Jonathan's Discussion Questions for Oct. 4/5
Please read John Winthrop's "A Modell of Christian Charity" for this week's discussion. Also take a look at Winthrop's "On Liberty," which can be found here - http://www.constitution.org/bcp/winthlib.htm (A link to this document can also be found in Prof. Pasley's posting for the Honor's section.)
Using evidence from these documents, why did the Puritans decide to migrate to North America? What were the purposes of the Massachusetts colony? What role did the desire for religious liberty play in the Puritans' decision-making process?
See you in class.
Using evidence from these documents, why did the Puritans decide to migrate to North America? What were the purposes of the Massachusetts colony? What role did the desire for religious liberty play in the Puritans' decision-making process?
See you in class.
posted by Jonathan Jones at 11:14 AM
22 Comments:
After reading the "A Modell of Christian Clarity" article by John Winthrop, it seems like the reason that the Puritans migrated from Europe to the new world was to firstly get closer to god, and secondly to maintain their religious independence. Maybe they think that they are on a mission from god to do these things. When Winthrop says, "we have taken out a commission, the Lord hath given us leave to draw our own articles," he believes that God has given them free reign to establish a new society under him.
The goal of the Massachusetts society was to provide a place for the Puritans to carry out their lives according to their religious standards, and be prosperous doing it.
The Puritans moved to North America for religious freedom. In Europe they were not given religious freedom, so they wanted to be able to practice in what they believed. The purpose of the Massachusetts colony was to serve as a religious community where the Puritans could practice their beliefs without criticism. It also served as safe haven from outside religions. The desire for religious liberty made the Puritans reach out to God and create their own society of beliefs and practices.
When reading "A Modell of Christian Charity" by John Winthrop the reason the puritans came to america was for religous freedom and to be closer to god. The purpose of the Massachusetts colony was to be used as a community for Puritans to practice there reliogion with no outsiders telling them it was wrong. The desire that Puritans had for religious liberty is just like it is in the constituion freedom of relgion. They werent allowed to practice what they thought was right so they came to a place were they could practice puritanism.
To me it seemed like the Puritan's main unanimous decision was to move to North America to be able to open up their faith and not be restrained anymore. After reading the third reason in the "Modell of Christian Charity", it seems like they were also hoping to become a more tight knit community with each other. The purposes of the Massachusetts colony was to set up a place where the puritans would settle, and to be able to attract more people to their religion. Religious liberty played a big role in the Puritan's decision making process because it was religious freedom that they wanted and that was what lead them to North America.
After reading the piece by John Winthrop, it is obvious that the Puritans felt they could not practice their relgious beliefs to the full potiential in Europe. Therefore, North America was a sanctuary for them to go and set up churches and relgious communities. At Massachusetts colony, the Puritans could do as they pleased without kings or missonaries forcing other religions on them. They also believed that the dedicated and "pure" work would gradually bring them closer to God. In addition, while establishing new Puritan communities in North America, this also attracted others that the Puritans could eventually convert.
In John Winthrop’s “A modell of Christian Charity,” Winthrop’s sermon like speech described the freedom that moving westward would offer the Christians and how they could practice their Christianity to its fullest extent, being as pure as they wanted to be. Winthrop describes what they intend to accomplish, “we must be knit together in this work as one man, we must entertain each other in brotherly affection, we must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities for the supply of others' necessities, we must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience, and liberality, we must delight in each other. make others' conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work”. A new place to practice their beliefs is his main point. The Puritans moved to Massachusetts to escape religious persecution, and to practice their religion freely.
It sounded like the Puritans decided to migrate to North America to get away from England’s control over their religious beliefs. They wanted to be able to practice their way of worship aside from what they were being told. The purpose for the Massachusetts colony was to allow the Puritans to get away from the rule of England. It allowed them to practice their way and be happier without the rich and powerful standing over their heads. The desire for religious liberty away from England played a huge role in their decision making process because they wanted to be able to have that religious freedom and be more equal to one another instead of having a king telling them what to do.
-Jessica Walter
While this article was difficult to understand, what I took from it was that the Puritans migrated for religious freedom. We can see this when Winthrop says "bring us in peace to the place we desire" which suggests that there was not peace from whence they came. The Massachusetts Colony was set up to unify the Puritans, Winthrop says "we must be knit together in this work as one man" which plainly means the colony should work together as a family to better serve God and each other.
According to Winthrop, the Puritans made the move to the New World because of the restrictions on their religion in Europe. They migrated to be closer to god and be more free to practice their religion. The purpose of the Massachussetts colony was so that the Puritans could practice their religion in a way that they weren't able to in Europe - without other religions trying to change them. This desire for religious liberty played a role in their decision making this desire lead them to make the decision to move to America.
The Puritans chose to migrate to America in order to gain more religious freedom. The purpose of the Massachusetts colony was to allow the Puritans to practice their religion without outside interferences and to become to closer to God. Religious liberty was extremely important in the Puritans decision making process and is what eventually led to them settling America.
The puritans migrated to North America to leave the rule of Europe so they could practice their beliefs without suppression. The purpose of the Massachusetts colony was for the puritans to be able "to keep His commandments and His ordinance." Religious liberty was the single most reason why they wanted to move to the Americas because there they could practice their beliefs.
