The Puritan threat

• Puritans

  Protestant Christians who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation. They believe in the teachings of the Bible but reject the authority of the Pope
• Religion became a very divisive factor in people’s lives in England when Protestant ideas challenged the dominance of the Catholic Church of Rome
• Some of Elizabeth's most trusted Privy Councillors and Members of Parliament were Puritans and tried to pressure her into taking harsher steps against Catholics
• Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement meant that the country was now officially Protestant, but allowed some traditions of Catholic worship
• Puritans were strict Protestants who wanted to ‘purify’ the Church and get rid of all traces of the Catholic faith
• Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement was an attempt to end the conflict in England between Catholics and Protestants and unite the country
• 1575-83 - Some Puritan clergy started organising prayer meetings known as ‘prophesyings’ which displeased Elizabeth. In these meetings, Puritans took a freer approach to prayer and did not follow what Elizabeth wanted
• The Puritans raised their points in Parliament, but did not on the whole get involved in plots to overthrow Elizabeth or destabilise the country
• Elizabeth offered a ‘middle way’ compromise

  An attempt made by Elizabeth I in 1559 to end the conflict in England between Catholics and Protestants and unite the country
• 1571 - Walter Strickland, leader of the Puritan group in Parliament, wanted to reform Elizabeth’s new Prayer Book and ban clergy vestments. Elizabeth silenced him by closing Parliament so his ideas could not be discussed
• Many Puritans seemed to accept the Settlement at first, but they soon started organising campaigns to make it more Protestant
• Catholic

  The Church in Western Europe before the Reformation. The Pope was head of the Church. A member of the Roman Catholic Church
• Puritan threat

  The Puritan, John Stubbs, published a pamphlet criticising Elizabeth’s on-going marriage negotiations with the brother of the Catholic French king
• Elizabeth's action

  She ordered her new Archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindal, to ban the meetings but he protested
• Elizabeth held strong against the Puritan attempts to get her to change the Religious Settlement and the movement lost momentum towards the end of her reign as, one by one, the old Puritan leaders died
• The Puritan, John Stubbs, published a pamphlet criticising Elizabeth’s on-going marriage negotiations with the brother of the Catholic French king


  1583
• Puritan threat

  Some Puritan clergy started organising prayer meetings known as ‘prophesyings’ which displeased Elizabeth
• Elizabeth's action

  She suspended him, suggested he resign, and 200 Puritan priests were expelled from their roles
• Elizabeth's action

  Stubbs was found guilty of stirring up trouble and sentenced to have had his right hand cut off
• Some Puritan clergy started organising prayer meetings known as ‘prophesyings’ which displeased Elizabeth


  1575-83