Which of the following best summarizes the role of religion in the Massachusetts Bay Colony? The Massachusetts Bay Colony encouraged religious tolerance and was open to colonists of differing beliefs. The Massachusetts Bay Colony did not encourage religious tolerance, but it did not strongly oppose it either. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was established by the Church of England for Anglican colonists. The Massachusetts Bay Colony had strict rules governing behavior that were based on religious principles.

The correct response is: The Massachusetts Bay Colony had strict rules governing behavior that were based on religious principles.

Explanation:

The Puritans were Protestants who believed the Church of England still held too many Roman Catholic practices and that people needed to adopt stricter rules based on religious principles.  The formation of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was led by John Winthrop. The Massachusetts Bay Puritans developed their laws and social norms based on the Old Testament and the sense of community in the Bible. They were known to be intolerant of people from other religions and cultures and made it so only church members could vote for the general court, for example.  They were suspicious of people from other religions or other backgrounds.