N00594:41
Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton,…
Johannes in eremo. Memoirs, relating to the lives, of the ever-memorable, Mr. John Cotton, who dyed, 23.d. 10.m. 1652. Mr. John Norton, who dyed, 5.d. 2.m. 1663. Mr. John Wilson, who dyed, 7.d. 6.m. 1667. Mr. John Davenport, who dyed, 15.d. 1.m. 1670. Reverend and renowned ministers of the Gospel, all, in the more immediate service of one church, in Boston; and Mr. Thomas Hooker, who dyed, 7.d. 5.m. 1647. Pastor of the church at Hartford; New-England. / Written, by Cotton Mather. ; [Three lines of Latin quotation]
Boston : Printed for and sold by Michael Perry, at his shop, under the west end of the Town-House., 1695
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. 2. Four or Five of those Eminent Persons, are now to have their LIVES, Described unto us, and Offered unto the Contemplation and Imitation, especially of the Generation which are now Rising up, After the Death of COTTON, and of the Elders that out-Lived him, and had seen all the Great Works of the Lord, which He did for New-England. As for the Occasion of this Offer, the Reader may know, That, With a Design thereby to Preserve the True Principles, the Good Practices, and Famous Occurrences, Temptations ⟨p. 16⟩and Salvations, of the Churches in my Country, from Corruption, and Oblivion; and Assist the Interests of Religion in the Churches abroad, with the Experiences of a Renowned Plantation, Settled in a NEW WORLD, Purely for the sake of the most Reformed Religion; I set my self to Write the Church-History of these American Colonies. In the Writing of this Church-History, the Biography of several Persons, that were Stars of the First Magnitude in our Heavens, was no little part of my Labour; Wherein, my Memoirs of Mr. John Wilson happening to be seen by a Gentleman related unto him, he Importuned me, that I would Permit the Publication of those Memoirs apart themselves. That I might somewhat accommodate my self unto this Importunity, I did consent that Mr. Wilson, should first Go out of my Church-History, provided he might go accompanied with no Less than Three other JOHNS, who were all of them, Successively Ministers of that One Church, Whereof He was the First Pastor; all of them, Lovely in their Lives, and in the Place of their Death, as well as in their Better Place after their Death, not Divided; and, thought I, by my first sending abroad this Dove, I shall understand, Whether the Flood of Disorders upon the World, be so Circumstanced, That the rest of my Composure, Whereof These are but some Rescinded Sheets, may have Encouragements also to come Abroad. Four of my ⟨p. 17⟩Worthy Friends accordingly, whose Names, I hope, are in the Book of Life, took the charge of these Four Lives, and send forth a Little Book, embalming the Names, of Just men, Worthy to be had in Everlasting Remembrance. But though this were the Occasion of this Offer, yet here was not all the Intention of it: For I saw a Fearful Degeneracy, Creeping, I cannot say, but Rushing, in upon these Churches;