As a result, many aspects of everyday life in colonial New England were directly influenced by Puritan beliefs.
The fundamental doctrines of the Puritan religion were based on strict interpretations of the Bible. According to their faith, the Bible told what was right and wrong; all information necessary for a pious life could be found in the Bible. Puritans constantly strove to live a perfectly devout life. They believed that such perfection was difficult to attain, however, because of man's innately sinful nature. Puritans sought to avoid the pitfalls of sin in their lives through an emphasis on constant self-examination. They tried to eliminate such defects as pride, hardness of heart, and last while emphasizing productivity and good works. As one author writes, the Puritans believed that "all... acts of charity are to be undertaken not as substitutes for piety but as means by which a Christian can use the grace God has given him" (Erikson, p. 132). In some ways, Puritans were very humble because they thought of themselves as base creatures who were unworthy of God. At the same time, they saw themselves as chosen by God to convert and/or punish others who were sinful and haughty.
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