7. the puritan threat

why did the puritans become an increasing threat during Elizabeth's reign?

who are example of puritan bishops who hoped to bring reform from within the church?

• John Jewel

• Edwin Sandys

• Edmund Grindal

• Richard Cox

Who were many puritans influenced by?

John Calvin

How did moderate puritans react to the settlement?

They reluctantly accepted the religious settlement but called for further reforms

How did Presbyterians react to the settlement?

They wanted further reform, called for simpler services, the abolition of bishops and for each church to be run by a committee of Presbyters

Who were separatists? How did they react to the settlement?

They were the most radical group. They wanted to break away from the national church and for each church to be independent. They were also called ‘brownists’

When and what was the Vestment controversy?

In 1566 Matthew Parker, the Archbishop of Canterbury, issued rules for conducting services and wearing vestments, identifying the clothes to be worn by priests.

Many puritan priests refused to do so as they thought the clothes were similar to those worn by catholic priests.

What was Elizabeth’s response to the Vestment controversy?

Some priests were punished, sucked as the Dean of Christ Church.

In London, 37 priests lost there jobs for refusing to wear vestments.

She ruled that all priests wore the correct dress and conform.

When and what proposals did Thomas Cartwright make?

1570: he gave a series of lectures calling on the abolition of the post of archbishop and bishop.

He wanted to see the introduction of the Presbyterian system where each church chose its own elders and elected their minister.

Who is John Stubbs and what did he do to oppose Elizabeth?

Puritan and political commentator.

In 1579, he wrote a pamphlet which criticised the queen for engaging in marriage talks with the Duke of Anjou, a French Roman Catholic.

What was Elizabeth’s response to John Stubb’s pamphlet?

She was not pleased with the publication- he was arrested, put on trial and charged with ‘seditious writing’.

He was sentenced to have his right hand cut off and he was then imprisoned for 18 months.

When and what were the Marprelate Tracts?

1588-89 anonymous pamphlets were published that attacked the church and bishops. Their content was sarcastic with offensive language which lost the Puritan’s support.

What happened in response to the Marprelate Tract?

• Some protestants wrote pamphlets against the puritan views

• In 1593 Richard Hooker published his Laws of Ecclesiastical Policy as a defence of the angelical church

• In 1593 Richard Bancroft also wrote a pamphlet which bitterly attacked Puritanism

Why did Elizabeth find it difficult to ignore the Puritans?

They were represented at every level of government, even within the privy council.

Who are the individuals who attempted reform within government?

• Walter Strickland

• John Field and Thomas Wilcox

• Peter Wentworth

• Peter Turner

• Anthony Cope

What did Walter Strickland do and when?

1571 He proposed a bill asking for the introduction of a new Book of Common Prayer, banning vestments, banning the use of a ring in marriage ceremony and banning the practice of kneeling while receiving communion.

How did Elizabeth deal with Walter Strickland?

• He was prevented from attending the house of commons.

• parliament was closed down before his ideas could be discussed

• The Thirty-nine Articles were formally approved by parliament to enforce conformity

What did John Field and Thomas Wilcox do and when?

1572: they published books which argued that the Presbyterian structure of the church was outlined in the bible. They were also critical of the Book of common prayer.

How did Elizabeth deal with John Field and Thomas Wilcox?

They were both arresting and imprisoned for a year for breaking the Act of Uniformity. Puritan printing presses were ordered to be destroyed and bishops were instructed to enforce uniformity.

What did Peter Wentworth do and when?

1576: He complained that MPs were not being allowed to discuss what they wanted in Parliament. Lack of freedom of speech and accused the queen of abusing her power.

How did Elizabeth deal with Peter Wentworth?

He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for a month and she closed parliament down. She also issued instructions that parliament was not to debate religious matters without her permission.

What did Peter Turner do and when?

1584: proposed a bill to change the government of the church in order to copy the Calvin’s system at Geneva.

How did Elizabeth deal with Peter Turner?

His bill failed to get much support. Christopher Hatton, one of Elizabeth’s loyal Privy Councillors, forcefully attacked the bill during a speech in the Commons.

What did Anthony Cope do and when?

1586: introduced a bill in parliament that called for the abolition of bishops and the replacement of the Book of Common Prayer which the Geneva Prayer Book of John Calvin.

Peter Wentworth supported him, arguing that all MPs should have the right to discuss religious matters in parliament.

How did Elizabeth deal with Anthony Cope?

The bill was attacked by Hatton in the House of Commons. Cope and Wentworth were confined in the Tower of London for several months and parliament was closed down.

What were prophesyings?

Meetings help by Puritans during which prayers and sermons were said. They were intended as a means of improving the standards of the clergy but the queen saw them as potentially dangerous.

When and what did the queen order Edmund Grindal to do about prophesyings? What happened to him?

1577 she ordered Edmund Grindal to ban the meetings. He was sympathetic to the Puritan ideas so refused to follow the quests instructions. He was confined to his house at Lambeth Palace.

What did Elizabeth do when Grindal refused to ban prophesyings?

Elizabeth issued her own ban on prophesying.

Who replaced Grindal when he died in 1583?

John Whitgift - had little sympathy for puritan beliefs

What did John Whitgift issue and when?

1583- Three Articles. These were regulations the clergy were forced to swear:

• The acceptance of Bishops

• The acceptance of all that was contained in the Book of Common Prayer

• Acceptance of the 39 Articles

What was the result of Whitgift’s strict rules?

Forced the extremist Puritans into hiding and made them more radical. These groups became known as Separatists.

What did government use propaganda to do?

Link all puritans to separatism, and separatism to treason.

What and when was The Act against Seditious Sectaries?

1593

• Empowered authorities to execute anyone believed to be a separatist.

• There were severe penalties of imprisonment, banishment and even death for those who hold unauthorised meeting or refused to go to Anglican Church services.

Who were the separatist leaders and when were they arrested and executed?

1593- Henry Barrow and John Greenwood. With their deaths, the separatist movement ended.