Puritan
The Puritans were a group of radical Protestants who developed in England after the Reformation.
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2 Beliefs 3 Further reading |
Puritanism seems to have arisen out of discontent with the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, which was felt by the more radical Protestants to be giving in to "Popery" (ie: the Catholic Church).
These radicals were looked down on by the dominant Anglo Catholic faction in the Church of England and were given the name "Puritan", in mockery of the radical's apparent obsession with "purifying" the Church.
The Puritans seem to have had few problems with James I/VI, who appointed several known Puritans to powerful positions within the Church of England, as well as checking the rise of William Laud.
During the reign of Charles I, a committed Anglo-Catholic, relations soured and it is a common belief among historians that religious tensions created by the dominance of the Laudian faction during the Personal Rule were a major factor in the outbreak of the English Civil War.
After the Civil War (and with most of Parliament's leaders Puritans), the label "puritan" fell out of use and was replaced by Nonconformist.
Besides the worship and government of the church, the Puritans also emphasized that the individual should be reformed by the grace of God. Each person, upon whom God shows mercy, should have a sense of his own unworthiness and a confidence that the forgiveness which is in Christ has been particularly applied to him; so that out of gratitude, a humble and obedient life would arise.
Other important beliefs included:
Brief History
Beliefs
The central tenet of Puritanism was God's supreme authority over human affairs, particularly in the church, and especially as expressed in the Bible. They believed, for example, that the worship of the church ought to be strictly regulated by what is clearly commanded in Scripture. Where their opponents defended many worship practices based on tradition alone, the Puritans considered these practices to be idolatry, regardless of their antiquity or how widespread they were among Christians. Thus, Puritan reforms were typified by a minimum of ritual and decoration, and an unambiguous emphasis on preaching.
Most groups also believed the Divine Right of Kings was heresy (this became more pronounced during the reign of Charles I)Further reading