Edward's Protestant Reform

Question 1

What evidence suggests England had become legislatively Protestant under Edward?

Answer 1

• 1547 Dissolution of the Chantries: 2,374 chantries were shut down as they were superstitious (prayed for the souls of the dead)
• 1549 Book of Common Prayer:outlined liturgy - services to be in English, clerical marriage was allowed, prayers for the dead were banned. 1549 Act of Uniformity made this official liturgy
• 1552 Second Book of Common Prayer: removed all elements of Catholicism and clearly established the Eucharist in terms of consubstantiation. Made official basis of church services with the 1552 Second Act of Uniformity

Question 2

What evidence suggests England had NOT become legislatively Protestant under Edward?

COUNTER SK

Answer 2

• When the chantries were shut down their assets were seized - in reality they were shut down to raise money for war with France and Scotland rather than religious motives
• The First Book of Common Prayer was deliberately worded ambiguously so that the Eucharist could be interpreted in terms of transubstantiation
• Some extreme reformers like Hooper and John Knox still disapproved of the second book as people receiving the Eucharist still had to kneel and this was considered idolatrous

Question 3

What can we use as consensus for England being legislatively Protestant?

Answer 3

• The chantries were still shut down thus surpressing Catholicism even if this wasn’t the sole intention
• Consubstantiation was enforced in the second book of common prayer - this ambiguity was ammended
• Hooper and Knox were extremist reformers and thus not representative of a general Protestant view

Question 4

What evidence suggests England had become socially Protestant under Edward?

Answer 4

• Iconoclastic Riots in London, East Anglia, and Lincolnshire where radical Protestants destroyed stained glass windows, statues, and images
• 19,000 copies of the Book of Common Prayer were still in circulation upon Mary’s ascension to the throne in 1553

Question 5

What evidence suggests England had NOT become socially Protestant under Edward?

COUNTER SK

Answer 5

• 1549 Western Rebellion was religiously motivated - the rebels persuaded a priest to give a traditional Catholic mass before moving to join the forces from Cornwall - they were protesting the book of common prayer
• The iconoclastic riots were organised and led by Protestant refugees - any action is superficial and not reflective of English population
• Studies of wills show that only 2% of York was Protestant, 1% of the South-West, 27% of Suffolk, and 8% of Kent

Question 6

What can we use as consensus for England becoming socially Protestant?

Answer 6

• Socioeconomic factors such as enclosure and the sheep tax were also at play in the Western Rebellion
• The religious stance in wills may be more of a reflection of the will-writer of that local area than the idividual the will is for