Puritan Challenge

Question 1

List of puritan challenges

Answer 1

Crucifix controversy

39 articles (1563)

Vesterian controversy (1566)

Cartwright (1570)

Strickland/Alphabet Bills (1571)

Field/Wilcox (1572)

Grindal (1576)

Synods (1580s)

Brownists (1580)

Whitgift (1583)

Bill and Book (1584-5)

Anthony Cope (1586)

Peter Wentworth (1587)

Martin Marprelate (1589)

Question 2

Outline the crucifix controversy

Answer 2

Elizabeth wanted the clergy to restore crucifixes which had been removed from churches during the reformation

New bishops like Jewel and Sandys threatened to resign

ArchB Parker supported Liz saying it was her right as Supreme Governor to order these things

In the end, no bishops resigned but this was only after a compromise in which Liz agreed not to force bishops to follow her order

Question 3

How did Elizabeth give her bishops leeway?

Answer 3

Allowed militant bishops to create ‘interpretations’ (guidelines for how to implement the Act of Uniformity). This worked well as it pacified the bishops, but she never officially sanctioned them, so ministers did not have to follow their instruction

Question 4

Explain the 39 Articles (in relation to puritan challenge)

Answer 4

39 articles had contained both Protestant and Catholic elements (e.g. allowed ornaments and vestments)

During the Convocation of Canterbury in 1563, Puritans attempted to add 6 more (Calvinist) articles. These failed, but only but a margin of 58 to 59.

Question 5

Explain the Vestiarian controversy

Answer 5

Many bishops are clergy did not follow rules about vestments set out in 1559 (e.g. Liz dismissed Thomas Sampson for not wearing vestments)

Elizabeth wrote to Parker about this, who then reaffirmed the need for vestments through his ‘Advertisements’ (these never become law - preserved Liz’s authority) - 37 bishops were then sacked for objecting

Question 6

Explain Cartwright

Answer 6

Cartwright, a Presbyterian academic at Cambridge University, gave his Spring Lectures in 1570, attacking the Royal Supremacy - SACKED

Question 7

Explain Strickland and the Alphabet Bills

Answer 7

Moderate puritan bishops in the House of Lords introduced ‘alphabet bills’ in 1571 to make the clergy more ‘godly’ (not too radical). However, at the same time Strickland, a Presbyterian MP, introduced a bill to make the BCP more puritan (e.g. ending kneeling at communion, removing vestments)

Liz used veto to block both bills

Not only did this demonstrate the power of the Queen as Supreme Governor, but also created internal divisions between puritans as the Lords who introduced the Alphabet Bills blamed their failure on Strickland’s radicalism.

Question 8

Explain Field and Wilcox

Answer 8

Academics Field and Wilcox publicly argued for a Calvinist system of governing the Church

Field’s ‘Admonition’ called the BCP a ‘popish dunghill’ and ‘repugnant’ to the word of God - this discredited the puritan movement as it was far too radical

Question 9

Why are the puritans not completely discredited in 1572?

Answer 9

Elizabeth needs their support due to her fears of an international Catholic conspiracy, which escalated after the 1572 St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre

Many of her ministers, like Leicester and Walsingham, have Protestant sympathies

Question 10

Explain Grindal

Answer 10

Conformist Puritan appointed ArchB of Cant in 1576 (his appointment was supposed to moderate the demands of Presbyterians). He clashed with Liz over ‘prophesyings’ (meetings where clergy prayed and discussed theology and ideas about how to preach)

Liz felt these prophesyings threatened uniformity (as educated clergy was dangerous), so suspended Grindal from 1577 until his death in 1583

Question 11

Explain Synods

Answer 11

In the 1580s, a classical presbyterian view began to take hold. This was the ‘classis’ system of governing a church which involved authority from the bottom up.

