 The church formed the foundation of the Puritan social order  In God’s plan, man was born with original sin  God “predestined” certain people for salvation  Strictly religious and strived hard to live according to God’s will

 Church membership was a prerequisite for participation in politics  Everyone was legally required to attend church services  Adherence to the strict Puritan code of conduct was a sign of salvation and a path to prosperity  Parents had an obligation to repress children’s willfulness and teach obedience to God and parents

 Believed the world was alive with revelations from God—anything could be a sign from Him  Believed that one had to have faith in order to be one of “the elect”, and that the elect would have “conversion” experiences  Many were fearful that they were not elect, and constantly on the lookout for signs from God  This belief led to violence against others, particularly against those believed to be witches