The Puritans were a reforming party within the Church of England which directed it activities towards simplicity of worship and a rigid way of life.
The Puritan controversey became acute during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Originally it was confined mostly to the forms, ceremonies and vestments used in worship. In time it was extended to the nature and government of the Church and the relationship between Church and State.
The Puritans started with the idea that the Church could be reformed from within. In time, many Puritans found it impossible to remain within the Church of England and were obliged to form seperate Churches of their own.
The term Puritan came to be generally limited to those Episcopalians who remained within the established Church but still sought to bring about its further reformation.
A proclamation against the Puritans was issued in 1573 (Elizabeth I). They were forbidden to leave the kingdom without licence in 1635 (Charles I).
James II published his Decleration of Indulgence in 1687. The Toleration Act of May 24th, 1689, relieved all Protestant dissenters excepting Unitarians from penal statutes.
