Elizabethan England (Key topic 2.1) Flashcards
What were Catholic beliefs?
- Pope is head of the church
- Priests can forgive sins
- Bread and wine become the body and
blood of Christ - Services in Latin
- Churches highly decorated
What were Protestant Beliefs?
- No pope
- Only God can forgive sins
- Bread and wine represent the body and
blood of Christ - Services in English
- Churches should be plain and simple
What were Puritans?
Very strict protestants, who had very extreme views
What were Puritans beliefs?
no decoration in churches, no bishops or cardinals
Where were the majority of Catholics?
In the North and West of England
Where were the majority of Protestants?
In the south-east, East Anglia and London
Why was the number of Protestants in England growing?
Since the 1530s, many Protestants fleeing
persecution in Europe had landed in England,
Where were the majority of Puritans found?
Puritans found in London and East Anglia
What were the features of Elizabeth’s religious settlement? (4)
- The Act of Uniformity established the appearance of churches and how services should be conducted.
- The Act of Supremacy made Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. All clergy had to swear an oath of allegiance to her.
- The Book of Common Prayer introduced a set of new church services to be used in all churches.
- The Royal Injunctions
What was the impact of Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement?
- 8000 clergy out of about 10 000 accepted
the religious settlement. - The majority of ordinary people accepted
Elizabeth’s religious settlement and attended
the church services, even though many of
them held on to Catholic beliefs.
When was Elizabeth’s religious Settlement?
1559
What did the Royal Injunctions make all Clergy do?
- wear special clothes (vestments).
- To teach Royal Supremacy
- Keep an English Bible
- Report people who refused to attend church.
What was the role of the Church in society?
- Enforced Elizabeth’s religious settlement
- Legitimised Elizabeth’s rule – the
Church encouraged people to remain
loyal to and not rebel against
their monarch. - Gave spiritual and practical advice
Preached the government’s message –
priests needed a government’s licence
to preach. This ensured the clergy
preached Elizabeth’s religious and
political message
What was the aim of Elizabeth’s religious settlement?
Aimed to establish a religious form that would be acceptable to Catholics and Protestants.
What were some of the challenges to the Religious Settlement?
- Puritan challenge at home: Disobeyed parts of the Religious Settlement.
- Crucifix Controversy: refused to display crucifixes in churches, which had been ordered by Elizabeth to please the
Catholics. Elizabeth backed down.
What was the Puritan challenge?
- Where Puritans refused to wear vestments and disobeyed parts of the Religious Settlement
What did Elizabeth do about the Puritan challenge at first?
She tolerated it at first but in 1565 she ordered the Archbishop of Canterbury to ensure that all Priests wore the surplice. Those puritans who still refused lost their jobs or were imprisoned
What was the Crucifix controversy?
Puritans refused to display crucifixes in churches, which had been ordered by Elizabeth to please the
Catholics.
Why did Elizabeth back down from the Puritans refusing to display crucifixes in churches?
She backed down as some Puritan bishops threatened to resign, and she could not replace them with educated Protestant clergy of similar ability
What was the Vestment Controversy?
People refused to wear the vestments (special clothing worn by clergy). In 1566, 37 Puritan
priests resigned after refusing to wear new vestments when ordered.
How many puritans resigned after refusing to wear new vestments when ordered?
37 Puritan priests in 1566
Why was Mary Queen of Scots a threat to Elizabeth?
- She was Elizabeth’s second cousin so had a good claim to the throne of England
- She was a Catholic so her claim to the throne was supported by many English Catholics
Why did Mary arrive in England?
She was believed to have been involved in her husband’s murder, which led to a rebellion in Scotland. Mary fled to England in 1568. This made her more of a threat to Elizabeth, so she was imprisoned.
Why was Mary imprisoned when she arrived to England?
By remaining in England she could
encourage rebellion, as many members of the
Catholic nobility believed they could overthrow Elizabeth and place Mary on the throne.
What was the Counter Reformation?
The Catholic Church’s attempt to reverse the
Protestant Reformation in Europe and stop its
spread
What are recusants?
People who practised the Catholic religion in secret
What was the extent of the Catholic threat at home?
- One third of the English nobility and gentry, particularly in the north and west of England, were recusants (refused to attend church) because they did not agree with the Settlement.
- This was encouraged by the pope.
- This was a major cause of the Revolt of the Northern Earls
What happened in France?
When religious war began in France, in 1562,
Elizabeth backed French Protestants, hoping
to take back Calais in return. Yet this policy
failed, as French Protestants made peace
with the Catholics later that year.
What did the Pope do the Elizabeth?
Excommunicated her from the church in 1570
which could encourage Catholic powers such as France and Spain to attack England
