In today's world, individualism is everywhere, accepted by many and encouraged by most people in America. However, in the 18th century colonies, when America was starting out, this was something that was strongly frowned upon. Of the many beliefs of the 18th century, the one that stood out most was that of the Puritans, who believed that everyone was equal and should do their part to help their community. There were also deists who believed that everyone was part of a bigger picture than what was actually seen. None of the proclaimed deists strove to be different from the other, always conforming to their surroundings. During the 18th century, there were two men who could not be more obviously different than Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin. Although they had different beliefs and goals, they still had the same motivations to succeed and a similar work ethic. Despite the obvious difference between Edwards and Franklin, they were very similar. When it comes to portraying a powerful message, however, these two men couldn't be more different in their writing style and the way they express it. Edwards, being the Puritan that he was, wrote a powerful sermon titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The title itself should strike fear into your heart without even reading anything else in the passage. Things only get better from the beginning, when he first preached, Edwards couldn't even finish his planned sermon because so many people were upset by the words he was telling them! Edwards could not have made it clearer to the people in his congregation that God was not pleased with the sinners sitting in the pews that Sunday morning. With every word Jonathan spoke, he instilled fear and guilt into the lives of everyone sitting there listening... in the middle of the paper... in two different ways. They used the same ethics and morals to achieve two different ideals. They used the same ethics and morals to achieve two different ideals. Coming from different belief systems, they also did very well in their values. Franklin and Edwards were both hard workers and believed strongly in the good of people. Although these men looked very different, they were actually more similar than any of their opponents. Not to eliminate their differences, because they were very different, but they had many similarities that went along with their differences. Works Cited Baym, Nina and Robert S. Levine, eds. The Norton Anthology: American Literature. 8th ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2012. Print.Perkins, George and Barbara Perkins. The American tradition in literature. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002. Print.