Puritanism the wealth, power, and authority of Catholicism and the Church of England. Puritans adopted the basic principles of , including predestination. The Puritans believed that God predetermined everyone's fate. Nothing—not wealth, achievements, power, or even good deeds—could change a person's destiny. This idea was very different from Catholicism and Anglicanism—both of which believed in free will. According to the doctrine of free will, a person can earn salvation through good deeds and holy behavior. Puritans also believed in the concept of . Humans were flawed, sinful beings that could only be saved through the grace of God.
