IiPilgrims NeePuritans—Zazingoobani?
KUNXWEME oluseMntla Merika ePlymouth, eMassachusetts, kukho ilitye elikhulu lenyengane ekukrolwe kulo unyaka we-1620. Eli litye libizwa ngokuba yiPlymouth Rock, kucingelwa ukuba likufuphi nendawo elafikela kuyo iqela labemi baseYurophu phantse kwiminyaka engama-400 eyadlulayo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wena ubabiza ngokuthi ziiPilgrims okanye iiPilgrim Fathers.
Abantu abaninzi bayawazi amabali eePilgrims ezinobubele zimema abahlobo bazo abangamaIndiya aseMerika ukuba baze kwizidlo ezikhulu emva kokuvuna. Kodwa zazingoobani iiPilgrims, yaye kwakutheni ukuze ziye kuMntla Merika? Ukuze sifumane impendulo, makhe sibuyel’ emva kwixesha loKumkani wamaNgesi, uHenry VIII.
Iingxwabangxwaba Zonqulo ENgilani
Ngaphantsi kweminyaka eli-100 ngaphambi kokuba iiPilgrims zinduluke ngenqanawa, iNgilani yayilawulwa ngamaRoma Katolika yaye uKumkani uHenry VIII wayesesikhundleni sikapopu ebizwa ngokuba nguMlweli Wokholo. Kodwa kwavel’ uthanda xa uPopu Clement VII engazange avume xa kusithiwa makangawamkeli umtshato kaHenry noCatherine waseAragon, umfazi wokuqala kwabathandathu bakakumkani.
Ngoxa uHenry wayesazikhoth’ amanxeba ngenxa yeengxaki zentsapho, iCawa yamaRoma Katolika yayibanjwe ngesixhanti ngamaProtestanti phantse kulo lonke elaseYurophu. Engazimiselanga ukulahlekelwa liwonga alifumene ecaweni, ekuqaleni uHenry wawakhupha ngomva amaProtestanti eNgilani. Kamva watshintsh’ ingqondo. Ekubeni iCawa yamaKatolika yayingazange iwale umtshato wakhe, yena ngokwakhe uHenry wayeza kuyibhangisa le cawa. Ngowe-1534 ukumkani waliphelisa igunya likapopu kumaKatolika aseNgilani waza yena wazenza umongameli weCawa yaseTshetshi. Kungekudala wawavala amaziko oonongendi waza wazithengisa izakhiwo zawo ezikhulu. Ngexesha lokufa kukaHenry ngowe-1547, ngamaProtestanti awayekhonya eNgilani.
Unyana kaHenry, uEdward VI akazange alingcibe eli thanda neRoma. Emva kokufa kukaEdward VI ngowe-1553, uMary, owayeyintombi kaCatherine waseAragon nomgonwa wamaRoma Katolika, waba ngukumkanikazi yaye wazama ukuba olu hlanga lugob’ uphondo kwigunya likapopu. AmaProtestanti amaninzi abhaca, yaye wayalela ukuba abantu abangaphezu kwama-300 batshiswe kwisibonda somthi nto leyo eyamenza wabizwa ngokuba nguBloody Mary (uMary Onxanelw’ igazi). Phofu ke naye akazange akwazi ukuzithintela iinguqu ezazisenzeka. UMary wafa ngowe-1558, waza udade wabo ngoyise, owangena ezihlangwini zakhe, uElizabeth I, wazimisela ukuba akasayi kumvumela upopu ukuba aphinde adakase kwimicimbi yonqulo yamaNgesi.
Phofu ke, wambi amaProtestanti acinga ukuba akwanele nje ukuzahlukanisa neCawa yaseRoma—kodwa lufanele lusitshulwe neengcambu unqulo lwamaRoma Katolika. Ekubeni la maProtestanti ayefuna ukuba unqulo lwawo lube nyulu, abizwa ngokuthi ziiPuritans. Ezinye iiPuritans zabona kungaseyomfuneko ukuba kubekho oobhishophu yaye zazivakalelwa kukuba bandla ngalinye lifanele lizilawule, lingabi yonxalenye yecawa yeli lizwe. Babizwa ngokuba ziiSeparatists.
