The Actions of the Puritans Were Hypocritical Plymouth Colony, founded around 1620, was the first of the New England settlements. The Colony was settled by a group of individuals considered to be enemies to the Church of England. These enemies were the Puritans. Under the rule of Queen Elizabeth, the Puritans thought that she did not succeed in ridding Catholic practices in the Church of England. Elizabeth and rulers to follow tried to silence the Puritans. The Puritans believed that an all-powerful God had determined which humans would be saved and damned at the time of birth. They believed that salvation came from faith only. They implored followers to pursu