Chapter 1
Introduction to Puritan MysticismIsaac Ambrose was “[o]f a retiring disposition, his mind of the contemplative order, he was in true sense a religious mystic.”^1
Was Isaac Ambrose a Puritan mystic and can the contemporary Church
retrieve any wisdom from his writings? These two questions will shape the substance
and structure of this thesis. Ambrose was a moderate seventeenth-century
Lancashire Puritan minister whom Benjamin Nightingale, in the words at the top of
this page, called a “religious mystic.” Therefore, the primary question of this thesis is
whether it is in fact legitimate to call Isaac Ambrose a Puritan mystic. This will
require a study of the nature of Puritan mysticism examining both the theological
foundation as well as historical antecedents for it. Many readers may find the
juxtaposition of the terms Puritanism and mysticism not only paradoxical but also
improbable. All too often the perception of many regarding the Puritans is that they
were hardheaded and cold hearted. They are seen as spiritually cold, legalistic,
eschewing all forms of fun, sexually pinched, and devoid of passion. While much
scholarship has sought to defend this position more recently some writers have begun
to correct what I believe to be a distorted perception. Jean Williams’ recent research
has been most significant in debunking the myth of Puritan mysticism. This chapter
will examine her research in greater detail, but for now it is important to summarize
her findings. Unlike some previous researchers who acknowledged the possibility of
mysticism on the fringes or as an oddity within mainstream Puritanism, Williams
(^1) Nightingale, Isaac Ambrose, Religious Mystic (^) , 20.