MARPRELATE CONTROVERSY

brief but well-known pamphlet war (158889) carried on by English Puritans using secret presses; they attacked the episcopacy as profane, proud, paltry, popish, pestilent, pernicious, presumptious prelates. The tracts, of which seven survive, never had the support of Puritan leaders and ceased when the presses were discovered by government agents. The identity of the author, who signed himself Martin Marprelate gentleman and Martin junior, is still a mystery; perhaps more than one individual was involved. Anonymous replies appeared in 1589, and in February of that year Richard Bancroft delivered a sermon against the tracts at Paul's Cross, London, which is considered the first statement of the divine right of episcopacy in Anglican apologetics.