Ambrose it will consider only the contemplative-mystical piety within the moderate
stream of Puritanism unless directly impacted by its radical relatives.^110 Further, this
reflects the approach of Ambrose and other likeminded Puritans who were careful to
distance themselves from the radical mystics who typically discounted the mediatorial
role of Jesus Christ and elevated a person’s subjective experience above that of
Scripture to determine the validity of that experience. One additional reason for
limiting this study to the contemplative-mystical piety of moderate Puritanism is that
it parallels the wisdom of Ernest Stoeffler’s study of Pietism, “[i]f Pietism is to be
seen truly it, like other historical movements, must be seen with reference to its
center, not its circumference.”^111 Therefore, there is impressive evidence for the
contemplative-mystical piety within moderate Puritanism including mystical language
and vocabulary, mystical theology, and even mystical experience. Richard Sibbes,
Francis Rous, Thomas Goodwin, Samuel Rutherford, Richard Baxter, John Owen,
and Cotton Mather are most frequently mentioned as reflective of this contemplative-
mystical piety.^112 While it would be easy to compile a lengthy list of other Puritans
110
For an examination of the radical or spirit mysticism within Puritanism see:
Nuttall, Maclear, “Heart of New England Rent”; Welch, “Quakers, Ranters and Puritan Holy Spirit in Puritan Faith; George Johnson, “From Seeker to Finder”;
Mystics”; Mack, 111 Visionary Women; and Como, Blown By the Spirit, esp. 219-65.
112 Stoeffler, Rise of Evangelical Pietism, 12.^
The best sources for exploring the contemplative-mystical piety in moderate
Puritanism are Nuttall, Holy Spirit in Puritan Faith and “Puritan and Quaker
Mysticism”; Chan, “Puritan Meditative Tradition”; and Williams, “Puritan Enjoyment
of God.” More specifically for Sibbes see Dever, Frost, “Richard Sibbes’ Theology of Grace,” 97-121. For Francis Rous see Brauer, Richard Sibbes, esp. 135-60 and
“Francis Rous, Puritan Mystic”; Wakefield, Puritan Devotion, 103-6; and van den
Berg, “English Puritan Francis Rous.” For Thomas Goodwin see Watkin, Poets and
Mystics, 56-69 and Cook, “Thomas Goodwin-Mystic?” For Rutherford see Coffey,
Theology and British Revolutions, esp. 82-113 and Coffey, “Letters by Samuel
Rutherford.” For Richard Baxter see Stoeffler, Rise of Evangelical Pietism, 88-96;
Nuttall, “Puritan and Quaker Mysticism,” 525-7; and Chan, Spiritual Theology, 99-
Spirituality of Jo100. For John Owen see Packer, hn Owen” and Kapic, Quest for GodlinessCommunion with God, esp. 191, esp. 147-218; King, “Affective -205. For