ABSTRACT
This reasserts the complexities of reformed religious life in Elizabethan England. It will note that Sandys, a proponent of what was undeniably radical Protestant ideology at the beginning of his career, had moved to a defender of the more moderate Elizabethan settlement by the time of his death. It will illustrate that his career reflected the necessities of compromise in religious reform and raises questions about just how reformed the church was in the sixteenth century. Moreover, his struggles against his enemies illustrate the complexities of Elizabethan politics and religion. The obvious enemies (Catholics) were ever-present but other threats to reputation, family life and the reformed status quo were also notable.
