Elizabeth Chapter 6- Religious matters

Question 2

What are the key beliefs of Protestants?

Answer 2

-Monarch is the head of the Church.
-Bible & church services in English.
-Priests can marry.
-Plain churches.
-Bread & wine represent body & blood of Christ.
-Ordinary people connect to God through prayer.

Question 3

Both catholic & protestant beliefs

Answer 3

-God created the world
-Jesus was God’s son
-Those who challenge the true faith must be punished

Question 4

What were the key features of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

Answer 4

-Priests allowed to marry.
-Services in English, using the Book of Common Prayer.
-Declared herself ‘governor’ of the Church.
-Catholics could worship privately.
-Matthew Parker appointed as moderate Archbishop of Canterbury.

Question 5

When was the Northern Rebellion?

Answer 5

1569

Question 6

How was the northern rebellion a challenge to Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

Answer 6

-Led by the Earl of Westmorland & the Earl of Northumberland.
-Inspired by Elizabeth’s refusal to allow the Duke of Norfolk to marry Mary, Queen of Scots.
-Rebels took control of Durham Cathedral & held an illegal Catholic mass.
-Marched south with 4600 men
-But disbanded when the loyal Earl of Sussex raised an army.
-Northumberland executed, Westmorland escaped to France, Duke of Norfolk imprisoned.

Question 7

How was the papal bull a challenge to Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

Answer 7

-(special message) issued by Pope Pius V on 27 April 1570.
-Declared Elizabeth was not the true queen & excommunicated her.
-Called on English Catholics to disobey her laws.
-Aimed to incite rebellion among Catholics against Elizabeth.

Question 8

When was the Papal Bull?

Answer 8

27 April 1570

Question 9

When was the Ridolfi Plot?

Answer 9

1571

Question 10

How was the ridolfi plot a challenge to Elizabeth’s religious settlement?

Answer 10

-Led by Italian Roberto Ridolfi, involving the Duke of Norfolk.
-Planned to assassinate Elizabeth & place Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne.
-Coordinated with a foreign Catholic invasion from the Netherlands.
-Discovered before execution.

Question 11

What were the main challenges Elizabeth faced from Catholics in England?

Answer 11

-Continued plots to overthrow her, such as the Throckmorton Plot (1583) and the Babington Plot (1586).
-Both aimed to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.
-Involvement of foreign powers, like the Spanish ambassador and French support.

Question 12

What was the Throckmorton Plot and its outcome?

Answer 12

-Led by Sir Francis Throckmorton to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.
-Planned uprising of English Catholics and a French invasion.
-The plot failed, and Throckmorton was executed.

Question 13

What was the Babington Plot and its significance?

Answer 13

-Led by Anthony Babington to murder Elizabeth and place Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne.
-Discovery of the plot led to the trial and execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Question 14

Counter-Reformation

Answer 14

-Attempt by the Catholic Church to bring Protestants back to Catholicism.
-Established in response to Protestant Reformation.
-Key figure: William Allen established a seminary at Douai in 1568 to train priests.
-Aimed to send priests as missionaries to England with the Pope’s backing.

Question 15

Who were the Jesuits and when did they begin their work in England?

Answer 15

-Society of Jesus created in 1540.
-Began sending missionaries to England in 1580.
-Purpose: Convert Protestant population to Catholicism.
-Elizabeth viewed them as a threat to stability.

Question 16

Who were the key Jesuits in England and what did they do?

Answer 16

-Edmund Campion and Robert Parsons arrived on 24 June 1580.
-Campion spread his message widely; Parsons remained low-profile.
-Campion was arrested, tortured, and executed for being a perceived threat.

Question 17

What were the factors contributing to the Catholic threat against Elizabeth?

Answer 17

-Pope’s papal bull encouraged rebellion against Elizabeth’s rule.
-Jesuits could undermine her religious settlement.
-European Catholic rulers, like Philip II of Spain, were urged to challenge her.
-English Catholics were incited to rebel.

Question 18

What anti-Catholic laws were introduced in the 1580s?

Answer 18

1571: Recusancy fines for Catholics not attending Protestant services; illegal to own Catholic items.

1581: Increased recusancy fines to £20; high treason for converting to Catholicism.

1585: Priests ordained after 1559 labeled traitors; legal to kill those attempting to assassinate the queen.

1593: Statute of confinement restricted Catholics’ travel.

Question 19

What measures did Elizabeth take against Jesuits and seminary priests?

Answer 19

-Arrested and executed Edmund Campion.
-1585 Act Against Jesuits: Called for driving them out of England; many executed.

Question 20

What were the reasons for the change in Elizabeth’s religious policy regarding Puritans?

Answer 20

-Threat from abroad (e.g., Spain and France).
-Fear of powerful Catholic families in Northern England.
-Popularity of Jesuit missionaries like Campion undermined authority.
-Past plots (Ridolfi, Throckmorton, Babington) showed enemies aiming to overthrow her.

Question 21

What were the beliefs and characteristics of the Puritans?

Answer 21

-Strict Protestants influenced by Calvinism.
-Aimed to remove Catholic elements from the Church of England.
-Advocated for plain clothing and simple services.
-Some were appointed as bishops, but others challenged church practices.

Question 22

How did Elizabeth respond to the Puritan challenge?

Answer 22

-Replaced Archbishop Grindal with John Whitgift in 1583.
-Introduced strict measures against unlicensed preaching.
-Established a High Commission to enforce compliance.
-Dismissed/imprisoned hundreds of Puritan clergymen.

Question 23

What factors led to the decline of Puritan influence after 1590?

Answer 23

-Church of England brought stability; people wanted to maintain it.
-Death of powerful Puritans reduced their influence at court.
-Whitgift’s crackdown dismantled Puritan organization.
-Death of leader John Field in 1588 diminished their momentum.

Question 24

What were the reasons for the failure of plots against Elizabeth?

Answer 24

-Spies: Extensive network, particularly under Sir Francis Walsingham.
-Skilled Politician: Elizabeth effectively managed Parliament and public sentiment.
-Unconvincing Alternatives: No strong support for alternative rulers (e.g., Mary, Queen of Scots).
-Punishment: Harsh consequences for rebels; Elizabeth executed high-profile threats.

Question 25

How did Elizabeth’s religious policy contribute to stability during her reign?

Answer 25

-Majority were kept happy with her religious settlement.
-Though there were crackdowns on Catholics and Puritans, religious differences were mostly tolerated.
-Maintained balance between Protestant and Catholic practices to avoid unrest.