Puritan Beliefs

The Puritans were an influential order which was a part of the revolting Protestants prevalent in the 16th and 17th century. The movement started during Queen Elizabeth I's accession to the throne. Because of their conflicting principles with the orthodox Church of England, they had to emigrate to New England, the Netherlands, Ireland and Wales. The Puritans were staunch believers of the Holy Bible and followed the doctrines as guidelines for leading a pious life. They were strong believers of Calvinism which loosely preaches that the consequences of our actions in this mortal world decides the fate of our souls which could be subjected to either damnation or salvation. Their main principles relied on the ideas of free-will and sanctity of the human soul. Puritans and Pilgrims share similar tenets advocated by John Calvin. Both the factions supported the notion of abolishing the orthodox Christian clergy and purely emphasizing and implementing the preachings from the Bible into their lives. However, the Pilgrims started to develop a demarcated stance from the Puritan beliefs owing to their failure in purifying the Anglican Church.

Puritan Faith And Beliefs

The Puritan beliefs were non-materialistic and overly concerned with the attainment of His Holy Grace. Their emphasis on nurturing one's piety and ethics clearly portrayed their conviction on eternal damnation as an aftermath of one's religious transgression. These beliefs are roughly based on the Doctrines of Grace written by the fellow theologians of James Arminius, who incidentally was a follower of Calvin's work. These doctrines, also known as 'The Remonstrance', could be elucidated as:

Total Depravity
Puritan beliefs or Puritanism revolves around the fact that man is made of two distinct entities - the tangible entity (body) and the intangible entity (soul). Adam and Eve committed a blasphemy by consuming the 'Forbidden Fruit' from the 'Tree of Knowledge' in the 'Garden of Eden' for which they were banished and lost their chastity. This event, known as the Fall, culminated into the belief that man, owing to his defiled lineage, is inherently corrupted from his birth. It is his duty to redeem his sins by accepting the Lord's grace and sanctify his soul and body.

Unconditional Election
Unconditional Election sheds light on one of the Puritan beliefs which has been stated in the Doctrines of Grace as His wise and holy counsel, of His own, freely and unchangeably ordain some men to heaven and some men to hell by the nature of His good pleasure. It means that God has given the right to a handful of individuals to spread His word and thereafter, attain salvation. This doctrine was highly controversial amongst a lot of theologians because of its biased nature and was one of the reasons behind the rift between the Pilgrim and Puritan beliefs and practices.

Limited/Particular Atonement
Limited Atonement signifies the fact that Jesus, suitably called the Lamb of God, sacrificed his life for his 'sheep' or the chosen individuals and not for everyone. It was an act of redemption for the mortal sins to bring about reconciliation between God and the humans. The Scriptures state that Jesus sacrificed his life for 'all men' and that God loves 'the whole world' but here, it should be noted that He died for those righteous individuals who championed His cause and hence, secured their salvation.

Irresistible Grace
The Puritan beliefs and values were noted for their obsessive religious fixation to His Grace. Irresistible Grace advocates the fact that His Holy Spirit is sent to change one's heart, and its divine power can render alchemical wonders to one's psyche. There are two ways of enlightenment - external and internal. External enlightenment refers to the preachings spread through the word of mouth, usually through gospels. Internal enlightenment is the inward process of self-realization and healing by His Holy Spirit. If somehow one contradicts the feeling of His Grace and fails to embrace it into his/her life, then he/she might have to face damnation because of his/her contemptuous actions.

Preservation of the Saints
Most of the Puritan beliefs and values are loosely associated with each other. Apparently, this doctrine is closely related to the concept of Unconditional Election. It states that salvation relies solely at God's discretion, who has already decided to save those whom he wishes to, and it is their inherited prerogative which cannot be altered. It should be noted that though the 'chosen ones' were liable to commit grave sins, they would not be denied from attaining a place in the heavens.

Puritans also believed that marriage was a sanctimonious ritual which resulted in partners entering into a lifetime bonding of love, sacrifice and forgiveness. These beliefs about marriage are noticed to be prevalent in their culture till date. They were the champions of public morality and cleansing the vices of society. Puritan faith and beliefs, their intellectual contributions, and theological writings have left an indelible impression on the face of our contemporary society.