Elizabeth's Religious Settlement Flashcards
1
Q
What were the main religious groups in 1558 in England? Why couldn’t they peacefully co-exist?
A
- Catholics
- England had been Catholic for almost 1000 years until in 1533 Henry VIII replaced the Pope as the Head of the Church and set up the Church of England, which was Catholic, but encouraged Protestants
- In 1553 Mary I restored the Pope’s authority, but more people had already become Protestant
- Protestants were Christians who rejected some Catholic beliefs, including those about the Pope’s authority
- Puritans were a small group of extreme Protestants who wanted an even simpler Church
- They couldn’t peacefully live together as they each thought that their way was the only way of getting to heaven
2
Q
How were Puritans divided?
A
- Moderates: wanted small changes, such as for the clergy to wear simple robes
- Presbyterians: wanted to get rid of bishops
- Separatists: wanted to get rid of a national Church completely
3
Q
What did the 5 key religious issues in 1558 concern?
A
- The Church’s structure
- Decoration and music
- The clergy
- Church services
- The Bible
4
Q
What did each religious group want the Church’s structure to be like?
A
- Catholics wanted the Pope as the Head of the Church, with cardinals, archbishops and bishops to help them govern
- Protestants wanted the monarch as the Head, and archbishops and bishops to help them
- Puritans did not want a Head of the Church, archbishops or bishops
- They wanted committees, elected by churchgoers, to make rules
5
Q
What were the different attitudes towards decoration and music like in 1558?
A
- Catholic churches were as elaborate and expensive as possible to show the glory and majesty of God
- They contained stained glass windows, statues, a huge altar, crosses and candlesticks
- There was also hymn-singing
- Protestants believed spending this much was going against Jesus’ teachings
- Puritans wanted their churches even simpler than Protestants’ as none of the decorations commonly used were mentioned in the Bible
- They were also against church music
6
Q
What was issues were there regarding the clergy before and in 1558?
A
- Under Edward members of the clergy had been allowed to marry, but not under Mary
- Catholics wanted members of the clergy to wear vestments; richly decorated robes
- Puritans wanted plain black gowns
- Protestants wanted something in between
7
Q
What disagreements were there about church services before 1558?
A
- Catholics wanted Latin church services, while Protestants and Puritans wanted them in English
- Under Edward two Protestant Books of Common Prayer were introduced, which contained services in English
- Mary got rid of these
- Catholics wanted Latin Mass; they believed that Mass was a miracle as the priest transformed bread and wine into the blood and body of Jesus (transubstantiation)
- Protestants believed in Holy Communion; they believed the bread and wine remained bread and wine, but were also the body and blood of Jesus (consubstantiation)
- Puritans wanted Communion- they thought the bread and wine only spiritually represented Jesus
8
Q
What differing opinions were there about the Bible before 1558?
A
- Catholics wanted it (the Vulgate) read in Latin by priests only
- Puritans and Protestants wanted it in English (the vernacular) for everyone to read
- Henry had ordered an English Bible to be placed in every church
9
Q
List 5 of Elizabeth’s own religious beliefs, and what influenced them?
A
- She was Protestant due to influences such as her stepmother Catherine Parr, her tutor Roger Ascham and both her parents
- She did not support the Pope’s authority
- Elizabeth didn’t believe in transubstantiation
- Protestants (including Elizabeth) didn’t believe in saints as they were a medium when seeking salvation
- She liked some church decoration and some embellishment on vestments
- She liked church music
10
Q
List 6 reasons why finding a religious settlement was important.
A
- The Pope could excommunicate Elizabeth, which would release her Catholic subjects from obeying her
- He could also call for a crusade against her
- The clergy were all Catholic, including the bishops in the House of Lords
- Elizabeth could maximise her power and wealth through controlling as much of the Church as possible
- Germany and France had experienced civil war due to religion (in England, Protestantism was strong in the SE while Catholicism was in the N and W)
Rebellion: - In 1536 Henry closed down the monasteries and there was a major rebellion, the Pilgrimage of Grace
- When Edward introduced a new prayer book in 1549, Catholics in Devon and Cornwall rebelled
- Sir Thomas Wyatt rebelled against Mary I restoring Catholicism
11
Q
How did Elizabeth decide on the religious settlement?
A
- She and the Privy Council had plans drawn up by February 1559
- However Marian (Catholic) bishops in the House of Lords had refused to vote in support of it
- She arrested two of them, but made more concessions to Catholics:
1. She changed her title from ‘Supreme Head’ to ‘Supreme Governor’
2. She kept the pre-Reformation episcopal structure (Archbishops of York and Canterbury and other bishops) while no other European Protestant churches had done the same
12
Q
Which 4 acts formed the religious settlement?
A
- Act of Supremacy (May 1559)
- Act of Uniformity (May 1559)
- Royal Injunctions (July 1559)
- Thirty-Nine Articles (1563)
13
Q
What 4 things did Elizabeth decide in regards to the Church’s structure?
A
- She had the title ‘Supreme Governor’, so Catholics could still think of the Pope as the Head of the Church
- All government officials had to swear an oath to accept her title
- Refusing once lead to imprisonment, and 3 times execution
- Bishops ran the church (only one of Mary’s bishops took the oath instead of resigning)
14
Q
Describe Elizabeth’s Archbishops of Canterbury.
A
- Matthew Parker (1559-75)
- Was a moderate Protestant that didn’t want to get involved with politics
- Tried to prevent the spread of Puritanism - Edmund Grindal (1576-83)
- Refused to close down prophesyings; Puritan meetings for prayer and discussion that often strongly criticised the Anglican Church
- He was suspended and held under house arrest until his death - John Whitgift (1583-1604)
- Passionate about religious uniformity and hated Puritans
- Oversaw a harsh regime and was politically active
15
Q
What 2 things did Elizabeth decide in regards to church decoration and music?
A
- Ornaments and decorations were allowed
- Hymn-singing continued
