Puritan Decline

• The first generation of Puritan immigrants were mostly strong, dedicated Christians. They endured persecution, hardship, and the dangers of the Atlantic voyage. But their children, born in America, knew very little about persecution, hardship, or the dangers of the ocean.

• As a result, the second generation were far less dedicated and committed to the Puritan way of life.

• What complicated this was that joining a church was a difficult ordeal. An applicant had to go through a very grueling trial before the council of elders to "prove" that they were truly converted; that they believed the right doctrines; that their lives were pure.

• Many simply decided that it wasn't worth the hassle to join a church. By 1660, the number of non-church members among the second generation multiplied to a size that truly disturbed the first-comers.

• The crisis came when the third generation of babies was born. The rule was that a baby could not be baptized in a church unless its parents were full members. The first generation were devastated by the fact that their grandchildren couldn't be baptized because their parents didn't want to go to the hassle of joining the church.

DECISION: Assume you are among the first generation of Puritans. You are frantic because your grandchildren are prevented from being baptized because their parents are not church members. How do you address this crisis?

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