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* NEW ENGLAND. 435 NEW FOREST. ent New England States Connecticut resulted from the union of the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven, and Jlassaeluisetts from the union of the colonies of Jlassachusetts Bay and Plymouth, while botli Xew Hampshiie and JIaine were originally under the jurisdiction of Massa- chusetts, JIaine not receiving a separate organ- ization until 1820. See articles on the various States and the historical section of the article U.xiTKu Statks. NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC AND GEN- EALOGICAL SOCIETY, The. An associa- tion in<nrpi)ratcd in 1S45 in Boston, Mass., for historical research in regard to the family his- tories of the early settlers in New England, and the collection of old records. The society began the collection of a librarj' which now contains 3(1.000 volumes and as many pamphlets, chiefly upon the suliject of New England history and biography, and has also a collection of relics and curios, manuscripts, and many old portraits and oil paintings. It now has a membership of a thousand, and holds monthly meetings. In 1847 the society began the publication of a quarterly magazine. The yeu^ Enyland Historical and Oencalogical Register, and also publishes the Jiihiinpolist, for circulation among its members, giving the proceedings and necrology of the so- ciety. NEW ENGLAND PRIMER, The. One of the most famous school-books in the history of education. Yet it is uncertain* when it first ap- peared, and of the 2.000,000 copies that it is reasonable to suppose were printed and sold in the eighteenth century, less tlian 50 survive, rep- resenting, however, some forty editions. ]Much has been done to clear up the bibliography of the work by Paul Leicester Ford in The Xew Enriland Primes': A History of Its Origin and Dcrclopment, with a Keprint of the Unique Copy of the Earliest Known Edition, and Many Fac- simile Illustrations and Reproductions (New Yorl<. 1897 ). The compiler of the work was shown by Ford to have been Benjamin Harris, an English printer and rhymester, who during the Catholicizing reign of James II. came to Boston and set up a book, coffee, tea, and choco- late sho]) 'by the Town Pump near the 'Change.' Here some time before 1690 he first issued the Primer, an abridgment of another compilation, The Protestant Tutor. A fragment of this first edition, or of a second, soon after, was found used as waste in the binding of a book printed in lt)S8, and is known as '"The Bradford Fr.ag- nu'nt." The Primer was changed from time to time to suit not only religious, but political feel- ing, though in general through the eighteenth century the tendency was strongly religious. The most familiar quotation from the New England Primer is doubtless the nursery prayer, "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep." but many couplets from the rhymed alphabet are still remembered. The composition of the different editions varies greatly. The earliest is thus made up : Ml Title; (2) Godly .'dnionitions; (."?) .^Iph.ibet and Syl- labary: (4) Rhymed Alph.abot : (H) The Dutiful riiihl's Promises: (6) An .Alphabet of Lessons. Texts of Scripture: (7) Choice Sentences: (ftl The Lord's Praver, Creed, and Ten Commnnd- ments: (9) The Dutv of Children. Texts; (10) Hortatory Verses : (11) Names in Order of Bibli- cal Books; (12) Koman and Arabic Numerals, from 1 to 100; (13) John Rogers's Exhortation to His Children; (14) The Shorter Catechism. The more noteworthy features of other editions are: John Cotton's "Spiritual Milk for American Balies," a still shorter catechism, and a "Dia- logue Between Christ, Youth, and the Devil." NEW ENGLAND THEOLOGY. The name given to a distinct school of Calvinistic theology, originating in New England, and characterized by mudifications of the older theology in respect to the nature of Ciod; the freedom, ability, and responsibility of man; the nature of moral ac- tion; and the constitutive principle of virtue. The originator of the school was .lonathan Ed- wards (q.v. ). With Edwards and his immediate successors the general aim was to combat Arniin- ianism. In 1770 John ilurray (q.v.) arrived in New England and began to preach Univcrsalism, and thus introduced a new element into theologi- cal thought and controversy. ( See Uxivers.j:,- ISM.) The early decades of the nineteenth cen- tury were occupied with the Unitarian contro- versy and with discussion of the teachings of Dr. Taylor of New Haven, particularly concerning sin, depravity, and regeneration. The outcome was the adoption of the principles which have since been known as the New England theologv", and which may be stated in the propositions that all sin is voluntary; that through the connection with Adam there is in man a sinful propensity which renders it certain that every man will sin from the beginning of moral action; th.at. though man has complete freedom of will, as a fact, he never turns to God without the previous regen- erating operation of the Holy Spirit, which per- suasively turns him to repentance and holiness; that holiness is disinterested love; that election is the choice," for reasons lying in the knowledge of God alone, of certain persons, without regard to their own merits, as the recipients of such gracious influence as shall certainly secure their repentance. During the past lialf centurj' the- ological thought ii> New England, as elsewhere, has been profoundly influenced by German phi- losophy and historical criticism and by the theory of evolution. As a consequence the New England theology as a distinct school has be- come a thing of the past, and the unmodified doctrines of the older leaders are no longer taught in the Congregational seminaries. Among those prominent in developing and defending the teachings of the school, after Edwards (170.S- 58), niav be mentioned: Joseph Bellamv (1719- 90); Samuel Hopkins (1721-180.3); Jonathan Edwards, the Y'ounger (1745-1801): Stephen West (1735-1819); Samuel West (1730-1807); Nathaniel Emmons (1745-1801); Timothy Dwight (1752-1817); Nathaniel W. Taylor (1780-1858) : Leonard Woods ( 1774-1S54) ; Moses Stuart (1780-1852): Edwards A. Park (1808- 1900) : Henrv B. Smith (1815-76) : Horace Bush- nell (1802-70): Samuel Harris (1814-99). Con- sult; Fisher. History of Christian Doctrine (New York. 1896) ; 'alker. History of the Congrega- tional Churches in the United fitates (New Y'ork. 1804) ; Boardman, ew England Theology (New York. 1899). See also Coxoreoatton-'VLI.sm; and the biographical notices of the leaders. NEW FOREST. . forest rccrion in the south- western part of Hampshire. England, with an area of 92.000 acres (144 square miles) (Map: England, E 6). The name dates from the Nor-