John Cotton

Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes John Cotton

"Question. How many Gods be there?

Answer: There is but one God in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."

-From Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes, 1646




John Cotton's Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes (1646) is a children's catechism and considered the first children's book published in America. It consists of a series of questions and answers related to the teachings of the Puritans and the Reformed Protestant faith. It discusses morals, religious life, the ten commandments, and the last judgment, while being accompanied by hundreds of Bible references.




Since its publication in the 1640s, Spiritual Milk for Boston Babes remained in print for over 200 years and due to its popularity and importance for New England also became known as The Catechism of New England.