This paper looks into the reasons why the Puritans were not happy with the Catholic Church. The paper further explains the reasons why they didn’t work well with the Church of England either, which led to their leaving for distant lands.
The Puritans were a religious grouping of English speaking protestant believers in the 16th and 17th century (Morgan 10). Major doctrines and beliefs promulgated by the Roman Catholic leadership in Rome did not augur well with the Puritans. Some doctrines and beliefs did not please them basing in the bible and religion. They moved or disengaged from the Catholic Church because they believed the Roman Catholic practices contravened bible teachings (Morgan 18).
The first contentious issue was about poverty. The way the Roman Catholic leaders approached material wealth was ungodly in the eyes of the Puritans. Roman Catholic bishops were big landlords and exercised sort of imperial powers in given jurisdictions. The bishops were directly involved in wealth amassing schemes. However, Catholic teachings inherently insinuated that poverty was a virtue.
According to the Puritans, this contravened the spirit of being poor in line with letting go so as to embrace heavenly graces. Accord to the teachings of the Catholic Church, material poverty was not to be celebrated. Embracing material poverty for the sake of the kingdom was an enviable thing to do. Material poverty was kind of hyped as a way to God.
The Puritans stressed spiritual poverty i.e. humility and yearning to engage God but discouraged any propensity to embrace material poverty. They observed that life on earth was about purification and preparation of the good life in heaven. However, they believed that personal riches were a gift from God. A person achieved wealth as a blessing from God and needed to use the same to glorify the name of God. Therefore, Puritans sort genuine ways of amassing wealth as a way of glorifying God (Morgan 29).
By embracing hard work and accumulating more wealth, Puritans were convinced, one found the freedom to serve God even better. Wealth was only a privilege that enabled the chosen to move away from the psychological fear of damnation and troubles.
Wealth creation was understood by the Puritans as not a consuming Endeavour that would turn people away from God. All unholy ways of getting money e.g. embezzlement were condemned. However, people were encouraged to creatively come up with ways of earning profits to sustain continuity and for the glorification of God the giver of all riches (Morgan 98).
The Catholic Church viewed wealth creation as an extravagant affair. Many church leaders advocated that individuals embrace poverty in earthly life an act that would guarantee a good life in the next world. The wealth of the Purists was aimed at growth and development which was necessary during the industrial revolution. The Puritans preached good financial practice; they very conscious about saving by not involving themselves in pleasure related activities.
The Catholic Church structure was highly organized and hence it used to subordinate individuals. This was a challenge which made Purists get dissatisfied. The structure did not have room for personal development and growth for people in the lower cadre. Only the few who were placed higher in the structure controlled and enjoyed full benefits e.g. wealth amassed from the poor (Morgan 100). The structure only benefitted the church and the elites.
The Puritans needed a structure which allowed for participation by all people especially those in the lower cadre. This would ensure the development of all concerning the religion, faith and even materially. The Catholic Church structure of the power meant that the Priests and higher leaders in the hierarchy had the final say on matters of the faith. Contrarily, the Purists aimed at having a system where every individual had the opportunity to talk and listen to God without involving the clergy (Morgan 102).
The Church of England was supported by the state. People were legally required to contribute to the state’s sustenance and growth (Morgan 53). All citizens were required to give 10% of what they harvested from their farms every year to the Church and State by extension. The 10% was to be given regardless of the salaries and wages an individual received (Morgan 117). There was a penalty that was instituted when an individual did not attend church service on a Sunday (Morgan 178).
The Puritans believed that the Church of England was similar to the Catholic Church in the ways it conducted its services. For the Puritans, purification was necessary. They were opposed to alleged worshiping of the saints because they believed that the saints are not God. They opposed all aspects of symbols associated with the church which included; use of incense in the church during worship. Moreover, they were against the wearing of expensive attires used by priests and bishops when conducting worship (Morgan 78).
The Puritans wanted the practices and the church teachings to be by the bible teachings. Regardless of an individual’s status or place in society, the Puritans believed that the Bible should offer guidance and directions to all people. They wanted the clergy to teach and simplify any ritual associated with it and its implications to the church.
The Church of England was discriminatory in the way it presented the teachings of the bible. The Church of England was viewed itself as the highest on earth; the preachers talked categorically with many ultimatums in the name of the church. This contradicted what the Puritans believed and desired (Morgan 184).
In conclusion, the Puritans got dissatisfied with the excesses of the Catholic Church and the Church of England. Some of those excess consisted of expensive attires and lavish lifestyles of the leaders at the expense of the poor. The aim of the Puritans was to spread the good news to all people despite their social status and to affirm equality before God. They were against teachings that encouraged material poverty inclinations among the poor.
Works Cited
Morgan, Edmund, S. The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop. Missouri: Talman Co, 1996.