The theologies of Quakers and Puritans had little in common.
The Puritans and the Quakers were two of the most influential groups in the English colonies. Both groups were considered radical in England and sought a place where they could practice their religions without fear of persecution. Many Puritans, including those who traveled on the Mayflower, settled in New England where, by 1700, they comprised over 100,000 colonists. The Quaker, William Penn, received the land that would become Pennsylvania from Charles II in payment of a debt. There Penn hoped to establish a peaceful colony based on Quaker principles. His effort to recruit settlers greatly increased the colonial population.
Quakers
George Fox founded the Quaker movement in the mid-17th century in England. The group is properly known as the Society of Friends. They felt that Christianity as practiced at the time had moved far from early Christian teachings. Early Quakers angered the English elite by refusing to tithe to the church of England, take oaths or stop holding their banned religious meetings. More than 6,000 Quakers were jailed for these infractions in a period of eight years.
Puritans
The Puritans were a strict Christian sect that arose as dissenters during the Christian Reformation in England. They were oriented toward the teachings of John Calvin, a leader in the founding of Protestant theology. They saw the Church of England as being beyond reform. Broadly persecuted in England, some went first to the more religiously tolerant Netherlands and then to the English colonies in America, where they were able to set up communities made up mainly of Puritans.
Puritan Beliefs and Practices
The Puritans tried to create a theocracy in the colonies. They believed that the Bible was the word of God and their society should follow that teaching, as they interpreted it, in every detail and viewed their beliefs as the way to return purity to Christianity. They believed that people were born sinners and only a select few could be saved from damnation. God would select those few. Since no one knew who the select would be, everyone should constantly seek salvation. The Puritans were notoriously intolerant of other religions and persecuted Quakers, punishing four with death between 1659 and 1661.
Quaker Beliefs and Practices
Fox taught that God existed in every individual. The Quakers, properly known as the Society of Friends, were and still are pacifists known for their tolerance of other religions and non-exclusive fellowship. They believed anyone could find salvation by following an inner light or the spirit of God within. They do not see Christianity embodied in a church, but rather in a way of life that sought simplicity and truthfulness. In seeking justice and peace, they were instrumental in the movement to abolish slavery in the United States.
Tags: They believed, Beliefs Practices, believed that, English colonies, known Society, known Society Friends