The Twilight of the Oligarchy--1660-1720
The spread of provincialism and the consequences. Formalism in the church; superstition. The psychology of the Salem outbreak. The muddling of the oligarchy and the end 85
I. Samuel Sewall--Yankee--First representative of the new order. The Sewall of tradition; the real Sewall: middle-class, governed by a prudential morality. Uncreative, conservative, conventional. The other side--generous, kindly, the first embodiment of village friendliness 88
II. The Mather Dynasty
I. Difficulties involved in attempting an estimate. Certain Harvard contributions 98
II. Increase Mather: An arch conservative, bred by a conservative environment. His sympathy for the Genevan system; attempts to strengthen discipline; steps in his Presbyterianizing. Intolerant--his biographer quoted. Unread in political theory--dictatorial. As agent at the English court. His bitterness. Not a great Puritan--compared with Samuel Hopkins. His _Illustrious Providences_--not scientific. The last of the New England Presbyterians 99
III. Cotton Mather: Victim of a provincial environment. Subject for a psychologist. His egoism; his quarrels. The _Diary_. His venture into politics. A natural Tory. His writings: _Wonders of the Invisible World_; the _Magnalia_. The futility of his dream 106
III. Stirrings of Liberalism
I. John Wise--Village Democrat: Before Dudley; at Quebec. Character--a liberal. His _Vindication of the New England Churches_--based on the doctrine of natural rights. Defense of democratic Congregationalism against the movement to Presbyterianize. Comment of Cotton Mather. His contribution to the paper-money controversy. His later influence 118
II. Social Drifts: Economic forces--a chasm opening between old England and New England. The village and Toryism: Joseph Dudley and the carters. First newspapers: _News-Letter_; _New-England Courant_; _New-England Weekly Journal_ 125
Book II: The Colonial Mind
The middle eighteenth century undistinguished, yet it created the individualism that was the source of a new democratic psychology 131