMERICA
• JOHN SMITH
• JOHN SMITH: From General History of Virginia
• EDWARD WINSLOW
• EDWARD WINSLOW: From Good News from New England
• EDWARD WINSLOW: From The Glorious Progress of the Gospel Amongst the Indians . . .
• ROGER WILLIAMS
• ROGER WILLIAMS: From A Key into the Language of America
• II: BEFORE THE PILGRIMS
• THOMAS GATES AND WILLIAM STRACHEY
• Thomas Gates and William Strachey: From The Lawes Divine, Morall and Martiall
• JOHN SMITH
• JOHN SMITH: From Description of New England
• JOHN SMITH: From General History of Virginia
• III: a New Church in a New England
• A. OLD WORLD ORIGINS
• JOHN CALVIN
• JOHN CALVIN: From Institutes of the Christian Religion
• WILLIAM PERKINS
• WILLIAM PERKINS: From A Golden Chain
• WILLIAM PERKINS: From The Art of Prophesying
• JAcobus (James) ARMINIUS
• Jacobus (JAMES) ARMINIUS: From The Synod of Dort
• WILLIAM AMES
• WILLIAM AMES: From The Marrow of Theology
• B. A TRIAL OF SEPARATISM
• ROBERT BROWNE
• ROBERT BROWNE: From A Treatise of Reformation without Tarrying for Any
• JOHN ROBINSON
• JOHN ROBINSON: Farewell Sermon (from Wm Bradford)
• JOHN ROBINSON: From “Certain Useful Advertisements”
• JOHN ROBINSON: From A Defense of the Doctrine Propounded by the Synod of Dort
• JOHN ROBINSON: From A Just and Necessary Apologie
• FRANCIS HIGGINSON
• FRANCIS HIGGINSON: From New England’s Plantation
• ROBERT CUSHMAN
• ROBERT CUSHMAN: From “Reasons and Considerations Touching the Lawfulness of Removal . . .”
• From Mourt’s Relation
• From Mourt’s Relation
• EDWARD WINSLOW
• EDWARD WINSLOW: From Good News from New England
• WILLIAM BRADFORD
• WILLIAM BRADFORD: From Of Plymouth Plantation
• THOMAS MORTON
• THOMAS MORTON: From The New English Canaan
• THE SALEM COVENANTS
• THE SALEM COVENANTS
• C. A GREATER MIGRATION
• THE CHARLESTOWN-BOSTON COVENANT
• THE CHARLESTOWN-BOSTON COVENANT
• JOHN WINTHROP
• JOHN WINTHROP: From “Christian Experience”
• JOHN WINTHROP: From “Reasons for Forsaking England”/“Farewell”
• JOHN WINTHROP: From “A Model of Christian Charity”
• JOHN WINTHROP: From Journal/History of New England
• JOHN WINTHROP: From A Short Story of . . . the Antinomians . . .
• CAPTAIN ROGER CLAPP
• CAPTAIN ROGER CLAPP: From The Memoir of Captain Roger Clapp
• THOMAS WELD
• THOMAS WELD: “Letter to His Former Parishioners”
• ROGER WILLIAMS
• ROGER WILLIAMS: From Letter to John Winthrop
• ROGER WILLIAMS: From The Bloody Tenet of Persecution
• ROGER WILLIAMS: From The Bloody Tenet Yet More Bloody
• THOMAS HOOKER
• THOMAS HOOKER: From The Poor Doubting Christian
• THOMAS HOOKER: From The Application of Redemption
• THOMAS HOOKER: From The Soul’s lngrafting
• THOMAS SHEPARD
• THOMAS SHEPARD: From Autobiography (and Journal)
• THOMAS SHEPARD: From Lay Narratives
• THOMAS SHEPARD: From The Sound Believer
• THOMAS SHEPARD: From Parable of the Ten Virgins
• THOMAS SHEPARD: From Preface to Defense of the Answer
• PETER BULKELEY
• PETER BULKELEY: From The Gospel Covenant
• JOHN ALLIN
• JOHN ALLIN: From “A Brief History of the Dedham Church”
• JOHN COTTON
• JOHN COTTON: From A Brief Exposition of the Whole Book of Canticles
• JOHN COTTON: From The Way of Life
• JOHN COTTON: from Christ the Fountain of Life
• JOHN COTTON: From “God’s Promise to His Plantations”
• JOHN COTTON: From The New Covenant
• JOHN COTTON: From Mr. Cotton’s Rejoinder, 1637
• JOHN COTTON: From The Bloody Tenet Washed
• JOHN COTTON: From The Church’s Resurrection
• JOHN WHEELWRIGHT
• JOHN WHEELWRIGHT: From “A Fast-Day Sermon”
• JOHN WHEELWRIGHT: From Mercurius Americanus
• The Trials of Anne Hutchinson
• THE TRIALS OF ANNE HUTCHINSON: From Civil Trial
• THE TRIALS OF ANNE HUTCHINSON: From Church Trial
• NATHANIEL WARD
• NATHANIEL WARD: From The Simple Cobbler of Aggawam
• JOHN NORTON
• JOHN NORTON: From Abel Being Dead Yet Speaketh
• JOHN NORTON: From The Orthodox Evangelist
• JOHN NORTON: From “Sion the Outcast Healed of Her Wounds”
• JOHN DAVENPORT
• JOHN DAVENPORT: From The Saints Anchor-Hold
• EDWARD JOHNSON
• EDWARD JOHNSON: From The Wonder-Working Providence of Sion’s Savior
• THE BAY PSALM BOOK: [Officially, The Whole Book of Psalms, Faithfully Translated . . .]
