Puritanism and the Founding of Plymouth Economics - Term Paper Example

Puritanism and the Founding of Plymouth Economies Introduction A number of people began being dissatisfied and criticized the Anglican Church of England. They public asserted that the church needed purification since some of its doctrines and practices were not religiously acceptable (Falconbridge 49). This criticism led the traditional Anglican Church to label the pro-purification of the church as “Puritan” following their claim of purification. However, the word puritan is used to denote separatist groups of Puritans like the Plymouth Colonists. The separatist of the Plymouth believed that the Anglican church of England was involved in deep practices of corruption that was unholy among the true Christians. The puritans emphasized that it was not Godly to continue worshiping in a church for the unholy. They also claimed that the church embroiled in unholy and corrupt practices that did not glorify the name of God (Equiano 20). They engineered their separation from England to the new world where they adopted religious practices and activities that they believed espoused the true nature of and principles of Christianity (Stratton 100). There were distinct groups of puritans who migrated from England to the new world around 16th and 17th century. They were more of movements of religious activism that were in dire conflicts with the practices of the Church of England. These conflicts were not their until the 1558 accession of Elizabeth I. stringent laws were introduced to disable the abilities of the puritans to practice religion according to the religious values and beliefs they held. Notably, John Winthrop was among the leaders who led the emigration of puritans (Falconbridge 62). They were opposed to the conclusion of Synod of Dort in 1619 of the Episcopal system, after the English Bishop resisted the system. Consequently, they developed Sabbatarian views, which the Church of England opposed. Puritanism and the Foundation of Plymouth Colony Puritanism described the protestant who were breaking away from the tainted beliefs and practices of the Anglican Church of England. They wanted the church practices to reflect the real image of a Christian society founded on pure Christian values, and strong faith to God. Corruption had become the crescendo of the Church of England shortly after the ascendance of Elizabeth I. In 1620, a group of English colonist ventured into North America, not only to colonize it but also to break from the imminent religious persecution that awaited them with abated breath. They first group settled in New Plimoth that was previously referred to by Captain John Smith. It was later called Plymouth and it became the capital of the Puritan colony in Massachusetts. These English separatist were later referred to as Pilgrims (Equiano 25). Pastor John Robinson, William Bradford, and William Brewster led this earlier group of England separatist as elders. Prior to their venturing of North America, back in England before they emigrated, a number of activities had catalyzed their migration. Raids and imprisonment of the people believed to be Puritans, or those who sympathized with them were conducted. Under the leadership of the Archbishop of York, Tobias Matthew, several members of the Puritan were captured and sent to prison (Equiano 12). This action forced the Puritans to migrate, leaving England for Amsterdam in Netherlands and later to Leiden by 1609. Here, they were able to reestablish their freedom in worship despite the Dutch unfamiliarity with the immigrants. In Netherlands, the separatist found themselves beginning to be absorbed in the Dutch lifestyle (Equiano 45). Their children were absorbed in the army as they struggled to conform to the new system of life. However, this did not continue for an extraordinarily long time, thanks to William Brewster who published critical comments against the King of England and the corrupt practices of the Anglican Church of England. Consequently, the king of England responded by sending authorities to look for Brewster in Laden and apprehend him. Although he escaped the arrest, the Puritans were forced to move far away from a place that had proximity to England. In 1619, the congregation requested a patent to establish their settlement around River Hudson (Massachusetts and Sarfin 88). This was aimed to prevent the influence that the Dutch culture, beliefs and practices would have had on them. Merchant adventurers financed them to operate economic activities that could aid their survival. They also procured provisions and passage on Speedwell and Mayflower ships to the new world, which later came to be known as the Plymouth colony. The factor that differentiated the separatist group from the other was that they believed it was it was moral for them to separate themselves from the corrupt Anglican church of England. After landing in Plimouth, the pilgrims embarked on how they could begin a new life in a new land; a place they would run as a colony to England. John Winthrop and the Puritan Colonies John Winthrop apart from leading a group of colonists into the new World, he dedicated his time writing and wrote several journal and articles, which were documented, recapturing the process and activities involved in the emigration period (Stratton 198). He also wrote a series of the sermon that are believed to have been delivered either during the migration voyage or after settling in the new world (Falconbridge 27). A large section of these sermons expressed the need to adopt an entirely different approach to Christianity from what was held by the doctrine of the Anglican Church of England. He encouraged his group to live the Puritan way by rooting their society in a strong Christian base that was guided by strong faith and compare the struggles that awaited them to overcome as they emerged into the new world (Massachusetts and Sarfin 28). It is essential to note that, the accession of King Charles I in1629, completely