Edward Religious Change Flashcards
what was the state of religion in 1547
The rituals and doctrine of the church were still catholic as they created a good religious frame of mind among the congregation.
what catholic rites remained by 1547
Catholic rites of confirmation, marriage and holy orders were reintroduced
state of the church by 1549
Protestant practices had been adopted such as the bible taught in english and ban of pilgrimages but prayer to saints were allowed, there were no monasteries as they had been dissolved in 1536
what laws held the 1549 protestant church together
They were held together by heresy, censorship and treason acts
what was the overall view of religion
there was a conflicted view of religion
what did religion under Edward IV move to
It saw a move towards Protestanism
what was Somerset’s personal views
Somerset himself had personal sympathy with key protestant ideas
what type of approach towards religious change did S. adopt
A moderate and cautious approach
why did S. adopt a moderate and cautious approach
As lord protector, he recongnised the sensitivity in making religious change
what radicals did S. welcome to the privy council
John Hopper and Thomas Becon
who were in favour of religious reform under S.
Only a significant minority was, for example people in east anglia
why was S. cautious approach ideal
Though Somerset’s religious policy did not satisfy radicals it was ideal as :
1. Henry VIII’s will stated no radical religious change until Edward was 18
2. He did not want to alienate the growing radical minority and wanted to keep influential churchmen on his side
3. He wanted to ensure the support of the HRE, as scotland had rallied with france and wanted their support in case of a war
Key Religious Acts under Somerset and dates - 7
- July 1547 - Issue of Royal Injunctions
- December 1547 - Dissolution of the Chantries Act
- 1547 Repeal of the Treason Act
- Jan 1549 Act of Unifotmity
- May 1549 Book of Common Prayer
- Use of Proclamations
- Denunciation of church images Feb 1547
proclamations
Somerset issues 77 in total and it allowed him to rule freely without parliament
1547 denunciation of church images
it was an injunction passed to encourage the destruction of images. It reflected the radical attititudes among churchmen especially Nicholas Ridley, this led to widespread iconoclasm
what is iconoclasm
Widespread breaking of images and statues by radical protestants
July 1547 Injunctions
It reflected the radical attitudes in government as it attacked many features of popular catholicism such as lights, images, stained glass, processions and practices associated with candlemas, ash wednesday and palm sunday
treason act 1547
This repealed the treason act passed by Henry VIII which executed those who denied royal supremacy. It repealed the act of six articles and the heresy, censorship and treason laws which has stifled religious debate under Henry VIII.
what did the repeal of the treason act lead to
The repeal allowed people to openly discuss religious matters and radicals were free to demand more, it meant that restrictions on what could be said were now lifted as a result it unleased even more radical views and unrest, followed by an attack on catholic images, churches and altars.
what was printed as a result of the treason act 1547 and what were its consequences
pamphlets were printed to attack mass, it led to the rise of protestant propaganda and allowed for public meetings about religion, leading to more disorder and unrest.
what was done by Somerset to deal with the problems caused by the repeal of the treason act
he issued proclamations to restore law and order
why did somerset have to issues proclamations to restore law and order
the repeal of the heresy laws meant that the government did not have the power to deal with the situation, as the repeal of the laws meant that no one could be arrested or executed over religious matters
what were chantries
places where mass were made for the soul of the dead which was a catholic practice
1547 chantries act
The act dissolved over 3000 chantries and their properties were seized by the crown. This represented a further attack on popular catholicism
reasons for the chantries act 1547
It was said to be an attack on superstitions but it was done to fund the war against Scotland.
how much did the church lose as a result of the chantries act
It lost 60% of its income
Act of Uniformity 1549 - s
The act was designed to impose a single uniform standard to worship across England in order to end religious debate and confusion that has been growing since 1534.
what were the terms of the act of uniformity - s - 5
Mass in English
The laity could receive communion which was a clear breach of the catholic tradition of reserving wine for the priests
Allowed clergy to marry
Removed images
Enforced the first book of common prayer
what did the act of uniformity cause- s
Western Rebellion 1549
book of common prayer - s
It set out a unifrom way in which servives should be taken and it translated services into English.
book of common prayer - s
It set out a unifrom way in which servives should be taken and it translated services into English.
book of common prayer- s
It set out a unifrom way in which servives should be taken and it translated services into English.
who introduced the book of common prayer- s
Archbishop Cramner
did the book of common prayer include clear protestant values -s
No, it was very vague
what made the BofCP vague- s
It included an ambiguous definition of the Eucharist which Catholic Bishop Gardiner thought could still imply the acceptance of transubstantiation.
