ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -By the mid-sixteenth century, some reformers thought that Protestant denominations had not gone far enough in “purifying” the church and taking it back to its New Testament roots. Puritans were among those intent on purifying the established Church of England.

Detailed explanation-2: -Puritans were English Protestants who were committed to “purifying” the Church of England by eliminating all aspects of Catholicism from religious practices. English Puritans founded the colony of Plymouth to practice their own brand of Protestantism without interference.

Detailed explanation-3: -They believed the Church of England was too similar to the Roman Catholic Church and should eliminate ceremonies and practices not rooted in the Bible. Puritans felt that they had a direct covenant with God to enact these reforms.

Detailed explanation-4: -The church was the most important building in these early Connecticut communities. Known as the meetinghouse, it not only served as a house of worship, but might also function as an armory and courthouse and a place to hold town meetings.

Detailed explanation-5: -While the Separatists believed that the only way to live according to Biblical precepts was to leave the Church of England entirely, the Puritans thought they could reform the church from within.