Elizabeth I: Religious Settlement

Question 1

What were the two key aspects of Elizabeth’s religious settlement

Answer 1

1. Legal status of the church

2. Books to be used in Church services

Question 2

What was there no doubt of regarding religion under Elizabeth

Answer 2

That ties with the Papacy would be severed and a return to that of Henry VIII

Question 3

What type of Church did Elizabeth want

Answer 3

A church with Protestant Doctrine that could retain traditional structure

Retain Catholic ritual to help avoid foreign challenges

Question 4

What was the Pope likely to do and why was this a problem

Answer 4

Excommunicate her

This was a problem because many members of the gentry/nobility were Catholic

Question 5

What was the situation of Protestants at the time of Elizabeth’s accession

Answer 5

Many Protestants had fled to exile in Geneva and other parts of Europe. They thrived in Protestant strongholds

Question 6

What was the legal status of the church like on accession

Answer 6

No changes to the legal status

Question 7

What 4 key components made up Elizabeth’s early religious settlement

Answer 7

1. Act of Supremacy 1559
2. Act of Uniformity 1559
3. Royal injunctions 1559
4. 39 articles of religion 1563

Question 8

What did the Act of Supremacy in 1559 do regarding Royal Supremacy

Answer 8

It restored Royal Supremacy over the Church.

Legislative authority to the crown was held in regards to religious matters

Question 9

What were the three key factors of the Act of Supremacy

Answer 9

1. A repeal of Marian Legislation
2. Extension of Crown’s influence over the Church
3. Appointment of Elizabeth as ‘Governor’ of the Church

Question 10

What Marian legislation was repealed

Answer 10

1. Papal supremacy was rejected
2. The reformation legislation passed under Henry VIII was restored
3. An Oath of Supremacy was to be taken by Clergymen

Question 11

What did the Act of Supremacy allow the Crown to appoint

Answer 11

Commissars to ‘visit’ and ‘amend’ Church abuses

This gave the Crown huge amounts of power to intervene with the Church

Question 12

What title did Elizabeth undertake as a result of the Act of Supremacy

Answer 12

‘Supreme Governor’

Question 13

What was the significance of the title ‘Supreme Governor’

Answer 13

It was concession to Catholic opinion - an acknowledgement that God was the only head

Question 14

What fine was introduced

Answer 14

A 1 shilling fine for recusancy was introduced (non-attendance of church)

Question 15

What was the impact of the Oath of Supremacy

Answer 15

1/5 of all Bishops that refused to take the oath were deprived of their position

Question 16

When was the Act of Uniformity

Answer 16

1559

Question 17

What did the Act of Uniformity specify

Answer 17

It specified the use of the Book of Common prayer - a modified version of Cranmer’s protestant book of 1552

Question 18

What modifications were made by Elizabeth regarding the Book of Common Prayer

Answer 18

Black Rubric - Why Kneeling was banned when praying

Question 19

When were the Royal Injunctions passed

Answer 19

1559

Question 20

What was the aim of the Royal Injunctions

Answer 20

To impose the crowns will

Question 21

Where was emphasis placed

Answer 21

1. On the suppression of superstition

2. On the 1547 injunctions that outlined the use of a communion table rather than an altar

Question 22

What did the Injunctions attack

Answer 22

Pilgrimages and the use of candles

‘Works devised by Mans fantasy’

Question 23

What did the Royal injunctions force parish churhces to do

Answer 23

Buy English Bibles and use them

Question 24

What did Elizabeth need to maintain regarding Religion and why

Answer 24

A healthy atmosphere because Religion was intrinsically linked to Domestic policy and Foreign policy

Question 25

Why was the settlement regarded as a ‘compromise’

Answer 25

Because Elizabeth maintained Catholic doctrine while also introducing Protestant features.

Question 26

Why did Elizabeth compromise

Answer 26

Because Elizabeth understood that Catholics felt bad when going to church

Question 27

What did Elizabeth want

Answer 27

Conformity - she didnt mind if they were catholic, just that they conformed and attended church.

Happy to allow secret services to occur

Question 28

What compromises did Elizabeth make regarding the settlement

Answer 28

1560 Requiem celebrations for the dead - very catholic

1561 Ban on clerical marriage

The death penalty for saying mass not introduced until 1577

Blind eye turned to secret services