3 - Challenge To The Religious Settlement

Question 1

What did the Puritans oppose to in the New Religious Settlement?

Answer 1

-Vestiarian Controversy 1565: Book of Advertisements told the clergy how to dress (were told to wear the surplice). Puritans wanted the clergy to wear plain black gowns.
- Wording of the new Prayer book: Puritans believed that the presence of Jesus in the Communion service was spiritual, not physical. Walter Strickland MP proposed a new prayer book with Puritan beliefs but was imprisoned.
- The Puritans did not want bishops in the church but the Queen did not like this idea
- The Queen banned the meeting of the clergy to preach to each other as she as scared of the growing opposition to the Religious Settlement. Archbishop Grindal was suspended when he did not enforce this law in 1577. In 1583, the clergy were forced to agree to terms under the three articles (Supremacy, uniformity and royal injunctions) by new Archbishop Whitgift, against the Puritans’ will.

Question 2

To what extent did Elizabeth receive Catholic opposition initially?

Answer 2

• The majority of Catholics accepted the religious settlement as it included aspects of their religion, and most still practiced mass in secret, and rules were very lenient around this from Elizabeth as long as they were loyal.
• The papacy (pope) initially took no action so Elizabeth received no Catholic opposition from abroad. King Philip of Spain did not want to replace Elizabeth with Mary Queen of Scots due to her relationship with France, an enemy of Spain. France was occupied with its own religious civil war from 1562.

Question 3

What Catholic Opposition did Elizabeth start to experience to the Religious Settlement and to her position as queen?

Answer 3

• Some Catholics refused to go to Church, known as recusants, and worked quietly in the background, planning plots to overthrow Elizabeth and replace her with the legitimate Mary Queen of Scots.
• The arrival of Mary Queen of Scots in Britain caused many Catholics to start to oppose Elizabeth, leading to the four plots
• The plot of the Northern Earls was the first major plot against Elizabeth and influenced the plots to come.
• It became apparent in 1570 that the Pope was in fact against Elizabeth and wanted to excommunicate her. Pope Pius V issued Regnans in Excelsis in 1570, which stated that Elizabeth was not the rightful queen of England under the Church. However, it was too late as the Plot of the Northern Earls had been prevented
• As a result of the increased opposition, the treatment of Catholics also worsened. Rules around practicing mass on private tightened. Also, any Catholic that was hostile to Elizabeth and the Religious Settlement was seen as a political traitor and was subject to the death penalty