Text 4 The most thoroughly studied in the history of the new world are the ministers and

Text4Themostthoroughlystudiedinthehistoryofthenewworldaretheministersandpoliticalleadersofseventeenth-centuryNewEngland.AccordingtothestandardhistoryofAmericanphilosophy,nowhereelseincolonialAmericawas“Somuchimportantattachedtointellectualpursuits”Accordingtomanybooksandarticles,NewEngland’sleadersestablishedthebasicthemesandpreoccupationsofanunfolding,dominantPuritantr aditioninAmericanintellectuallife.

TotakethisapproachtotheNewEnglandersnormallymeantostartwiththePuritans’theologicalinnovationsandtheirdistinctiveideasaboutthechurch-importantsubjectsthatwemaynotneglect.Butinkeepingwithourexaminationofsouthernintellectuallife,wemayconsidertheoriginalPuritansascarriersofEuropeancultureadjustingtoNewworldcircumstances.TheNewEnglandcolonieswerethescenesofimportantepisodesinthepursuitofwidelyunderstoodidealsofcivilityandvirtuosity.

TheearlysettlersofMassachusettsBayincludedmenofimpressiveeducationandinfluenceinEngland.`BesidestheninetyorsolearnedministerswhocametoMassachusettschurchinthedecadeafter1629,TherewerepoliticalleaderslikeJohnWinthrop,aneducatedgentleman,lawyer,andofficialoftheCrownbeforehejourneyedtoBoston.Theremenwroteandpublishedextensively,reachingbothNewWorldandOldWorldaudiences,andgivingNewEnglandanatmosphereofintellectualearnestness.

Weshouldnotforget,however,thatmostNewEnglanderswerelesswelleducated.Whilefewcraftsmenorfarmers,letalonedependentsandservants,leftliterarycompositionstobeanalyzed,Theinthinkingoftenhadatr aditionalsuperstitionsquality.AtailornamedJohnDane,whoemigratedinthelate1630s,leftanaccountofhisreasonsforleavingEnglandthatisfilledwithsigns.sexualconfusion,economicfrustr ations,andreligioushope-allnametogetherinadecisivemomentwhenheopenedtheBible,toldhisfatherthefirstlinehesawwouldsettlehisfate,andreadthemagicalwords:“comeoutfromamongthem,touchnouncleanthing,andIwillbeyourGodandyoushallbemypeople.”OnewonderswhatDanethoughtofthecarefulsermonsexplainingtheBiblethatheheardinpuritanchurched.

Meanwhile,manysettleshadslighterreligiouscommitmentsthanDane’s,asoneclergymanlearnedinconfrontingfolkalongthecoastwhomockedthattheyhadnotcometotheNewworldforreligion.“Ourmainendwastocatchfish.”

36.Theauthornotesthatintheseventeenth-centuryNewEngland___________.

[A]Puritantr aditiondominatedpoliticallife.

[B]intellectualinterestswereencouraged.

[C]Politicsbenefitedmuchfromintellectualendeavors.

[D]intellectualpursuitsenjoyedaliberalenvironment.