The Hagiographas of Puritans like John Winthrop, Michael Wigglesworth, John Dane, and Mary Rowlandson can be easy compared to the autobiography of Deist Benjamin Franklin. The two spiritual positions have obvious differences while still holding some associating thoughts. These similar thoughts found in Benjamin Franklin ‘s autobiography could hold come from his Puritan upbringing. He seems to take some cardinal beliefs from the Puritan faith and develops them into more rational thoughts he can believe in. Franklin looks to do his beliefs come from more touchable beginnings other than merely faith. While Puritan and Deist beliefs on God ‘s features and the hereafter have several distinguishable differences, they besides contain some similar thoughts refering God ‘s being and life with high moral criterions.
In his autobiography, Franklin does n’t advert any of his spiritual beliefs impacting his life until he comes across Deism. While the Puritan readings discuss God ‘s engagement in their lives often, Franklin does non. He is raised as a rigorous Genevan until he was approximately 15 and began doubting different books he read including the Bible ( Franklin, 5 ) . Alternatively of discoursing God act uponing his life, Franklin negotiations about his male parent in his autobiography. He describes all of his male parent ‘s good qualities in much item. Franklin ‘s description of his male parent is an illustration of how he focuses on people ‘s character and ethical motives alternatively of looking to God for counsel. He seems to look up to his male parent ‘s traits and strives to hold those same good qualities when he grows up.
There's a specialist from your university waiting to help you with that essay.
Tell us what you need to have done now!
order now
These conflicting positions seem to represent the differences between Benjamin Franklin ‘s political orientations from the Puritans ‘ beliefs. While the Puritans ‘ values derive from complete religion of God, Franklin uses physical, existent life illustrations like his male parent to construct his foundation of religion. Another illustration of Purists and Deists ‘ conflicting positions can be found looking at their beliefs on the hereafter.
After reading extracts of Hagiographas from these writers, it is interesting to see their differing positions of the hereafter. While Franklin clearly states it is non necessary to worry about life after decease, the Puritan readings all reference fearing God and their beliefs of redemption. As Franklin describes his thoughts of pleasance and hurting, he states that even if there is an hereafter, we wo n’t retrieve our earthly being so there is no importance of worrying about it ( Franklin, 7 ) . His thoughts of life after decease pigment a really different image than those of the Purist positions.
Michael Wigglesworth ‘s verse form depicts what he believes will go on at the terminal of the universe. In Wigglesworth verse form, he describes what judgement twenty-four hours will look like and says “ No bosom so bold, but now grows cold and about dead with fright ” ( Wigglesworth, 3 ) . This description explains how all will fear God on judgement twenty-four hours no affair how brave they one time were. Wigglesworth besides goes on to explicate how all people are predestined to be sent to Hell or given redemption. He mentions how easy it is to believe that you are among the saved when you truly are non ( Wigglesworth, 4 ) . Both examples show really contrastive positions of the hereafter between Puritan and Deist faiths.
With these differences, readers can besides happen similarities within the Purist and Deist Hagiographas. One corresponding thought both Ben Franklin and the Puritan writers have is that God exists. While the two faiths merely partly agree, they still both claim there is a God and they both look toward him for counsel. All four Puritan readings openly express God their all-knowing shaper. They all try to take lives following his moral Torahs. In Dane ‘s reading, he and his parents look to the Bible to assist him make up one’s mind whether or non he should travel to New England. After the Bible encourages him, his household helps him be able to travel to New England every bit fast as possible. John Dane and his parents believed that God would steer them to the right determination by looking in to the Bible for replies. Soon after, before her boy leaves place, John Dane ‘s female parent warns him “ Travel where you will, God he will happen you. ” ( Dane, 2 ) . This warning means to state Dane that no affair where he is, God will still be able to happen him and see what he is making. Dane ‘s female parent illustrates the Purists ‘ certainty in God being and in his counsel.
Ben Franklin, along with other Deists, besides maintains that God exist ; However, Franklin states that “ there is a God, merely non a Christian God ” ( Franklin, 6 ) . He accepts that we were all created by one original shaper. In his thesis, Benjamin Franklin writes that “ there is said to be a First Mover, who is called GOD, Maker of the Universe ” ( Franklin, 6 ) . Franklin non merely accepts there is a God, he besides looks to him for counsel. During his journey in breaking himself, Franklin looks to God for counsel towards cognition. He explains: “ Conceiving God to be the fountain of wisdom, I thought it right and necessary to beg his aid for obtaining it ” ( Franklin, 14 ) . He makes up a supplication that he says every twenty-four hours inquiring for wisdom from God. These illustrations show grounds of Benjamin Franklin ‘s Purist upbringing and the versions he made towards his Deist beliefs. While he agrees with Dane and other Puritans that God does be, he modifies certain thoughts to do them more concrete and suited for his spiritual strong belief.
Another illustration of similitude between the Puritans and Deists ‘ positions is their beliefs on how one should act. In footings of human nature, both readings province that it is of import to populate with high moral criterions. From a Deist position, Benjamin Franklin composes a list of 13 virtuousnesss to assist him populate as morally perfect as possible. He talks about making moral flawlessness and provinces: “ I wish ‘d to populate without perpetrating any mistake at any clip ” ( Franklin, 12 ) . As Franklin continues in his autobiography, his concluding for life towards moral flawlessness seems to come from a personal end alternatively of a spiritual end. He argues that since he is cognizant of the difference between right and incorrect, he sees no ground why he should n’t seek to ever take to make the right thing ( Franklin, 12 ) . Like Franklin, the Puritans besides believe in life morally correct ; nevertheless, unlike Franklin, their concluding roots from their faith.
John Winthrop, along with the other Puritan writers, besides talks about populating with high moral Torahs. Winthrop describes that the best autonomy to populate by is the civil autonomy. This autonomy is the lone autonomy “ which is good, merely, and honest ” ( Winthrop, 1 ) . These announcements appear to come from Winthrop ‘s beliefs that civil autonomy is God ‘s moral Torahs. John Dane besides touches on populating morally right. Dane speaks of how turning up with reverent parents made his scruples able to place immoralities that he should avoid ( Dane, 1 ) . His parents ‘ spiritual regulations taught Dane how to populate his life through God ‘s regulations. While both the Deist and Purist writers have different grounds for life with high moral criterions, they still both agree holding high moral criterions is of import.
When comparing the readings from Puritans like Winthrop, Wigglesworth, Dane, and Rowlandson to Franklin ‘s autobiography it is easy to see the many differences between Puritans and Deists ‘ political orientation on God and human nature. Differentiations between these Puritan and Deist writers ‘ thoughts like God ‘s features and thoughts on the hereafter are exemplified throughout the readings. With these differences, similarities on Purist and Deist ‘s beliefs of God and human nature can besides be found. After looking at these disagreements and resemblances, it is apparent that Benjamin Franklin took his Puritan upbringing and molded those thoughts into a more realistic and rational faith he could believe in.
