The Puritans
This thesis is going to talk about The Puritans and their kind of society to the new world, and their religion.
Puritans are a complex religious group who are defined by their beliefs, and their hope to establish a society in the new world. They are known to be a religious minority group who believed that the Church of England needed to be purified of the influence of Catholicism. During the early 1600s, their religious faith was made in England. The Puritans believed that the Anglican Church, the state's religious institution of England, needed to be purified of the influence of the Catholic religious faith. In 1630, a group of Puritans, migrated to the New World after they were denied by the inability to purify the church.
Puritans believed that God had formed a unique covenant, or agreement, with them. They believed that God expected them to live according to the Scriptures, to reform the Anglican Church, and to set a good example that would cause those who had remained in England to change their sinful ways. In the novel The Crucible: Puritans had a strong belief in the devil, and that Hell existed. Because of this, they felt that the devil could exert power and influence over people when they were on the earth; hence the belief in witches. The Puritans believed that God had formed a unique covenant, or agreement, with them. They believed that God expected them to live according to the Scriptures, to reform the Anglican Church, and to set a good example that would cause those who had remained in England to change their sinful ways. Most early migrants to the Massachusetts Bay Colony were full-fledged members of the Puritan faith. Church attendance in Puritan communities was mandatory. However, not all church attendees were considered to be full members of the church. In order to become a full member of the church, Puritans had to prove they had a conversion experience and that they were part of the predestined elect, a group who was guaranteed admission to Heaven. "Men think all things would be very glorious, it they might be done according to their mind. Perhaps, indeed, they would -- but with their glory, not the glory of God." –John Owen For the Puritans, religious and political life were completely intertwined. Each Puritan town had town meetings to determine how the town would be run, and only male church members were allowed to vote on issues affecting the town. At the time of the Reformation most of Europe was ruled by a theocracy of its own; that of the Roman Catholic church. The Protestants were compelled by their beliefs to disregard many of the practices of the Catholic church, including buying indulgences and approaching God only through a priest. The church was not pleased with this rebellion against its authority, and the Protestants were greatly persecuted. Many of them left Europe and settled in America to escape this persecution and practice their religion in peace. This was the case with the colony at Salem. “That man is out of reach of harm in this life, who is sure of possessing heaven in the next. …show more content…
This is the portion of every believer." –Samuel Willard
The seriousness in the Puritan religion caused them put limits on how they viewed the pleasures of life. For the most part, they were conservative, condemning drunkenness and gluttony. But they didn't despise food. The Puritan preacher Thomas Watson wrote in his sermon "Man's Chief End is to Glorify God" that God "gives us health, which is the sauce to sweeten our life; and food, which is the oil that nourishes the lamp of life. If all we receive is from his bounty, is it not reasonable we should glorify him?"
For Puritans, the Bible was God’s connection read by humans every day.. In fact, Puritans believed in a “living” Bible and were convinced that their settlement of the New World was the modern equivalent to the struggles of the ancient Israelites. Additionally, they believed the world was alive with revelations from God. Nothing was insignificant. A roach crawling across the floor or a bad snow storm were seen as messages from God. "Though Christians be not kept altogether from falling, yet
This thesis is going to talk about The Puritans and their kind of society to the new world, and their religion.
Puritans are a complex religious group who are defined by their beliefs, and their hope to establish a society in the new world. They are known to be a religious minority group who believed that the Church of England needed to be purified of the influence of Catholicism. During the early 1600s, their religious faith was made in England. The Puritans believed that the Anglican Church, the state's religious institution of England, needed to be purified of the influence of the Catholic religious faith. In 1630, a group of Puritans, migrated to the New World after they were denied by the inability to purify the church.
Puritans believed that God had formed a unique covenant, or agreement, with them. They believed that God expected them to live according to the Scriptures, to reform the Anglican Church, and to set a good example that would cause those who had remained in England to change their sinful ways. In the novel The Crucible: Puritans had a strong belief in the devil, and that Hell existed. Because of this, they felt that the devil could exert power and influence over people when they were on the earth; hence the belief in witches. The Puritans believed that God had formed a unique covenant, or agreement, with them. They believed that God expected them to live according to the Scriptures, to reform the Anglican Church, and to set a good example that would cause those who had remained in England to change their sinful ways. Most early migrants to the Massachusetts Bay Colony were full-fledged members of the Puritan faith. Church attendance in Puritan communities was mandatory. However, not all church attendees were considered to be full members of the church. In order to become a full member of the church, Puritans had to prove they had a conversion experience and that they were part of the predestined elect, a group who was guaranteed admission to Heaven. "Men think all things would be very glorious, it they might be done according to their mind. Perhaps, indeed, they would -- but with their glory, not the glory of God." –John Owen For the Puritans, religious and political life were completely intertwined. Each Puritan town had town meetings to determine how the town would be run, and only male church members were allowed to vote on issues affecting the town. At the time of the Reformation most of Europe was ruled by a theocracy of its own; that of the Roman Catholic church. The Protestants were compelled by their beliefs to disregard many of the practices of the Catholic church, including buying indulgences and approaching God only through a priest. The church was not pleased with this rebellion against its authority, and the Protestants were greatly persecuted. Many of them left Europe and settled in America to escape this persecution and practice their religion in peace. This was the case with the colony at Salem. “That man is out of reach of harm in this life, who is sure of possessing heaven in the next. …show more content…
This is the portion of every believer." –Samuel Willard
The seriousness in the Puritan religion caused them put limits on how they viewed the pleasures of life. For the most part, they were conservative, condemning drunkenness and gluttony. But they didn't despise food. The Puritan preacher Thomas Watson wrote in his sermon "Man's Chief End is to Glorify God" that God "gives us health, which is the sauce to sweeten our life; and food, which is the oil that nourishes the lamp of life. If all we receive is from his bounty, is it not reasonable we should glorify him?"
For Puritans, the Bible was God’s connection read by humans every day.. In fact, Puritans believed in a “living” Bible and were convinced that their settlement of the New World was the modern equivalent to the struggles of the ancient Israelites. Additionally, they believed the world was alive with revelations from God. Nothing was insignificant. A roach crawling across the floor or a bad snow storm were seen as messages from God. "Though Christians be not kept altogether from falling, yet