The dominant threat to Elizabeth I during the later years of her reign came from the Catholics, but she also faced challenges from the other side of the religious spectrum as well. The Puritan Challenge to Elizabeth was a significant thorn in her side during a time when she was taking on the near-impossible task of calming the stormy seas of England's religious situation. Let's explore this further!
Puritan Challenge to Religious Settlement
In 1559, the Elizabethan Religious Settlement was passed, creating a 'middle way' between Catholicism and Protestantism to try and find a balance that everyone would be happy with. The settlement was predominantly Protestant but allowed some Catholic traditions in as well.
Most of the country was satisfied with this settlement for a good few years, but soon concerns were raised on both sides; some Catholics felt that the settlement was too oppressive and did not allow them the freedom of worship that it was promised they would have. On the other hand, the Puritans felt that the settlement had not gone far enough; they wanted every trace of Catholicism to be wiped from the Church of England.
Puritanism
Puritanism was the name given to a sect of people who believed in the most extreme version of the Protestant doctrine - also known as Lutheranism. They felt that both one's worship and one's life should be led as simply as possible and rejected the 'Popish superstition' of Catholicism.
As the Catholic threat to Elizabeth I grew during the 1570s and 1580s, the Puritans felt that this only justified their desire for a more reformed church. As the Catholic threat increased, so did the pressure from Puritans to change the Religious Settlement.
Puritan Challenge to Elizabeth
Obviously, the main aim of the Puritans was to continue making the Church of England more Protestant. But what did this actually mean?
| Law under the Elizabethan Religious Settlement | What the Puritans wanted |
| Priests had to wear a white surplice over their cassocks. | Puritans did not want to wear these as they were worn by Catholic priests - they felt priests should only wear simple black gowns. |
| Bishops and Archbishops ran the church administration in each diocese around the country. | Puritans felt that church administration should be run by committees elected by churchgoers. |
| People could choose whether to worship saints or not - it was considered unimportant. | Puritans wanted a full ban on the worship of saints; they considered this to be idolatry. |
| Churches could be decorated, but not too ostentatiously. They could have stained-glass windows and some statues, for example. | Churches should not have any decoration - only whitewashed walls, plain wooden benches, and clear glass windows. |
Surplice
A loose, white vestment that was worn over a cassock.
Cassock
A full-length robe worn by clergy.
Diocese
A district of the Church of England, administered by a Bishop.
Idolatry
The act of worshipping someone or something other than the Christian God.
Puritan Challenge Crucifix
It might be hard to believe, but the Puritans objected to having crucifixes (a cross with Jesus on it) hanging in churches! They believed that worshipping a representation of Jesus as a human counted as idolatry and that only plain crosses should be worn or hung in churches. This was difficult to adhere to, as Elizabeth I had decreed that every church should have crucifixes in it.
Features of Puritan Challenge
So, now we know exactly what the Puritans wanted, how did they challenge Elizabeth I and the Religious Settlement?
The Vestarian Controversy (1566)
The Vestarian Controversy in 1566 was the first big attempt by the Puritans to change the terms of the religious settlement. Since the settlement had passed, many Puritan preachers had refused to wear the surplice as was required by law. Elizabeth I was not happy with this. She did not want to be lenient, as it would encourage other people to flout the rules of the settlement, causing bigger problems down the line.
Fig. 1 - Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury 1559-1575
Therefore, in 1566 Elizabeth I asked the Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker, to enforce conformity. He did so, and as a result, 37 ministers were suspended, leaving several parishes without ministers for Easter. There was uproar at this, and other Puritan ministers began to refuse to wear the surplice or admit those who did into their churches.
Several authors wrote pamphlets against the wearing of surplices in an attempt to sway the public to their cause. Eventually, Matthew Parker gathered a group of priests at Lambeth Palace and gave them a simple choice; conform or lose your job.
Fig. 2 - A Catholic clergyman wearing a surplice over a cassock
The controversy died down at the end of 1566, but the issue still remained; some form of closure came in 1571, when William Strickland, a Puritan MP, tried to introduce a bill to ban the wearing of vestments - however, it did not make it through Parliament. Elizabeth I would eventually ban Parliament from discussing religious matters in 1585.
Prophesying (1575-83)
The next challenge to the Religious Settlement came in the form of prophesying.
Prophesying
A form of religious teaching in which all clergy in a district would come together to hear prayers and sermons; they would then analyse and discuss them afterwards. Ordinary people were also allowed to come and hear the sermons if they wished.
The aim of prophesying was to ensure that the clergy was well-educated in religious matters, but Elizabeth I did not like prophesyings as she felt they were being used to upset the balance of the settlement by encouraging Puritanism.
Elizabeth ordered the Archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindal (Matthew Parker had died in 1575), to put a stop to these prophesyings and reduce the number of preachers in each district - but Grindal refused; he felt that they were beneficial for the Church.
Public and continual preaching of God's word is the ordinary mean and instrument of the salvation of mankind.1
- Archbishop Grindal in a letter to Queen Elizabeth I, 20 December 1576.
It should be noted that Grindal was not a Puritan - he simply desired to improve the Church and clergy. However, Elizabeth was far too wary of the religious challenges to her authority and, while recognising their benefits, remained firm in her stance to abolish prophesying. In May 1577, she sent instructions out to all the bishops ordering them to suppress prophesyings (as Supreme Governor of the Church, she could do this!), and she suspended Archbishop Grindal for his disobedience until his death in 1583.
