They believed in the equality of men
and that a good man was better than a bad peer, bishop, or king.
Puritan influence made families closer and not merely dependent on
the will of the husband or father. There was a sense of spiritual
fellowship among family members as individuals. They emphasized
the real need of a lasting love relationship between husband and
wife, so a mutual liking that could develop into love between a
young couple in an arranged match was essential.
Most Puritans felt that the bishops were as tyrannical as the pope
had been and that more reform was needed. They favored the
Presbyterian form of church government developed by John Calvin in
Switzerland. The presbyter was the position below bishop. Parishes
were governed by boards consisting of a minister and lay elders
elected by the parishioners. These boards sent elected
representatives to councils. All lay elders and ministers had
equal rank with each other. The Calvinist God preordained
salvation only for the elect and damnation and everlasting
punishment for the rest of humanity, but the Puritans had an
optimism about avoiding this damnation. They believed that at his
conversion a person received grace and became predestined for
salvation. They rejected all ecclesiastical institutions except as
established by each parish over its own elected pastor and
members. They rejected the established church's control from the
top by bishops.
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