King James 1 and the Church
King James IV, of Scotland, seized the English throne in 1603 after the death of Elizabeth I and became James I of England. He was the son of Mary Queen of Scots and had been King of Scotland since 1567. During his reign, James increased the power of the monarchy making his rule absolute. James I was involved with every area of government. Under his rule Scotland and England were united, the King James Version of the Bible was published, William Shakespeare and various other writers prospered, education thrived, and the American colonies were founded.[1] However, James faced many problems with unifying the government. One of the main problems was the religious conflict existing within the Church of England. Anglicans and Puritans wanted the church organized in separate ways, but King James felt a unified state church would create a more powerful government God had given James the right to rule and therefore non-conformity to religious policies was a sin against God. Although he wanted one state church, James believed compromise and toleration would naturally drive citizens to become members, conforming to the policies of the Church of England. Throughout his reign James attempted to decrease religious tensions, as people hoped to increase their influence and role they played in the decisions of the church.
There was a distinct split within the Church of England between the Puritans and the Anglicans. The Puritans were members of the Church of England, wanting reformation. They wished to eliminate of some ceremonies and dogmas closely resembling those of the Catholic Church. Puritans were more devout Christians then regular members. They believed the Sabbath should be strictly observe...
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... wasn’t completely unified, James did make changes that improved conditions. Since he wasn’t completely intolerable of other viewpoints he created a strong central government for one of the first times in English histories.
Notes
1. Stephen A. Coston, “ King James I of England Interesting Facts”<www.jesus-is-
lord.com/kingjames.> (10/20/00) A.V. Publications Corp.
2. S. J, Houstan, James I, 1st ed.. (Great Britain:Lowe and Brydone, 1973), 16.
3. Houstan, 57.
4. Antonia Fraser, King James I of England, 1st ed. (New York:Alfred A. Knopf,
1975), 104.
5. Fraser, 105.
6. G.B. Harrison, A Jacobean Journal, 1st ed. (London: George Routledge and Sons,
1941), 105
7. Harrison, 106.
8. Fraser, 117.
9. Harrison, 152.
10. Houstan, 61.
11. Fraser, 182.
12. Houstan, 63.
13. Fraser, 182.
****Did the puritans want to separate from the Church of England? Why or why not? (3)
While Puritans believed that they should not separate themselves from the Church of England, church was still a major cornerstone in their new
Charles I was the second born son to King James I, who had also reigned under a constitutional monarchy, but large disagreement between Parliament and James I led to an essentially absolutist approach to governance. Likewise, Charles I disagreed with the Parliament on many factors. Charles was far from the contemporary model of a figurehead monarchy we see in today’s world, and his political reach extended throughout the English empire, even to the New World. Infact, I claim, he practiced a more absolutist form of monarchy than did the Czars of Russia; he dissolved Parliament three times. This unprecedented power led to (other than corruption) a strict contradiction of the principles of republicanism which most constitutional monarchies agreed on. And while many were in favor of an overlooking Parliament, his unopposed voice led the voyage to the New World as well as the charter for the Massachussets Bay Colony, and he fostered many internal improvements throughout England, which further benifetted the economy. Unfortunately, Charles began to push his limits as a monarch, and many became upset (including New Worlders from Massachussets) to the point of abdicating him and executing him for treason. Nevertheless, his positive effects on society and political rennovations persist in today’s
8.Puritans— ‘Followers' of Puritanism, a movement for reform in the Church of England that had a profound influence on the social, political, ethical, and theological ideas in England and America. In America the early New England settlements were Puritan in origin and theocratic in nature. The spirit of Puritanism long persisted there, and the idea of congregational democratic government was carried into the political life of the state as one source of modern democracy.
The Puritans were "Christians," in that they believed in Jesus Christ yet some may argue that they did not lead "Christian" lives. These fanatics seemed to obssess over a major tenet of their religion, that being "Pre Destination." That is, God Himself chose those destined for eternal salvation in the beginning of time, long before our conception and birth. This pre-ordained number is considerably miniscule, which, at times, the Puritans seemed to ignore.
The puritans were very religious. They wanted to show everyone what happens if you are good and believe in god and the heavens. If you do bad things you would be punished or be killed. If you do good things you can be hand chosen to go to heaven.
