ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Puritans believed that it was necessary to be in a covenant relationship with God in order to be redeemed from one’s sinful condition, that God had chosen to reveal salvation through preaching, and that the Holy Spirit was the energizing instrument of salvation.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Puritans believed God had chosen a few people, “the elect, ” for salvation. The rest of humanity was condemned to eternal damnation. But no one really knew if he or she was saved or damned; Puritans lived in a constant state of spiritual anxiety, searching for signs of God’s favor or anger.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Puritans were members of a religious reform movement known as Puritanism that arose within the Church of England in the late 16th century. 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.

Detailed explanation-4: -At the same time, the Puritans regarded death as God’s punishment for human sinfulness and on their deathbeds many New Englanders trembled with fear that they might suffer eternal damnation in Hell. From their earliest upbringing, Puritans were taught to fear death.