Principles of Puritan Ideology - Free Essay Example

The puritan ideology was believed to have been a special agreement that God had made with the Puritans. It was believed that God anticipated that the people lived according to the teachings in the scriptures to assist in the transformation of the Anglican Church worldwide (Bailey 11). The ideology was formulated to set an excellent example for making the people who were left in Britain to transform and leave their wicked ways. The people were expected to live pure lives without sins. The people in the country embraced the ideology, the majority of them being Christian. Ordinary people embraced the teachings as well as the famous people of England (Tyacke 528). Artists were not left behind as they would produce their works based on the Puritan ideologies. Among the famous writers who embraced the principles of Puritan ideologies in their literary work include Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards. Anne Bradstreet was a renowned poet of those times, while Jonathan Edwards was a renowned theological writer having produced several literary works. Bradstreet and Edwards illustrate the key Puritan beliefs of moral self-examination and earthly suffering as a test of God's will.

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Belief in the “Covenant of Grace” – the agreement Christ made with all people who believed in him, sealed by the Crucifixion, promising eternal life. In her poem, To My Dear and Loving Husband, Bradstreet highlighted a handful of instances that indicate the belief in the covenant of grace that was made between the people and Jesus. In her poem, she is seen to have a strong subscription to the value and the holiness of marriage. She believed that reproducing was an agreement made between God and the people to ensure that they continued with the responsibility of filling the world. She said, "Procreation and proper training of children were necessary for building God’s commonwealth.” (Bradstreet 10). Thus, due to her strong belief in the covenant, she urged people to maintain the moral union of women and men.

In her work, Anne Bradstreet believed in an intense study of the bible, moral self-examination, and active membership in the congregation when writing to her children. She was more concerned about her children's morals, which she thought could be appropriately modeled by certain things. Among the things she believed to be impactful was the bible. Bradstreet, as a Puritan, believed in the immense studying of the bible as she often maintained that it was the guide for the Christians (Bradstreet 11). So in the poem, she talked about parenting and the responsibilities of parents in bringing up their children. She believed that children were supposed to be brought up in a manner that would best help them in their entire lives.

She believed that a parent who reads the bible and attends church services stands better in bringing up their children in godly ways. She also believed that the parents were responsible for making sure that their children read the bible and are raised according to the teachings. She believed in eternal life after death, as taught by the bible. She mentioned the following according to the teachings she derived from the bible, "No seasons cold, or storms they see but spring lasts to eternity.” (Bradstreet 11). It was indicating her hope for an eternal afterlife that is much greater than the earthly one she has been living thus far (Bradstreet 12). Her words were indicative of a person who read the bible.

The belief that doers of evil suffer and are destroyed; true believers and doers of good may suffer as well, as worldly misfortune is both a test of faith and a signifier of God's will. The belief can be termed as fate and predestination. In this case, Bradstreet mourns the death of the child, where she is in much pain. Considering that she considered herself a doer of good and was suffering the loss of the child, she feels the wrongdoers should felt the pain that she believes. She later realizes that it was the will of God to take the life of the child. She appreciates saying that "It was by His hand alone that guides nature and fate." (Bradstreet 14). Therefore, she thought that she should not continue morning the loss but to remain peaceful by realizing that the dead child was in a peaceful place. She believed that God was only testing her faith and did not mean to destroy her.

According to Christian teachings, Jonathan Edwards was a theologian writer who wrote different material about theology and living holy life. The writer was also a puritan and had strong beliefs on the principles of puritan ideology. One of Puritan principles that are evident in his work is the belief in the intense study of the bible, moral self-examination, and active membership in the congregation. In his literary works, Edward's belief in extensive bible reading and oral examination was a theme that appeared regularly. It can be supported by his conviction that “he is wholly and perfectly from the free, eternal, distinguishing love and infinite grace of Christ towards them.” (Edwards 15).

These are the beliefs that most Puritans believed in as they obtained their conviction from the holy book. With such convictions, it is an indicator that Edward believes in bible study and moral evaluation of oneself as that is what the bible teaches the Christians. Thus, the principle has been of significance in his theological wrings as it impacts beliefs on people and those that were puritans (Liu 9). Additionally, the statement made the belief stronger, and most puritans ended up believing so much in bible study and cross-examination of their morals to ensure that they are in line with the teachings of the bible. The principle remained instrumental among the puritans.

He also believed that doers of evil suffer and are destroyed; true believers and doers of good may suffer as well, as worldly misfortune is both a test of faith and a signifier of God’s will. Edward believes that faith in God is integral and that the doers of the evil will suffer and be destroyed in the end times. He believes that the righteous will also suffer, but God will not destroy them as He will do to the evil people. Edward believes that all the people must unite to work together to portray their love and faith in God. He mentions that the righteous also suffer according to the will of God, giving an example of how Jesus suffered out of the will of God but was never defeated (Edwards 16). Just like the puritans believe, God subjects the righteous to suffering according to His will to test their faith in Him, but he does not allow them to perish. Those that have shown faith in Him are saved. The principle is integral as it enabled the puritans to remain faithful and do not fall into temptations of various kinds as God comes to their rescue at the end of it all.

In conclusion, puritan ideology was based on the teachings of the Christians, where the members believed that they were created to remain pure. In Bradstreet and Edward's literary work, the principles can be seen playing vital roles in the works. They remind the people to remain faithful and to hold on to their beliefs. The two writers mentioned in this work have found grounds on which they base their arts to send the intended messages to their audience. The beliefs have been instrumental in enhancing moral examination of an individual to reflect on the behaviors and other aspects necessary to lead a righteous life. Overall, Bradstreet and Edwards illustrate the integral Puritan beliefs of moral self-examination and earthly suffering as a test of God's will.

Works Cited

Bailey, Richard A. Race and Redemption in Puritan New England. Oxford University Press, 2011.

Bradstreet, Anne. "To My Dear and Loving Husband." (2012).

Edwards, Jonathan. Jonathan Edwards on revival. Ravenio Books, 2015.

Liu, Tai. Discord in Zion: The puritan divines and the puritan revolution 1640–1660. Vol. 61. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

Tyacke, Nicholas. "The puritan paradigm of English politics, 1558-1642." Historical Journal (2010): 527-550.