Text: Edgar Allan Poe (?), Literary, Broadway Journal (New York), September 27, 1845, vol. 2, no. 12, p. ???, col. ?

[page 178, column 1, continued:]

Puritanism: or a Churchman's Defence against its Aspersions, by an Appeal to its own History. By Thomas W. Coit , D. D., Rector of Trinity Church, New-Rochelle, N. Y., and a Member of the New-York Historical Society. New-York: D. Appleton & Co.

A remarkably nervous, logical, and (to our minds, at least,) convincing book. It is based on certain communications, made by its author to “The Churchman,” during the year 1835, “concerning the Puritans and their harsh and unwearied cavils against Episcopalians.” A large portion of the work, however, is entirely new.-Some remarkable quotations preface the volume. The first of them is “Milton was a Puritan,” from Leonard Bacon ‘s Hist. Disc. Then follow three extracts from Milton's Prose Works — extracts in opposition to Puritanism. A Note afterwards, says: — “An intelligent reader will not be surprised to learn that the Puritans have succeeded in suppressing the above passages, with a number like them, in most of the editions of Milton.” This is a serious charge — and not more serious than true. A very handsome volume of 527 pages octavo.