• THE BAY PSALM BOOK
• ANNE BRADSTREET
• ANNE BRADSTREET: From “Contemplations”
• ANNE BRADSTREET: from The Tenth Muse
• ANNE BRADSTREET: From Several Poems Compiled with Great Variety of Wit and Learning . . .
• ANNE BRADSTREET: “To My Dear Children”
• ANNE BRADSTREET: “Meditations Divine and Moral”
• ANNE BRADSTREET: “. . . Some Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 10th, 1666”
• ANNE BRADSTREET: “As Weary Pilgrim, Now at Rest”
• WILLIAM HOOKE
• WILLIAM HOOKE: From “New England’s Tears for Old England’s Fears”
• D. CONGREGATIONALIST ORTHODOXY: PROTESTING/DEFENDING THE NEW ENGLAND WAY
• JOHN COTTON: From Letter to Salem
• JOHN COTTON: From Letter to the Lord Say and Sele
• JOHN COTTON: From Keys to the Kingdom
• THOMAS HOOKER: From Survey of the Summe . . .
• SAMUEL GORTON: From Simplicities Defense
• THE CHILDE PETITION
• THE CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM
• JOHN NORTON: From Responsio
• JOHN NORTON: From The Heart of New England Rent
• JOHN CLARKE: From “Ill News from New England”
• ROGER WILLIAMS: “To the Governor of Massachusetts Protesting the Baptists’ Treatment”
• IV: AFTER ZION, WHAT?
• RESULT OF THE HALF-WAY SYNOD
• Result of the Half-Way Synod
• INCREASE MATHER: From “An Apologetical Preface”
• JOHN DAVENPORT: From “Another Essay . . .”
• JONATHAN MITCHELL: From An Answer to the Apologetical Preface
• RICHARD MATHER: from “A Defence of the Answer and Arguments of the Synod Met at Boston in the Year 1662 . . .”
• MICHAEL WIGGLESWORTH
• MICHAEL WIGGLESWORTH: From “The Day of Doom”
• MICHAEL WIGGLESWORTH: From “God’s Controversy with New England”
• JONATHAN MITCHELL
• JONATHAN MITCHELL: From “Nehemiah on the Wall”
• WILLIAM STOUGHTON
• WILLIAM STOUGHTON: From “New England’s True Interest”
• NATHANIEL MORTON
• NATHANIEL MORTON: From New England’s Memorial
• WILLIAM HUBBARD
• WILLIAM HUBBARD: From “The Happiness of a People”
• INCREASE MATHER
• INCREASE MATHER: From The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation
• INCREASE MATHER: From “The Day of Trouble is Near”
• INCREASE MATHER: From “A Call to the Rising Generation”
• INCREASE MATHER: From An Essay for the Recording of Illustrious Providences
• INCREASE MATHER: from The Order of the Gospel
• URIAN OAKES
• URIAN OAKES: From “The Sovereign Efficacy of Divine Providence”
• SAMUEL DANFORTH
• SAMUEL DANFORTH: From “New England’s Errand into the Wilderness”
• THOMAS SHEPARD, JR.
• THOMAS SHEPARD, JR.: From “Eye-Salve”
• MARY WHITE ROWLANDSON
• MARY WHITE ROWLANDSON: From Narrative of Her Captivity and Redemption
• JOHN WILLIAMS
• JOHN WILLIAMS: From The Redeemed Captive
• SAMUEL WILLARD
• SAMUEL WILLARD: From “The Only Sure Way to Prevent Threatened Calamity . . .”
