The failure of Elizabethan Puritanism

Authors Avatar

“The failure of Elizabethan Puritanism, in the years to 1588, was a primarily a result of the Queen’s determination to defend the church settlement in every detail.” How far do you agree with this statement?

The failure of Elizabethan Puritanism has been argued to be a direct result of the Queen’s determination to defend her church settlement with little or no comprise. We can see a direct link between the Queen’s actions and her determination to drive out the different sects of Puritans; Presbyterian, Conformist and Separatists alike. Thus, if concluded in the weakening and suppression of Puritanism in England and propelling Elizabeth’s church settlement from strength to strength.

        The Queen, in the early years of her reign, was trying to create a balance, an equilibrium between the two main religious strands in Elizabethan society, Catholicism and Protestantism. Her desire to become Supreme head of the church was a consequence of her father, Henry VIII, breaking from Rome. Yet Elizabeth was willing to compromise. Although it still entailed the same authority as Supreme Head, she adopted the title ‘Supreme Governor’ in an effort to soothe relations with the Catholic powers and subjects. However, this same compromise may have been willingly extended to the Catholic’s, but the same cannot be said for Puritans. Elizabeth and her council drove them underground, they were deemed by her, it seems, as serious a threat then that of the Spanish. She saw them, as a threat to her authority, but this was in good measure of the beliefs some Puritans held.

        In 1559, Elizabeth attempted to pass legislation that would see her title her father held, returned to her as well as legislation that would see the people made to conform to her religious settlement; this is certainly a reflection of the Collectanea satis copiosa which included the monarch’s right to the country being subject to the monarch’s beliefs. However, this legislation was met with great opposition, leading to a series of measures Elizabeth and her council took to pass the bills, Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity. She issued Royal injunctions in 1559. The Royal Injunctions insisted on clerical dress, wafers to be used for communion and church music in cathedrals an important part of religious life. Something puritans were whole heartedly against. Puritans found the various traditional forms of worship offensive, and could not bring themselves to complying to the Church of England’s and indeed Elizabeth’s request for conformity. Such traditions like clerical vestments (particularly the surplice and the square cap), kneeling to receive the communion, making the sign of the cross in baptism, bowing at the name of ‘Jesus’, using the wedding-ring in marriage services and church bells, were of particular offence. These were ‘popish remnants’ and were a mark of the ‘devil’ of Rome. Elizabeth’s reaction to these ‘Pure’ believers was through Mathew Parker in 1566 who issued the Advertisements re-enforcing conformity in clerical dress. Those who did not obey were deprived of their posts. By the late 1560s many critics had abandoned opposition and conformed to the settlement, but there was a hardcore of radicals who continued to defy and protest against the vestments and ceremonies.

Join now!

        In 1571, a year after Elizabeth’s excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church, the ‘alphabet’ bills, shows how the Puritan ideology had become popular in the commons, and many members of the house were sympathetic to their ore religious beliefs. These ‘alphabet’ bills were then amended by William Strickland to the purpose of making them far more puritan than they originally were, but were vetoed by the Queen. As well as this, MP John Field set up sympathetic groups around the country, in a bid to progress reform and stir up support among the peasantry, but yet were sought out by ...

This is a preview of the whole essay