While repression was not encouraged in principle, it was evident in their actions. God could forgive anything, but man could forgive only by seeing a change in behavior. Actions spoke louder than words, so actions had to be constantly controlled. .
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The policy of predestination kept all Puritans constantly working to do well in this life to be chosen for the next eternal one. God had already chosen who would be in heaven or hell, and each believer had no way of knowing which group they were in. Those who were wealthy were obviously blessed by God and were in good standing with him. The protestant work ethic was the belief that hard work was an honor to God, which would lead to a prosperous reward. Any deviations from the normal way of Puritan life met with strict disapproval and discipline. Since the church elders were also political leaders, any church infraction was also a social one. There was no margin for error. .
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The devil was behind every evil deed. Words of torment flowed from the mouths of expressive ministers as they warned of the persuasiveness of the devil's power. The sermons of Jonathan Edwards, a Puritan minister, show that delivery of these sermons became an art form. They were elegant well-formed scriptures with a healthy dose of fear woven throughout the fabric of the literary construction. Grammar children were quizzed on the material at school and at home. This constant subjection of the probability of an unseen danger led to a scandal of epidemic proportions. .
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In 1688, four young girls accused a laundry woman of "bewitching" them. What could have been stopped progressed into a community tragedy. The young women enjoyed the attention this story afforded them, but no doubt were afraid that their lies would be found out. In an effort to further interrupt their story, they lapsed into expanded convulsions. Those who were "possessed by the devil" were forced to make confessions of their evil deeds in order to protect their families and properties from harm.
It is clear that many Puritans aspirations were, indeed, fulfilled, yet some were not. ... Puritans were very intellectual beings. ... Reason played a huge part in Puritan opinions. ... Puritans wished to maintain order in their colony. ... Puritans became the mold of religious liberty. ...
Works of the Puritans Most people think of the Puritans as simple people who have been passed by today's technological advances. ... The basic ideas and ways of the Puritan life can be seen from their numerous writings; these writings can be a hidden pathway into the every day life of a puritan. Jonathan Edwards was a shining example of the Puritan way of life. ... The end goal of the Puritans was of course to make it into heaven. ... The Puritan people lived almost entirely on the worship of God. ...
It was what the Puritans believed in as well as the villagers of Salem. The Puritans were very dedicated to their religious beliefs, and to the Puritans witchcraft was considered both a sin and a crime. The main reason why the witch trials occurred was because the Puritans goal in life was to purify the organization of their church. ... Nevertheless, the Puritans seemed to be a religious cult that put fear into the people of Salem. The extent that the Puritans had gone for the sake of religion is unbelievable....
The Puritans wanted to pray to their own church. ... One of the beliefs of the Puritans was the devil, whom they feared. Witches and the devil's servants were always battling the Puritans. ... The Puritans didn't like the way the English created new taxes, and Puritans saw this as taking away their independence. ... This is a distinguishing mark of Puritan culture. ...
Puritan child rearing practices are very diverse from modern childhood. ... The Puritans were very much a community in every way. The Puritans fundamentally lived in the community, church, and family. ... It is very imperative to try to comprehend the way the Puritans lived their lives. ... The Puritan children were educated and they did have morals and values. ...
The Puritans traveled from England to America in the early 1600s. The Puritans that founded Salem, Massachusetts left England in 1608. ... The Puritans believed in preaching not rituals. ... Puritans lived in fear of an eternity in hell, the Puritans projection of a bad life here on Earth. ... Their behavior was not at all what you would think a Puritans behavior should be. ...
All people practicing witchcraft were condemned by the Puritans. In Puritans pursued themselves to be more pure with God. ... The Puritans believed that their duty in life was to praise God. ... The Puritans learned a broad amount of right from wrong. ... Witchcraft was unacceptable to the Puritan's beliefs. ...
The Puritans also held a strong social order. ... The roles were very similar to those of the Puritans. ... Education was also important in Puritan's life. ... The Puritans were also driven by capitalism. ... The Puritans also had an impact of Individualism. ...
