Puritanism, at its inception, was only a religious reform movement that developed within the English Protestant Church. They were never intended to be a distinct faith. The Puritans comprised a group of Christian men and women, wishing to abide by the tenets of the Bible, in order to shape their lives in accordance to the will of God. They believed that they were the "chosen people of God", who were responsible for creating a perfect, utopian society, where there would be no scope for discontent or rebellion. Puritanism was a religious movement in the 16th and 17th centuries, wherein a faction of English Protestants revolted against the teachings of their traditional Church, and set out to purify it off the remnants of the age-old Roman Catholic teachings and practices. One of the most striking features of this movement was that it was largely influenced by men and women, who proclaimed themselves as "godly" or "religious professors". However, they were "hypocrites" for their opponents, who did not believe in their ideology of purifying the sacred teachings of the Church. The name 'Puritans', which was given to them by their opponents, eventually became popular, and went on to become their official identity. The movement began in 16th century England, when some major groups displayed anti-Roman Catholic sentiments. Because of their conflicting principles with the orthodox Church of England (based on orthodox Roman Catholic teachings), the Puritans had to emigrate to New England, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Wales. They were staunch believers of the Holy Bible, and followed its doctrines as guidelines for leading a pious life. They were also strong believers of Calvinism, which loosely preaches that the consequences of our actions in the mortal world decides the fate of our souls, which could be subjected to either damnation or salvation. Their main principles relied on the ideas of free-will and sanctity of the human soul. The primary beliefs of the Puritans were based on the 'Doctrines of Grace', probably written by fellow theologians of James Arminius, who incidentally was a follower of Calvinism. Following are the major Puritan beliefs: The Puritan beliefs were non-materialistic and overly concerned with the attainment of His Holy Grace. Their emphasis on nurturing one's piety and ethics, clearly portrayed their conviction on eternal damnation as an aftermath of one's religious transgression. In addition to those stated in the 'Doctrines of Grace', the Puritans had some more beliefs which were shared commonly by all Protestants. They were as under: Puritanism also believes in Satan and other demonic forces. Their clergymen were reportedly involved in exorcist practices, and had also faced various allegations pertaining to witchcraft. Marriage, for Puritans, was a sanctimonious ritual which resulted in partners entering into a lifetime bonding of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness. They forbade premarital/extramarital sex, and vices such as consumption of alcohol. They also supported the view that the holy scriptures should be made accessible to everyone, instead of a handful of people, claiming to be supreme among mortals. H.L. Mencken, a 20th century social critic, defined 'Puritanism' as "the fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." This sheds light on the image that has been developed of the puritans over the ages. They have been imagined as theocrats and heresy hunters in popular culture, and though these are stereotypes, they are not absolute falsehoods. This probably may have been one of the major reasons why Puritanism never managed to achieve an institutional identity, like most other simultaneous religious movements that took place in the 16th and the 17th centuries, and eventually faded away. Nevertheless, traces of Puritanism can still be witnessed in numerous political ideologies across the globe.