what was the overall religious impact of Somerset’s religious reform
he made more ceremonial changes to the outlook of the church and practices as opposed to doctrinal and structural changes
why did Catholic elements still remain in the church - s
The act of uniformity failed to properly be enforced in local areas like Devon and Cornwall. While most catholic traditions and practices had been attacked and destroyed moves to implement radical Protestantism were very slow and met with major opposition at a grassroots level. - western rebellion
ways the acts passed failed to produce more radical change- s
Act of uniformity did not create a full protestant church, services were conducted along familiar lines apart from the language and by priests who dressed and behaved as always
The prayer book did not deny the central catholic idea that the priest transformed the bread and wine of the mass into the real presence of Christ, though it reassured protestants by giving the impression that the priest simply led the event
Chantries act was done to raise money rather than for religious reasons
how significant was the social impact of religious change- s
It was highly significant as it led to the attack on the religious experiences of ordinary people and enabled a renewed plundering of the Church’s resources
how did the religious change impact the common people- s
The injunctions attacked many catholic practices, dissolution of chantries destroyed a means by which Catholics could connect with the dead and to their communities at large, it also led to widespread fear that this would lead to start of systemic asset striping of the church
why was the Book of common prayer moderate - s
Somerset hoped that it would satisfy the reformers without antagonising the religious conservatives and that the large proportion of the uncommitted public
Pressures facing S’ religious reform
- Exiled protestants who had fled persecution in the 1530s and 40s began returning from the Netherlands and Germany, they settled in towns where their radical demands caused frequent clashes with the local community
- The reform faction was in control of the government and wanted reform but English Bishops were split evenly on whether they wanted to support further changes
- Relaxation of censorship
- Catholic elements like the belief in purgatory and worship of saints were not banned, simply discouraged
what did N want to do with religious change
N wished to continue and support radical protestant reform. Conservatives lost their prominent positions e.g Gardiner was imprisoned in the Tower of London and other reformer bishops were appointed like Ridley
acts passed by Northumberland
Treason Act 1552
Second Act of Uniformity 1552
Prayer Book 1552
Instructions 1553
42 Articles Jun 1553
treason act - N
Passed in 1552, it made it an offence to challenge the royal supremacy or beliefs of the English Church
second act of uniformity - N
Passed in 1552, it introduced the 1552 Prayer Book and made it an offence for the clergy and laity not to attend church services. Offenders were to be fined or imprisoned
book of common prayer - N
It removed all traces of catholicism and the mass. The significance of the Eucharist was reduced as it was now called the last supper, with more emphasis on it being a commemorative ceremony
key changes of the Book of Common Prayer - N
- Removal of remaining Catholic ceremonies as they no longer fitted in with the regime’s religious radicalism, which meant that conservatives could no longer find anything in it that they could accept
- Rewrote baptism, confirmation and burial services to make services more simple for the congregation to understand
- Radical reform of communion service, including replacement of wafer with ordinary bread, which was a decisive change from the ambiguity of the 1549 prayer book which showed the influence of Zwinglianism (religious ideas of Switzerland protestant reformer Ulrich Zwingli who was more radical than Martin Luther
- Ban on the use of popish vestments as it was seen as objects of superstition and simpler vestments were seen as a way to keep with the simpler approach to services
- Restriction on the use of church music as moderate protestants thought that church music hindered religious understanding, radical opinions considered it an idolatrous
1553 Instructions
There were instructions sent out to bishops and told them to ensure that altars were replaced by communion tables and clergy should not wear vestments
attack on church wealth - N
Commissioners of the church had to remove all gold and silver plates held in parish churches and they were to be transferred to the crown. Bishop Tinstall in Durham was imprisoned and fined £2000
42 articles
Confirmed the protestant nature of the church, it was made by Cranmer and introduced a more extreme interpretation of the Eucharist, it was the most radically reformist article of religion during the whole Tudor period
change and continuity
- church structure -
continuity - Edward still head of the Chruch like under Somerset
Church hierarchy - bishops still exist, but radical reformers wanted this abolished - Church services and practices -
continuity - many religious practices had already been banned under previous monarchs
change - wafer replaced by ordinary bread, priestly vestments and music no longer allowed, altar replaced by a plain table - Church doctrines
Change - interpretation of bread and wine more radical
continuity - England was still protestant not catholic
influences on N’s religious policies
- Northumberland’s religious convictions - Part of the reformist faction, the reason he was angered by S was that he was less radical. Reverts to Catholicism before his execution by Mary Tudor which raises questions about his religious beliefs
- Cranmer and Radical English Clergy - Cranmer was becoming increasingly radical, this was reflected in the 42 articles and the second book of common prayer. Cranmer was also a close friend who helped N. become lord protector - owed him a debt. Radical senior clergy like Ridley, Bishop of London and John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester were becoming more influential
- European reformers such as Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr had moved to England and were becoming influential in decisions on religious matters, they wanted the abolition of bishops. 42 articles and prayer books were influenced by them
- Edward IV increasingly asserted his Protestantism and became influential in decisions and policy-making processes. The king took his role as head of the church seriously and believed it was his mission to destroy idolatry. He once struck out the mention of saints in a book given to him
- Finances - Taken from the church due to the 1548 famine and inflation. Transfers property to the crown, fines people and imprisoned offenders to claw back money
extent of religious change by 1553
Protestant - England was officially a protestant country by law, stronger in London, S.E. and East Anglia, accepted mostly by the public partly due to N. making church attendance compulsory. Popular with the young, traders and educated
Catholic - Ed was only a king for 6 years, not enough time to make long-lasting change, all of his protestant reforms were quite artificial. Many churches hid images rather than destroying them. People had to be forced into protestant practices and priests had to be urged against transubstantiation which showed that Catholic beliefs were still popular and people only followed it because of legislation.
Church was still corrupt - Catholicism was still popular in the North and only 20% of the clergy were married.
