Books of spiritual guidance for children during the Puritan-Anglican controversy in the seventeenth century

Abstract

<p>In this paper I have discussed books of spiritual guidance for children within their historical context. The authors were writing during the time of conflict between the Anglicans and Puritans in the mid-seventeenth century. Their most obvious aim is to secure converts for their particular denominational cause. I attempt to uncover the denominational ideals, as well as the more general ideals concerning man, his world, and his relation to others. These books have not previously been examined by scholars, nor by historians of children's books in this way. The books and authors are: A little book for little children (1660) by Thomas White, A choice manual (1669) by Jeremy Taylor, A token for children (1672) by James Janeway, and Of education (1687) by Obadiah Walker. The books can be found in their original state in the Osborne Room of the Toronto Metropolitan Library.</p>