The Puritan Age: Religion Government Moral Standards

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Outlook on the World The Puritans considered the Bible as the true law of God that provided guidelines for church government. They emphasized Bible reading, prayer, and preaching in worship services. They simplified the ritual of the sacraments. They also wanted more personal and fewer prescribed prayers. The Puritans stressed grace, devotion, prayer, hard work ethics, strict morals, and self-examination to achieve religious virtue.

Religion Religion impacted every facet (part) of life in a Puritan community They believed they were chosen by God and lived every moment in a God- fearing manner The Sabbath was to be respected, or else punishment would occur The church was simple and bare, and men and women were separated during the services Sermons could last up to four hours Puritan Church

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Puritan Guilt The Puritans tried to live by a set of values that would enable them to reach perfection, and when they felt that they were not living up to those values, it was considered a sin. If you sinned, you were having a moral rebellion with God. This meant that you would be eternally plagued by a sense of guilt. Not only feeling as though you have sinned, but also feeling or being told that you were not being a good citizen led to a sense of guiltiness in the Puritans.

Guilt Preachers such as Jonathan Edwards told their congregations that God hated Puritans for their sins, which led them to feel guilty for their sins. This became a focus of the teachings of Puritanism, and the preachers often used this sense of guilt and the “wrath of God” in their sermons. Jonathan Edwards

Crime The Puritans were devout Christians who set out to establish a colony that would represent the true and “proper” manner in which Christianity should be practiced. Puritans had some beliefs which had major affects on the basic ideals of a law. One belief was that each person would be tempted by the devil and saved by God. Another belief is that people were born evil, and could only be forgiven through a lifetime of proper Christianity. Some examples of Puritan laws were: The church believed it was illegal to enjoy any form of entertainment that might distract people from God. Any form of idleness or laziness was prohibited. They valued land and animals, so any form of hunting or obliterating land was prohibited. Puritan laws were often tied to the Bible in some way. Swearing, sleeping during sermons, and skipping church were also punishable.

Puritan Children

In 1692, children were expected to behave under the same strict code as the adults—doing chores, attending church services, and repressing individual differences. Any show of emotion, such as excitement, fear, or anger, was discouraged, and disobedience was severely punished. Children rarely played, as toys and games were scarce. Puritans saw these activities as sinful distractions.

Puritan Children But unlike young girls, boys had a few outlets for their imagination. They often worked as apprentices outside the home, practicing such skills as carpentry or crafts. Boys were also allowed to explore the outdoors, hunting and fishing. On the other hand, girls were expected to tend to the house, helping their mothers cook, wash, clean, and sew.

Puritan Children Many children learned to read, but most households owned only the Bible and other religious works— including a few that described evil spirits and witchcraft in great detail. There were a few books written for children, but these often warned against bad behavior and described the punishment that children would suffer for sinful acts.

Educating Puritan Children This is an example of the type of lessons puritan children had to memorize at school. What can you conclude from this picture of an actual school lesson?

If You Misbehaved in School Children were not exempt from the harsh methods of Puritan life. If you bit your finger; your new name would become something like, “Bite Finger Baby.” Crying for Mommy? You’ll be referred to as, “Cry Baby.” Children were often humiliated as a way to deter what was thought as negative behavior.

Does the punishment fit the crime? The Stocks, also known as The Pillory, was a punishment used to make an example of anyone who committed a sin. The person may have been a heathen or been caught taking pleasure in a material item.

The Stocks This person was locked up in this contraption in public for days. The public was free to shame them, spit on them, hit them, laugh at them, even tickle their feet! Everyone knew what you did, and you were humiliated as a result.

The Scold’s Bridle A scold's bridle, sometimes called a brank's bridle or simply branks, was an instrument of punishment used primarily on women, as a form of torture and public humiliation. The device was an iron muzzle in an iron framework that enclosed the head. It was about 2 inches long and 1 inch broad, projected into the mouth and pressed down on top of the tongue. The curb-plate was frequently studded with spikes, so that if the offender moved her tongue, it inflicted pain and made speaking impossible. What do you think her crime must have been, and who do you think fitted her with the branks?

Adultery In 1641, the Puritans had constructed the first code of laws. Among those was the penalty of death for the crime of adultery. Adultery is basically, "Any sexual relationships outside of marriage.” In Puritan society, adultery was considered the ultimate sin, and a moral violation against God's will.

Sin The Puritans’ lives centered on sin and what it did and didn’t consist of. They believed that the definition of sin was the primary problem that confronted mankind and it was man’s enemy and eternal problem. Solution to sin was to believe in God and follow his rules and the Bible.

“Government by Contract” The Puritans’ religious values impacted the way they set up their government. Included in the Puritans’ belief system was the idea that there was a contract between humans and God. This principle translated to their opinion that there shouldn’t be any restrictions that would prevent one from becoming involved in governmental matters. “Government by contract” influenced later American democratic ideas.

Government The Mayflower Compact was a document written by the Puritans which defined how their government would be run in the New World. Puritans looked to the Bible for guidelines on creating government, combined with their previous knowledge of English government. People who held power in the Puritans’ government had very strict interpretation of the law since their views were tied to their religion. This idea is important in explaining why the Salem witch trials were so harsh and widespread-knowing the ethics of their community was being threatened, those with authority used excessive measures to keep their society together.