The 16th Puritans of New England were separationists form England. They came to America with modest ends. The Puritans hoped to set up an independently governed settlement with Torahs based on the instructions of the Bible. Puritanism, a rigorous Protestant signifier of Christianity, was easy the most of import facet of Puritan life. Religious tenet was intertwined with every determination. Benjamin Franklin was the progeny of a Puritan household. Franklin was non the first Puritan to oppugn the Puritans ‘ belief system. He was the most of import though. Franklin identifies himself as a freethinker. Deism, is a more progressive and practical reading of Christianity and the Bible. Franklin is non a unsighted follower of dogmatic rhetoric and possibly unbeknownst to himself creates his ain signifier of free thought. Franklin ‘s free thought is like himself a dead person of Puritanism. By analyzing the common sixteenth century constructs about God and human nature in both Puritanism and Franklin ‘s free thought and the interplay between these constructs one can see the foundations of American values.
In Puritanism the chief tool of this faith is the Bible, which they considered to be the written word of God. The Puritans adopted a harsh or rigorous reading of the Bible in which adult male is inherently evil. This is displayed here by Thomas Shepard, “ Your best responsibilities are tainted, poisoned, and mingled with some wickedness, and hence are most abominable in the eyes of holy God ( Shepard, 4 ) . ” Puritans were inherently evil due to Original Sin. This is shown here in the Hagiographas of John Winthrop, a Puritan political leader, when he states, “ I mean as our nature is now corrupt [ because all work forces are evildoers ] ( Winthrop, 1 ) . ” In the same text it is besides implied that when adult male is left to make up one’s mind his ain autonomy he will go evil, “ The exercising and maintaining of this autonomy makes work forces turn more evil and in clip to be worse than beastly animals ( Winthrop, 1 ) . ” The Puritans had such a apparently negative construct of adult male. It is apprehensible why some Puritans struggled to happen a sense of intent or peace. As is show in John Dane ‘s 1670 ‘s history of his life, “ I had several ideas come flocking into my head that I better do away with myself than to populate longer ( Dane, 11 ) . ” With a apparently subservient and impoverished being non all Puritans accepted Puritanical philosophy as a manner of life.
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Ben Franklin was born to a Puritan household and was raised with the foundations of Puritanical philosophy. Franklin educated himself by reading books other than the Bible. After reading more about free thought and the Puritan defense of the religion Franklin writes, “ for statements of the freethinker, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to be much stronger than the defenses ; in short, I shortly became a Deist ( Franklin, 26 ) . ” Harmonizing to Franklin ‘s autobiography, “ Deism argued that there is a God, but non a Christian God ; Jesus was a wise adult male and the Bible largely fables ( Franklin, 26 ) . ” Franklin began by oppugning the Bible as book of fact. More specifically he questioned the book of Revelation, the subdivision of the Bible which most specifically pertains to judgment twenty-four hours. Franklin does this here in his autobiography followed by some practical logical thinking for the Torahs of the Bible, “ Revelation had so no weight with me, as such ; but I entertain ‘d an sentiment that, though certain actions might non be bad because they were forbidden by it, or good because it commanded them, yet likely these actions might be forbidden because they were bad for us, or commanded because they were good to us, in their ain natures, all the fortunes of things considered ( Franklin, 29 ) . ” Franklin ‘s thoughts about human nature are dynamic. At first he believes human nature to be of small importance because all frailty and virtue even out, rendering them meaningless in Franklin ‘s theory. Upon farther life experience Franklin subsequently writes, “ I grew convinc ‘d that truth, earnestness and unity in traffics between adult male were of the extreme importance to the felicitousness of life ( Franklin, 29 ) . ” Franklin lived and learned and finally he found it more good or felicitous to be a adult male of good character regardless of tenet.
In Contrast everything the Puritans do is for God. This is continually displayed by Mary Rowlandson in her 1675 history of her clip in Indian imprisonment, when she writes, “ That we must trust on God himself, and our whole dependance must be upon him ( Rowlandson, 20 ) . ” This clearly displays the Puritan belief that merely upon whole trust in God can adult male thrive. The Puritans looked to God for ground and symbolism in everything. To the extent that every bad luck was looked at as a penalty from God ; which can be seen in another extract from Mary Rowlandson ‘s Hagiographas, “ that it was easie for me to see how righteous it was with God to cut off the yarn of my life, and project me out of his presence forever ( Rowlandson, 15 ) . ” She missed church a few times so she understood why God punished her by leting Indians to take her prisoner. Puritans besides ascribe recognition to God for personal victory as can be seen in yet another extract of the Hagiographas of Mary Rowlandson, “ But I thank God, he has now given me power over it ( Rowlandson, 18 ) . ” She is talking about her experimentation with baccy usage. She feels that she was empowered by God. This conveys a sense of Divine Providence. These Hagiographas all insinuate that God is responsible for everything in Puritanism, even the devastation of the universe. Because the Puritans believed that God would destruct the Earth on judgement twenty-four hours and keep adult male accountable for all of his wickedness, as described in the 1662 verse form, “ The Day of Doom ” , by Michael Wigglesworth, “ Proclaming Thursday ‘ Day of Doom: Forthwith he cries, Ye Dead arise, and unto Judgment semen ( Wigglesworth, 3 ) . ” These extracts of Puritan Hagiographas to a great extent insinuate that God is involved ; if non responsible for every facet of human life and decease in Puritanism.
