Puritan Threat up to 1580

Question 1

Who were the three groups of puritans?

Answer 1

1. Moderate conformists - wanted change but willing to obey Eliz - majority
2. Presbyterians - wanted to abolish bishops and have own ministers
3. Separatists - wanted to set up own church away from Eliz

Question 2

How were the moderate conformists a threat?

Answer 2

1. Many ministers saw the 1559 settlement as a compromise with Catholicism - it was their duty to undermine it as much as possible
2. 1563 convocation was used to abolish catholic rituals from the Anglican church - half delegates voted to remove baptism and kneeling at church
3. Eliz objected ‘prophesyings’ - these were unofficial gatherings where the clergy met to debate bible - Eliz felt they encouraged radical ideas - used to attack cath superstition - Grindal not happy
4. Refusal to wear vestments - ignoring Uniformity’s ornaments rubric

Question 3

Factors that reduced moderate conformist threat?

Answer 3

1. Accepted the queens authority & rol;e as supreme governor - ultimate control
2. Eliz did not tolerate Grindal’s defiance on propshesyings - he was suspended
3. 1566 Parkers advertisements insisted on uniformity on vestments & disciplined those who opposed. Even grindal felt obliged to support

Question 4

How were the presbyterians a threat?

Answer 4

1. (Biggest threat) - Wanted to abolish bishops - most were extreme Marian exiles who had experienced continental churches
2. Thomas Cartwright became professor of divinity at Cambridge - attacked bishops which challenged eliz
3. 1572 John Field and Wilcox wrote an admonition to parliment attacking popish superstition, book of common pray unperfect - ‘anti- Christian’

Question 5

Factors that reduced the presbyterian threat?

Answer 5

1. Numbers of presby’s were extremely small - tiny minority in comparison to mainstream puritans
2. Cartwright was sacked and had to flee
3. Eliz used bishops and royal commissioners to drive presby sympathisers out of the church - people who wanted promotions etc attacked presbys

Question 6

How were the separatists a threat?

Answer 6

1. 37 ministers refused to subscribe to Parker’s advertisements - angered by them, they set up their own church in Plumbers Hall in 1567 - no obedience to Eliz

Question 7

Factors the reduced the separatist threat?

Answer 7

1. Tiny minority

2. They were seen as extremists - activities soon detected and prevented = driving them underground