7 - The Puritan Threat

• Marprelate


  Series of leaflets attacking the Anglican Church & Bishops
• Prophesyings

  Puritan prayer meetings
• Puritan

  Extreme Protestant opposing the Religious Settlement
• Separatists


  A group who broke away form the established Church
• Vestments


  Specific clothing to be worn by the clergy
• What is Puritanism?

  Puritans are very strict Protestants, who believed in a purer form of worship.

  They had to flee England during Mary Tudor’s reign, and then returned when Elizabeth became Queen with very strong ideas.

  They were highly critical of the Religious Settlement, saying it had too much Catholic in it.

  People were suspicious of Puritans as they were seen as a threat to the Queen.
• What did Puritans do?

  Puritans didn’t like; bowing when the name Jesus was said, kneeling to receive communion and celebration of saint’s days.

  On a Sunday they would; devote the whole day to religious study, study

  scriptures and read devotional books. Their clothing had to be plain and

  simple, mainly black and white.

  In their every day life Puritans would; live a simple life based on scriptures, avoid visiting the theatre, gambling and swearing.
• There were different types of Puritan; moderate Puritans accepted the

  Religious Settlement, but wanted further reform. Presbyterians wanted more reforms to the church and simpler services, as well as the abolition of bishops and churches to be run by elected people. Separatist wanted to break away completely from the English Church.
• The Vestaments Controversy 1566:


  The Archbishop of Canterbury wrote the ‘Book of Advertisments’ which said the priests should wear specific clothes, vestaments, during the

  services. Many Puritan priests refused to do so, saying it was ‘too Catholic’. Thomas Sampson was sacked because he refused to wear vestments. In London 37 Puritan priests were removed from their jobs for refusing to obey the rules.
• Thomas Cartwright 1570:


  Cambridge Professor Cartwright said in lectures that the church

  should follow a Presbyterian system, including; no archbishop or bishops and elected ministers instead. This would have weakened the power of the queen. Thomas Cartwright was sacked from his job and forced to leave England.
• John Stubbs 1579:


  Stubbs was a Puritan who wrote a leaflet criticising the queen for

  considering a marriage to the Catholic brother of the King of France. Stubbs was arrested, put off trial, and sentenced to have his right hand cut off, then be put in prison for 18 months.
• The Marprelate Tracts 1588-89:


  A series of anonymous leaflets called the Marprelate Tracts attacked all the bishops. The content of the leaflets was violent, sarcastic and used offensive language – the complete opposite to how Puritans were supposed to behave. Some Protestants wrote anti-Puritan leaflets as a response.
• Opposition to Elizabeth from Puritans in Parliament & The Privy Council:

  • Walter Strickland 1571: called for a new Book of Common Prayer, the banning of vestments, banning of the use of a ring in marriage and kneeling whilst receiving communion.

  How did Elizabeth deal with Puritan opposition?

  • Elizabeth closed down Parliament before his ideas could be discussed.
• Opposition to Elizabeth from Puritans in Parliament & The Privy Council:

  • John Field and Thomas Wilcox 1572: said that the Presbyterian system of Church was the true one outlined in the Bible. Criticised the Prayer Book.

  How did Elizabeth deal with Puritan opposition?

  • Arrested and imprisoned for a year. Puritan printing presses were ordered to be destroyed.
• Opposition to Elizabeth from Puritans in Parliament & The Privy Council:

  • 1575 – 83 The Puritans organised prayer meetings, called ‘Prophesyings’ to spread their ideas. Edmund Grindal, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, was a Puritan and liked these meetings.

  How did Elizabeth deal with Puritan opposition?

  • Elizabeth ordered Grindal to ban the meetings. He refused. Elizabeth suspended him. When he died in 1583, she appointed John Whitgift as his successor. He banned the meetings and expelled 200 Puritan priests for disobeying the rules of the Church
• Opposition to Elizabeth from Puritans in Parliament & The Privy Council:

  • Peter Wentworth 1576, complained that MPs could not discuss issues they thought were important in Parliament.

  How did Elizabeth deal with Puritan opposition?

  • He was imprisoned in the tower of London for a year and In Parliament he couldn't raise issues to do with religion without the Queen’s permission.
• Opposition to Elizabeth from Puritans in Parliament & The Privy Council:

  • Peter Turner 1584: Wanted to copy John Calvin’s system which was similar to Presbyterian system of Church.

  How did Elizabeth deal with Puritan opposition?

  • His speech was denounced by Elizabeth’s adviser Christopher Hatton who hated Puritans
• Opposition to Elizabeth from Puritans in Parliament & The Privy Council:

  • Anthony Cope 1586-7: Wanted to replace the Book of Common Prayer with the Calvin book of prayer. He also wanted to abolish Bishops.

  How did Elizabeth deal with Puritan opposition?

  • Christopher Hatton attacked this idea. Cope was sent to the tower.
• PROBLEM: Archbishop Grindal and Prophesyings:


  • Puritan meetings called prophesyings were becoming more popular. The Government were worried that this could lead to more unrest and rebellion.

  • Grindal supported the idea of these meetings

  • He refused to follow the Queen’s orders
• Solution: Queen Elizabeth & her government reacted to Archbishop Grindal and Prophesyings by:

  • Putting Archbishop Grindal under house arrest

  • Banned the ‘prophesying’ meetings

  • Made John Whitgift Archbishop who introduced ‘The Three Articles’ which made the clergy swear acceptance of Bishops, the Book of Common Prayer and the 39 Articles.
• PROBLEM: Separatists


  • Puritans are forced into hiding because of Elizabeth’s strict laws

  • In the 1580s some Puritans led by Robert Browne form a group called The Separatist Movement. They ‘Separate’ from the established church and form a group called ‘The Separatists
• Solution: Queen Elizabeth & her government reacted to Separatists by:

  • Robert Browne imprisoned, released and exiled

  • The Act against Seditious Sectaries 1593 was passed. This meant that any Puritans believed to be Separatists could be executed and severely punish anyone refusing to attend the established Church of England.

  • Separatist leaders Barrow and Greenwood were executed in 1593.