Puritans

From 1850s

[edit] Puritans: For Better, For Worse

“Puritanism is the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, might be happy.” H.L. Mencken (famous American Journalist)

This seems to be the general understanding of the Puritans. While there may be some truth in this statement of some Puritans, is it really appropriate to paint such a generalization of them all? Sure Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, strict Sabbath practices, memories from the Salem Witch Trials, and other such pieces of the Puritan picture are emphasized to show how hypocritical, angry, patriarchal dominant, and gloomy they were, but is this really the whole picture? Any person who reads such an extremist portrait should naturally take a second look, and see what parts of the picture may be missing.

Puritan was the title given to a group of people at the end of the sixteenth century who were seeking to pure church and a pure life. The Reformation, which had been sparked by the likes of Martin Luther and John Calvin, had brought the Church a long way, but the Puritans weren’t ready to settle. The Anglican church became the state church in England under Henry the VIII who brought dominant protestant belief to the country. When Queen Mary Tudor (“Bloody Mary) took throne in 1553 she violently persecuted Protestants until her death five years later in 1558. Elizabeth I, Mary’s sister, took the throne and reestablished the Anglican Church, and in 1559 passed the Law of Conformity, requiring all citizens to attend and partake in the Anglican liturgy and Eucharist. Yes the Pope was out of control, but the Church was still largely controlled by the government, being less than the “sola scriptura” based Church that many from the Reformation desired. Those longing for more were called the Puritans. There were two major groups of Puritans; the separatists, who would not accept any sort of union with the Anglican Church, and those who found they could push for their ideals while maintaining their membership in the Anglican Church. Both groups ended up sending large numbers of people to America but the first groups overseas were the separatist, who became known as the Pilgrims. John Smyth, John Robinson, William Brewster, and William Bradford were the most well know among these first settlers who came over on the Mayflower in 1620. In America puritan colonies were established all over New England where Puritan ideal could be put into practice, and they could live without oppressive government control. While the colonies were pretty exclusive at first, they eventually became more comfortable with outsiders in time. In times of greater persecution in England under Charles I, larger groups fled to America, but a solid body of puritans lasted in England a good 100 years (1560-1660). The number of Puritans in New England grew from 17,800 in 1640 to 106,000 in 1700. The puritans faded out first in England in the mid 1600’s and in New England in the late 1600’s, but their legacy carries on until today.

While much can be criticized about the Puritans in both America and England, it has been said that “Puritans who came to America were of a generally lesser quality than those who stayed behind and ushered in what is sometimes called the ‘Puritan Century’ in England’ (JI Packer-Puritan Scholar from Reformed Theological Seminary). While there are many misconceptions to be cleared away from the Puritan reputation, English and American, the American Puritans should be focused on primarily, for they had the most damage done to their reputation.

The Puritans were the first people in history to offer free schooling for all children, they established Harvard in Cambridge as the first American college, they were the first to write books for children, by 1700 they were the second largest publishing center of the English Empire, and they created both the first newspaper and bookstore in America. The New England Puritans live short and hard lives. Life was very serious and faith was taken very serious. They had strong work ethic and put much value in being good stewards of time. One may assume that the seriousness they attributed to life sucked it of any joy or emotion, but in the study of their writings there is much to show the contrary. Many writings have shown that many Puritans enjoyed their life, and lived deeply. They weren’t completely opposed to alcohol, as “drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness…” (Increase Mather). Sex and lover weren’t chastised either, but were embraced. Anne Bradstreet wrote this of her husband, “If ever man were lov’d by wife, than thee; if ever wife were happy in man, compare with me ye woman if you can…” It was also said of sex that, “one of the best remedies that can be prescribed to married persons is that husband and wife mutually delight each in other…” The Puritans actually had a higher view of marriage than either Catholics, who emphasized procreation, or Lutherans, who pointed to procreation. While Edwards set the caricature of “fire-n-brimstone” preaching for puritans he was also said to “top just about anyone when it comes to grace and joy.” Yes there were many negative things that could be said about the Puritans. There was probably much hypocrisy in some, if not most, colonies and the witchcraft trials were one of the worst representations of any Puritan colonies. However, one thing that must be considered when looking at the trials is that they do not define their methods of living for the 100 years which proceeded, but rather showed the danger that their self-imposed isolation had put them in.

This was just a slight glimpse into the history of the Puritans to try and show a little of the bad and a little of the good to spur readers on to further study of what exactly it would have been like to be or be around the Puritans. To end, this is an image of what one Puritan scholar believes it would be like to live next door to an English Puritan-

“If we had worked beside [the] typical Puritan or been a neighbor, he or she would have impressed us as being religious but not odd. He or she would not have been distinguished by outward appearance… The typical Puritan dressed as other members of the same social class did. Conversation would have turned much of the time to topics of Christian belief and experience. Overall, the typical Puritan would have impressed us as hardworking, thrifty, serious, moderate, practical in outlook, doctrinaire in religious and political matters, well-informed about the latest political and ecclesiastical developments, argumentative, well-educated, and thoroughly familiar with the content of the Bible”

-Leland Ryken.