The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

III. The New England Writers and Their Writings

While relatively few of these New England Fathers wrote entire books on prophecy, we are not left without adequate information as to the views of the rest. They injected them into their sermons, a goodly portion of which have been preserved. They expressed them in illuminating introductions to expositions by other writers. ⁹ PFF3 25.1

In other instances their words and sentiments are recorded by their contemporaries or near contemporaries, as by Cotton Mather in his colonial church history, Magnalia Christi Americana. ¹⁰ PFF3 25.2

The intellectual caliber and competence of these men can be judged by observing their education, training, and recognized accomplishments. These factors will be noted in the biographical sketches that accompany each expositor. This is not emphasized to laud scholastic degrees or achievements, but as evidence that these men had trained minds, were schooled in logical reasoning, and possessed broad language and history backgrounds, apart from their theological proclivities. It will be increasingly apparent that they were the intellectual leaders of their respective generations. PFF3 25.3