Category Archives: Devil
COTTON MATHER
(1663-1728)
from Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcrafts and Possessions
Cotton Mather, son of Increase Mather [q.v.], was born in Boston, graduated from Harvard in 1678, and was ordained in 1685 in the Congregational Church. He assisted and then succeeded his father in the Second Church pastorate, Boston. Although … Continue reading
Filed under Americas, Christianity, Devil, Mather, Cotton, Protestantism, Selections, The Early Modern Period
INCREASE MATHER
(1639-1723)
A Call to the Tempted: A Sermon on the Horrid Crime of Self-Murder
Increase Mather, commonly considered the most gifted member of the prominent Mather family and the first to be born in America, was a religious, educational, and political leader of early Puritan New England. A graduate of Harvard and Trinity … Continue reading
MARTIN LUTHER
(1483-1546)
from Table Talk
The German religious reformer, Martin Luther, was born in Saxony, the son of a prosperous but strict entrepreneur and local politician. In 1505, Luther received a master’s degree from the University of Erfurt, one of Germany’s finest schools. According … Continue reading
Filed under Devil, Europe, Luther, Martin, Middle Ages, Protestantism, Selections, Sin
THOMAS MORE
(1478-1535)
from Utopia
from A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation
Born in London, the son of a prominent judge, Thomas More was educated at Oxford and Lincoln’s Inn, where he studied law. His humanist philosophy was influenced by his wide reading from scripture, the Church Fathers, classical literature, and … Continue reading
Filed under Christianity, Devil, Europe, Middle Ages, More, Thomas, Poverty, Selections, Sin