Why You Should Read the Puritans
Listed down below is the playlist for the series which includes reviews for every book quoted in this paper. Also available is a PDF version of the paper.
The whole playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLu-6QGBJEKtc_EAnxLH4BO2nzFE7M2sQ_
Why You Should Read the Puritans
Davis L. Moore
3/13/26
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding...” - Colossians 1:9
The task of the current paper is massive. Very gifted scholars have spent their entire lives studying exactly what I hope to write within these few pages. Because I do not have the kind of education or background in studying the Puritans, I am simply going to briefly overview some of the key beliefs of the Puritans, and present an argument that the Puritans are still worth reading today. As Joel Beeke said, “In an era of theological confusion and moral compromise, we can gain much by reading the Puritans. In countless areas and in various ways, the Puritans are a shining light to look back to and glean from” (OFTPM, p. ix). And as we see later in this paper, this is very true.
The first question we need to answer is, who were the Puritans? Though there could be many ways to answer this question, I’m sure that there are many who would immediately answer, “Oh! You mean those legalistic Theologians from the 1600s?” As Beeke points out, “... the criticism that the Puritans were legalistic never seems to go away. If people paid attention to the whole of Puritan theology, however, they would likely find themselves rethinking that criticism” (APT, Beeke, p. 6-7). So, if the Puritans weren’t just a legalistic group of people, who were they?
For this paper, we will be focusing on primarily English Puritans from the 1500s-1600s. Dale Smith says that these Puritans were, “individuals who wanted to see the reformation of the English church carried out to the uttermost.., These were individuals who longed to see God glorified, sin mortified, and affliction sanctified” (OFTPM, p. xv-xvi). We will stay away from American Puritans and other great saints who were the successors to the Puritans such as Spurgeon, Ryle, Chalmers, etc. If we were to dive into all of these, no doubt this short paper would become a lengthy book.
To understand who the Puritans were even clearer, it is helpful to understand a small amount of history to set the stage before the act actually begins. “The term Puritan was first used in the 1560s,” Beeke and Pederson write, “of those English Protestants who considered the reforms under Queen Elizabeth incomplete and called for further ‘purification’” (MTP, p. xv). Many (nearly all of them) fought back against what the Church of England demanded them to do because they believed that it was not in line with what the Bible commanded. They were so sure that this was the case that many of them suffered greatly by losing their credentials, jobs, homes, and more (some even being martyred).
Beeke and Pederson go on to identify five major concerns and similarities that seem to be found in all of the Puritans (MTP, p. xvi-xviii). First, the Puritans had a huge concern for the Scripture and sought to learn from it, to only draw doctrine from it, and to find application within it. Second, the Puritans were very committed to Trinitarian Theology. They believed strongly in salvation by the application of the Holy Spirit, the work of Jesus Christ, and grace of God the Father. Third, the Puritans believed in the church doing work for the purposes of Christ. They believed that the church should be worshipping, biblical, orderly, and Scripture-focused. Fourth, the Puritans looked to the Scripture to know how to live, raise families, and work. Likewise, they looked to the Scriptures to know how to rightfully submit to kings and know their duties as citizens. And finally, the Puritans believed in a real, personal, and comprehensive conversion. They believed that all Christians needed to be born again, have faith in Christ, repent of their sins, and follow God.
Though there is much more to be said on who the Puritans were (in their history, their beliefs, family structure, practices, etc.) we are going to leave this here. Having now a shallow understanding of who the Puritans were, I want to turn to the main headings of this paper. As we have gone through the series, Why You Should Read the Puritans, there were two major themes that stood out to me. The first is that the Puritans desired their listeners/readers, to be intellectually astute. The Puritans were men who were extremely well educated: fluent in the original languages, well acquainted with classic rhetoric, philosophy, and of course, the Scriptures. They strongly desired everyone to have a taste of this great knowledge. Secondly, they greatly desired their listeners/readers to be spiritually mature. They wanted to see every Christian being further sanctified, praying more, reading their Bibles more, striving to be more Christ-like, having stronger desires for the sacraments and the means of grace.
And these two things: intellectual astuteness and spiritual maturity go hand-in-hand. As Anthony Burgess points out, “True doctrine and godly living go together” (FSA, p. 21). George Swinnock said something very similar when he said, “True knowledge takes the heart as well as the head... Right knowledge begins in the head, but it does not end there. It affects the heart and regulates the life” (TBBG, p. 140). When we really understand the truth, it creates a change in us. If I am happily driving at 60mph, but see a sign saying 35mph speed limit, I should definitely change my speed.
