
Puritans were a group of people that originated in
the early 16th century from the Anglican church. They
believed that the church needed to be “purified”
because they thought that the churches hierarchy
held too much power within the church itself. They
believed that the common people, who were known
as laity or lay members, should have more power
within the church. When King James I rose to the
throne in 1603, he along with much of the rulers of the
House of Stuart to which he belonged, started to
persecute the Puritans in order to maintain their
power within the church. This in turn caused many
Puritans to seek a new life in the world, many fleeing
England for other places to live, namely the
Netherlands and America.

Puritans’ view of god was like that of
most Christians in that they believed that
God had supreme authority over all
human affairs, especially within the
church. This led them to seek moral purity
down to the smallest detail.

Puritans held that the interpretation of
the Bible should be on a personal level
and not decided by the church or
leaders of the church. They also believed
that the only head of church, in Heaven
or Earth, was Christ.

Puritans believed that the only true law
was the Bible. They believed that
through the bible one could find a plan
for living.

Puritans were a pessimistic group of
people. They believed that man was
inherently evil and that in order to be in
God’s grace that he would have to work
at it for most of his life. Some also
believed in predestination and that it
was impossible to enter God’s grace
unless you were already chosen.

Puritans believed that hard and diligent
work would benefit not only the
individual, but would also benefit the
society as a whole. They believed that
worldly success was a result of hard work
and not a cause of personnel salvation.

The family was the most important part
of the Puritan society and it was here
that much of religious scrutiny and
instruction were found. If someone in the
society did not have a family they were
placed in one.

To the Puritans God was the ultimate
authority, but in regards to general
society all government was in the hands
of the saints. They alone could
understand the will of God.

While education makes someone a
better person and makes them wiser to
the puritans the primary reason of
education was teach people how to
read the bible.

Puritans believed that man was
inherently evil and that he needed
constant guidance throughout his life.
"Puritans." American Eras. 1997. Retrieved September 28, 2011 from
Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G22536600394.html
 SEAVER, PAUL S.. "Puritanism." Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of
the Early Modern World. 2004. Retrieved September 28, 2011 from
Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G23404900940.html
 MATHER, COTTON. (1692) The Trial of Martha Carrier.
