Over the course of Elizabeth’s reign 1558-1603 Protestants started to gain majority in England, partially in the 1580s compared to Mary’s reign where the majority was catholic as many of the extreme Protestants left England. This is when the small group of Protestants would become known as puritan. Historians have argued on how serious the puritan thereat was people like Neal and potter argue that it was a threat and in fact contributed to the English civil war whereas historians Acheson and Graves argue is was not a threat. However from evidence presented from the interpretations C and D …show more content…
The interpretation suggests that the Presbyterian threat came more apparent during the 1570s this can be seen as right as during the 1560s as there was little amostit towards the settlement and while many Presbyterians did not argue with the pray book they conformed to it therefore meaning that at this time they were not a threat at all. The intpreation also describes copes pray book that wanted an complete overhaul of the settlement but failed and cope was arrested this support interpretation Cs view of them never being an serious threat to the church this is further supported due to the general lack of sympathy Presbyterians has for example when parliament protest to copes imprisonment it was over freedom of speech and the privates of parliament meaning that the puritans had little support in the house of …show more content…
Interpretation C is right to say this as it can be seen that it is true with the arrestment of cope and Whitgift never being called on on his crusade on prophesying and even members of Elizabeth’s Privy Council did never attempt to change the settlement the failure of the puritans is clear outlined in C with their lack of leadership and lack of general support from members of parliament and the fact that potential threat that did arouses over the church were stlleted quickie therefore meaning that 3 is right to say it was not a threat however it can be argued that the portetioal of the threat was never it just never came to full fission due to the lack of any domnarying figure within the puritan