predestination - The Calvinist doctrine that God has foreordained some people to be saved and some to be damned.  "Good works could not save those whom ‘predestination' had marked for the infernal fires."

elect - In Calvinist doctrine, those who have been chosen by God for salvation.  "But neither could the elect count on their predetermined salvation...."

conversion - A religious turn to God, thought by Calvinists to involve an intense, identifiable person experience.  "They constantly sought, in themselves and others, signs of ‘conversion.' ..."

visible saints - In Calvinism, those who publicly proclaimed their experience of conversion and were expect to lead godly lives.  "all Puritans agreed that only ‘visible saints' should be admitted to church membership."

calling - In Protestantism, the belief that saved individuals have a religious obligation to engage in worldly work.  "Like John Winthrop, the [the Puritans] believed in the doctrine of a ‘calling' to do God's work on this Earth."

heresy - Departure from correct or officially defined belief. "... she eventually boasted that she had come by her beliefs through a direct revelation from God.  This was even higher heresy."

seditious - Concerning resistance to or rebellion against the government. "[His was] a seditious blow at the Puritan idea of government's very purpose."

commonwealth - An organized civil government or social order.  "They were allowed, in effect, to become semiautonomous commonwealths."

autocratic - Absolute or dictatorial rule.  "An autocratic spirit survived, and the aristocratic element gained strength...."

passive resistance - Nonviolent action or opposition to authority in accord with religious or moral beliefs.  "As advocated of passive resistance, [the Quakers] would ... rebuild their meetinghouse on the site where their enemies had torn it down."
asylum- A place of refuge and security, especially for the persecuted or unfortunate.  "Eager to establish an asylum for his people...."

proprietary - Concerning exclusive legal ownership, as of colonies granted to individuals by the monarch.  "Penn's new proprietary regime was unusually liberal...."

naturalization - The granting of citizenship to foreigners or immigrants.  "No restrictions were placed on immigration, and naturalization was made easy."

blue laws - Laws designed to restrict personal behavior in accord with a strict code of morality.  "Even so, there were some ‘blue laws' aimed at ‘ungodly revelers.'...."

ethnic - Concerning diverse peoples or cultures, specifically those of non-Anglo-Saxon background.  "...Pennsylvania attracted a rich mix of ethnic groups."