how did the puritans view god?

He says, “Pain, though exquisite, is not so to the last moments of life… and ’tis quite an exquisite Pleasure to behold the immediate Approaches of Rest” (Franklin, 8). In this, one can see how Franklin placed value on virtue outside of a religious need for it. Puritans believed that the word of God or the Bible was a holy book that could be depended upon for all … It was because of their differing views on God that cause Franklin and Puritans to have such a different view on human nature. Franklin instead believed in pleasure and pain; pain being the misfortunes and sorrows in life and pleasure being the satisfaction of the desire to be free from pain. The Puritans viewed sex within marriage as a gift of God and as an essential, enjoyable part of marriage. Into this Puritan society, into a Puritan family, Benjamin Franklin was born. Franklin addressed a possible counterargument against this belief, one that might say things like murder of theft are inherently evil. Furthermore, if these acts are of God and God is all-good, then these things are inherently good. In lines 4-7, how did the view God? While Puritans did not agree on all doctrinal points, most shared similar views on the nature of God, human sinfulness, and the relationship between God and mankind. Another prominent Protestant reformer was John Calvin of Geneva, who had a more radical vision of Protestantism known as Calvinism. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. Franklin believed that anyone could improve their station, both economically and morally. Believing in God's general revelation in nature as well as his special revelation in the Bible, the Puritans fully embraced the scientific study of the physical world. The Puritans believed God had chosen a few people, "the elect," for salvation. White House outbreak even worse than previously known. By extension and over time, the word came to have other meanings associated with this one, e.g., God … The Puritan movement was born in the Reformation. A More Balanced View; 1 Bible as a Basis. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Education, Explore state by state cost analysis of US colleges in an interactive article, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism; Max Weber, A History of the Modern World: To 1815; R. R. Palmer, Joel Colton, Lloyd Kramer, Martin Luther: Selections From His Writing; Martin Luther, John Dillenberger. Franklin counters this by saying that no one can be “proper Judges of the good or bad Fortune of Others” (Franklin, 8), which is to say that the balance of pleasure and pain is individualistic, and no one can say that was causes him or her pain causes anyone else pain. Another prominent Protestant reformer was John Calvin of Geneva, who had a more radical vision of Protestantism known as Calvinism. Franklin’s thirteen virtues were temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility (Franklin, 12-13). Deists, and for that matter Franklin, did not believe in the God of the Christians (or of Jesus being the Messiah). Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? Puritans believed that it was necessary to be in a covenant relationship with God in order to be redeemed from one’s sinful condition, that God had chosen to reveal salvation through preaching, and that the Holy Spirit was the energizing instrument of … 28th Apr 2017 Puritanism was a religious denomination that emerged from the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century and came to have a significant impact on English political events in the 17th century and on American culture. That is the simple nature of it. Franklin counters this by saying “to suppose any Thing to exist or be done, contrary to the Will of the Almighty, is to suppose him not almighty” (Franklin, 6). New England was born with the Puritan view of God and human nature and it stuck with that view for over a hundred years. They came to America with nothing, and within a generation or two, created a society that was well off financially. Trump mocks Biden for wearing a mask amid pandemic. It allowed Franklin to believe that human beings were naturally good-natured and to place importance on the mortal life. Scholars such as Max Weber even argue that the unique Puritan work ethic permeated American culture and helped the young nation work hard to achieve economic success. Franklin truly believed that people could grasp their purpose in life by pondering these things and thereby better themselves. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! According to Wigglesworth, the greatest relief of Heaven “is that saints are made sinless and finally do not have to fear forfeiting God’s love” (Wigglesworth, 4). They also made sure that everyone was educated enough to read and understand the Bible as it was the main source of living their lives and the only source of obtaining God’s forgiveness t… However, insofar as the Puritans taught and lived the Holy Scriptures, we can learn much from them. In the end, there will be a balance of pleasure and pain. The Deist Franklin did not believe that God created an afterlife for human beings, which is to say he did not believe in Heaven or Hell. Puritans believed God to be intimately involved in their lives, punishing them and rewarding them as they sinned and did good respectively. Puritans accepted the fact that most of them would be condemned to Hell. It was only by God’s grace that a person could be saved. Expert Answers info According to the New England Historical Society, Puritans had prohibitions that included gambling, adultery, living with Native Americans, smoking in public, celebrating Christmas, and missing church services. The rest of humanity was condemned to eternal damnation. Reference this. We do not conduct our civil affairs as the Puritans did any more than we should dress or prepare food the way they did. The Puritans define the truth as being the word of God or every verse contained in the scripture. Benjamin Franklin did not agree with Puritans views and challenged them, with his Deist views. First came the Pilgrims in the 1620s. The Puritans believed that by fulfilling their obligations to the Creator -- as described in the Bible -- God would bless … God's maintaining and directing everything in the universe is God's Providence. It’s either going to be done to advance our self-interests and our own well-being, or it’s going to be done to advance God and in worship of Him. How did the Puritans view success? All work is written to order. At the same time, those predestined to be saved had the same responsibility or else risk eternal damnation. Debate derails as Trump hammers Biden on son. History is cyclical. God predestined everyone’s fate, and chose only a select few to be saved and spend eternity in Heaven. Puritanism in its essence was a movement that largely taught people to listen to scripture more than anything else. [He] had purposely avoided them… [so] that it might be serviceable to people in all religions” (Franklin, 15). Franklin believed that because God was all-powerful that “there can be nothing either existing or acting in the Universe against or without his consent” (Franklin, 6). To impose modern cultural values on the Puritans is grossly anachronistic. The Puritan view of God was of a very judgmental God who used both wrath and mercy as He saw fit. The Puritans believed that Jesus died because of the original sin of Adam and Eve, and they being the descendants of them should honor the sacrifice by living a life which was governed by his commandments and instructions. Franklin furthers this by saying that even if a person lives their whole life in pain, the receive release, and therefore pleasure, from this pain when they die. Philosophy The Puritans prayed out of hearts saturated with Scripture. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! And Wales much from them could grasp their purpose in life by pondering these are. 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