When the Puritans came to the New World, they had no intention of establishing a new religion. What they did want to do, however, was bring their old world religious ideal into reality. Despite the inherent difficulties in their new environment, the Puritans found some measure of early success. But as time passed, internal challenges added to the external. In this lecture, Dr. Godfrey will summarize the religious foundations of the American colonies, looking especially at the Puritans’ desire to maintain a pure church.