Franklin inquiries what roll God played in his outgrowth from young person when he writes, “ this persuasion [ that good behaviour was good in itself and bad behaviour harmful in itself ] , with the sort manus of Providence, or some guardian angel, or inadvertent favourable fortunes and state of affairss, or all together, preserved me, thro ‘ this unsafe clip of young person ( Franklin, 29 ) . ” This is a great illustration of Franklin ‘s legendary logical logical thinking combined with the belief of Providence instilled in him at young person. It can be ascertained that Franklin, like the Puritans, besides has a sense Divine Providence. Upon Franklin ‘s outgrowth into maturity he created a list of virtuousnesss for moral counsel. He sought to achieve moral flawlessness. And so Franklin was a virtuous and self-restraining adult male like many Puritan work forces. But unlike the Puritan work forces who were working toward ageless redemption, and were guided by their spiritual tenet. Franklin was driven by something else.
Franklin works for the patterned advance of adult male and is guided by this and his ain tenet of virtuousness combined with a sense of Divine Providence. Franklin is non perfect though. He writes of falling short of virtuous flawlessness, “ Tho ‘ I ne’er arrived at the flawlessness I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far abruptly of it, yet I was by the enterprise, a better and happier adult male than I otherwise should hold been had I non attempted it ( Franklin, 34 ) . ” This statement lends grounds to Franklin ‘s thought of patterned advance ; an thought of paramount importance. Human patterned advance or betterment was a new construct to the mean individual populating in seventeenth century New England. In Puritanical philosophy advancement would hold consisted of God holding his judgement twenty-four hours and destructing all the wicked. However, Franklin did non believe in the judgement twenty-four hours. Franklin did many things for the interest of advancement. He used scientific discipline to make innovations such as ; bifocals, electricity and the lightening rod. He writes, “ We should be sword lily of an chance to function others by any innovation of ours ; and this we should make freely and liberally ( Franklin, 41 ) . ” As Franklin helps others he besides helps himself along the manner as seen here, “ by the sufficient Tho ‘ moderate luck that I had acquir ‘d, I had secured leisure during the remainder of my life for philosophical surveies and amusements ( Franklin, 42 ) . ” Even in retirement from trade Franklin continues to work toward human betterment. He besides urged a sense of civic patterned advance by making a voluntary fire company and what finally became the University of Pennsylvania. When Franklin is composing about some of his apparently less of import civic behaviors he states, “ Human Felicity is produc ‘d non so much by great pieces of good luck that rarely go on, as by small advantages that occur every twenty-four hours ( Franklin, 42 ) . ” This conveys a sense of human authorization and with it the thought that adult male can be responsible for their ain Providences or felicitousnesss apart from God.
As Franklin ‘s famous person position grows his philosophies of human betterment return clasp in the consciousness of early Americans. It is finally viewed as virtuous to be in good fiscal standing. Franklin writes, “ it being more hard for a adult male in privation, to move ever candidly, it is difficult for an empty pouch to stand up-right ( Franklin, 36 ) ” . If Man is made in Gods image. Man should foremost achieve wealth as preventive step against subsequently wickednesss in life rejecting from privation. Of Franklin ‘s virtuousnesss he credits Industry and Frugality for his, “ relaxation of fortunes and acquisition of wealth ( Franklin, 15 ) . ” Of Franklins many Proverbss and wise expressions published in his book, Poor Richards Almanac. Many pertain to devotedness to one ‘s trade such as this one, “ lost clip is ne’er found once more ( Franklin, 36 ) . ” He besides talks of the importance of honestness and unity as it pertains to fiscal affairs, “ no qualities were so likely to do a hapless adult male ‘s luck as those of honestness and unity ( Franklin, 36 ) . ”
It can be ascertained from his Hagiographas that Franklin ‘s thought of patterned advance is free from most spiritual tenet. However adult male is made in Gods image and merely as God is responsible for the Providence of adult male so excessively is adult male responsible for the Providence of man.. The Puritans while still cleaving to their original tenet have made room in their belief system for the thought of human advancement by the clip of the revolution. As can be seen here when Franklin makes a acute observation about wealth, “ But tag how luxury will come in households, and do advancement, in malice of rule ( Franklin, 31 ) . ”
America is a immature and affluent state. No affair the rules of the early Puritans, wealth and luxury are steadfast aspirations in the American ideal. Puritanism and Franklin ‘s trade name of free thought combine to organize a intercrossed belief and value system that takes clasp in the consciousness of early Americans. A value system that accepts spiritual tenet along with Franklin ‘s thoughts on advancement and human-improvement with an embracing belief in Divine Providence from God, the citizens of America became American in their ideals.
