What was important about Puritanism in Elizabethan England?

• Government:

  > It threatened the hierarchy of power and authority by criticising the

  bishops and the church hierarchy which Elizabeth supported, Puritans

  also implied criticism of political authority -that of the Queen and

  nobility.
• Religion:

  > Puritanism was important because some of their extreme views

  required Elizabeth to act to show that she was in charge of the church.

  She disagreed with Archbishop Edmund Grindal about prophesying -

  Puritan prayer meetings to discuss the Bible.
• Religion:

  > Elizabeth did not want Puritan ideas spread, Grindal refused to close

  them down, but after his death Elizabeth replaced him with John Whitgift. Whitgift immediately issued the Three Articles forcing all churchmen to swear to accept the bishops, the Prayer book, and the 39 Articles of 1563.