During the Renaissance Era, the rebirth of classical learning, a myriad of changes took place. Scientists were discovering new theories and inventing new devices. The most dangerous and most powerful discoveries were the creation of gunpowder and the invention of the printing press. Gunpowder ended the lives of people but the printing press ended ideals and created new ones. By enabling mass distribution of literature, people started thinking for themselves and questioning their beliefs. This was the main reason the Separatists and Puritans broke away from the Anglican Church during the Reformation. The Separatists wished to completely break all ties to the Church of England, but the Puritans believed the Anglican Church could be purified from its evil ways. Despite their disagreement on how to deal with the Church of England, both factions believed in covenant theology.
In the beginning, God made the Covenant of Good Works with Adam stating that in return for eternal life in the Garden of Eden, Adam would be obedient and do good works. After Adam and Eve broke this covenant, God made another covenant with Abraham, the Covenant of Grace, in which Abraham's lineage would be forgiven their sin and receive eternal salvation. Both Puritans and Separatists believed they were members of this elite group. They separated the Covenant of Grace down further into five elements of Calvinism. First, all mankind had total depravity; everyone was stained by the original sin of disobedience. (This was the only way in which those who were "chosen" and those who were not were considered equals.) Second, there was limited atonement; only a select few would be chosen by God to be redeemed of their sin. Third, there was irresistible grace; God chose those who would be forgiven and no amount of good or bad deeds would change the outcome. Fourth, the perserverance of the saints in which the elect would retain their grace throughout their lives and at their deaths be taken to Heaven. And finally, predestination which states that God already determined who shall go into Heaven and who shall be denied entrance. The Puritans and Separatists took the making of covenants seriously because they were making a pact with God. It would dictate their way of life from the beginning until the end.
The Mayflower Compact is the covenant made and agreed to by the Pilgrims and other settlers for their new home in the new world. This agreement was a social contract and the first formal attempt at self-government in the New World. Religion, however, was not included in the contract because the Separatists were worried about surviving instead of religious disputes. They knew if they involved religion in the contract, the agreement would never be made which could affect the survival of the colonists. The Separatists mentioned several times about being loyal citizens to the king in order to gain the non-separatists cooperation and to prevent them from being labeled as traitors to the crown,
John Winthrop gives a speech to the General Court in response to an accusation of him overstepping his bounds as the magistrate. He claims that because the group has elected him as the magistrate, he therefore gets his authority from God. If the magistrate is questioned, it is the same as questioning God which leads to the original sin of disobedience. Winthrop also states that there are two kinds of liberty: natural and civil. He claims that natural liberty is "incompatible and inconsistent with authority" and is what leads to disobedience. Civil, also known as federal or moral liberty, cannot exist without authority. This liberty gives the people the right to submit to authority, in this case Winthrop's authority and therefore he has not overstepped his power as magistrate.
Roger Williams, the founding father of Rhode Island, writes a letter to the town of Providence stating the main purpose of founding his colony. He uses a metaphor of a ship and its crew to demonstrate the rules and regulations of his colony. He believes there should be a civil body politic (just as the Pilgrims created) that emphasizes civil obedience, but he believed there should be a separation of church and state. Williams believed the church had no jurisdiction in affairs of the state and preached religious tolerance of other religions not because it ensured their surivival (although this was a factor) but because he did not believe people should be persecuted for their beliefs.
Covenants were used as the foundations of the groups' ways of life. Even though the Pilgrims, Separatists, and William's followers held different values as important for daily living, all groups used contracts to reinforce those principles. Modern Americans use the contract of the Constitution to function every day. Williams brought forth the concept of separation of church and state that was one of the major reasons for the American Revolution. Contracts keep the country and capitalism functioning safely and smoothly as long as those ruless are followed. Disobedience will result in chaos, as stated by Bradford, Winthrop, and Williams.
