Elizabeth I - Religious Developments

Question 1

Who were the church papists?

Answer 1

They were loyal to Elizabeth but were conservative and disliked radical change. They believed that mass and other sacraments were necessary for salvation. This included the majority of people and 8000 of the lesser clergy. They attended protestant services and celebrated mass at home.

Question 2

Who were the recusants?

Answer 2

They refused to attend church services or take the oath of supremacy. It is estimated that one third of the peerage and a sizeable section of the gentry. In Lancashire, Catholics still outnumbered protestants in 1603. In 1582, the council estimated that there were 1939 known recusants. No attempt was made to identify recusants until the late 1570s.

Question 3

Who were seminary priests?

Answer 3

They were taught to return to England and work for the salvation of souls. If necessary they should become martyrs to restore the Catholic faith. They started returning in 1574. 438 returned and 98 were put to death.

Question 4

Who were the jesuits?

Answer 4

A catholic missionary order founded in 1534. They took a special allegiance to the Pope, but there were fewer Jesuits than seminary priests. They began to arrive from 1580, insisting that Catholics should separate themselves from the Elizabethan Church.

Question 5

What events caused the increase in the Catholic threat?

Answer 5

1568 Mary Queen of Scots arrived in England and Northern rebellion 1569.
1570 excommunication.
Catholic plots against Elizabeth.
Foreign policy - support of Protestant rebels and the Spanish armada.

Question 6

Who was executed in 1570?

Answer 6

John Felton executed for displaying the Papal Bull

Question 7

What were the three acts against Catholics?

Answer 7

1571 -
Treasonable to declare that Elizabeth is not queen
Treasonable to introduce or publish any Papal Bulls
All those who have fled abroad should return within twelve months or forfeit their property.

Question 8

What were the two acts against Catholics?

Answer 8

1581 -
Recusancy fines now increased to £20
It is treasonable to convert people to the Catholic faith

Question 9

What was the act against Jesuits and Seminary priests?

Answer 9

1585 - any priest ordained by the Pope’s authority is now guilty of treason as soon as he steps foot in England. Anyone harbouring a priest is liable to suffer death.

Question 10

How were recusants further punished?

Answer 10

1587 - if they default in the payment of fines, they could have two-thirds of their land seized by the Exchequer.

Question 11

How many Catholics were executed in 1588?

Answer 11

31

Question 12

When was large groups of Catholics made illegal

Answer 12

1593

Question 13

When was the proclamation forcing Jesuits to leave the country?

Answer 13

1602

Question 14

What did the Puritan clergy want removed from the church?

Answer 14

1563: Bishops petitioned the Convocation to ask if -
Holy days abolished
Ministers could read services facing the congregation
Sign of the cross omitted from the baptism ceremony
Organ music accompanying hymns to be abolished
Individuals to leave their own discretion when kneeling for communion
Surplice accepted as sufficient for most ceremonies.
The petition was defeated by only one vote

Question 15

What were the Advertisements?

Answer 15

1566 - Archbishop Parker issued the Advertisements which fixed down the rules for the conduct of services and vestments. 37 of the most energetic clergy were removed from office. Puritan unrest eventually centred on wearing the correct dress, known as the Vestments Controversy. Elizabeth’s insistence that exact dress should be worn became a test of conformity.

Question 16

What were Strickland’s actions?

Answer 16

April 1571 - A bill was introduced by Strickland to reform the Book of Common Prayer by removing practises regarded as Catholic. He was prevented from attending the commons by the Privy council

Question 17

What were further bills in the 1570s?

Answer 17

1571 - 72 a series of further bills for reform were introduced but none were passed.
1572 - a bill was introduced on rites and ceremonies to remove many practises from the prayer book. The queen intervened to prevent parliament from discussing religious matters

Question 18

What was the admonition to parliament?

Answer 18

1572 - a biting attack on the church which criticised its structure and doctrine for its continuing links with Catholicism. The authors, John Field and Thomas Wilcox were imprisoned. Puritan printing presses were destroyed.

Question 19

What were the actions of Peter Wentworth?

Answer 19

1576 - led a Puritan attack on clerical abuses. He was sent to the Tower of London

Question 20

What was Peter Turner’s proposed bill?

Answer 20

Bill to change the government of the Church to Calvin’s system at Geneva. The bill was lost from sight after a forceful speech against it in the House of Commons from Sir Christopher Hatton.

Question 21

What was Anthony Cope’s actions?

Answer 21

He moved to introduce Turner’s ‘Bill and Book’ in 1587. Peter Wentworth argued that MPs should have the right to discuss religious matters in parliament. The bill was denied a reading and Cope and Wentworth were imprisoned. The council prevented MPs from discussing the bill further.

Question 22

What were James Morrice’s actions?

Answer 22

1593 - he introduced two bills to abolish oaths and subscriptions, unlawful imprisonment and restraint of liberty. He was suspended from office and imprisoned

Question 23

What is Puritanism?

Answer 23

They believed in the eradication of popish superstition, and they were most influential in the 1560s and 70s

Question 24

How did the Queen deal with those who wanted to not wear the required vestments?

Answer 24

She dismissed the prominent Oxford academic Thomas Sampson from his post at Christ Church college for his refusal to wear the required vestments.

Question 25

What were the Advertisements?

Answer 25

Archbishop Parker and five bishops issued these in March 1566 which required the clergy to follow one uniformity of rites and manners in the administration of the sacraments. 37 clergy men refused to signify their support and were deprived of their posts.

Question 26

What did Presbyterians believe?

Answer 26

The Church of England should be further reformed in its structure and its forms of worship. It grew out of Calvinist views in Church organisation and discipline

Question 27

What was the pamphlet war?

Answer 27

Followed the two admonitions. Between Thomas Cartwright and John Whitgift. The former argued that the 1559 settlement had to be modified whilst the latter argued that the Presbyterian attitude was destructive

Question 28

How did the Presbyterian movement decline?

Answer 28

Death of its key organiser, John Field in 1589. No synod was held after 1589 and the reputation of the Presbyterian suffered on the account of the satirical Marprelate tracts which were written about some bishops at the time.

Question 29

What are separatists?

Answer 29

Wanted to separate from the Church of England altogether and were opposed to the Queen being the Supreme governor. It emerged in the late 1580s.

Question 30

Who was involved in the separatist movement?

Answer 30

Robert Browne became the leader of a significant congregation in Norwich, but he went into exile in the Netherlands with some of his congregation in 1582. He returned in 1585 and made peace with authorities with the help of Lord Burghley.
Barrow and Greenwood led the movement in London but the numbers involved were small. This led to the passing of the Act Against Seditious Sectaries in 1593. Barrow and Greenwood along with John Penry were executed.

Question 31

Why did the Puritan movement decline?

Answer 31

Declined in the late 1580s, partly because of the deaths of Leicester, Mildmay and Walsingham. The fundamentally Calvinist beliefs of the Church of England were reaffirmed in the Lambeth Articles in 1595. The 1559 Book of Common Prayer were accepted as the basis for a form of worship.