IiPuritans ezazigxekwa zaba ngundaba-mlonyeni ngexesha lokulawula kukaElizabeth. Ukunxiba kwabanye abefundisi ngendlela engandilisekanga kwamcaphukisa ukumkanikazi, yaye ngowe-1564 wayalela uBhishophu Omkhulu waseCanterbury ukuba amisele imithetho yokunxiba. Zibona ngathi ziza kuphinda zibanjwe ngesixhanti ngabefundisi bamaKatolika, iiPuritans zambombozela. Kwavuka olunye udushe ngendlela endala yokulawula koobhishophu noobhishophu abakhulu. UElizabeth akazange abashenxise oobhishophu kodwa wabenzisa isifungo sokuthembeka kuye njengomakhonya wale cawa.
Ukuguquka KweeSeparatists ZaziiPilgrims
UJames I wangena ezihlangwini zikaElizabeth ngowe-1603, yaye waziqweqwedisa iiSeparatists ukuba zithobele igunya lakhe. Ngowe-1608 ibandla leeSeparatists elalikwidolophu yaseScrooby labhacela eHolani ngenjongo yokuzuza inkululeko eyayikho kwelo lizwe. Noko ke, kungekudala iiSeparatists zangcungcutheka ngakumbi eHolani kunokuba kwakunjalo eNgilani, ngenxa yokuvumela kukarhulumente walapho ezinye iinkonzo ukuba zenze unothanda nangokuvumela indlela yokuziphatha elihlazo. Zagqiba ekubeni zilifulathele elaseYurophu zize ziye kuqala ubomi obutsha eMntla Merika. Ekubeni iiSeparatists zazikulungele ukufudukela kude nekhaya ngenxa yeenkolelo zazo, ekuhambeni kwexesha zabizwa ngokuba ziiPilgrims (Iimbacu Zonqulo).
IiPilgrims, ezaziquka iSeparatists ezininzi zafumana imvume yokuhlala kwithanga leBritani, iVirginia, yaye ngoSeptemba 1620 imithwalo yayisemagxeni zisinge kuMntla Merika ngenqanawa iMayflower. Abantu abadala nabantwana abanokuba li-100 bachitha iinyanga ezimbini ezazineenkqwithela kuLwandlekazi iNorth Atlantic ngaphambi kokuba baye kufika eCape Cod, qelele kumantla eVirginia. Apho batyikitya iSivumelwano seMayflower, uxwebhu olwaluvakalisa iminqweno yabo yokwakha ibutho labantu baze bathobele imithetho yalo. NgoDisemba 21, 1620, bazinza kwindawo ekufuphi ekuthiwa yiPlymouth.
Obunye Ubomi KwiLizwe Elitsha
Ezi mbacu zafika kuMntla Merika zingabuxhobelanga ubusika balapho. Kwiinyanga nje ezingephi, isiqingatha seli qela safa. Noko ke, kwathi qabu kwakufika intwasahlobo. Abo basindayo bazakhela izindlu ezisemgangathweni baza bafunda kumaIndiya aseMerika indlela yokulima ukutya kwalapho. Ngokwindla lowe-1621, iiPilgrims zazityibilika ebhotolweni kangangokuba zabekela bucala ixesha elithile ukuze zibulele uThixo ngale ntsikelelo. Ukususela ngoko kwaqala iholide ekuthiwa yiThanksgiving esaqhubeka ikho eMerika nakwezinye iindawo. Kwafika iimbacu ezingakumbi, kangangokuba kwiminyaka engaphantsi kweli-15, abemi basePlymouth babengaphezu kwama-2 000.
Ngeli xesha, zimbi iiPuritans eNgilani nazo zazikholelwa kwelokuba elawo “iLizwe Lesithembiso” lingaphaya kolwandle lweAtlantiki njengokuba kwakunjalo nangeeSeparatists. Ngowe-1630 kwafika iqela lazo kwincam ekumantla yePlymouth laza lakha iMassachusetts Bay Colony. Ngowe-1640 abemi baseNgilani abanokuba ngama-20 000 babehlala eNew England. Emva kokuba iqela elisePlymouth laxubana neliseMassachusetts Bay ngowe-1691, iiPilgrims eziziiSeparatists zazingasahlukanga kuyaphi. Ummandla waseBoston waba sisazulu sonqulo seli qela, njengoko iiPuritans ngoku zazilawula imicimbi yonqulo eNew England. Yayinjani inkqubo yazo yonqulo?