The Puritans were Protestants who did not agree with the Anglican Church. In order to live as they want, the Puritans arrive at Massachusetts in 1630. People who want to seek land leave Massachusetts and establish colonies like Connecticut. In addition, the king of England had given two friends a large piece of land in the north of Massachusetts. John Mason took what later became the colony of New Hampshire, and Ferdinando Gorges took the area that later became the state of Maine.
In 1534, King Henry VIII formally instigated the English Reformation. He therefore passed the Act of Supremacy, which outlawed the Catholic Church and made him “the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England” (Roark, 68). Puritans were looking for a more Protestant church and received what they wanted. Along with it, came the King’s total control over the Church. This is what the Puritans didn’t want. Puritans believed that ordinary Christians, not a church hierarchy, should control religious life. They wanted a distinct line between government and the Church of England. Puritans also wanted to eliminate the customs of Catholic worship and instead focus on an individual’s relationship with God developed through Bible study, prayer, and introspection (Roark, 68).
The Puritans were Englishmen who chose to separate from the Church of England. Puritans believed that the Anglican Church or Church of England resembled the Roman Catholic Church too closely and was in dire need of reform. Furthermore, they were not free to follow their own religious beliefs without punishment. In the sixteenth century the Puritans settled in the New England area with the idea of regaining their principles of the Christi...
They were congregationalists, meaning they believed that every local church was independent or autonomous. Their first influential leader was John Winthrop. His ideal Puritan colony was to be one that resembled “a city upon the hill”, one in which all others would look to for guidance. The Puritans believed in model religious communities, where all was good and pure. Unlike Catholicism, the Puritans believed in The Doctrine of Elect, a predetermined list of souls to be eternally saved or eternally damned. Although the Puritans believed that souls had been chosen long before, it was still status quo to act as if you were one of the divine chosen. Those who did not abide by social standards were more often than not judge for their differences. To be a misfit was to be almost exiled. Those who did not fit the status quo or maintain a positive character were deemed odd and foreign. Social life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony revolved around church. Puritans were some of the most intolerant people around. Puritans believed in religious freedom for those who fit their mold, those who were their idea of a godly citizen. The Puritans also believed highly in a strong work ethic. To be lazy was to be sloth like, one of the deadly sins. To be sinful was to invite the devil and the wrath of God into the land, and those who did so were punished with great severity. The Puritans believed that through a strict religious lifestyle and a strong hardworking colony they could influence other communities and colonies to establish and abide by their laws and their
After arriving in the American colonies, the Puritans were able to practice their faith(which they believed was the divine religion)freely. Prior to gaining religious freedom, they were under the law of the Church of England and believed the church
Puritans also known as Pilgrims are nonconformists who refused to accept authority. The Puritans were almost entirely city people. They were not farmers and left Great Britain because they were not pleased with the way they were treated. Even those who had lived in the country had not been farmers. So when they arrived in America as the Plymouth Colony group and suddenly had to become farmers, it was extremely difficult for them. The Puritans had many contributions such as predestine to go to heaven because they lived at a small place in Massachusetts. The teachings of Calvin was followed and believed, like the Separatists, that man are born in sin and they all weary the guilt of Adam and Eve. Therefore, the concepts of life that Puritans want to accomplish set forth the character of America today.
The Puritans first became a sect in England, where they became dissatisfied with the Church of England and sought reform. They led a civil war but their victory was short-lived and they came to North America to escape persecution. “The Puritans believed that the Bible was God’s true law and that it provided a plan for living.” They wanted to live according to this belief and that is what brought the separation between them and the Church of England. For the Puritans, God was to be the motivation of all their actions (Kizer, Kay). They believed in piousness, righteousness, and hard work. (Campbell, Douglas).
The Puritans believed in punishing sin. When someone was caught in sin they were publicly punished. Puritans believed strongly in humiliation. They locked the guilty people in the stocks or the pillory (a frame with holes for head and hands) with a sign on them describing the sin--where everyone could see it. This was a big event. Schools were let out and people came from all around to see such sights. They would also dunk a person who was a gossip (or guilty of other such sins) from the end of a long log into a pond or lake.
Some Puritans of this time did not like the sound of their ever nearing future and believed it was not in god’s will for these things to happen. Therefore they grouped together in order to make a new, pure model society in the area of New England in America. The Puritans simply did not agree to what was happening to their religion in their homeland so they set off for a fresh start.