Reflection- Rationalism- Speech to the Second Virginia Convention

While reading this what Patrick Henry was saying, I noticed a noticeable change from the Puritan writing style to his.

He never said anything about "God is the reason for everything" or that he follows God and only god and everything along that nature that was all over Puritan writing. He never said that God doesn't like what the British are doing so they are going to hell. He just clearly (and strongly) states he doesn't agree at all and that this has to change. He is even willing to die for him wanting freedom. Which is where the famous line "Give me liberty, or give me death" comes from. (Henry 118)
He does, however, still mention God and uses God to his advantage during his powerful speech.(it just isn't the main focus of the speech.) He was saying that people might think of the Americans as week, but with 3 million people and God on there side they can do anything and really are very strong people. (Henry 118) Since, this was at the very beginning of the rationalism period, there are still quite a bit of puritan writing styles working its way into some of the literature, though there is still quite an obvious difference here.

There were a couple sentences that really caught my eye that I liked a lot. It also shows a big difference between the rationalism and puritan writing.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. (Henry 117)

Not only do I just really like this quote in general, but it has a great example of how people are now thinking more logically instead of by religion. People usually would say something along the lines of "I go by the word of God" for how they live there lives instead of what Henry said here. He instead is saying that he is learning from the mistakes he has made in the past and putting those to use in the future and present. This shows people learning from their mistakes, or just the experiences they have been through, instead of thinking it was something that God wanted to happen, though people still do think that way, they also think in other ways too now.

I can see how "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is considered more of a mix between rational and puritan writing. Obviously, it uses religion which shows the puritan side, but also a more rational side to that since he notices how people only use God for certain things. I also see similarities between "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention." I think it is mainly because both of them were rants and read by the same person in a similar tone, but even so, whenever I was reading Henry's speech, I kept on thinking about "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." (Edwards 97-99) (Henry 116-118)

Henry, Patrick. "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention." American Literature. Columbus: Mc-Graw Hill, 2009. 114-18. Print.

Edwards, Jonathon. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." American Literature. Columbus: Mc-Graw Hill, 2009. 91-99. Print.