Let’s back up for a general view of the sermons—their organization, context, and commonalities. The sermons on which I focused each follow this outline:
-Scriptural text: 1-3 verses, usually from the Old Testament
-Detailed explication of the Scriptural text
-A doctrine drawn from the text (1-2 sentences, in which each word is carefully chosen)
-Defense of each phrase of the doctrine
-Reasons for the doctrine
-Application to the present situation (in sections, or “branches”)
Puritan preachers further clarify their argument by numbering points (and lists of points within points) and including clear transitions. A church member would be able to go home and summarize to another person—or a child to a parent—the text, doctrine and main points of the sermon, even a sermon that was two or three hours long!
Further, the context of current events often determined the type of sermon delivered. There were election sermons, execution sermons, anniversary sermons (commemorating momentous events), public fast day sermons, etc. On these special days, some of the most historically significant sermons were preached, illuminating the Puritans’ perspective on ecclesiastical and civil authority and their vision for Christian community. Danforth’s election sermon “An Errand Into the Wilderness” focused on reviving the people’s religious fervor. William Hubbard’s “The Happiness of a People,” delivered on election day in 1667, addresses the state’s role in religious affairs and concludes with a similar plea for a return to virtue and “Christian charity.” The election sermons address the important theme of God's "controversie with New-England," a second-generation belief that God was punishing them as a people for sinfulness and calling them back by His mercy, if they would repent. Increase Mather’s “The Wicked Man’s Portion” is a 1675 example of the execution sermon, and pleads for repentance from sin, to avoid an early death like that to be suffered by the condemned criminals. Like the two above sermons, it contains a catalogue of specific sins. Like Jonathan Edwards "Sinners in the Hands..." sermon, it dramatically demonstrates sin's consequences and the call to forgiveness. Instead of a storming about fire and brimstone, however, Mather emphasizes the tragedy of a life cut short.
What a great entry on structure and context -- especially strucutre. What I find so powerful about the Puritan sermons you discuss is the last structural element, the application some scholars identify an "epilogue," a last exhortation that draws the community together around the renewed sense of missions, as the last element that follows the application). Berkovitch writes poweruflly about the jeremiad, specifically, as a form that creates a tension between the ideal and the real, a tension manifested by putting the abstraction of theologicla consideration (the doctrine,s the reason) along side the present-day example and the application. This strucutre helps me see that the tension between the real and the ideal is not the end of the story for Puritans; it's not a gap that cannot be crossed but is one that is incredibly productive, even healing -- a gap that produces the possibility of getting closer to God's word and the Puritan mission. (Thank you, Berkovitch).
ReplyDeleteI like your point that the structure, too, functions as not just a listening aid (I wish sometimes that the talk I listen to now were as clearly structured) but an aide-memoire, a way of recalling and relating the sermon.
You mention the "commonalities" of the sermons. I'd be interested to hear more about what you see as the commonalities, beyond structure, that cross the divide between first- and second-generation that you mention. You mention structural commonality, and sermons as a common occurent. What of theological or thematic commonalities (I'm thinking here of your earlier post on self-examination). Or, do you see differences? For example, regarding the latter question, I'm thinking of the 1662 Halfway Covenant -- and the possibility of partial membership that changed how experiencing conversion functioned within the practices of the chruch (and, perhaps, the rhetoric of the sermons themselves -- a possibility I'd be interested to hear you consider.). --lc