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Religion in Enlightenment England introduces its readers to a rich array of British Christian texts published between 1660 and 1750. The anthology documents the arc of Christian writings from the reestablishment of the Church of England to the rise of the Methodist movement in the middle of the eighteenth century. The Enlightenment era witnessed the explosion of mass print culture and the unprecedented expansion of literacy across society. These changes transformed many inherited Christian genres—such as the sermon and the devotional manual—while also generating new ones, from the modern church hymn to spiritual autobiography.

The authors included in this collection confronted the rise of modern science and forged new rules of modern toleration. Their writing reveals the unprecedented spiritual authority assumed by women and helps explain how emotion moved to the center of religious experience. Religion in Enlightenment England captures the literary energy and excitement unleashed by the Enlightenment itself: authors engage one another in spirited dialogue that pits reason against revelation, religious conformity against dissent, innovation against tradition, and Freethinking against natural religion.

An indispensable asset for any scholar’s library, the anthology includes texts by William Law, John Bunyan, Elizabeth Singer Rowe, John and Charles Wesley, Richard Baxter, John Toland, Mary Astell, Daniel Defoe, John Norris, Margaret Fell Fox, Isaac Watts, Thomas Traherne, John Tillotson, William Penn, and Anne Conway.

Table of Contents

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  1. Cover
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  1. Series Page, Title Page, Copyright
  2. pp. i-iv
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  1. Contents
  2. pp. v-viii
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  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. ix-x
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  1. Introduction
  2. pp. xi-xxx
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  1. Part I. Anglican Apologetics
  2. pp. 1-5
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  1. John Tillotson (1630–1694): The Rule of Faith; The Duty and Reason of Praying for Governors
  2. pp. 6-21
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  1. Mary Astell (1666–1731): Letters concerning the Love of God
  2. pp. 22-38
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  1. William Law (1686–1761): A Practical Treatise upon Christian Perfection
  2. pp. 39-48
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  1. Part II: Dissenting Voices
  2. pp. 49-52
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  1. Margaret Fell (1614–1702): Women’s Speaking Justified
  2. pp. 53-59
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  1. Richard Baxter (1615–1691): A Christian Directory (“Directions to the Melancholy”)
  2. pp. 60-71
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  1. John Bunyan (1628–1688): Come, and Welcome, to Jesus Christ
  2. pp. 72-84
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  1. William Penn (1644–1718): No Cross, No Crown
  2. pp. 85-93
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  1. Daniel Defoe (1660–1731): The Shortest Way with the Dissenters
  2. pp. 94-101
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  1. Isaac Watts (1674–1748): A Guide to Prayer
  2. pp. 102-110
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  1. Part III. The Methodist Movement
  2. pp. 111-115
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  1. John Wesley (1703–1791): The Character of a Methodist
  2. pp. 116-123
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  1. George Whitefield (1714–1770): The Marks of the New Birth
  2. pp. 124-132
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  1. Part IV. Freethinking
  2. pp. 133-136
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  1. Anthony Collins (1676–1729): A Discourse of Freethinking
  2. pp. 137-145
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  1. John Toland (1670–1722): Christianity Not Mysterious
  2. pp. 146-156
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  1. Part V. Nature
  2. pp. 157-160
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  1. John Ray (1627–1705): The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation
  2. pp. 161-169
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  1. Richard Blackmore (1654–1729): Creation
  2. pp. 170-190
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  1. Part VI. Visions
  2. pp. 191-192
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  1. Thomas Traherne (1637–1674): A Serious and Pathetical Contemplation of the Mercies of God
  2. pp. 193-203
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  1. Anne Conway (1631–1679): The Principles of the Most Ancient and Modern Philosophy
  2. pp. 204-218
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  1. Jane Lead (1624–1704): The Heavenly Cloud Now Breaking
  2. pp. 219-230
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  1. Part VII. Miracle
  2. pp. 231-233
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  1. Anonymous: An Exact Relation of the Wonderful Cure of Mary Maillard
  2. pp. 234-245
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  1. John Toland (1670–1722): Christianity Not Mysterious
  2. pp. 246-249
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  1. Samuel Clarke (1675–1729): A Discourse concerning the Being and Attributes of God
  2. pp. 250-257
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  1. David Hartley (1705–1757): Observations on Man
  2. pp. 258-264
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  1. Part VIII. Spirits
  2. pp. 265-266
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  1. Joseph Glanvill (1636–1680): Saducismus Triumphatus
  2. pp. 267-272
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  1. Francis Hutchinson: An Historical Essay concerning Witchcraft (1660–1739)
  2. pp. 273-281
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  1. Daniel Defoe (1660–1731): An Essay on the History and Reality of Apparitions
  2. pp. 282-290
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  1. Part IX. Devotion
  2. pp. 291-292
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  1. John Norris (1657–1712): Reason and Religion: or, the Grounds and Measures of Devotion
  2. pp. 293-297
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  1. William Law (1686–1761): A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
  2. pp. 298-308
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  1. Elizabeth Singer Rowe (1674–1737): Devout Exercises of the Heart; Divine Hymns and Poems on Several Occasions (Hymns III, IV, and V)
  2. pp. 309-318
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  1. Part X. The Hymn
  2. pp. 319-321
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  1. Nicholas Brady (1659–1726) and Nahum Tate (1652–1715): A New Version of the Psalms of David, in English Meter
  2. pp. 322-324
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  1. Richard Baxter (1615–1691): “Ye Holy Angels Bright”
  2. pp. 325-330
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  1. Thomas Ken (1637–1711): “An Evening Hymn”
  2. pp. 331-334
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  1. John Mason (1646?–1694): “How Shall I Sing That Majesty?”
  2. pp. 335-339
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  1. Benjamin Keach (1640–1704): “Saints the Salt of the Earth”
  2. pp. 340-344
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  1. Isaac Watts (1674–1748): Hymns and Spiritual Songs; Psalms of David
  2. pp. 345-356
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  1. Charles Wesley (1707–1788): Hymns and Spiritual Poems
  2. pp. 357-364
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  1. Part XI. Spiritual Autobiography
  2. pp. 365-367
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  1. John Bunyan (1628–1688): Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners
  2. pp. 368-378
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  1. Anne Dutton (1691/5–1765): A Brief Account of the Gracious Dealings of God
  2. pp. 379-390
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