The Puritans believe that the Church of England needed to be purified from Catholic influence. They tried to reform the church with little success and looked toward the colonies to practice religion the way that they wanted. In the Puritan faith, church was the center of the community, and every aspect of their life was based on the Scripture, from politics to education to social relations. They believed that God had an agreement with them and expected them to live every aspect of their life based on the Scriptures. If they set a good moral example, the Church of England would change their sinful ways.
Although church attendance was mandatory for Puritans, not all Puritans were considered full members of the church. For an individual to become a full member, they had to prove a conversion experience with God in which they realized that they could not break free from sin nor could they earn forgiveness through good acts. Once they had experienced a conversion, they were then part of the Elect, who were chosen by God to receive grace and salvation. Those Puritans who never experienced a conversion were destined for hell. In other words, the Puritans believed they couldn’t merit salvation—only those selected by God could be saved.
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