ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the nature of reformed religion in the capital and the ways in which Sandys continued his fight against the forces of Catholicism. It illustrates that Sandys was to find himself at the heart of the religious storm. His mission to stop both papal influence and ‘false’ religion prompted him to take action, but in London these actions were concerned with international politics not merely localised disputes. His action against Catholics included him raiding the Portuguese embassy and becoming embroiled in the aftermath of the Bull of papal excommunication. He wrote advising what should be done to secure the Queen’s safety following the St Bartholomew’s day massacre. In addition Protestantism as an umbrella term for reformed religion hid both the immense diversity that had sprung up and the internal conflicts between differing groups. These factors caused significant debate and hostility even within the reformed community. This chapter will look at the conflicts amongst the ecclesiastical elite and at grassroots level. His reaction to the Admonition Controversy and to the wider debates raised by Cartwright and his associates illustrated just how much Sandys’ position had changed since 1559.
