Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 27.djvu/751

Rh makes some parade of astronomical knowledge as to the greatness of the sun and moon, but relapses soon into his old line of argument. Conjuring his audience not to be led away from the well-established belief of Christendom and the principles of their fathers, he comes back to his old figure of speech, insists that "our sins are the inflammable material of which comets are made," and winds up with a most earnest appeal to the Almighty to spare his people.

It can be easily understood that such an authoritative utterance as this must have produced a great effect throughout Protestant Christendom, and in due time we see its working in New England. That same tendency to provincialism which, save at rare intervals, has been the bane of Massachusetts thought from that day to this, appeared; and in 1664 we have Samuel Danforth arguing from the Bible that comets are "portentous signals of great and notable changes," and arguing from history that they "have been many times heralds of wrath to a secure and impenitent world." He cites especially the comet of 1652, which appeared just before Mr. Cotton's sickness, and disappeared after his death. Morton also, in his memorial, recording the death of John Putnam, alludes to the comet of 1652 as "a very signal testimony that God had then removed a bright star and a shining light out of the heaven of his church here into celestial glory above." Again he speaks of another comet, insisting that "it was no fiery meteor caused by exhalation, but it was sent immediately by God to awaken the secure world," and goes on to show how in that year "it pleased God to smite the fruits of the earth, namely, the wheat in special, with blasting and mildew, whereby much of it was spoiled and became profitable for nothing, and much of it worth little, being light and empty. This was looked upon by the judicious and conscientious of the land as a speaking providence against the unthankfulness of many. . . as also against voluptuousness and abuse of the good creatures of God by licentiousness in drinking and fashions in apparel, for the obtaining whereof a great part of the principal grain was oftentimes unnecessarily expended."

But in 1680 a stronger man than either of these seized upon the doctrine and wielded it with power. Increase Mather, so open always to ideas from Europe, and always so powerful for good or evil in the