• SAMUEL WILLARD: From A Complete Body of Divinity
• EDWARD TAYLOR ~ Poetry
• EDWARD TAYLOR: “Upon the Sweeping Flood”
• EDWARD TAYLOR: “The Ebb and Flow”
• EDWARD TAYLOR: “Upon Wedlock and the Death of Children”
• EDWARD TAYLOR: From Gods Determinations Touching His Elect
• EDWARD TAYLOR: From Preparatory Meditations
• EDWARD TAYLOR ~ Prose
• EDWARD TAYLOR: From Treatise Concerning the Lord’s Supper
• EDWARD TAYLOR: From Upon the Types of the Old Testament
• REFORMING SYNOD OF 1679
• “Result” of the Reforming Synod of 1679
• JOSHUA SCOTTOW
• JOSHUA SCOTTOW: From A Narrative of the Planting of the New England Colony
• COTTON MATHER
• COTTON MATHER: From Wonders of the Invisible World
• COTTON MATHER: from Magnalia Christi Americana
• ROBERT CALEF
• ROBERT CALEF: From More Wonders of the Invisible World
• SAMUEL SEWALL
• SAMUEL SEWALL: From Diary
• SAMUEL SEWALL: from Phaenomena Quaedam Apocalyptica
• SAMUEL SEWALL: From “The Selling of Joseph”
• SOLOMON STODDARD
• SOLOMON STODDARD: From The Doctrine of the Instituted Churches
• V: OTHER REGIONS, OTHER VOICES
• A. Virginia
• JAMES BLAIR
• JAMES BLAIR: From Our Savior’s Divine Sermon on the Mount
• FRANCIS MAKEMIE
• FRANCIS MAKEMIE: From Narrative of the New and Unusual American Imprisonment of Two Presbyterian Ministers
• ROBERT BEVERLEY
• ROBERT BEVERLEY: From The History and Present State of Virginia
• WILLIAM BYRD II
• WILLIAM BYRD II: From The Secret Diary
• B. Maryland
• ANDREW WHITE
• ANDREW WHITE: From A Relation of Maryland
• AN ACT CONCERNING RELIGION
• AN ACT CONCERNING RELIGION
• C. Pennsylvania and New Jersey
• THE CONCESSION AND AGREEMENT OF THE LORDS PROPRIETORS OF NEW CAESAREA, OR NEW JERSEY
• THE CONCESSION AND AGREEMENT OF THE LORDS PROPRIETORS OF NEW CAESAREA, OR NEW JERSEY
• WILLIAM PENN
• WILLIAM PENN: From Primitive Christianity in the Faith and Practice of the People Called Quakers
• ROBERT BARCLAY
• ROBERT BARCLAY: From An Apology for the True Christian Divinity . . .
• GEORGE FOX
• GEORGE FOX: From A Journal, or Historical Account of the . . . Work of the Ministry
• JONATHAN DICKINSON
• JONATHAN DICKINSON: From A Sermon Preached at the Opening of the Synod at Philadelphia
• THEODORE FRELINGHUYSEN
• THEODORE FRELINGHUYSEN: From A Clear Demonstration
• D. New Amsterdam
• JONAS MICHAELIUS
• JONAS MICHAELIUS: From Letter to Smoutius
• VI: End of an Era
• THE BRATTLE STREET CHURCH MANIFESTO
• THE BRATTLE STREET CHURCH MANIFESTO
• BENJAMIN COLMAN
• BENJAMIN COLMAN: From Gospel Order Revived
• BENJAMIN COLMAN: From Practical Discourses upon the Parable of the Ten Virgins
• MASSACHUSETTS PROPOSALS AND SAYBROOK PLATFORM OF CONNECTICUT
• MASSACHUSETTS PROPOSALS
• SAYBROOK PLATFORM OF CONNECTICUT
• SOLOMON STODDARD: From An Appeal to the Learned
• JONATHAN WISE
• JONATHAN WISE: From Vindication of the . . . New England Churches
• COTTON MATHER: From Bonifacius
• COTTON MATHER: From The Christian Philosopher
• REVISIONISM AND IMMATERIALISM AT YALE
• SAMUEL JOHNSON
• SAMUEL JOHNSON: From “My Present Thoughts on Episcopacy . . .”
• SAMUEL JOHNSON: From Noetica
• JONATHAN EDWARDS
• JONATHAN EDWARDS: From “Notes on the Mind”
• BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
• BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: From “A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity” 1725
• BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: From Autobiography
• THOMAS PRINCE
• THOMAS PRINCE: From “The People of New England”
• VII: AFTERWORD: AWAKENING VERSUS ENLIGHTENMENT