The Puritan Views Of Puritans

The second, a classic form of separatism, arose most spectacularly in the person of Roger Williams, who thought it necessary for the members of a congregation to "make a public declaration of their repentance for having communion with the churches of England, while they lived there." Thus it was sufficient in his eyes to have banished that Church's errors from Puritan congregations; it was even necessary to renounce the Church. Winthrop understood the danger of Williams's ideas, that they might/must lead one to keep withdrawing further and further from the world and burrowing deeper into oneself, in the ultimately mistaken belief that only one's own vision of God's truth is pure.

Erikson explains that to most English people of the 16th century, Puritans became an annoying sect of rebels. Overbearing and unrelenting, many detested the exaggeration of conventional values that the Puritans displayed. Feeling restricted by the formalities of the Church, Puritans quickly became deviant in the eyes of society. By moving to Massachusetts Bay, Puritans hoped to create their own ideas of what is “right” and “wrong”, much like any community attempting to set boundaries. However, problems arose when laws were to be mandated in a Biblical sense. God could not sit at a pulpit in a courtroom, so then how would a strictly religious group maintain itself? As Erikson states, “one of the surest ways to confirm an identity, for communities as well as individuals, is to find some way of measuring what one is not”. From this, they developed a keen sense of Devil distinction – that is, ways in which the Devil presented himself through the behaviors of individuals.

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.

The most known acts of cruelty in the power of the people are the various punishments dealt out by the Puritans. Then you have the Quakers-they weren’t just men appearing on labels of oatmeal bins; they were chosen to be on the label because the Quaker faith projected the values of honesty, integrity, purity, and strength. However, the Puritans and Quakers both traveled to the New World to escape religious prosecutions. John Winthrop, leading the Puritans, wanted a more “purified” state and society, giving them the name, Puritans. William Penn, leading the Quakers, wanted to spread their beliefs through themselves. They questioned leaders, resulting in leading themselves. Both had different views of reconstructing a new society, religion, and government.

1. "Describe the Puritans and their beliefs, and explain why they left England for the New World." What the Puritans desired was the purification of the English church. Puritans wished to simplify worship and control the regularity of its occurrence. The protestant reformation which seemed everlasting caused conflict with the Puritans. Some Individuals believed only “visible saints” would be allowed a house in the Church. King James threatened the persecution of the separatists so the fled in search of religious freedom inside of the new found colonies.

The development of the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660s greatly reflected the Puritans’ fundamental ideas and values in result of the large Puritan settlements in the region. The Puritans were deeply religious colonists who fled Britain in hopes of a better life where they could practice their beliefs freely. As a result of their practices in the region, they politically influence the values of the limiting power of the government, separation of church and state, and direct democracy. Economically, Puritans influenced the hard-work ethic, self-efficient farms, and fair business transactions in the region. Not only that, socially, the Puritans’ values led to greater emphasis on education and racial prejudice. As the Puritan

The puritans were very strict especially in religion. Some of their beliefs include; predestination, which meant God knew beforehand who was going to heaven or hell. The elect,

Puritan religion and beliefs differ a great deal from the average American life. The Puritan colonies settled in New England and in it they established a ¨close-knit community governed by absolute religious faith and strict discipline¨. The Puritans way of life was based on their belief in GOD and the church. To them, God´s law was held supreme. The Bible and its message were above man's law and was the key to their salvation.

The Puritans also wanted to have a system where everyone's voice could be heard, so they set up "congregational" and later knew them as "town meetings" ("Puritanism"). In America today we also hold "town meetings" to create a voice for the American people. The Puritans also believe in the idea of original depravity, or that everyone is full of sin-that sin was transferred to everyone from Adam. They believed that were predestined by God and only grace could save them- no good works, no baptism, and no prayers ("Puritanism"). While most Americans have adapted the theological belief of Christianity, some of the Puritan ideas such as; having an open and honest relationship with those around you, keeping no secrets, and relying on friends and family to help with religious and societal issues have transferred into the American society ("Puritans"). However, the Puritans are only remembered for their brash beliefs and their strict governments but that is not solely the

The puritans value self-control and discipline which contributes to a well-behaved society.In the Christian faith, there are Ten Commandments that must be followed or else the individual will be punished.These rules sharpen the Puritans’ abilities to conduct themselves in a strict manner. In order to abide by these rules, they must have integrity, and they must always be on their best behavior. This leads to a well-organized society since everyone understands and

Although the Puritan views can have some disadvantages, the value of the Puritan community brings pureness and obedience within the communities. The way Puritans were raised was filled with the idea that there was no wrongdoing in their society. These people would follow what the bible would say and never go against it. In the past, the crucible is one of the most famous play that issued the topic about how Puritans would act. It provided how they would worship god and always be at church.

Superficially Puritanism was only a belief that the Church of England should be purged of its hierarchy and of the traditions and ceremonies inherited from Rome. But people who caught the fever knew that it was much more than that. Once a person got the fever, it changed their whole life. Puritanism was too powerful to be denied. It did great things for England and America, but only by creating in the men and women it affected a tension which was at best painful and at worst unbearable.

In the 1600’s, the New England Puritans were strict enforcers of God’s law. Those who enforced the laws and those who interpreted the laws were often one and the same person. The religious rulers of that time often maintained an impossibly high standard with serious consequences for offenders.

Many people have different understandings and views. The Puritans had multiple ways of viewing the lives of others. They showed different styles and ideas through their writing and speaking. Being educated about the bible and God was a huge part of the way that the Puritans taught literature. The style and content of Puritanism reflect the belief that Puritans rely on God and to show connections throughout the Puritan’s way of life.

The Puritanism belief system is much more complex than it appears to be. Whenever Puritanism comes to mind, we probably think of purity and cleanliness. However, the Puritan’s have a very interesting way of achieving purity. The Puritans believe that God has predestined the salvation of certain souls and one can do nothing to change this. They also believe there is zero credit for good works and that people by nature are wholly sinful and can only achieve goodness by severe discipline, but living a godly life is the result of being chosen as one of God’s “elect.” The “elect” are said to be saved from hell by predestination, and at some point during their life, they will be blessed with an inner assurance of