Measures taken to deal with the Puritan threat

Elizabeth was able to deal with the Puritan threat in Parliament as she had the power to simply close Parliament if they tried to discuss issues she did not want them to.

However, Puritans now took to printing and issuing pamphlets, such as the , critical of the government’s religious policies. Elizabeth responded by issuing an order to control the printing presses.

Some Puritans valued good preaching above the services laid down in the Prayer Book. During the 1570s, groups of clergymen began to meet to hear sermons from good preachers. These meetings were called prophesyings and were viewed as dangerous by Elizabeth as they threatened her position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

In 1577 therefore, Elizabeth issued instructions to her bishops in which she banned prophesyings.

'Three Articles'

In 1583, Elizabeth was able to appoint an Archbishop of Canterbury who agreed with her views. John Whitgift produced the 'Three Articles' that reinforced the 1559 Religious Settlement and clergymen who did not agree were dismissed from their posts.

In the 'Three Articles', clergy were forced to swear the acceptance of:

everything in the Book of Common Prayer
bishops
the 'Thirty-nine Articles' – these laid down the beliefs of the Church of England and had been issued in 1563

Elizabeth had to deal with a number of Puritan threats.

Date	Puritan threat	Elizabeth’s action
1571	Walter Strickland, leader of the Puritan group in Parliament, wanted to reform Elizabeth’s new Prayer Book and ban clergy vestments (this was known as the Vestarian Controversy).	Elizabeth silenced him by closing Parliament so his ideas could not be discussed.
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 had specified. She was concerned ideas might spread that challenged the Religious Settlement.	Elizabeth ordered her new Archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindal, to ban the meetings but he protested. She suspended him, suggested he resign, and 200 Puritan priests were expelled from their roles. Grindal then apologised and was reinstated.
1583	The Puritan, John Stubbs, published a pamphlet criticising Elizabeth’s on-going marriage negotiations with the brother of the Catholic French king.	Stubbs was found guilty of stirring up trouble and sentenced to have his right hand cut off.
1588-89	Some Puritans published anonymous pamphlets called the Marprelate Tracts, complaining about the Church and bishops.	The authors were never identified, although John Penry was believed to be involved. Elizabeth issued new instructions to control the printing presses.
1593	Some Puritan extremists like John Penry wanted to follow Robert Browne's example and set up their own church.	The 1593 Act against Seditious Sectaries gave the authorities the power to imprison, banish and even execute suspected separatists.

Date	1571
Puritan threat	Walter Strickland, leader of the Puritan group in Parliament, wanted to reform Elizabeth’s new Prayer Book and ban clergy vestments (this was known as the Vestarian Controversy).
Elizabeth’s action	Elizabeth silenced him by closing Parliament so his ideas could not be discussed.

Date	1575-83
Puritan threat	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 had specified. She was concerned ideas might spread that challenged the Religious Settlement.
Elizabeth’s action	Elizabeth ordered her new Archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindal, to ban the meetings but he protested. She suspended him, suggested he resign, and 200 Puritan priests were expelled from their roles. Grindal then apologised and was reinstated.

Date	1583
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	Stubbs was found guilty of stirring up trouble and sentenced to have his right hand cut off.

Date	1588-89
Puritan threat	Some Puritans published anonymous pamphlets called the Marprelate Tracts, complaining about the Church and bishops.
Elizabeth’s action	The authors were never identified, although John Penry was believed to be involved. Elizabeth issued new instructions to control the printing presses.

Date	1593
Puritan threat	Some Puritan extremists like John Penry wanted to follow Robert Browne's example and set up their own church.
Elizabeth’s action	The 1593 Act against Seditious Sectaries gave the authorities the power to imprison, banish and even execute suspected separatists.

The Puritan challenge in Wales

Puritan opposition in Parliament and Privy Council

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Puritanism in the Elizabethan age - WJECMeasures taken to deal with the Puritan threat