Puritan Challenge

• • Puritans believed the Church still held too many Catholic elements after the Settlement
  • Puritans challenged the authority of Elizabeth as Supreme Governor
  • Elizabeth used punishment and compromise to deal with Puritan challenge
• • Crucifixes were included in the Act of Uniformity
  • Puritans saw crucifixes as idols and worshipping them would be a sin against God
  • Catholics believed crucifixes were symbolic
  • Elizabeth worried that changing the look of English churches significantly would upset Catholics
  • Puritan bishops threatened to resign if crucifixes were not removed
  • Elizabeth allowed Puritans to remove the crucifix
  • This showed Elizabeth was willing to compromise within her Settlement to keep everyone happy
• • Clergymen wearing special vestments was included in the Settlement
  • Catholic clergymen believed wearing special vestments would allow them to perform miracles
  • Puritan clergymen believed vestments should be plain and simple
  • Puritans refused to wear special vestments
  • Elizabeth fired those who weren't willing to educate themselves on vestments
  • Eventually, many clergymen conformed and wore the vestments
  • This showed Elizabeth was not willing to compromise within the Settlement on parts which were important to her
• • Elizabeth responded the way she did becsuse she needed supporters of Protestantism behind the Settlement to ensure it was successful
• Elizabeth realised thst Puritans could not make a claim to her throne:

  • Puritans did not have an alternative monarch or a foreign country to help overthrow her
  • Catholics had an alternative monarch and foreign support - Elizabeth needed to make more concessions to Catholics than Puritans