Admonition to Parliament

1572. An anonymous English tract, secretly printed, which probably represents an extreme reaction to Archbishop Parker's attempts to secure conformity and Queen Elizabeth I's suppression of parliamentary attempts to reform the Prayer Book. The first part was written by Thomas Wilcox in clear, concise style, with many biblical references and without abuse. It asserted that the church had not yet been fully reformed since the biblical model had not been followed in such matters as the appointment of elders and maintenance of discipline. The second part, written in cutting phrases by John Field, objected to papal associations in the Prayer Book and vestments. The Admonition quickly ran to three editions, but its authors were apprehended and imprisoned for a year. Later in 1572 a second Admonition appeared, possibly written by Thomas Cartwright. This outlined a Presbyterian structure for the church.