The bible in America

Some times for puritans the bible was the story of all the human race. For them it was a necessity to read the bible.

They believed in a spiritual compact between God and humans as a way for american constitutional democracy. They teached everyone to read so they could read and understand the bible.

They believed all of the bible. Puritan is taken from 'pure' as in pure Christian, undiluted Christianity. They, like most protestant groups, (claimed to) follow the bible as God's only commandments. And ascertain that no man has a right to change God's laws.

At first, most came to America to escape persecution from the Vatican - following the bible tended to detract from following the pope, so obviously they weren't the best of friends. Similarly, others fled from in-direct Catholic persecution. Catholicism had become the main European religion so it became harder for protestants to live among them - the Vatican's subordinates (kings, queens, over zealous priests, other rulers, peasants .etc.) were responsible for the vast quantity of the persecutions. Whether they acted under direct order or on their own remains in debate (what hasn't been fogged out).

(when I say kings, that includes British rulers who were Catholic - persecution was swapped with power)

Others came due to famine, disease, and add on any reason that makes people want to emigrate. 

 


Now watch this video:

 

Puritans Politics

Of them it existed a contract between God and humanity. They believed that people should enter freely into agreements of their government. They also believed the Saintly “Elect”, so their political views were undemocratic.

The central tenet of Puritanism was that people should live their lifes according to the Laws of God, an in particular as these Laws were written in the Old Testament.
This extended to their political ideals - that governments should rule according to God's Laws as found in the Old Testament.People that didn't like this should be forced to live this way by new laws enacted and enforced by the government

 

During the 1600's, the Puritans increasingly opposed the political and religious policies of the Stuart rulers, King James I and his son, King Charles I. In 1604, James I called the Hampton Court Conference to settle disagreements within the Church of England. However, James refused to bring about the reforms the Puritans sought, except for a new translation of the Bible, now called the King James Version.

The Puritans gained in strength in Parliament, and repeatedly introduced legislation against the Crown's policies. In 1642, civil war broke out between the Crown forces, called Royalists or Cavaliers, and the Puritans, called Roundheads. They received this name because they cut their hair short. This English Civil War is also called the Puritan Revolution.

Political aspects of the Puritan movement lived on in the policies of the Whig Party in England. Puritan religious ideals were revived in the rise of the Methodist Church in the 1700's.

During the 1600's, some Puritan groups believed that reform of the Church of England was impossible and departed to settle in North America. They founded settlements in Virginia and along the New England coast, especially in Massachusetts Bay Colony and Connecticut.

   

.