Puritanism Literature Project 1

Literature Assignment
1. The puritans were a group of English colonists who left England because of lack of freedom of religion. The Puritans had many different beliefs which people didn't sometimes agree. Some of there beliefs were as followed. They (puritans) believed that Every person is born sinful, God saves those that he wishes to save, Jesus died for the chosen one and not for everyone, God's grace is given and it cant be earned or denied, and if anyone is given grace and rejects it is going against the grace of god. All of these are Puritans beliefs' which is bound together in their religion known as Puritanism.

2. I just read the excerpt called "Plymouth Plantation" which was the journal of William Bradford, a leader of the puritan separatists. He and some of his fellow Puritan followers were on the Mayflower(a boat) and landed to form their puritan colony. He talked about how he felt and what went on. He spoke of people being so gracious to land even after fighting the seas and being "weather beaten". I can only think of what they could've went through. I mean they must have gone through a lot to escape from England and travel overseas not knowing where they were going, just to start a colony with people who believed in the same things they believed in.
When i read this i also noted that they spoke of an encounter with Indians. They (a few puritans) were well armed and followed these Indians. They found fresh water and took this water as if it were beer or wine. They marched on and found corn in which the Indians had. They took some corn and took it back to their "colony". They told their master of such a place and he to decided he wanted to go back and explore this land.
The Indians seemed angered by this so they made a Treaty with them. The treaty said:

1.That neither he nor any of his should injure or do hurt to any of their people.
2.That if any of his did hurt to any of theirs, he should send the offender, that they might punish him.
3.That if anything were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored; and they should do the like to his.
4.If any did unjustly war against him, they would aid him; if any did war against them, he should aid them.
5.He should send to his neighbors confederates to certify them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might be likewise comprised in the conditions of peace.
That when their men came to them, they should leave their bows and arrows behind them.

Over all the Puritans became the Pilgrims and their beliefs are still celebrated today in some countries across the world. Some of their beliefs aren't the best beliefs and somethings they believe in aren't really understandable. Its a custom so i respect it though.

3. In the "Sinners in the Hands" excerpt which is a sermon most of the beliefs are pointed out.
Example: The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow... that could be an example of the Perseverance of the "saints".

Example: It is no security to a natural man, that he is now in health, and that he does not see which way he should now immediately go out of the world by any accident, and that there is no visible danger in any respect in his circumstances. ..That could be an example of Unconditional Election.

Example: God has so many different unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world and sending them to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear, that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man, at any moment....That could be an example of Limited Atonement.

4. I believed Puritans wrote in plain style just to get their point across. They weren't people to beat around the bush. As long as they knew God would accept them they pretty much didn't care about others. One thing that was boring and plain to me was the excerpt on Sinners in the hands of an Angry God. It just basically didn't make any sense. I didn't like it however, i liked the William Bradford excerpt.