Bradford's "A Plymouth Plantation" and Rowlandson's "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration."

The work "Of Plymouth Plantation" by William Bradford and "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration" by Mary Rowlandson, represent the importance of salvation only by God's grace. Bradford emphasizes the importance of an individual's faith in times of adversity, trials and tribulations. He is convinced that the Pilgrims possess piety and obedience in their worship to God. God "elects" those Pilgrims who are chosen for salvation. In turn, the Pilgrims trust God, pursue good acts of faith and dedicate themselves in helping others. For example, the Pilgrims' religious behaviors justify God's act of sparing the Pilgrims' lives in the Indian-Pilgrim battles in addition to the occurrence of plentiful corn crops and an increase in population especially after the many deaths in their small population.

Bradford also relates to the degree of fearlessness extant in the Pilgrims' attitudes, which are manifested in their faith. When the Pilgrims arrive at the new World, they confront an unexplored and wild terrain. Here, their hopes to see a more "goodly country" is equated with faith in God. Ultimately, this faith neutralizes their fear and in this respect, God rewards the pilgrims by blessing them as a cherished people of God.

In "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration," Mary Rowlandson believes that the power f faith is a prerequisite for achieving salvation. When putting her faith to the test, Rowlandson demands she maintains her sanity by complying with the vicious demands of the Indians while living with them. In this respect, the faith in God is tested by the adversity of her situation and her suffering. For example, she believes she must not run away from the life-threatening captivity while living with the Indians. Adversity gives Rowlandson opportunities to prove how "good" sh really is and as a result, she carries out God's commands during this period of captivity According to Rowlandson, God elects those who are not disobedient and who do not give up believing in God's faith especially during harsh and life-threatening conditions.

Rowlandson's power of faith lies in its realness and intensity and accounts for the quality of her after-life. According to Rowlandson, enemies eternally acknowledged as damned go to hell, because they are by nature, perpetually evil. She states:"Now have I seen that Scripture also fulfilled, "If any of thine be driven out to the utmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord they G-d gether thee, and from thence will he fetch thee" (Norton 86).

The prevalent theme of the power of an individual's faith is representative of both William Bradford "A Plymouth Plantation" and Mary Rowlandson's "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration." In both these works, an individual's spiritual reward is contingent on the power of faith in God as well as the act of adhering to the covenant between God and him/herself. God will choose those elect deserving of such spiritual recognition whereas a damned individual does not possess principles of faith representative of a righteous individual as attested in both these works.