Colonial New England and Religious Tolerance

Colonial New England and Religious Tolerance

Throughout the seventeen hundreds, thousands of immigrants came to the New England

region, seeking refuge from European persecution. These early colonist yearned for a domicile

were they could indulge in religious freedom, a heavy contrast to the strict religious persecution

they experienced in their native countries. Aspirations such as these hold the initial sentence in

the statement: “The New England colonies were founded upon the promise of religious freedom,”

to be valid. On the contrary, there are several cases from the New England colonies that make

the second sentence of the statement, “Those who wish to practice their religioun freely were able

to do so,” to be invalid due to their characterization of exclusive religious tolerance. A rare

example of complete religious tolerance in the New England region sprang from Rhode Island’s

liberal religious freedom, which extended to all their citizens; this factor would hold the statement

to be true.

Martin Luther, a German friar, nailed ninety-five theses, protesting Catholic doctrines, to

the door of the Wittenberg’s Cathedral in 1517. By denouncing the authority of priest and popes,

Luther ignited the fire of religious reforms. The Protestant Reformation divided peoples, toppled

sovereigns, and most importantly, kindled the spiritual fever of men and women that helped find

America.

John Calvin, of Geneva, elaborated on Luther’s ideas. His basic doctrines in “Institutes of

Christian Religion” state that God was all-powerful, all good, and all knowing. Humans were

weak and wicked (due to the original sin), and were governed spiritually by the idea of

predestination. A principle theory in Calvinism,...

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its citizens, including Jews and Catholics. The colony was consisted of malcontents and exiles

that could not stand the stifling theological atmosphere of the Bay colony. The settlers shared

little in common with the only consistent factor being that they were unwelcome anywhere else.

Thus, Rhode Island became strongly individualistic and stubbornly independent.

In separating the statement into two separate sentences, the first sentence is found to be

valid in explaining that the New England colonies were, in deed, founded on the factor of

religious freedom. This is displayed by the enormous mass of refugees that immigrated to the

area in the 1630s. The second statement is not valid. While the Massachusetts Bay colony, and

its exclusive form of government, proves this, Rhode Island’s liberal standings on the subject does

prove it to be valid.