Did you know? Elizabeth I was especially suspicious of Puritans because they did not want a hierarchy in the Church. Elizabeth felt that if Puritanism grew too popular, this stance could become political, leading to a disruption of the social hierarchy in England and the growth of republicanism.
John Stubbs' Pamphlet (1579)
One of the biggest issues Elizabeth I faced during her reign was the constant pressure for her to get married and produce an heir. In 1579, marriage negotiations began with Francis, Duke of Alencon, the brother of the King of France, Henry III. The prospect of the Queen marrying a Catholic Frenchman greatly disturbed the Protestants of England, who feared a reversal of the Reformation and greater French influence over England if the marriage happened.
Fig. 3 - The Duke of Alencon by Francis Clouet
That same year, a writer and political commentator called John Stubbs, a Puritan, published a pamphlet called 'The Discovery of a Gaping Gulf whereunto England is like to be swallowed by another French Marriage'. In this pamphlet, he heavily criticised the idea of a French marriage, calling it 'immoral' and 'contrary'. He claimed that the Queen was too old to have children (Elizabeth I was 46 at this time) and that English culture, language, and values would be at risk. He also identified a risk to free speech, which he felt Protestantism upheld, but Catholicism didn't.
And here again the laws of men... have learned this equity of the laws of God, that it is a great disparagement for health to be joined in marriage with any foul disease, for beauty with deformity, youth with decrepit age.2
- Stubb's Pamphlet, 1579.
Needless to say, Elizabeth I was angered by this pamphlet. It wasn't long before Stubbs was arrested and charged with seditious writing. Initially, Elizabeth wanted to give him the death penalty but was convinced to opt for a less serious punishment. In the end, Stubbs had his right hand cut off, and copies of his pamphlet were burned.
Hint: Look at the quote above. Why do you think Elizabeth I would have found Stubb's writing so offensive?
He's not the messiah; he's a very naughty boy!
In 1590, a man named William Hacket travelled through York, Leicester, and Northamptonshire with an extraordinary message: he had been sent by God to prepare the way for the new messiah!
William Hacket came from a lowly background; he was illiterate and worked as a servant for the first part of his life, and apparently was violent and reckless, being brought in front of the court for a serious assault on one occasion. But then, for some unknown reason, he abandoned his ways and set out on a godly mission.
He was not well received in the north and midlands and was sent away from those towns 'roundly whipped'. Then in 1591, he arrived in London; by this point, he was convinced that HE was the messiah that had been sent by God. He set about preaching against the Queen and her ministers and defaced the Queen's Arms - there was even talk of dethroning the Queen and putting Hacket in her place!
On 19 July 1591, Hacket's preaching against the Queen started a riot in the Cheapside area of London. Hacket and his conspirators were soon arrested once the Privy Council heard of the riot and charged with treason. For all his talk of a divine mission, Hacket ended up being hung, drawn, and quartered on 28 July 1591.
Puritan Challenge Failure
By the end of Elizabeth I's reign, the Puritan Challenge to Elizabeth I had mostly dissipated, as the main leaders had died off. Elizabeth I had dealt with the challenges to authority firmly and gave no leeway for Puritan ideology and doctrine to disable her power or position.
Overall, the Puritan movement within Elizabeth's Parliament and court was not in much danger of taking over. While Parliament was dominated by Protestants, only a fraction of them was strongly Puritan enough to want reform on the scale of the Puritan Challenge.
Did you know? Puritans gained influence in other ways than Parliament. Some became important landowning families and wielded significant power in local communities; for example, the Harlakenden family bought estates from the Earl of Oxford in the village of Earls Colne, Essex.
Yet, this has been debated: the historian Sir John Neale argued for the existence of a 'Puritan Choir' - a group of Puritans that had a significant effect on the formation of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement and further religious and political change. Neale's thesis has been rebuked by other historians, such as Norman Jones and Christopher Haigh, who argue that Neale overstates the importance of the Puritan faction and ignores the influence of Catholic MPs in the Elizabethan Parliaments.
The Puritan Challenge - Key takeaways
- The Puritan Challenge was the attempt by the Puritan faction in England's Parliament to reform the Elizabethan Religious Settlement to make it more Protestant from the 1560s to 1580s.
- The Vestarian Controversy was the first challenge - a refusal of Puritan ministers to wear the surplice, a Catholic garment, after Archbishop Parker tried to enforce conformity. Ministers lost their positions over this, and it caused uproar and protests.
- The second main event was the issue of 'Prophesyings', which Elizabeth I wanted to stamp out as she felt they threatened the integrity of the Religious Settlement. This led to the suspension of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Elizabeth using her power as head of the Church to ban the practice.
- The final challenge came from John Stubb's Pamphlet against the ongoing marriage negotiations between Elizabeth I and the Duke of Alencon. His language was not diplomatic and was heavily critical. He ended up losing his right hand.
- Overall, Elizabeth I dealt with the Puritan challenge firmly and decisively. It did not present a huge threat to the stability of her rule. The Catholic challenges to Elizabeth I were more influential and important in this era.
References
- Edmund Grindal, 'To the Queen, concerning suppressing the prophecies, and restraining the number of preachers', (20 December 1576).
- John Stubbs, 'The Discoverie of a Gaping Gulf whereinto England is like to be swallowed by an other French marriage, if the Lord forbid not the banes, by letting her Majestie see the sin and punishment thereof. [London: H. Singleton for William Page], (1579).
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