John Winthrop, Anne Bradstreet, Mary Rowlandson, and Jonathan Edwards may be regarded as prominent Puritan/Calvinist authors of the New World. Regardless of the fact that they dedicated their works to philosophy, governance, social sciences, or personal reflections, their strong religious heritage was constantly reflected in their writing. In general, highly dissatisfied with the Anglican Church for idolatry and demonstrativeness in its worship, Puritans aimed to restore it on the basis of Calvinism. At the same time, considering that the individual features of every person that impact his worldview are unique, they inevitably influence the way in which he perceives and describes his relationship with God. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the works of Puritan/Calvinist authors in relation to reflected themes and depictions of religion.
First of all, it is necessary to admit that the works of all authors based on their religious beliefs correspond with the main principles of Puritanism. Puritans emphasize the significance of self-discipline and unconditional faith – for them, God’s will should be unquestionably accepted. At the same time, they believe both in the rationale of God’s punishment for sins and misbehavior and God’s mercy. This perception is vividly reflected in the work A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, written by Mary Rowlandson in 1682. In it, she describes her experience when she was captured by Native Americans in Lancaster in 1675. First of all, she emphasizes the difference between Puritans and indigenous people, writing that “it is a solemn sight to see so many Christians lying in their blood, some here, and some there, like a company of sheep torn by wolves, all of them stripped naked by a company of hell-hounds, roaring, singing, ranting, and insulting, as if they would have torn our very hearts out” (Rowlandson par. 4). Indeed, for Puritans, the Bible is regarded as supreme authority, and people who follow the Scripture are superior in comparison with others. At the same time, here, the author uses such imagery as a comparison to emphasize the difference between the innocence of religious people and the brutality of infidels.
Puritanism believes in salvation and damnation predetermined by God on the basis of a person’s actions in his earthly life. When Mary’s eldest sister is killed, she writes, “I hope she is reaping the fruit of her good labors, being faithful to the service of God in her place,” underlining that faith in God and good deeds will be rewarded after death (Rowlandson par. 3). However, one of the most vividly described topics in her work is God’s punishment and mercy. Rowlandson regards her captivity as God’s punishment for her careless attitude to religion. At the same time, she strongly believes in God’s providence, mercy, and help – she constantly repeats that “God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along, and bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail” (Rowlandson par. 8). Thus, for the author, God is almighty – He entirely controls people’s lives punishing and supporting them at the same time.
A Divine and Supernatural Light by Jonathan Edwards is dedicated to God’s will and providence as well. In it, the author emphasizes the significance of the Lord’s ability to let a person carry and see a divine light. According to his doctrine, “there is such a thing, as a spiritual and divine light, immediately imparted to the Soul by God, of a diferent Nature from any that is obtain’d by natural Means” (Edwards 4). This light can be seen by other people through the spirit, and this light determines a person’s devotion – for instance, a sinner will feel repentance if he is filled with light. The divine light allows a spiritual man to see God’s glory. At the same time, the ability to see the divine is regarded as an expression of God’s grace available only for selected individuals. These notions fully correspond with Christian beliefs in God’s salvation sent to people through his prophets in order to ensure His presence and mercy. Using epithets and metaphors, the author explains that God is a source of knowledge, wisdom, and beauty; spiritual people perceive God’s love through the light rather than rational judgment and common grace.
God’s will and providence are reflected in the sermons of John Winthrop as well. Thus, in his A Modell of Christian Charity, he reflects God’s order, which should be followed by people: “God Almightie in his most holy and wise providence hath soe disposed of the Condicion of mankinde, as in all times some must be rich, some poore, some highe and eminent in power and dignitie others meane and in subjeccion” (Winthrop par. 1). In other words, it is the Lord who decides what characteristics a person will have. Thus, in this work, Winthrop depicts Puritan beliefs in predestination and the concept of manifest destiny.
Finally, Puritans’ total trust in God’s love and providence is reflected in the poems of Anne Bradstreet. In “By Night When Others Soundly Slept,” he addresses God as the only savior who wipes the tears of His followers and takes away their sorrows (Bradstreet). At the same time, in the author’s words, such as “My hungry Soul he fill’d with Good; He in his Bottle put my tears, My smarting wounds washt in his blood, And banisht thence my Doubts and fears,” it is possible to detect the contrast between the woman’s state and God’s actions. Thus, these word refers to another Puritans’ belief, which is original sin. To be precise, people are regarded as innately sinful; they should work hard to deserve God’s mercy. Using a rhetorical question (“What to my Saviour shall I give Who freely hath done this for me?”), the author expresses a Puritan’s enormous gratitude to her Lord for His mercy.
All in all, from the analysis of the works of Puritan/Calvinist writers, it is possible to state that all of them reflect the main principles of Puritanism, such as beliefs in salvation and damnation, God’s grace and mercy, providence, and original sin. At the same time, there is a peculiar difference between these works – from a personal perspective, this difference implies the author’s attitude towards the role of people in their relationship with God. This, Edwards and Bradstreet depict an unquestionable power of the Lord and people’s duty to obey His will. In turn, Rowlandson and Winthrop address the ability of people’s will to impact God’s providence and grace. For instance, Rowlandson admits that God’s providence had changed when she decided to be released in a respectful way rather than escape. Similarly, Winthrop emphasizes people’s responsibility to create a society to please the Lord through justice, mercy, and brotherhood.
Works Cited
Bradstreet, Anne. “By Night When Others Soundly Slept.”Poetry Foundation, Web.
Edwards, Jonathan. A Divine and Supernatural Light. Kneeland and Green, 1734.
Rowlandson, Mary. A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. 1682. Project Gutenberg, Web.
Winthrop, John. A Modell of Christian Charity. 1630. Excellence in Literature, Web.