In understanding their desire to have their readers intellectually astute, I would like to spend a few moments observing their desire for you to know the Scriptures. As Anthony Burgess exhorts the reader, “... it is the private Christian’s duty only to think about and study those things that will edify and build up their souls [like the Bible]. I would not discourage the efforts of Christians to grow in knowledge” (FSA, p. 19). Notice the strong desire for every Christian to grow in knowledge.
The Puritans believed that reading and learning was a requirement for all Christians. Richard Rogers said reading is, “an exercise and duty that the Christian (whom I seek to inform) may find helpful, together with the other means in advancing a godly life” (HHGL, p. 150). Note the word duty. The Puritans truly believed that Christians not only should grow in knowledge, but that there is a duty to learn and grow in knowledge. The following points come from this understanding. We must grow in knowledge.
The Puritans also wanted you to know Christ. “If the knowledge of Christ is of such excellence,” William Perkins said, “then it must be learned in a special manner. If we give our understanding and memory to lesser things, then surely, we ought to apply our whole person to the knowledge of Christ. The mind must learn it by opening itself to conceive it. The memory must learn it by storing it up. The will and affections must learn it by submitting and conforming themselves to it” (APR, p. 42). He continues, “A right knowledge requires a general understanding of Christ and His benefits as well as a special application of Christ and His benefits” (APR, p. 48). Clearly, the Puritans desired readers to have a knowledge of Christ.
William Bridge also agreed that we needed a knowledge of Christ. He said, “Oh, therefore, as ever you desire to have more grace, more holiness, and more comfort, study – and study much – this priestly office of Jesus Christ” (CHCPW, p. 27)! If we are to follow Christ, we must know Him. Furthermore, the Puritans constantly point to Christ as our only comfort and help. William Bridge said, “Christ’s office as priest is the great storehouse and supply of all the grace and comfort that that we have on this side of heaven” (CHCPW, p. 3). Jesus is our only source of peace on earth.
When the Puritans spoke of knowing Christ, they meant that it wasn’t just an important aspect of faith, but the most important aspect of faith. “The knowledge of Christ crucified is our greatest need.” Perkins said, “For this reason, we must read the gospel accounts of his passion, and carefully observe all its parts and circumstances, and apply them to ourselves” (APR, p. 135). Or as William Greenhill said, “Look much, and consider much of Christ crucified and glorified” (SLTW, p. 72). We must have knowledge of Christ!
The Puritans also wanted you to know the sinfulness of sin. They believed that sin should not be taken lightly and must be repented of. John Owen said, “Many people, because of a lack of wisdom and knowledge in this or for lack of practice through a secret unwillingness to fully mortify sin, are vexed and perplexed and, indeed, defiled, with foolish and vain imaginations all their days” (FFSD, p. 45). Nathaniel Vincent said, “The sinner should be afraid. He has set wrath against himself, wrath that is armed with irresistible and almighty power” (TAL, p. 37). Sin is powerful, it is horrible, and the Puritans desired everyone to know the sinfulness of sin.
George Swinnock brought this thought to completion by saying, “Oh how odious, loathsome, and abominable is sin! It breaks the law, slights the authority, dishonors the name, and seeks to destroy the being of this incomparable God – this self-sufficient, independent, perfect, eternal, incomprehensible, infinite being” (TBBG, p. 114)! Sin is horrible, and the Puritans strongly desired everyone to know that.
The Puritans wanted you to know God’s holiness. As with the other headings in the part, knowledge is at the center. George Swinnock wrote, “Our eternal happiness consists in large part in our perfect knowledge of the blessed and boundless God” (TBBG, p. 1). He continues this thought by saying, “Our present holiness also depends a great deal upon our knowledge of God” (TBBG, p. 1). The Puritans clearly wanted us to have a strong knowledge of God.
The Puritans wanted you to know what it means to have faith. “It is vitally important,” John Owen said, “for both the glory of God and the advantage of believers through the gospel, that believers obtain spiritual comforts, for God abundantly desires that all the heirs of promise should receive strong consolation, and He has provided ways and means to give this comfort to them” (GESF, p. 1). Later, he says “True, saving faith, in all storms and temptations in all darkness and distress, will show itself, to the comfort and support of them in whom it is, by a constant, universal approval of the whole will of God concerning our holiness and obedience, both in general and in every particular instance of it” (GESF, p. 45). The Puritans wanted us to have faith!
