William Byrd was a man filled with dark secrets, sin, and who leisurely worshipped the Lord. He was a man of religious beliefs, believing in the way of God, and was an active Christian. Even though he was not as devoted and rigid in his practices compared to the fellow Puritans, he still believed he would some day have eternal life. There are many comparisons that are made between Byrd and the Puritans. There is a common element of religion standing, but it varies drastically between the two. Byrd's work provides a contrasting view of life following the era of Puritan domination around the 1700's. His way of life and his beliefs are contrasted greatly compared to the strict religious guidelines that the life of the Puritans followed.
             The Puritans believed that they were God's chosen people, as mentioned in the Bible. They believed that the Bible was the sole source of God's law. (Smith, start 3) Also, they believed in original sin, and they believed that God played a direct hand in the affairs of men (Smith, par. 3). They saw themselves on the level above the average man, and focused greatly on what was the doctrine of predestination. The doctrine kept all Puritans constantly working to do well in life in order to be chosen for the next eternal one. (Smith, start 3) God had already chosen who would be in heaven or hell, and each believer had no way of knowing which group they were in (Smith, par.3). The God worshipped by the Puritans was not a forgiving God, and not a very happy God. Many Puritans feared him, and tried zealously to make themselves look worthy in his eyes. (Kizer, start 5) For the Puritans, the Bible was the only divinely – inspired word of God (Kizer, par. 5). The scriptures were the standard doctrine and the true way of worship specified by God. (Kizer, start 7) They were the source of standards for behavior, belief, and worship (Kizer, par. 7). Reading the Bible was necessa...