Puritans and Puritanism (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Puritans and Puritanism in Elizabethan England
What were Puritans?
Puritans represented a significant challenge to Elizabeth I's religious policies during her reign. These radical Protestant reformers emerged as critics of the Religious Settlement of 1559, believing it did not go far enough in reforming the English Church. The term "Puritan" itself reflected their central goal - they sought to cleanse Christianity of what they viewed as corrupt practices that had no basis in Biblical teaching.
The Religious Settlement of 1559 was Elizabeth's attempt to find a middle ground between Catholic and Protestant practices. It established the Church of England as moderately Protestant while retaining some traditional elements - precisely what Puritans objected to.
The Puritan movement was not uniform in its beliefs. While all Puritans shared a commitment to Biblical authority and simpler worship, their views on other matters varied considerably. Some held relatively moderate positions, seeking only minor reforms to Church practices. Others, including prominent figures like John Stubbs and Thomas Cartwright, advocated for much more radical changes that directly challenged the foundations of Elizabeth's government.
Core Puritan beliefs and practices
Puritans fundamentally believed that the English Church retained too many elements from its Catholic past. They argued that true Christian worship should be based solely on Biblical teachings, rejecting anything not explicitly found in Scripture. This led them to oppose the use of special clerical clothing called vestments during religious services, viewing these as unnecessary additions to simple Christian worship.
Practical Example: Puritan Church Reforms
Puritans wanted to transform English churches by:
- Removing religious statues, crucifixes, and decorative elements
- Eliminating special clerical vestments and ceremonial clothing
- Whitewashing church walls to create plain, simple interiors
- Focusing services entirely on preaching and prayer rather than ritual
The Puritan vision extended beyond just Church practices to encompass broader social reform. They sought to create what they called a "more godly" society by prohibiting activities they considered sinful, including attending theatrical performances, gambling, and participating in traditional festivities like cock fighting. This moral crusade reflected their belief that England needed to become a truly Christian nation.
Central to Puritan thinking was their approach to work and wealth. Unlike Catholic teaching that emphasised charity towards the poor, Puritans viewed hard work and financial success as signs of divine favour. They expected individuals to improve their circumstances through personal effort rather than relying on charitable assistance from others.
This "Protestant work ethic" associated with Puritanism would later become influential in shaping attitudes towards business and economics, particularly in countries where Puritan ideas took root.
The political threat to Elizabeth's government
The Puritan movement posed a serious challenge to royal authority over the English Church. Growing numbers of Puritans gained seats in the House of Commons, giving them a platform to criticise government religious policies and advocate for further reforms. This parliamentary presence meant they could potentially influence legislation and challenge the monarch's control over Church affairs.
Critical Threat to Royal Authority
The Puritan desire to establish their own independent Church organisation directly contradicted the principle of royal supremacy over the Church that had been established under Henry VIII. This wasn't just about religious practices - it challenged the very foundation of the monarch's authority.
Particularly concerning for Elizabeth's government was the Puritan desire to establish their own independent Church organisation, free from royal oversight. This directly contradicted the principle of royal supremacy over the Church that had been established under Henry VIII and maintained by Elizabeth. Some Puritans even suggested that under certain circumstances, particularly if the monarch were Catholic, rebellion might be justified.
The threat became more concrete through the circulation of critical pamphlets known as the Marprelate tracts. These publications openly attacked both the Queen and the Church of England, with one tract declaring that Puritan ideas would "undo the queen and all others that depended upon her." Such direct challenges to royal authority represented a significant escalation in Puritan opposition.
The Marprelate Tracts: Direct Challenge to Authority
These anonymous pamphlets, published in the late 1580s, represented unprecedented attacks on royal and Church authority:
- They openly mocked the Queen and senior clergy
- Used satirical and inflammatory language to criticise government policies
- Declared that Puritan reforms would "undo the queen and all others that depended upon her"
- Represented the most direct written challenge to Elizabeth's religious settlement
High-ranking Church officials also showed sympathy for Puritan positions, creating divisions within the religious establishment. Edmund Grindal, who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1575 to 1583, supported many Puritan ideas, weakening the Church's ability to present a united front against radical reform movements.
Anti-Catholic sentiment and millenarian beliefs
Many Puritans held strongly anti-Catholic views, going so far as to identify the Pope as the "anti-Christ" mentioned in Biblical prophecy. This extreme position reflected their belief that the Catholic Church represented everything wrong with organised Christianity and needed to be completely rejected rather than reformed.
Understanding Millenarian Beliefs
Millenarians were Puritans who believed in the imminent Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of a thousand-year reign of the saints on Earth. This apocalyptic worldview made them more urgent in their reform efforts and more willing to challenge existing authorities.
A subset of Puritans known as millenarians held even more radical beliefs about the approaching end of the world. They believed that current events were signs of the approaching Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and that faithful Christians needed to prepare for this divine intervention in human history. These apocalyptic beliefs added urgency to their reform efforts and made them more willing to challenge existing authorities.
Government response and decline of the threat
Elizabeth's government initially struggled to contain the Puritan challenge, particularly when senior Church officials like Archbishop Grindal showed sympathy for their cause. However, the situation changed significantly when John Whitgift became Archbishop of Canterbury. Whitgift took decisive action to reduce Puritan influence within the Church hierarchy and limit their ability to spread their ideas.
Whitgift's Anti-Puritan Campaign
Archbishop John Whitgift systematically dismantled Puritan influence through:
- Removing Puritan sympathisers from Church positions
- Implementing strict censorship of Puritan publications
- Requiring clergy to conform fully to Church of England practices
- Prosecuting those who refused to comply with official religious policies
The government also responded to specific Puritan challenges through legal action and censorship. When Puritans attempted to make unauthorised changes to Church practices, such as the Lambeth Articles of 1595 which incorporated Puritan theological positions, senior clergy intervened to have these withdrawn immediately upon learning of Elizabeth's disapproval.
By the end of Elizabeth's reign, the immediate Puritan threat had significantly decreased. While Puritan ideas continued to circulate, their ability to directly challenge royal authority over the Church had been effectively curtailed through a combination of firm leadership from Archbishop Whitgift and government action against their most radical publications and activities.
Timeline of key events
- 1559: Elizabeth's Religious Settlement established, sparking Puritan criticism
- 1575-1583: Edmund Grindal serves as Archbishop of Canterbury, shows sympathy for Puritan ideas
- 1583: John Whitgift becomes Archbishop of Canterbury, begins reducing Puritan influence
- 1595: Lambeth Articles incorporating Puritan beliefs withdrawn after Elizabeth's intervention
- End of reign (1603): Puritan threat largely contained, though ideas remain influential
Key Points to Remember:
- Puritans were radical Protestants who wanted to "purify" the English Church by removing all non-Biblical practices and elements
- They posed both religious and political threats to Elizabeth's government by challenging royal authority over the Church and gaining influence in Parliament
- Key figures included John Stubbs, Thomas Cartwright (Puritan leaders), Edmund Grindal (sympathetic Archbishop), and John Whitgift (Archbishop who contained the threat)
- The Marprelate tracts represented direct attacks on royal authority, with pamphlets claiming Puritan ideas would "undo the queen"
- The threat declined by the end of Elizabeth's reign due to firm action by Archbishop Whitgift and government suppression of radical Puritan activities