There were two provincial synods held in 1582 and 1587 coordinated by Field. This threatened Liz significantly as the notion of synods rejected the need for a monarch to lead the Church

Question 12

Explain Whitgift

Answer 12

Became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1583 - fully Anglican

Made all clergy accept these three articles - 1) they had to acknowledge the Royal Supremacy, 2) they had to accept the prayer book totally and 3) they had to recognise that the 39 articles conform to the Word of God (Leicester and Walsingham forced Whitgift to change article 2 to just ‘accept’, rather than ‘accept totally’)

He enforced this through the controversial ‘ex officio oath’ - this caused lots of resignations

Question 13

Explain Turner’s ‘Bill and Book’

Answer 13

Campaign to abolish the prayer book and system of bishops in 1584-5 - vetoed by Elizabeth who said she would not ‘tolerate new fangleness’

Question 14

Explain Sir Anthony Cope

Answer 14

Tried to introduce a similar ‘bill and book’ in 1587 - resulted in the royal veto and Cope being imprisoned with four other MPs

Question 15

Explain Peter Wentworth

Answer 15

In 1587, MP Peter Wentworth challenged Elizabeth on her restriction of freedom of speech in Parliament over religious matters

He was imprisoned for this

Question 16

How can Liz be seen to be successful in her dealings with Puritans in Parliament?

Answer 16

Through her orders limiting freedom of speech, messages to the Speaker, the imprisonment of members who disobeyed and the royal veto, Elizabeth effectively lifted religion out of the remit of Parliament in order to retain absolute personal control over her Church

Question 17

Explain Martin Marprelate

Answer 17

So-called ‘Martin Marprelate Tracts’ were a series of pamphlets which circulated illegally in London in 1588 to 1589. Their use of foul language to illustrate points horrified many Puritans (e.g. Cartwright) and discredited the movement

Question 18

Explain Brownists

Answer 18

In 1580, Robert Brown wrote ‘A brief Treatise of Reformation without tarrying for any’ which argued that Christians should leave the Church of England for a more pure type pf Church. He then attempted to set up a separatist congregational movement in Norwich

Brutal response to this by Liz - two men (Thacker and Copping) were executed in 1583 for distributing Brownist leaflets and in 1593 the Act Against Sectaries was passed. This stated that if people did not conform, they would be executed, so many Puritans left England

Question 19

Essay plan - were Puritans utterly unsuccessful? (overall structure)

Answer 19

Beliefs

Vestments and Ornaments

Church organisation

Flaws within movement

Government reaction

Question 20

Essay plan - were Puritans utterly unsuccessful? (beliefs)

Answer 20

Puritans wanted to add another 6 articles to the 39 - failed but by an extremely narrow margin of 58 to 59 votes (so not UTTERLY unsuccessful bc there is clearly support)

Attempts to reform the Book of Common Prayer (e.g. Strickland, Turner’s ‘Bill and Book’) did completely fail due to veto

Question 21

Essay plan - were Puritans utterly unsuccessful? (V+O)

Answer 21

Vesterian controversy - Elizabeth forced to come to a compromise with the Advertisements (only higher clergy had to wear them) - but never made law

Crucifix controversy - Elizabeth forced to come to a compromise with bishops such as Bishop Jewel of Salisbury (who had threatened to resign over it) - she would not force them to keep crucifixes

Question 22

Essay plan - were Puritans utterly unsuccessful? (church organisation)

Answer 22

1570 - Cartwright promoted system of synods (immediately got sacked so no change made)

1580s - synods system implemented by Field (1582 and 1587)

However, the system fell apart once Field died so no lasting change

Brownists quickly persecuted so also no lasting change

Question 23

Essay plan - were Puritans utterly unsuccessful? (flaws within movement)

Answer 23

Fundamental divisions within puritanism between conformists, Presbyterians and separatists.

Alphabet Bills vs Strickland

Field’s admonition

Martin Marprelate

By 1580s leaders of movement (Leicester, Walsingham, Field) dead so no adequate leadership

Due to flaws within movement, doomed to fail!

Question 24

Essay plan - were Puritans utterly unsuccessful? (government reaction)

Answer 24

Government reaction too strong for Puritans to make any headway

Use of veto - 1571 Strickland and Alphabet Bills, 1584 Turner

Limiting freedom of speech - 1587 Peter Wentworth, 1587 Cope

Govt response to challenges, e.g. posed by Brownists, was efficient and brutal enough to limit the threat