JOHN COTTON (1585-1652), a preeminent English clergyman, who was forced by the Church of England in 1632 to flee for New England. There he became an influential New England Puritan leader and minister. Cotton wrote several books, including Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes (1646), a catechism for children, which is considered the first children's book by an American and remained popular into the nineteenth century.

What is Congregational Church government?

In Scripture, the ordinance of church discipline and the power of ordaining officers are given to a congregation of Christians meeting regularly in one place.

John Owen credited this book with convincing him that Congregational church government is the way taught in Holy Scripture. The renowned theologian John Cotton, who famously declined to participate in the Westminster Assembly, saying, "why should I travel 3000 miles to agree with four men?", penned his manuscript in Boston, Massachusetts, and shipped it to London, where Thomas Goodwin and Philip Nye had it published in 1644, in the midst of the venerable Westminster Assembly. They added a lengthy preface. It is included in this volume, along with a new introduction.