Puritan & Sacrament Leave a reply Some of them said that the sacrament sealed both faith and a conditional covenant; others claimed that it sealed not faith but a conditional, external covenant containing “a promise of the spirit.” Within this spectrum of divergent views, each theologian presented his alternative as authentic Reformed baptismal doctrine, in perfect harmony with predestination, divine sovereignty, and the spirituality of the Christian life. After 1630 Puritans seeking a viable doctrine of baptism had a wide selection.