During America’s beginnings, new ideologies began to sweep the nation resulting in immense change. The Great Awakening was caused by a sudden outbreak in religious fervor which unified the colonies. Puritanism had declined, and people were upset over the decline in religious piety, leading to the Great Awakening. The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement which began in Europe and spread to the colonies. It emphasized reason and the scientific method, focusing on ethics, government, and science. Many members of the Enlightenment rejected traditional religious beliefs in favor of Deism. The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement in which there were many converts to new Protestant congregations. Ultimately, these three intellectual …show more content…
Morse describes how the Popery is against America’s form of government. The Roman Catholic Priests interfered in political elections, corrupting the government. Additionally, politicians acted in ways to gain the favor of priests leading to greater inaccuracy in voting. Primarily, Morse argues for the separation of church and state as the Popery corrupts elections. He also declares that if foreign powers spread any religious creed, they “will be thoroughly scrutinized” (Doc 7-3). Morse is against foreign powers spreading their religion and dictating the beliefs of others. Therefore, he believes in religious liberty, as people must use their conscience and ignore foreign powers who attempt to dictate religious beliefs. Like Madison, Morse wants people to use their own mind to decide which ideologies they believe in. Finally, Charles Chauncy wants to establish a society based on religious freedom and toleration. Throughout Enthusiasm Described and Cautioned Against, Chauncy condemns a group of people who believe firmly in a certain ideology. This religious group is unable to dishonor the spirit of God or they will be in the wrong. Chauncy is opposed to this philosophy