MARPRELATE, MARTIN, CONTROVERSY concerning. — The pseudonym M., meaning “flagellator of prelates” (from the English mar and prelate), designates a sixteenth-century Puritan writer, author of various pamphlets against the Anglican hierarchy and its bishops.
When Henry VIII of England separated from Rome, in addition to many doctrines and ceremonies of the Catholic Church, he particularly wished to preserve the episcopate, despite the displeasure this caused some people. During the reign of Mary Tudor (1533–58), many English Protestants who had taken refuge in Switzerland had become imbued with the anti-hierarchical doctrines of Calvinism. On their return to England at the Queen’s death, they therefore hoped to reform the Anglican Church on the Calvinist or Presbyterian model, which they regarded as more in conformity with primitive and purer Christianity: hence their name of “Puritans.” Queen Elizabeth (1558–1603), although more inclined toward the episcopal system, which, unlike the Calvinist or Presbyterian system, gave her the possibility of dominating the Church through the appointment of bishops, proceeded cautiously at first; toward the end of her reign, however, and after the defeat of the Spanish “Armada,” feeling secure, she began a veritable persecution of the Puritans in the kingdom. For this purpose she employed the Archbishop of Canterbury, G. Whigift (1583–1604), who willingly made the Queen’s designs his own, not so much on account of the Puritans’ doctrine of predestination—for he had been Lambeth Articles (v.), which were thoroughly Calvinist—as because of their vigorous propaganda against the episcopal system. He had draconian laws published against the authors and printers of Puritan pamphlets. Certain men resisted, such as G. Udall, G. Penry, and G. Thockmorton, who, defying extremely severe laws and punishments and moving their printing press, with great danger and risk, from one place to another, continued the struggle against episcopacy through pamphlets or libels signed M. M.: thus began the “controversy of M. M.” Seven pamphlets were published under this pseudonym, all written in a playful, skillful, and often vulgar tone, but laying bare the wretchedness of the Anglican episcopate. The bishops first replied with a serious pamphlet written by the Bishop of Winchester, T. Cooper; but later, seeing that the people were more interested in the marprelatist libels because of their brilliant and mordant style, they employed the work of popular writers such as Lyly and Nashe, so that they might combat their adversary with the same weapons.
The controversy properly lasted one year, from 1588 to 1589. The marprelatists, relentlessly persecuted by the ecclesiastical and secular police, were in fact discovered; their printing press was located and confiscated, and the printers were imprisoned, tortured, and fined. Of the principal promoters, Udall died in prison; Penry was able to flee to Scotland, but, returning to England, was hanged in 1592; Throckmorton, who appears to have been the principal author of the writings, was first condemned, but was subsequently pardoned following the appeal he made to the lord chancellor.