OCR Specification focus:
‘the Puritan challenge and aims, support for Puritanism, the influence of Puritan leaders, attempts to change the church, MP tactics, separatism’
The Puritan challenge in Elizabethan England was one of the most significant religious pressures on the Elizabethan Settlement, pushing for a more radical reformation of the Church.
Background to the Puritan Challenge
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement (1559) was designed to establish a broad, inclusive national Church, but many Protestants, particularly the more radical Puritans, believed it did not go far enough.
Puritanism: A movement within Protestantism seeking to "purify" the Church of England from Catholic practices, ceremonies, and hierarchy.
Their dissatisfaction stemmed from the survival of what they saw as remnants of Roman Catholic ritual (vestments, ceremonies, bishops).
Puritanism: A radical strand of Protestantism advocating the removal of all traces of Catholic ritual and belief from the Church of England.
Aims of the Puritans
Puritans wanted:
The abolition of bishops and replacement with a presbyterian structure.
A clear diagram of presbyterian church government: congregations are ruled by sessions of elders, grouped under presbyteries, with appeals to a higher synod. This illustrates the anti-episcopal alternative Puritans advocated in Elizabeth’s reign. The reference to 1646 reflects a later formalisation, but the structure shown captures the Puritan goal. Source
Simpler church services without vestments, kneeling at communion, or the sign of the cross.
Greater emphasis on preaching and the Bible.
Strict observance of the Sabbath.
These aims directly challenged Elizabeth’s insistence on religious uniformity and her preference for maintaining episcopal control.
Support for Puritanism
Puritanism gained support primarily among:
Educated clergy who had studied Protestant theology abroad.
Members of the gentry and nobility, especially those influenced by reformist ideas.
Some urban communities, particularly London, where Puritan preachers attracted large congregations.
However, Puritanism never became a majority movement, and it often struggled against Elizabeth’s political control and the broader population’s relative conservatism.
Influence of Puritan Leaders
Puritan leaders were central to promoting and sustaining the challenge:
Thomas Cartwright: A leading academic who championed Presbyterianism and attacked the episcopal system.
John Field and Thomas Wilcox: Authors of the Admonitions to Parliament (1572), calling for presbyterian reforms.
Walter Travers: A reformist preacher influential in promoting radical ideas.
These leaders spread Puritan arguments through sermons, pamphlets, and academic debate, intensifying pressure on Elizabethan religious policy.
Attempts to Change the Church
Puritan pressure manifested in practical attempts to alter the Church:
Vestiarian Controversy (1565–66): Refusal of some clergy to wear prescribed vestments led to conflict with Elizabeth and Archbishop Parker’s enforcement.
A minister in a cassock and surplice leading prayers in the nave, reflecting Elizabeth’s requirement that clergy wear set vestments. This concretely illustrates why some Puritans protested against “popish” apparel. The page includes broader comparative material on worship before and after the Reformation; only the vestments detail is needed for this topic. Source
Parliamentary proposals: MPs sympathetic to Puritanism sought to introduce bills reforming the liturgy and church structure.
Admonitions to Parliament (1572): A public declaration against episcopacy that triggered official crackdowns.
Prophesyings (1570s): Local gatherings of clergy for study and preaching, condemned by Elizabeth but defended by Archbishop Grindal, who resisted the Queen’s demands to suppress them.
These challenges revealed the tension between Elizabeth’s insistence on control and Puritan demands for reform.
MP Tactics and Parliament
Puritan MPs were a vocal minority in Elizabeth’s parliaments, using several tactics:
Proposing bills to change religious practices, such as eliminating vestments or reforming church hierarchy.
Using petitions and debates to pressure the Queen.
Collaboration with Puritan clergy, amplifying their arguments in parliamentary sessions.
Elizabeth responded firmly, vetoing bills she considered threatening to her authority and using her prerogative to maintain control. This resistance limited Puritan progress in Parliament.
Separatism
Some Puritans became so disillusioned with the Elizabethan Church that they turned to Separatism, forming independent congregations.
Separatists believed the national Church was irredeemably corrupt and sought to establish their own communities of the elect.
The most famous were the Brownists, followers of Robert Browne, who advocated separation and independent church governance.
Separatism: The belief that true Christians should separate entirely from the Church of England and form independent congregations.
Separatism represented a radical break from both Catholicism and Elizabethan Protestantism, going further than mainstream Puritanism.
