Puritanism sought a return to the purity of which church?

Puritanism aimed to restore the church to a simplified and more biblical form of worship and governance, reflecting the practices and teachings found in the New Testament. The Puritans believed that the Anglican Church had retained too many elements of Roman Catholicism and was not adhering closely enough to the principles established in the New Testament. Therefore, their efforts were focused on reforming worship and governance to align more closely with their understanding of early Christian practices as described in the New Testament, which served as a model for their ideals of church purity and devotion.

In contrast, the roots of Puritanism specifically addressed issues they identified within the Anglican Church, making the New Testament their primary reference for reformation rather than the Old Testament or Catholic traditions. This alignment with New Testament teachings underpinned their desire for a more sincere and direct relationship with God, fostering their movements away from established church practices that they viewed as corrupt or insufficiently biblical.