As I pointed out earlier, the two main points of this paper, intellectual astuteness and spiritual maturity work together. “By practical experience a Christian attains to the goal of all knowledge, which is to live out his Christianity,” Anthony Burgess said (FSA, p. 20). And so, we move into our second point: the Puritans wanted you to be spiritually mature. If this knowledge didn’t lend itself towards application or change, what kind of knowledge is it really? So now, let us use the next few paragraphs to discuss the Puritans’ concern with the Christian’s spiritual maturity.
Richard Rogers wrote an excellent book called Holy Helps for a Godly Life, which, as the title suggests, offers various ways or “helps” to aid the Christian in his or her walk with the Lord. One of the helps that Rogers provides is Watchfulness. “Watchfulness,” he writes, “is a careful observing of our hearts and diligent looking to our ways, that they may be pleasing and acceptable unto God” (HHGL, p. 38). In order for us to grow in the way of the Lord, we must be watchful of our hearts. He continues this thought on watchfulness by saying, “Prayer quickens watchfulness and puts life into it, causing it to be continued with much cheerfulness and little tediousness, while we prayerfully trust God to bless it unto us” (HHGL, p. 43). In order for watchfulness to have its full effect, we must pray!
William Perkins wanted all Christians to constantly desire to live out what we hope to be in heaven. He said, “Let us diligently endeavor to be in this life what we desire to be before God on the day of judgment” (APR, p. 57). William Greenhill, likewise, desired Christians to look heavenward and stop focusing on earthly issues. “We should not love the world because it makes us waste our time, which is better than the world... The best things of the world are its riches, learning, and gifts. But our souls are better than all these, better than the whole world” (SLTW, p. 23). “I urge you,” He continued, “stop loving the world, and the things of the world. Stop loving the pomp and pleasures of the world – its profits, preferences, and honors” (SLTW, p. 53). So as is clear, the Puritans strongly desired everyone to look towards our eternal home.
The Puritans also wanted every believer to know what the strength of prayer is. David Clarckson said, “Faith is the main strength of prayer, and the great supports of faith are these two facts: that He is able, and that He is willing” (PPW, p. 91). God’s willingness and His being able to do all things are the great supports and comforts of our faith. The Puritans desired every Christian to know this.
The Puritans also desired for every believer to know the power of the Scriptures. Clarckson in another place says, “He gives His word in Scripture as a lump of precious metal, more precious than gold, and appoints ministers to beat it out into large plates; and as gold is the same in the lump and mass and in the plate, so is the word the same word of God as it is read and as it is preached. He gives us His word in the Scriptures like honey in the comb, then appoints the ministers of the gospel to squeeze it out – but it is the same honey in or out of the comb” (PPW, p. 117). The Scriptures are our life and food. The Puritans knew that the only way we would ever be spiritually mature, we must search the Scriptures.
Now, so much more could be said about the Puritans desire to have every Christian spiritually mature, but I believe we will close this section here. I hope that this has been a helpful (though very brief) overview of who the puritans were, what they believed, and how they can and do still impact readers today. If you would like to know more about the Puritans or have questions about this paper or the books I quoted, you can find many more resources on the Puritans on our website. I would like to close out this paper by quoted the verse which heads the top of the paper, Colossians 1:9. Though I didn’t quote any specific Puritan quoting this verse, I truly believe that it could have been a life verse for many of them as they desired to see everyone intellectually astute, and spiritually mature. It says, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding...”
Works cited/abbreviations:
OFTPM: Ore From the Puritans Mine by Dale Smith (p. Xi, xv-xvi)
APT: A Puritan Theology by Beeke and Jones (p. 6-7)
MTP: Meet the Puritans by Beeke and Pederson (p. Xv, xvi-xvii)
FSA: Faith Seeking Assurance by Anthony Burgess (p. 21, 19)
HHGL: Holy Helps for a Godly Life by Richard Rogers (p. 38, 43, 150)
APR: A Perfect Redeemer by William Perkins (p. 42, 48, 57, 135)
CHCPW: Comfort and Holiness from Christ’s Priestly Work by William Bridge (p. 27, 3)
SLTW: Stop Loving the World by William Greenhill (p. 23, 53, 72)
FFSD: Freedom from Sin’s Dominion (p. 45)
TAL: Turn and Live by Nathaniel Vincent (p. 37)
TBBG: The Blessed and Boundless God by George Swinnock (p. 1, 114)
GESF: Gospel Evidences of Saving Faith by John Owen (p. 1)
PPW: Prizing Public Worship by David Clarckson (p. 91)