A diagram of congregational polity in which authority rests with the local congregation that elects and deposes its officers. This visualises the separatist move outside the episcopal Church that Elizabeth sought to preserve. The label “Cambridge Platform (1648)” is later than Elizabeth’s reign, but the governance model matches Brownist-style separatism discussed in this topic. Source
The Crown treated separatists harshly, viewing them as dangerous to national unity.
Elizabeth’s Response
Elizabeth consistently resisted Puritan pressure:
She maintained her Supreme Governorship and the authority of bishops.
She enforced conformity through the Act of Uniformity and injunctions.
She suppressed unauthorised preaching, banned prophesyings, and censored Puritan literature.
Radical separatists faced imprisonment or execution, such as Henry Barrow and John Greenwood in the 1590s.
Her determination to preserve control ensured that Puritanism, while influential, never reshaped the Church as its supporters had hoped.
The Decline of the Puritan Challenge
By the 1590s, Puritan influence had waned:
Elizabeth’s firm control and suppression of radicalism weakened their position.
The failure of parliamentary initiatives meant reforms could not be forced.
The execution of separatist leaders deterred further radical activity.
Mainstream Puritans remained within the Church, influencing preaching but unable to overturn its structures.
Nevertheless, Puritan ideas survived and would later become central to religious conflict in the Stuart period.
FAQ
Elizabeth feared that prophesyings gave Puritan clergy too much freedom to spread radical ideas, undermining her control over the Church. She wanted uniformity and obedience to episcopal authority.
Archbishop Grindal defended the gatherings as useful for improving preaching standards, which were often poor. His refusal to suppress them when ordered by the Queen led to his suspension, highlighting the tension between Elizabeth and more sympathetic church leaders.
The Admonitions to Parliament criticised the Elizabethan Church’s episcopal structure and called for a presbyterian system. Written by John Field and Thomas Wilcox, they represented a bold and public rejection of royal religious policy.
Their significance lay in:
Bringing Puritan demands directly into political debate.
Prompting harsh government responses, including imprisonment of the authors.
Exposing divisions between Elizabeth and reformist Protestants.
Puritan MPs believed Parliament provided a platform to challenge Elizabeth’s settlement. They used parliamentary privilege — the right to debate freely — to raise religious reform bills.
However, Elizabeth saw this as an intrusion on her prerogative in religious matters. She often intervened to block or veto such proposals, limiting Puritan influence. The episodes demonstrated both the persistence of Puritans and the Queen’s firm boundaries.
Separatists rejected the idea of working within the Elizabethan Church, unlike mainstream Puritans who sought reform from inside. They argued the national Church was irredeemably corrupt.
The Brownists, led by Robert Browne, established independent congregations based on voluntary membership. Their existence highlighted the most radical edge of Puritan dissatisfaction and provoked severe repression, as separatism was seen as a direct threat to national religious unity.
Pamphlets were a key medium for spreading Puritan criticisms of the Elizabethan Church. They allowed radical ideas to reach a wider audience beyond pulpits and Parliament.
Notable examples include the Admonitions to Parliament and later satirical attacks on bishops, such as the Marprelate Tracts of the 1580s. Though outside official channels, these works fuelled debates about church authority, challenged conformity, and kept Puritan ideas alive despite censorship.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Identify two aims of the Puritans in Elizabethan England.
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for each valid aim identified (maximum 2 marks).
Valid answers include:The abolition of bishops.
Replacement with a presbyterian structure.
Simpler church services without vestments or rituals.
Greater emphasis on preaching and the Bible.
Strict observance of the Sabbath.
Question 2 (6 marks)
Explain how the Puritans attempted to influence the Elizabethan Church during Elizabeth’s reign.
Mark Scheme:
Award up to 6 marks.
1–2 marks: General description with limited examples or vague knowledge.
3–4 marks: Some explanation with relevant examples, such as reference to Parliament or controversies, but lacking range or depth.
5–6 marks: Clear explanation with multiple well-chosen examples, showing understanding of Puritan attempts and their context.
Valid points may include:
Use of Parliament: Puritan MPs introducing bills to change church services or structure.
The Admonitions to Parliament (1572), criticising bishops and advocating presbyterianism.
The Vestiarian Controversy, where some clergy refused to wear prescribed vestments.
The use of prophesyings for training and preaching, despite Elizabeth’s opposition.
Separatism and the formation of independent congregations, such as the Brownists.
Each point should be explained in relation to how it represented an attempt to influence or challenge the Elizabethan Church.
