Response to religious matters (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Response to religious matters
Elizabeth's approach to Puritanism
By the late 1580s, attitudes towards Puritanism had shifted significantly, with the movement increasingly being discouraged by the Elizabethan government. Elizabeth harboured deep suspicions about Puritan beliefs and practices, viewing them as a potential threat to the religious settlement she had carefully established in 1559.
The Religious Settlement of 1559 was Elizabeth's attempt to create a moderate Protestant church that would satisfy most of her subjects while maintaining royal supremacy in religious matters. Any challenge to this settlement was seen as a direct threat to her authority.
Elizabeth's main concerns about Puritanism
Elizabeth and her government were particularly worried about three key aspects of Puritanism that they believed challenged royal authority and religious stability:
The concept of predestination troubled Elizabeth because it suggested that salvation was predetermined by God, potentially undermining the role of the established Church and royal supremacy in religious matters.
Puritan reluctance to wear vestments posed a direct challenge to the Religious Settlement of 1559. The refusal to follow prescribed religious dress codes was seen as an act of defiance against established Church practices and royal authority.
Puritan 'prophesying' was perhaps the most concerning practice for Elizabeth. She viewed this form of preaching as dangerous because it could encourage disobedience within the Church hierarchy and potentially spread dissenting ideas among the population.
These three concerns represented fundamental challenges to Elizabeth's vision of religious unity. Predestination questioned the Church's role, vestment refusal showed open defiance, and 'prophesying' threatened to spread dissent throughout the kingdom.
How Puritans responded to government pressure
The Puritan community did not respond uniformly to Elizabeth's attempts to control their religious practices. Their reactions varied considerably, reflecting different approaches to dealing with government opposition.
Some prominent Puritans, including John Penry and Job Throckmorton, chose to openly defy Elizabeth's wishes. They continued producing and distributing religious tracts that directly criticised her government's religious policies, despite the obvious risks this entailed.
Other Puritans, such as John Field, Walter Travers, and Thomas Cartwright, adopted a more strategic approach. Rather than openly confronting the government, they attempted to work within the existing Church structure to promote Puritan reforms and ensure that their religious ideals could still be practised.
This division in Puritan strategy reflected a common dilemma faced by religious minorities: whether to openly resist persecution or try to work within the system to achieve gradual change. Both approaches carried significant risks.
The role of archbishops in managing religious tensions
Archbishop Parker (1559-1575)
Matthew Parker served as Archbishop of Canterbury during the crucial early years of Elizabeth's reign. His primary mission was to ensure that the Church of England adhered strictly to the 1559 religious settlement, which meant confronting Puritan nonconformity.
Parker's Enforcement Strategy: The Book of Advertisements (1566)
Parker's approach to dealing with Puritan nonconformity was direct and systematic:
Step 1: Identify the main area of Puritan defiance (refusal to wear prescribed vestments) Step 2: Issue a clear directive requiring compliance (Book of Advertisements) Step 3: Target all clergy, including Puritans, with specific requirements Step 4: Establish this as a test of loyalty to the religious settlement
In 1566, Parker issued his Book of Advertisements, a significant document that required all clergy, including Puritans, to wear the vestments specified in the 1559 settlement. This move was particularly targeted at Puritan ministers who had been refusing to follow prescribed dress codes, and it represented a clear attempt to enforce religious uniformity across the Church.
Archbishop Grindal (1575-1583)
Edmund Grindal's tenure as Archbishop represented a more moderate approach to dealing with Puritans. Unlike his predecessor, Grindal showed reluctance to aggressively persecute Puritan clergy, which put him at odds with Elizabeth's wishes.
The conflict between Grindal and Elizabeth came to a head in 1577 when the Queen explicitly stated her desire to discourage Puritan clergy from preaching and holding meetings. Grindal's unwillingness to comply with these demands led to a serious breach in their relationship.
As a consequence of his defiance, Elizabeth suspended Grindal's authority as archbishop in 1577. This suspension lasted for several years, and his authority was only fully restored in 1582, demonstrating the serious consequences of opposing royal religious policy.
Many Puritans actually admired Grindal for his willingness to stand up to royal pressure, viewing him as a defender of their right to practice their faith according to their conscience. This made him unique among Elizabeth's archbishops.
Archbishop Whitgift (1583-1604)
John Whitgift's appointment marked a significant shift towards a much more aggressive anti-Puritan policy. As both Archbishop of Canterbury and a Privy Councillor, Whitgift had considerable influence and used it to systematically oppose Puritan activities.
Strengthening Church courts: Whitgift significantly increased the powers of the Church Court of High Commission, enabling it to take more effective action against Puritan clergy. By 1589, the Court had banned Puritan preaching in London parishes and ordered the closure of Puritan printing presses.
Parliamentary legislation: Working closely with Parliament, Whitgift helped secure the passage of the Act against Seditious Sectaries in 1593. This crucial legislation made Puritanism an official offence, meaning that Puritans could no longer legally distribute materials promoting their religious ideas.
Whitgift's Systematic Suppression Campaign
Whitgift's approach was comprehensive and ruthless:
Legal measures: Secured the 1593 Act against Seditious Sectaries Enforcement: Imprisoned leading Puritans like Thomas Cartwright Targeting leaders: Executed separatists John Greenwood and Harry Barrowe in 1593 Institutional control: Used Church Court of High Commission to ban preaching and close printing presses Result: Significantly reduced the Puritan threat by 1603
Harsh enforcement: Whitgift ensured that the new laws were rigorously enforced. For example, Thomas Cartwright, a leading Puritan figure, was imprisoned because his ideas were deemed to challenge both the Act of Uniformity and the Religious Settlement of 1559. Another Puritan, Peter Wentworth, was imprisoned in the Tower in 1593 and died there, illustrating the severe consequences of continued Puritan activity.
Targeting separatists: As Privy Councillor, Whitgift also helped ensure that Puritans who supported complete separation from the Church of England faced particularly harsh treatment. Notable examples include John Greenwood and Harry Barrowe, who were executed for their separatist beliefs in 1593.
Whitgift's policies marked the end of any tolerance for Puritan activities. His dual role as Archbishop and Privy Councillor gave him unprecedented power to coordinate both religious and secular authorities against Puritanism, making resistance extremely dangerous.
Timeline of key events
- 1559: Religious Settlement established
- 1566: Parker's Book of Advertisements issued
- 1575: Grindal becomes Archbishop of Canterbury
- 1577: Elizabeth suspends Grindal's authority
- 1582: Grindal's authority fully restored
- 1583: Whitgift becomes Archbishop of Canterbury
- 1589: Church Court bans Puritan preaching in London parishes
- 1593: Act against Seditious Sectaries passed; executions of Greenwood and Barrowe
This timeline shows the gradual escalation of anti-Puritan policies, from Parker's initial enforcement attempts through Grindal's moderate resistance to Whitgift's systematic suppression campaign.
Key Points to Remember:
- Elizabeth became increasingly suspicious of Puritanism by the 1580s, viewing it as a threat to religious stability and royal authority
- Her main concerns centred on predestination beliefs, refusal to wear vestments, and 'prophesying' practices that could encourage disobedience
- Puritan responses varied from open defiance (Penry, Throckmorton) to working within the system (Field, Travers, Cartwright)
- The three Archbishops had very different approaches: Parker enforced conformity, Grindal was moderate and got suspended, while Whitgift aggressively suppressed Puritanism
- By 1603, Whitgift's harsh policies had significantly reduced the Puritan threat through legal measures like the 1593 Act against Seditious Sectaries and severe enforcement actions