Generalization Of The Puritans

[H]e which would have suer peace and joye in Christianitye, must not ayme at a condition retyred from the world and free from temptations, but to knowe that the life which is most exercised with tryalls and temptations is the sweetest, and will prove the safeste. For such tryalls as fall within compasse of our callinges, it is better to arme and withstande them than to avoide and shunne them. -John Winthrop

Puritans and reformers of seventeenth century England have been given a bad name for their part in history. This is primarily because they were working against the grain and trying to create change in world that saw change as a threat. The time period was turbulent and there was bound to be resistance in a world that was dominated by Catholics and those that had reformed to abide by their King’s law. The puritans of the time were considered extreme and rubbed people the wrong way because they wanted a world that abided by their morals and ethical codes. For this, they took the blame for the misery that many suffered during this age, but as we see in Fire from Heaven, this is not a fair assessment. The Puritans of this time wanted to improve the lives of the people and society as a whole through morality and purity.

In the 1630's and the 1640's, the Puritans traveled to the colonies to detach from their opinion of a convoluted Church of England. They set up towns and started new lives that were all based on their idea of a pure religion. The Puritan's definition of a pure religion did not include many of the ideas of the Church of England. They built the colonies and made a system based upon the idea that God was the most important aspect of life. Puritan ideas and values influenced the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660’s by spreading their beliefs into every facet of daily life. Politically their ideas regarding what was considered sinful behavior and how power was separated among the

When looking into the history of the puritans one can find many things, however while reading “City Upon a Hill” and “The Divine Right to Occupy the land” one may then come up with the idea of the puritans being selfish.

Puritans believed God had made a “long promised summons” to them. Creating a society in every way connected to just God was challenging enough for the Puritans but also the need to spread His words to other people. The Puritans’ priorities were centralized on their religion and the teaching of it. This shows their focus in education to them was to teach children religious and moral beliefs. No doubt that the educational life of a Puritan began at home. In keeping with covenant household, the salvation of children and their spiritual being was in the heart of every parent. Parents prayed that their children would become a source of glory. The Puritans started the Old Dilutor Act: to teach children to read and write so they can understand the

A Puritan defined is “a member of a group of English Protestants of the late 16th and 17th centuries who regarded the Reformation of the Church of England under Elizabeth as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship.” Puritan society in America depended on the belief that all members were working for the glory of God. The Puritans did not allow deviations from the strict code of behavior which would not allow any member to have individuality. They restricted any type of entertainment, except that which was endorsed by the church. They worked and worshipped.

Seventeenth century Puritans had several aspirations, successes, and failures when it came to creating a model society. They had many successes in their society, some examples are their education system, their advancements in equality for women, and the way they created a tight knit close society. Although they had many achievements, the Puritans also did fall short in many aspects of their society. They ultimately did fail at their perfect society, and that is a very important aspect since that was their main goal. They also were very strict about their policies regarding the church. Once the generations progressed, they had to create new rules to allow people basic religious rights such as baptism. They also fused church and state, which was necessary in a society such as this, but it ultimately hindered progression such as allowing non church members to vote. As the years progressed more and more non Puritans entered the Puritan society, this hindered society because eventually the small majority was making the most riveting decisions. Ultimately the Puritans had both failures and successes when attempting a model society, but the weight of the failures simply outweighed the successes.

The 17th century Puritans were known to represent a religious group migrating from England to America in order to practice religious freedom. These groups were determined to “purify” churches of England from Catholic practices. Puritans are known for their religious, social, and political influences on early America. Edmund S. Morgan’s novel The Puritan Family highlights a part of history that many would tend to look over upon- that is, the complex structural life of Puritan Families in the 17th century.

Puritan society was a utopia made of strict religious conduct and revolved around God 's ultimate path and blessing. Anything that was believed to be sinful or was of material desires would be considered a sin, and later requires extensive prayer for God 's forgiveness. Puritans believed that their philosophy would last forever, and it would never become under threat from both seen and unseen forces. Puritan society was formed in and around Massachusetts, and would become the basis of American society as we know it to be today. One place, in which Puritan philosophy was invaded with such unseen forces, dates back to Salem, Massachusetts in the late seventeenth century. This unseen force that invaded Puritan thought would become the basis

Regarding the social aspect of Puritan colonies, the Puritans primarily focused on religion which would guide their actions in society. Because there was such a need to read the Bible, schools were established in settlements that had at least fifty families in order to provide basic education such as reading and writing. This was the first public school system in the colonies. Also because of this emphasis on reading the Bible, Harvard College was established to educate young men to become Puritan ministers. The biggest social influence on the Puritans

I grew up going to church, singing hymns and saying prayers. As I grew older I began to question what I was learning in church because I could not bring myself to view God as acting and being something that contradicted what I was learning from science. The Puritans, however, view God and religion as the center of their lives. The Puritans are extremely religious and have strong beliefs about God. Their beliefs trap them within both an exhausting and uplifting falsehood; their views, however twisted, shape their communities and their individual lives. In works such as William Bradford’s writing from Of Plymouth Plantation, Edward Taylor’s poetry, John Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the

For the Puritans in the early New England colonies life was by no means easy, but there was the possibility to expand their beliefs free from the persecution from Church of England. They had the opportunity to create their ideal society under God with the bible as their law from which they would define how to live. The Puritans set out to create their model society which could spread and cull the impurities from the church. But how did these beliefs and goals ultimately effect their society?

Puritans did a variety of things for America, other than make people of this age think they’re some Pharisees or some weird freaks over religion.They actually helped in contributing Americans’ devotion to the practice of education. Puritans had a zeal for education and that zeal was founded in their origins. In the view of the Puritans, the Bible was their central to Christian education. They desired education and enlightenment for everyone, especially the common people. They wanted people to be able to read and understand the Bible for themselves in order perspire in the wondrous religion they call their life. Reading of the Bible was necessary to living a devoted life to God. The education of the next generation was important to further “purify” the church and perfect social living in order to enter the gates of heaven. This view goes back to Martin Luther’s idea, who stated, “Above all, the foremost reading for everybody, both in the universities and in the schools, should be Holy Scripture... I would advise no one to send his child where the Holy Scriptures are not supreme.”

When most people think of the Puritans, initially they may think quite negatively. Though this is not inaccurate , the Puritans do have some positive traits. One notable admirable trait is now devoted the Puritans were to their faith. These people unquestionably followed God no matter what. In Upon the Burning of Our House, the author, Anne Bradstreet, not only describes the event of her house being burned, but the emotional aftermath of the fire. “A price so vast as is unknown,Yet by His gift is made thine own;There‘s wealth enough, I need no more,Farewell, my pelf, farewell, my store. The world no longer let me love, My hope and treasure lies above. “ Essentially, Bradstreet writes about how she is not distraught about her house being burned,

Therefore, there were strict boundaries in which Puritans were allowed to think. I believe that if thinkers like Einstein and Newton were never given the freedom they wanted to explore the scientific realm of the world, the human race today would not have benefited from what "free radicals" throughout history have discovered and contributed. Granted, the world might be a more peaceful place if the atomic bomb had never been invented or if Hitler never published Mien Kempf, but this turmoil ultimately made the human race stronger through time. Learning from mistakes is what makes us human, not striving for perfection without failure (as the Puritans believed). Because of this I believe that Puritanism essentially strives to manipulate people into something that is unnatural and contrived.