eroded the efforts of other Puritan groups that were interested in migration, in trying to put up with the conditions of the Church of England. Consequently, King Charles championed the dissolution of the parliament, further catalyzing the efforts of the Puritan groups to immigrate to the New World. Winthrop lost his place in the Liveries and Court wards in the wake of the crackdown staged against the Puritans. He was more engaged in the process of organizing arrangements of travel to the new world. He was more compelled to pursue religious freedom than personal interest. His hard work and determination to lead Puritans to the new World earned him a place in the hearts of those who protested the macabre principles and practices that they deemed violated the fundamental beliefs of and values embedded in Christianity. In 12thy August 1629, Winthrop wrote a number of papers that clearly outlined the necessary reasons why the Puritans to undertake a wave of immigration in the pursuit of freedom (Falconbridge 16). Distinct from the Plymouth Puritans, the puritan group led by John Winthrop, were non-separatist. They did not believe in separating from the Anglican Church of land, but advocated for its purification and reformation. Motivated by the successful emigration of the Plymouth pilgrims, these non-separatist puritans were determined to uphold the name of God in agitating for salvation (Falconbridge 45). They believed in the establishment churches because of voluntary covenants, which defined their conception framework of socio-political and religious organizations. Some of the Christian values and beliefs they espoused included predestination, which it was not enough to get salvation by simply believing in Jesus and taking part in sacraments. That salvation was not an option or a choice at the individual level, but God’s judgment based on human obedience towards him (Massachusetts and Sarfin 152). John Winthrop, though not a pioneer in Puritanism, was a strong and ardent proponent of the Puritanism. He believed in the same values espoused by the larger majority of the Puritan elites were preceded by the 1920 emigration of the Plymouth pilgrims. He was among the people who believed in non-separation Puritanism, but reformation of the Church of England. In order to support the Puritanism spirit of the reformation he engaged in activities that espoused the beliefs and values geld by the puritans (Falconbridge 23). When it became evident that their continued presence in England was no longer tenable, he led a group of colonists into organizing how they could migrate to the new world. They had been targeted primarily be the reign of King Charles I (Massachusetts and Sarfin 123). It became obvious that, religious freedom was not going to be tolerated in the King Charles reign. Religious persecution and victimization against the puritans loomed. Several arrangements were made for the emigrating group to move away from England in search for religious freedom where they could practice what they believed in without fear of persecution or religious victimization (Equiano 160). Led by John Winthrop, the puritans believed in liberty and freedom as inherent privilege that is given from God, not from the human governance body. According to John Winthrop, he wanted to establish a viable and moral conception of freedom. He stated in a number of journals he wrote, the significance of giving human freedom. It is believed that despite the existence of other colonies prior to the founding of the Massachusetts Bay, the later played a decisive role in the establishment of freedom. The break from England was in itself a creation of a freeman society. On their voyage to the new world, Winthrop in his “Model of Christian Charity” he emphasized their main goal in they yet to be found a new colony, an example must be set to demonstrate to the whole world, where golden rule would be coherently applied. He agitated for the circumvention of the class structure that had put a distinction between the rich and the poor. He noted that creating love among each other would create their colony, “a city on the hill” that would be emulated by the whole world (Falconbridge 50). Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams against the Ideals of Puritanism There was a growing influx of immigrant from England between 1634 and 1635, a time when Winthrop was the assistant in the Massachusetts Bay colony. Among the immigrants were Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams. They held different religious views that contrasted what the earlier arrival believed. They ascribed to the Antinomian views that espoused salvation was not a guarantee from being steadfast in following laws of religion came to be known as the Antinomian Controversy. John Winthrop and this earlier group of immigrant acutely clashed with this group of immigrants. Divisions became planted in the colony as different group ascribed to contrasting beliefs in religion and salvation (Falconbridge 34). Winthrop viewed Hutchinson and William’s views as dangerous heresy that was meant to polarize the colony. This dispute attracted political views by 1936, which saw Winthrop write a number of theological papers in order to harmonize the views that were opposing and putting the colony into shambles. John Winthrop became elected in 1637 as the governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony. As a result, William and Anne were banished from the colony. Work Cited Equiano, Olaudah. Olaudah Equiano (called Gustavus Vassa) Life of Gustavus Vassa. NY: The Bavarian State Library, 1789. Falconbridge, Alexander. Black Voyage-Eyewitness Accounts of the Atlantic Slave Trade. London: J. Phillips, 1788. Print. Pg. 6-51. Massachusetts & John, Sarfin. (Landowner and Massachusetts Judge), Slavery is Mora: an early eighteenth century treatise defending slavery. London: J. Phillips, 1770 Stratton, Eugene A. Plymouth Colony, Its History & People, 1620-1691. Salt Lake City, UT: Ancestry Pub, 1986. Print. Read More