Puritanism in New England. The term Puritan first began as a taunt or insult applied by traditional Anglicans to those who criticized or wished to purify the Church of England. Although the word is often applied loosely, Puritan refers to two distinct groups: separating Puritans, such as the Plymouth colonists, who believed that the Church of England was corrupt and that true Christians must separate themselves from it; and non-separating Puritans, such as the colonists who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who believed in reform but not separation. Most Massachusetts colonists were nonseparating Puritans who wished to reform the established church, largely Congregationalists who believed in forming churches through voluntary compacts. The idea of compacts or covenants was central to the Puritans conception of social, political, and religious organizations. Several beliefs differentiated Puritans from other Christians. The first was their belief in predestination. Puritans believed that belief in Jesus and participation in the sacraments could not alone effect ones salvation; one cannot choose salvation, for that is the privilege of God alone. All features of salvation are determined by Gods sovereignty, including choosing those who will be saved and those who will receive Gods irresistible grace. The Puritans distinguished between justification, or the gift of Gods grace given to the elect, and sanctification, the holy behavior that supposedly resulted when an individual had been saved; according to The English Literatures of America, Sanctification is evidence of salvation, but does not cause it (434). When William Laud, an avowed Arminian, became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633, the Church of England began to embrace beliefs abhorrent to Puritans: a focus on the individuals acceptance or rejection of grace; a toleration of diverse religious beliefs; and an acceptance of high church rituals and symbols. According to Samuel Eliot Morisons Oxford History of the American People, the Puritans were deeply impressed by a story that their favorite church father, St. Augustine, told in his Confessions. He heard a voice saying, tolle et lege, Pick up and read. Opening the Bible, his eyes lit on Romans xiii:12-14: The night is far spent, the day is at hand; not in carousing and drunkenness, not in debauchery and lust, not in strife and jealousy. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts therof (62). The concept of a covenant or contract between God and his elect pervaded Puritan theology and social relationships. In religious terms, several types of covenants were central to Puritan thought. The Covenant of Works held that God promised Adam and his progeny eternal life if they obeyed moral law. After Adam broke this covenant, God made a new Covenant of Grace with Abraham (Genesis 18-19). Covenant of Grace. This covenant requires an active faith, and, as such, it softens the doctrine of predestination. Although God still chooses the elect, the relationship becomes one of contract in which punishment for sins is a judicially proper response to disobedience. During the Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards later repudiated Covenant Theology to get back to orthodox Calvinism. Those bound by the covenant considered themselves to be charged with a mission from God.Covenant of Redemption. The Covenant of Redemption was assumed to be preexistent to the Covenant of Grace. It held that Christ, who freely chose to sacrifice himself for fallen man, bound God to accept him as mans representative. Having accepted this pact, God is then committed to carrying out the Covenant of Grace. According to Perry Miller, as one contemporary source put it, God covenanted with Christ that if he would pay the full price for the redemption of beleevers, they should be discharged. Christ hath paid the price, God must be unjust, or else hee must set thee free from all iniquitie (New England Mind 406). Follow us on #Instagram : instagram/oldenglishliterature Follow us on #Tumblr :oldenglishliterature.tumblr/
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 14:43:31 +0000
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