Unqulo LweePuritans
KwiHlabathi Elitsha, iiPuritans zaqala ngokwakha izindlu zamaplanga apho zazihlanganisana khona ekuseni ngeeCawa. Izinto zazingemntakaNgqika kwezi ndawo xa imozulu intle, kodwa ebusika, kwakuba nzima nakwelona Puritan linenzondelelo. Kwakungekho ndlela yakuzifudumeza ezi ndawo zokuhlanganisana, yaye amarhamente ayeqhaqhazela yingqele. Ngokuqhelekileyo abashumayeli babenxiba iigloves ukuzikhusela kuloo moya ubandayo ngoxa bebhenguza ngezandla xa beshumayela.
Iinkolelo zeePuritans zazisekelwe kwiimfundiso zeguquka elalingumFrentshi ongumProtestanti, uJohn Calvin. Eli qela lalikholelwa ukuba ikamva lomntu limiselwa kwangaphambili yaye uThixo ubazi kwangaphambili abantu aza kubasindisa nabo aza kubaphosa esihogweni ngonaphakade. Enoba yintoni na abantu abanokuyenza, abanakuyiguqula indlela uThixo abajonga ngayo. Umntu wayengazi enoba xa esifa uza konwaba ezulwini okanye atshe ngonaphakade njengomtya wesibane.
Ekuhambeni kwexesha, iiPuritans zaqalisa ukushumayela ngenguquko. Zazilumkisa zisithi, nangona uThixo enenceba, abo bangayithobeliyo imithetho yakhe baya esihogweni. Abo bashumayeli bawubasela ngokwenene umlilo wesihogo ukuze abantu bayithobele imithetho kaThixo. Umshumayeli wenkulungwane ye-18 ekuthiwa nguJonathan Edwards wakha washumayela ngomxholo othi “Aboni Ezandleni ZoThixo Onomsindo.” Isihogo wasichaza soyikeka kangangokuba kwafuneka abanye abashumayeli bathuthuzele amarhamente awayebindekile ngenxa yale ntshumayelo.
Abashumayeli ababengahlali apha babesesichengeni xa beshumayela eMassachusetts. Amagosa alapha amgxotha umshumayeli weeQuakers, izihlandlo ezithathu, kodwa sihlandlo ngasinye, wayebuya aze aqhubeke evakalisa izimvo zakhe. La magosa amxhoma uMary Dyer eBoston ngoJuni 1, 1660. Kubonakala ukuba uPhillip Ratcliffe wayilibala indlela iinkokeli zeePuritans ezazibohlwaya kabukhali ngayo abachasi. Kuba wathi akuthetha kakubi ngorhulumente nangecawa yaseSalem, wakatswa waza wahlawuliswa. Ukumnceda ukuze angakulibali oku, amsik’ iindlebe aza amyeka wahamba. Ukungakwazi kweePuritans ukunyamezela abantu bezinye iinkonzo kwabangela abaninzi bafuduka eMassachusetts zaza ezinye iindawo zanabantu abangakumbi.
Ikratshi Lixhokonx’ Udushe
Zizigqala ‘zingabanyulwa’ bakaThixo, iiPuritans ezininzi zazibajongela phantsi abantu balapha, zisithi bangabangcuchalazi. Oku kwabangela inzondo, yaye abanye abemi balapha baqalisa ukuzihlasela. Ngoko ke iinkokeli zeePuritans zayitshintsha imithetho yeSabatha ukuze ivumele amadoda ukuba aphathe imipu xa esiya enkonzweni. Izinto zaba maxongo ngakumbi ngowe-1675.
