Today's American Minute

New England Grant (February 12, 1629) to Thomas Lewis and Richard Bonighton by the Council for New England: <To all Christian people to whom these present writing indented shall come, the Council for the affairs of New England in America send greeting in our Lord God everlasting... Thomas Lewis...has already been at the charge to transport himself and others to take a view of New England in America...in advancing of a plantation, and does now wholly intend by God's assistance with his associates to plant there, both for the good of his Majesty's realms and dominions and for the propagation of...

John Bunyan (November 1628-August 31, 1688) was an English author who wrote the classic work, The Pilgrim's Progress, 1678. Born in Bedford, England, he was a poor, unskilled tinker by trade. In 1657, at age 29, John Bunyan became a Baptist minister. He was arrested for having religious meetings and preaching without a license from the government. He was imprisoned over 12 years, 1660-72, 1675. John Bunyan wrote in a Relation of My Imprisonment: <Upon the 12th of...November 1660...the justice...issued out his warrant to take me...as if we that were to meet together...to do some fearful business, to the destruction of...

Dutch Reformed Church Letter (August 11, 1628) addressed to Rev. Adrianus Smoutius, Member of the Consistory of the Dutch Reformed Church, Amsterdam: <At the first administration of the Lord's Supper which was observed, not without great joy and comfort to many, we had fully fifty communicants- Walloons and Dutch; of whom, a portion made their first confession of faith before us, and others exhibted their church certificates. Others had forgotten to bring their certificates with them not thinking that a church would be formed and established here; and some who brought them, had lost them unfortunately in a general conflagration, but...

John Ray (November 29, 1627-January 17, 1705) was a British biologist and natural theologian who founded of the Royal Society. Considered the father of English natural history, he was a respected expert in the field of taxonomy, botany and zoology. He compiled an extensive catalogue of English flora and, between 1686-1704, published A General History of Plants (3 vols.). John Ray authored A Persuasive to a Holy Life, 1700, and The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation, 1691, in which he stated: <The works created by God at first, and by Him conserved to this day in the...