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PURITANISM I. THE WORLD OUTLOOK: Man’s total depravity and God’s omnipotence The basic problem with which Puritan theologians were concerned is mans relation to the universe and his resulting religious and moral obligations. In the realm of ethics and morality the central point to be explained is the problem of evil. In a universe created by an all-powerful Deity, there is usually no difficulty at all in understanding the peace and prosperity. But it is difficult to explain the other elements in mans lot--war, famine, pestilence, and sudden death, to say nothing of mans inhumanity to man. Either God is really limited in power, or he deliberately sends evil into the world for some reason not always clear to his creatures. The Puritan answers to this problem can be inferred from the following points: 1. Total depravity. This asserts the sinfulness of man through the fall of Adam, and the utter inability of man to work out his own salvation. God is all-powerful; He is the first Cause of everything. Man is nothing, and is the source of all evil. God meant all things to be in harmony; man, by his sinful nature, and by Adams and Eves fall, creates disharmony, and thus deserves nothing but to be cast away in a vale of tears and sufferings. 2. Predestination and Unconditional election. God, under no obligation to save anyone, saves, or elects whom he will, with no reference to faith or good works. Since all things are present in the mind of God at once, he knows beforehand who will be saved; and thus election or reprobation is predestined. But no man can share in this foreknowledge, and all must assent to the Devil Will. 3. Limited atonement. Christ did not die for all, but only for those who are to be saved. If he had not died on the cross, none could be saved; and thus we have another evidence of God’s love toward mankind. 4. Irresistible grace. Gods grace is freely given, and can neither be earned nor refused. Grace is defined as the saving and transfi