Ebona abantu bakhe bethathelwa imihlaba, uMetacomet, owayesaziwa nangokuba nguKumkani uPhilip, umIndiya waseMerika ongumWampanoag wagqiba kwelokuba axoze mphini wumbi. Waqalisa ukuhlasela imimandla yeePuritans, etshisa izindlu yaye ebulala nabantu. Nazo iiPuritans azizange zisong’ izandla, zaphindisa, yaye eli dabi laqhubeka kangangeenyanga eziliqela. NgoAgasti 1676, iiPuritans zambamba uPhilip kwiSiqithi iRhode. Zamnqumla intloko zaza umzimba wakhe zawurhuqa de wacandeka kane. Yaphela ngaloo ndlela ke iMfazwe kaKumkani uPhilip nenkululeko yabemi bomthonyama baseNew England.
Ebudeni benkulungwane ye-18, inzondelelo yeePuritans yabonakala ngeny’ indlela. Bambi abefundisi eMassachusetts balikhalazela igunya lamaNgesi baza baqalisa umzabalazo wenkululeko. Kwakuthethwa ngeepolitiki ngoxa kwangaxeshanye kuthethwa ngonqulo.
Ngokuqhelekileyo iiPuritans zazingabantu abakhutheleyo, abanenkalipho nabazinikele nozwane kunqulo. Nanamhlanje abantu basathetha nge-“Puritan character (ubuntu beePuritans)” ne-“Puritan honesty (ukunyaniseka kweePuritans).” Kodwa ukunyaniseka kukodwa akumhlambululi umntu kwiimfundiso zobuxoki. UYesu Kristu akazange adibanise iipolitiki nonqulo. (Yohane 6:15; 18:36) Inkohlakalo ayihambisani nenyaniso ebalulekileyo ethi: “Lowo ungenaluthando akamazi uThixo, kuba uThixo uluthando.”—1 Yohane 4:8.
Ngaba unqulo lwakho lufundisa ngesihogo, ukumiselwa kwangaphambili kwekamva, okanye ezinye iimfundiso ezingaxhaswayo yiBhayibhile? Ngaba iinkokeli zonqulo lwakho ziyangenelela kwimicimbi yobupolitika? Ukulifunda ngenzondelelo iLizwi likaThixo, iBhayibhile kuya kukunceda ufumane “unqulo oluhlambulukileyo nolungadyobhekanga” ngokwenene olunyulu nolwamkelekileyo kuThixo.—Yakobi 1:27.
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IIPURITANS NESIHOGO
Ngokushumayela ngesihogo, iiPuritans zazichasene neLizwi likaThixo. IBhayibhile ifundisa ukuba abantu abafileyo abazi nto, abava zintlungu okanye luyolo. (INtshumayeli 9:5, 10) Ngapha koko, ‘ayizange ithi qatha nasentliziyweni’ kaThixo oyinyaniso into yokuthuthumbisa abantu emlilweni. (Yeremiya 19:5; 1 Yohane 4:8) Ubongoza abantu ukuba baguqule ubomi babo, yaye unemfesane ngaboni abaguqukayo. (Hezekile 33:11) Ngokuchasene nezi nyaniso zifumaneka kwiZibhalo, abashumayeli beePuritans babedla ngokumenza uThixo abonakale esisikhohlakali esinenzondo. Kwakhona babonisa ukungabuxabisi ubomi nto leyo equka ukusebenzisa izigalo ukuthulisa abo babebachasa.
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Ukufika kweePilgrims eMntla Merika, ngowe-1620
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Harper’s Encyclopædia of United States History
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Ukubhiyozela usuku lokuqala lweThanksgiving, ngowe-1621
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Indlu yokuhlanganisana yeePuritans, eMassachusetts
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UJohn Calvin
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UJonathan Edwards
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Indoda nomfazi weePuritan bephethe izixhobo besiya ecaweni
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Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division
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Ngasentla ekhohlo: Snark/Art Resource, NY; ngasentla ekunene: Harper’s Encyclopædia of United States History; John Calvin: Portrait in Paul Henry’s Life of Calvin, from the book The History of Protestantism (Vol. II); Jonathan Edwards: Dictionary of American Portraits/Dover
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Imifanekiso: North Wind Picture Archives