Along with the hope of spiritual revitilization that a new location might bring, the Puritans had every worldly expectation that any nonreligious colonist might share. John Winthrop, soon-to-be governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, states that the Puritans "shall find that God...is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, [and that]...men shall say of succeeding plantations, the Lord make it like that of New England," while at the same time informing his audience that they must "do justly, love mercy, [and] walk humbly with [their] God." This seeming conflict of interests caused the Puritans to be devout even to a fault; separation of church and state was an unknown concept at the time, and, as is apparent in both Winthrop's "On Liberty" and William Penn's "Frame of Government of Pennsylvania," religion often clashed with the law, resulting in biased legislations and officials overextending their bounds, believing to have the "divine right of government" discussed in Penn's "Frame."
The Puritans migrated to North America to see freedom of religion at its most pure. With this place being brand new to them, they saw nothing but a sign from God that this is how they should live- free in professing and living by all of their religious beliefs. In every aspect of Puritan life we see God, and scripture; as we do in their decision making process. If one main religious leader in the Puritan society said that North America was not a place God had planned in their lives, I can say with a pretty good idea that they wouldn't have gone. They also had a push in the direction of coming to North America by the obvious, the government of England was persecuting them for, not only ther beliefs- but since their beliefs were the focal point of their lives, that as well.
After reading "A Modell of Christian Charity" it was evident that the Puritans decided to migrate to North America to escape religious oppression. The Massachusetts colony was established so that the Puritans would have free reign where they could live and practice their religion without fear. The Puritans' desire to live freely in a place where they weren't afraid of religious persecution was so overwhelming it would lead to them settling in America.
John Winthrop explains all of the Puritan's beliefs in religious liberty in the two writings "Am modell of Christian Charity" and "On Liberty." The Puritans came to North America to escape religious persecution and to practice their own faith freely. The Massachusetts colony was just a base for them to practice their faith freely. They needed a place far away and I think that an entire ocean should be far enough, but the English obviously didn't think so. When the Puritan's made a decision not only for themselves but also a legal decision (i.e. court ruling) they used scripture and thought of God when they handed down their ruling.
The reason they left appears to be for religious freedom. They wanted to practice their religion without fear of persecution. The puritans could also begin to try and convert others to their way of thinking. I think the articles showed that the Massachusetts colony was the perfect place for the puritans to practice their way of life.
The Puritans left Great Britain because they wanted freedom from the interference from the Church of England. Their religious views were being suppressed. The people wanted their own godly community where they could practice religion according to their protestant beliefs, not the more catholic based beliefs of the King of England.
The Puritans were religiously focused, especially in decision-making. In the “Modell of Christian Charity” article, by John Winthrop, the Puritans called themselves and their new settlement the “city upon a hill.” The “Modell” article also states that if the Puritans fail to do God’s work as he had set out for them to do, then they expected God to withdraw his efforts to help the community survive. Therefore, decisions were made based on if the action followed God’s will. Having “all eyes on upon” the society is what made them strive for Christian behavior that would set an example to those who were looking up to the Puritans.
The Puritans came to North America to separate from the Church of England. This is why they are also called separatists. The Puritans wanted to become pure and establish their own religion. The purpose of the Mass. Colony was to be a place for the Puritans to gather and live. The desire for religious liberty was the main decision that the Puritans made before making their migration to North America.
The Puritans decided to move to North America to practice their religion and way of life. They believed it was their duty to spread Christianity and to live their lives according to Christianity. Massachusetts Colony was established a base for Christianity to spread and be protected from persecution. I believe the strongest reason that the Puritans settled in North America was freedom of persecution, not conversion of native people.
The Puritans migrated to North America because they wanted to practice their faith unfeathered. Their desire for religious liberty was the basis for their migration. John Winthrop talks about it in "A Modell of Chritian Charity," that the Puritans wanted to live without the "wicked...moderating and restraining them." The Puritans also thought they could be closer to eachother, create a better "bond of brotherly affection." This is what Massachusetts allowed them to do, practice their religion with independence.
The puritans migrated to North America because they believed it was God’s will for them to do so. God had willed for the Puritans to migrate as John Winthrop so eloquently said: “We are entered into covenant with Him for this work, we have taken out a commission, the Lord hath given us leave to draw our own articles, we have professed to enterprise these actions upon these and these ends, we have hereupon besought Him of favor and blessing.” God had granted the Puritans permission to move to North America when granted them the “favor and blessing” they asked Him for after “the Lord hath given us leave”. They also believed that if they were doing God’s will they would receive a better life since obeying God meant more prosperity for each person. John Winthrop also gives three main for the formation of the Massachusetts colony: first to help show the glory of God’s power, second that God could spread his Holy Spirit to farther portions of the Earth, and thirdly that a unity could form among the men who were migrating. All of the purposes of starting the Massachusetts colony relate back to the Puritans’ decision to migrate to North America: God’s will. Religion was greatly used in the process of decision making because they believed that one of the reasons they were coming over to the “New World” was to help create “more occasion to manifest the work of His spirit”. Additionally, they played into decision making because John Winthrop asked that the Lord pour out his wrath on them if they did not keep to His will as they thought it was. This is a dangerous thing to do and not an issue to be taken lightly. If the Puritans were not going to follow through on completing God’s will when the moved to North America they were expecting a horrible failure, which for most would mean they would not even attempt the move.
~Jennifer Claybrooks
The puritans decide to migrate because they want to get closer to god and have religious freedom. The purpose of the Massachusetts colony was that they want to make unify the puritan and a religious community for themselves. The desire for religious liberty made freedom of religion, so they want to lead them to move to America.
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