Scope and Contents
This collection consists of one sermon notebook containing handwritten notes on sermons heard from various preachers during the time period. These include semons given primarily by Samuel Willard, with some additional sermons given by Mr. Bayly [John Bailey, assistant to Willard], Solomon Stoddard, and Increase Mather. These sermons were preached January 1691 to August 1692.
Previosuly, this notebook was attributed to Samuel Willard and and made mention that there were no obvious references to the Salem Witch Trials. This revised description notes the possibility of references do exist in this notebook.
Dates
- Creation: 1691-1692
Access
There are no restrictions on access to this collection.
Extent
1 notebookBiographical / Historical
Samuel Willard (January 31, 1640-September 12, 1707) was born in Concord, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard University in 1659, and was ordained a Puritan minister in Groton, Massachusetts in 1664, where he served as pastor until 1676. He was pastor of the Third Church in Boston from 1678-1707. In 1664 he married Abigail Sherman of Watertown, Massachusetts. Willard strenuously opposed the Salem witchcraft trials, and tried to influence public opinion against them. He served as acting president of Harvard from 1701, and he published many sermons; a folio volume entitled A Compleat Body of Divinity was published posthumously in 1726.
Subject
- Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707 (Person)
- Title
- Sermon notebook, 1691-1692: A Finding Aid.
- Author
- Harvard Divinity School Library
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- div00710
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard Divinity School Library, Harvard University Repository
Special Collections at Harvard Divinity School Library preserves and makes accessible primary source materials documenting the history of religion and theology, with particular historical emphasis on American liberal religious traditions. Though the historical strengths of the collections have been in the field of Christianity, other religious traditions are increasingly reflected, in step with Harvard Divinity School's evolving focus on global religious studies. Known as Andover-Harvard Theological Library since 1911, it was renamed the Harvard Divinity School Library in 2021.
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