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The Puritan Threat
- Puritans opposed bishops in the new order, believing they were an invention of the Pope
to maintain his power
- Examined the Bible to evidence that the shape of the English Church was not ordained
by God
- Believed that making the sign of the cross during baptisms and wearing clerical
vestments had no scriptural authority
- Moderate Puritan: reluctantly accepted the structure of the Church and pressed for
reforms of belief and religious practices along the line of other European churches
- Presbyterian: wanted thorough reform of the structure of the Church and simplifying of
faith and ritual- Presbyterianism was established in Scotland
- Separatists: broke away from the national Church to pursue its own radical Protestant
reformation, on a parish by parish basis
- Calvin’s influence had been felt in England, especially with emphasis on predestination
and the notion of the godly elect
- Vestiarian Controversy:
• Elizabeth wrote to Archbishop Parker in 1565 to reminding him to ensure that all
clergy were following religious practices set out in the Injunctions (1559)
• 1566 Parker issued the Book of Advertisement setting out what was to be expected,
i.e. receiving communion kneeling not standing
• Parker insisted on the surplice and cope as standard apparel
• London- 37 clergymen refused to follow this instruction and were suspended
• Vestments chosen by Parker were very similar to Catholic clothing, and so offended
Protestant preachers
• Refusal raised questions of how far the Queen’s authority as Supreme Governor of
the Church extended
• Parker wanted to compromise, watering down the requirements in the Book of
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• He recognised that the Bible did not prescribe particular clothing and was forced to fall
back on the Queen’s requirements
• Controversy resulted in no conclusion or explicit support from the Queen who had no
wish to provoke enemies at that time when the threat of Catholicism was growing
- Presbyterian demands (1570s):
• Series of lectures by Thomas Cartwright (Professor of Divinity- Cambridge) brought
the radical dimension of Puritanism to nation and royal attention
• Cartwright argued for the abolition of bishops and called for a Church government
based on John Calvin in Geneva
• Left very little room for a Supreme Governor
• The introduction of Presbyterianism in the 1560s had been accompanied by the
overthrow of Mary, Queen of Scots
The Puritan Threat
- Puritans opposed bishops in the new order, believing they were an invention of the Pope
to maintain his power
- Examined the Bible to evidence that the shape of the English Church was not ordained
by God
- Believed that making the sign of the cross during baptisms and wearing clerical
vestments had no scriptural authority
- Moderate Puritan: reluctantly accepted the structure of the Church and pressed for
reforms of belief and religious practices along the line of other European churches
- Presbyterian: wanted thorough reform of the structure of the Church and simplifying of
faith and ritual- Presbyterianism was established in Scotland
- Separatists: broke away from the national Church to pursue its own radical Protestant
reformation, on a parish by parish basis
- Calvin’s influence had been felt in England, especially with emphasis on predestination
and the notion of the godly elect
- Vestiarian Controversy:
• Elizabeth wrote to Archbishop Parker in 1565 to reminding him to ensure that all
clergy were following religious practices set out in the Injunctions (1559)
• 1566 Parker issued the Book of Advertisement setting out what was to be expected,
i.e. receiving communion kneeling not standing
• Parker insisted on the surplice and cope as standard apparel
• London- 37 clergymen refused to follow this instruction and were suspended
• Vestments chosen by Parker were very similar to Catholic clothing, and so offended
Protestant preachers
• Refusal raised questions of how far the Queen’s authority as Supreme Governor of
the Church extended
• Parker wanted to compromise, watering down the requirements in the Book of
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• He recognised that the Bible did not prescribe particular clothing and was forced to fall
back on the Queen’s requirements
• Controversy resulted in no conclusion or explicit support from the Queen who had no
wish to provoke enemies at that time when the threat of Catholicism was growing
- Presbyterian demands (1570s):
• Series of lectures by Thomas Cartwright (Professor of Divinity- Cambridge) brought
the radical dimension of Puritanism to nation and royal attention
• Cartwright argued for the abolition of bishops and called for a Church government
based on John Calvin in Geneva
• Left very little room for a Supreme Governor
• The introduction of Presbyterianism in the 1560s had been accompanied by the
overthrow of Mary, Queen of Scots
