How did the Puritan system of church government affect civil government in New England?
The Puritan system of government was based upon the ultimate authority in both political and religious spheres was God's word, but the commitments made to congregation and community through voluntary obedience to covenants ensured order and a functional system of religious and political governance. This system came to be called the Congregational or "New England Way." According to Stout, "By locating power in the particular towns and defining institutions in terms of local covenants and mutual commitments, the dangers of mobility and atomism--the chief threats to stability in the New World--were minimized. . . . As churches came into being only by means of a local covenant, so individual members could be released from their sacred oath only with the concurrence of the local body. . . . Persons leaving without the consent of the body sacrificed not only church membership but also property title, which was contingent on local residence. Through measures like these, which combined economic and spiritual restraints, New England towns achieved extraordinarily high levels of persistence and social cohesion" gatita_63109
Do you think that England should get rid of its state church "church of England" and have separation of church and state?
Theoretically, yes.But quite frankly there are a lot more important issues to get vexed about. It would be a different matter if the Church actively intervened in politics in a toxic, partisan way. The Bishops sit in the house of Lords and do contribute to debates, usually pretty sensibly. But the chief Rabbi and other faith leaders are also in the Lords - the difference being that the CofE Bishops are there by right, and the others are there at the whim of the Prime Minister supported by an unspoken and unwritten convention. It is useful to have faith leaders in the revising chamber just as it is useful to have other experienced people from all walks of life.The worse aspect - and it’s not that closely linked to the fact of establishment - is its sponsorship of many, many schools. I think faith schools are a blot on a secular society. The CofE ones are less in-your-face about it than many Catholic/Jewish/Muslim schools but their very existence justifies the existence of the more fundamentalist faith schools.
Did they have a state church in Colonial America?
‘Colonial America’ was not a state; it refers to colonies in North America, and these colonies were formed by a few countries, all of which had some form of official (state) religion, eventually being taken over by England, which had/has an official (state) religion.Several colonies were formed specifically for refuge from religious persecution, and at least one colony (New Amsterdam) had a director-general whose official religion policy was overridden by the ‘mother’ company. Nevertheless, the common bond in most of the colonies once under England was christianity, with (often grudging) acceptance of Jews (although they were banned in some colonies).That said, because they were across the ocean, and because of debts (especially in the case of the founding of Pennsylvania) and other inconveniences (full debtors’ prisons, no land for poorer classes, threat from Spain in Florida), England was willing to be flexible and not enforce its state religion, especially on colonies that served a purpose (such as Georgia).THAT said, some colonies DID enforce their particular religious path (especially puritans).Ultimately, thank G-d, the founders of THIS nation, meaning ending of colonial America, were very clear that there was to be no official state religion, no religion forced on anyone, and freedom of religion, in this country.
What did english puritans do?
a. fled to France for religious freedom before coming to America. b. were loyal to Charles I. c. believed in the separation of church and state. d. believed that the Church of England still closely resembled the Catholic church in its rituals.
At what point in time did the west decide to separate church from state and who were the people behind this effort and how did they achieve it?
When “church”, or religion in general, but specifically at that time and place, the Roman Catholic church, and “state”, the government, which was nearly every government in Europe, was united, so that the Pope ran not only the church but pretty much told kings and other rulers what to do and not do, there was widespread disaster. The history of Europe was tragic and horrible for a long time, and nearly no one was safe. Anyone could be targeted by a nosy, spiteful or vengeful neighbor, reported to the inquisition, and supposedly get a few years of “purgatory” lopped off for reporting on their enemy, for anything - “witchcraft” was always popular - and they were tortured until they confessed, then tortured because of what they confessed, then hopefully died. Or, the church decided they needed land or other things (virgins were popular), and basically took it. I could go on, but you can look up that history yourself. It became obvious that, in forming a new nation, they needed to prevent a number of the mistakes made in Europe from where they came, like combining church and state, and made sure there was a separation there. The religions and churches stick with what they are designed for, and the governments stick with what they are designed for. That is why they had separation of powers in the government itself. Legislatures stick with Legislating. The Executive branch sticks with executive powers. The Judicial branch sticks with judging and interpreting the laws.
Why did the Puritans come to America?
It was about religion. The Puritans were strictly Calvinist Protestants. The Stuart kings were nudging the Church of England towards a less Calvinist, even less Protestant, stance. Archbishop Laud was especially famous for this. The Puritans were not believers in freedom of religion, but they wanted freedom to practice their religion, and in a fully supportive public environment.I would also like to comment on answers by two other people who said that the Puritans moved to the Netherlands before America. No, that's the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims (as they called themselves) were different from the Puritans - a much smaller group, and with their own separate church. The Puritans belonged to the Church of England, at least nominally. They wanted to purify it, make it more Calvinist Protestant. And that's exactly what they did after winning the English Civil War.
What is the difference between Puritans and Pilgrims?
Despite their similarities, and the fact that they arrived in America within a decade of each other, there are several differences.While the Pilgrims were Separatists, the Puritans were non-separating Congregationalists -- they believed the Church of England was the one true church and they were loyal to England, but not in the way they worshipped. They believed that "New England" worship and practice would be an example for Old England and the world.The Pilgrims were few in number. 102 sailed across the Atlantic on the Mayflower. About half died the first winter. The Puritans came by the thousands, indeed forty to fifty thousand eventually came. By 1776, 75% of the American population were of Puritan roots.The Pilgrims came earlier in 1620, the Puritans came later in 1629-30.The Pilgrims for the most part were of the poor class. Not all on the Mayflower came for religious reasons, some came for better economic opportunities in the New World. The Puritans were primarily upper middle class.The Pilgrims were not terribly well educated, while the Puritans typically were. Over 100 of the first Puritans to come to America had been educated at Oxford or Cambridge. Within 6 years of landing, the Puritans founded the first college, Harvard, in Cambridge (Boston).The Pilgrims settled in Plymouth. The Puritans settled in Salem and Boston.Pilgrims had names like William Bradford and William Brewster, and Myles Standish. The Puritans had names like John Endicott, John Winthrop.Ultimately, however, both colonies united to form Massachusetts following the Puritans having their charter revoked in 1689.
Where was the puritans first town founded?
Their first American settlement was in Plymouth, Massachusetts.