What are four beliefs of the Puritans?

Puritans believed that the Anglican church needed reformation—or as some referred to the idea, "purification"—hence the term Puritan. Though the Anglicans had made progress in separating from the Catholic church, it had not, in the minds of Puritans, gone far enough in shedding its influences.

Puritans believed that the only souls that would ascend to Heaven were those of predestined people known as "the elect." One could never be certain if they were of the elect, and so it was a religion of relentless self-examination tinged with anxiety.

Another core belief of the Puritans was that a covenant existed between themselves and God, who wanted them to live by the Scriptures and to make their community a model for others—a city on a hill—and build a Zion in the colonies.

Puritans organized themselves into patriarchal groups. The role of women was to be quiet and submissive helpmates of their husbands. There was no public role for women in the theocratic organization of Puritan governments, and it was believed that because of Eve's role in the fall of man, women were more susceptible to the devil's temptations.

Puritans were comprised of various groups and sects that arose in England in the sixteenth through seventeenth-centuries. They believed the English Reformation had not moved far enough from Roman Catholic doctrine and practice to be the true faith.

Sola Scripture was a foundational Puritan belief. The term means "only scripture." Its premise is and was that only the Bible has authoritative weight as a theological guide. The Puritans believed that heresies or mistakes had crept into Roman Catholic and Anglican theology, which were leading innocent believers badly astray. Therefore, the Puritans put their faith entirely in the Bible. If a practice or idea was not in the Bible, they rejected it.

Sola Scripture led to individual examination of conscience, another Puritan belief. Puritans put no faith in confessing to a priest. Sin was a matter between the individual and God. One prayed directly to God for moral guidance. This led to an emphasis on personal, rather than corporate (group) prayer. It led also to spiritual autobiography, as Puritans, such as John Bunyan in his Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, published their records of spiritual struggles for the edification of other believers.

Simplicity was a Puritan practice, and one that distinguished the Puritans visually from other groups. Puritans thought places of worship, as well as dress and housing, should be simple, believing that a sign of the corruption and secularization in the Church of England and Roman Catholicism could be found in all the glitter, gold, pomp, and finery of churches, clergy, and worship. The Puritans wanted to strip the excess away to find the primitive, core faith.

Puritans believed too that power in the church came from the bottom up, not the top down. For example, Presbytarian ministers were chosen by the congregation and lay elders had a good deal of power. This may not seem important to us, but at the time, it was a radical concept and one considered dangerous in a hierarchical society, in which power was traditionally conceived as top down, coming through God to king, bishop, and aristocrat.

What were the beliefs of the Puritans?

Puritans represented an English variant on Calvinism, which was a particularly rigorous form of Protestantism derived from the teachings of sixteenth century theologian John Calvin. Puritans got their name from their desire to "purify" the Church of England of many of the ceremonial and ritual aspects that they considered corrupt. Under the leadership of John Winthrop, many Puritans migrated to New England, where they hoped to establish a society that would be "a city on a hill," an example of holiness for others to follow. Puritans believed in a society governed by their interpretation of God's law. Religion suffused every aspect of daily life among Puritans, who regarded themselves as a community of believers. In this social context, a moral transgression became a crime against the community as a whole. Perhaps the most salient belief of Puritans was their Calvinistic conviction that God had, in his infinite power, already chosen whose souls were to be saved and who was to be damned. Those marked for salvation were "saints," and Puritans strived to assuage their own anxieties as well as cement their position in society by being "visible saints," in other words, people worthy of receiving God's mercy. Puritans also regarded hard work as a virtue, and willingly embraced worldly pursuits, but maintained a lingering distrust of those who amassed the trappings of great wealth.

What are some beliefs of the Puritans?

The Puritans believe that the Church of England needed to be purified from Catholic influence. They tried to reform the church with little success and looked toward the colonies to practice religion the way that they wanted. In the Puritan faith, church was the center of the community, and every aspect of their life was based on the Scripture, from politics to education to social relations. They believed that God had an agreement with them and expected them to live every aspect of their life based on the Scriptures. If they set a good moral example, the Church of England would change their sinful ways.

Although church attendance was mandatory for Puritans, not all Puritans were considered full members of the church. For an individual to become a full member, they had to prove a conversion experience with God in which they realized that they could not break free from sin nor could they earn forgiveness through good acts. Once they had experienced a conversion, they were then part of the Elect, who were chosen by God to receive grace and salvation. Those Puritans who never experienced a conversion were destined for hell. In other words, the Puritans believed they couldn’t merit salvation—only those selected by God could be saved.