Puritanism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Puritanism - Essay Example Their works are devoid of self righteousness and glorification but praise and glory are always given to God. Amidst the persevering life of a saint, the works also talks of God's providence and grace. In A Model of Christian Charity, Winthrop states three reasons why people are not equals, some are rich while other are poor: "to hold conformity with the rest of His works," that He might have the more occasion to manifest the work of His spirit," and "that every man might have need of each other" (Reuben). It should be noted that his reasoning largely mirror the basic teachings and doctrine of Puritanism. First, it shows the Puritans belief of predestination, that is, some are predestined to be rich while others are predestined to be poor. Second, that God is a superior and whose creation is perfect. Being poor is not seen as God's failure, but God's way of perfecting the world. Thus, poverty is not a problem of mankind but that it exists in order to manifest justice, respect, and mercy. In his response, Winthrop communicates the Puritan's deep reverence and faith in God. To what extent is Bradstreet's "To my Dear and Loving Husband" an expression of individual feeling, and where does it echo the Puritan ideology of marriage, i