Final answer:
Bradstreet's decay of Puritan values can be understood in the context of 'declension' experienced by the Puritan community, with decreasing piety and participation leading to the adoption of the Half-Way Covenant and critiques from figures like Anne Hutchinson. This broader decay is also captured in historical and literary critiques of Puritanism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bradstreet's own decay of Puritan values may not be explicitly noted in her works; instead, the sense of decay is generally reflected through the cultural and historical context of the Puritans in New England. The Puritan community experienced a phenomenon known as 'declension', as mentioned in historical records. By 1660, signs indicated that the second and third generations of Puritans were less pious than their forebears, leading to a decrease in church membership and the adoption of the Half-Way Covenant in an attempt to address the problem of declining piety and participation.
As the new generations grew increasingly more integrated with worldly affairs, the leaders noted a falling away from the original Puritan mission. This was the case with Anne Hutchinson, who criticized the changing nature of religious practices and defied the authority of Puritan ministers with her own spiritual revelations, ultimately being excommunicated and banished. Elizabeth Beardsley's holdings of certain literature highlight intellectual responses to the perceived decay of values during the early American nation period. Lastly, the Anti-Puritan Perspective of historians like H. L. Mencken and James Truslow Adams reflects the negative view of Puritanism as narrow-minded and repressive, which hints at a broader cultural critique of Puritan decline.