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Essay On Puritanism And Democracy

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According to Thomas Brooks, "Sin in a wicked man is like poison in a serpent; it is in its natural place." Many can argue that the Puritan democracy was very corrupt. Stephen Foster, the author of the essay, “Puritanism and Democracy: A Mixed Legacy” states, “New Englanders admitted that no man could read the law of nature alright, that all men were equally corrupt.” Because of this corruptness, Puritans struggled to create a democracy, never viewed others as equals, and even after trying to create a democratic government, they acted as hypocrites. The Puritans broke away from England after trying to purify the Church of England. They eventually became upset after King Henry refused to allow them to make the church pure and departed to the New World. There, the Puritans had to create their own form of government. They formed the Mayflower Compact; a document stating 41 men will work together to govern the people with religion being the center of the colony. The Puritans tried to create a democracy for ruling the people of the New World, but ruling with a democracy was almost impossible for them. Most of the people living in the New World came from England. These Englishmen had never lived in a state of democracy. The church ran everything. Being creatures of habit, it is no surprise that eventually, England stood as the basis for the Puritan government. Equality also made running a democracy challenging. …show more content…

Anne Hutchinson challenged John Winthrop in his teachings of people’s salvation depending on their good deeds. John Winthrop’s teachings contradicted the Puritan belief of predestination. She was punished by banishment. Anyone who opposed the central government, the church and its ministers, were either banished or left. The Puritans’ ideas didn’t matter to their government. The only opinions worth considering were those of the ministers. Hypocrisy contributed to many problems within the Puritan

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