The Pilgrims’ Hypocrisy

The point that separated the Puritans from the Separatists came when a group of Puritans moved to reform or “purify” the Church of England. This group believed that only “visible saints” should be admitted to a church membership. At this point, the Separatists vowed to break away from the Church of England. King James I had pushed the Separatists out of England reasoning that if they could defy him as their spiritual leader, they would also defy him as their political leader. An example of their hypocrisy can be shown here, in which they claimed King James’ Church of England had strayed from the Bible, and they likely had. Yet the “King James Bible” quickly became accepted as being a very accurate translation, and still is considered so.

The Pilgrims, as Separatists, wanted to completely break away from the Church of England. America-a place with English traditions and where they’d be free to worship-seemed like the logical place to settle. The Pilgrims, bound together by a  common belief in the powerful religion in their lives, believed they were charged by the old testament to create “a city on a hill” that would become an example of righteousness. To achieve this goal, the Pilgrims enforced a strict code of authority and obedience, while simultaneously stressing the importance of individualism. Roger Williams, a preacher who questions their beliefs, was banished from the colony. Similarly, when Anne Hutchinson questioned the idea of predestination was expelled from the colony. Ironically the Pilgrims, who had separated from the Church of England  to escape religious persecution, began to punish others who did not share their beliefs.