How Protestant Was England by the Death of Henry Flashcards
Points for this Essay
1) Doctrinal and Legal Changes
2) Example of Henry, the monarchs view and influence of factions
3) Support/ Opposition on a local scale Pilgrimage of Grace
Point One - Doctrinal and Legal Changes
- What do the Legal changes suggest?
From period up to 1536: Protestant legal Changes to the Church - looks as if to suggest country heading in a Protestant direction for 1547
eg. 1533: Restraint of Appeals,
1534: Act of Supremacy
--> BUT dissolution of Monasteries: Attack on prayers for the dead 1536 - first Doctrinal Change // Would leave people only 10 years to change their beliefs which is unrealistic
Point One - Doctrinal and Legal changes
- What does the doctrinal changes suggest?
Late 1530’s and early 1540’s first saw doctrinal changes - BUT confused mix of Protestant and Catholic changes
1537: Bishops Book = reduced importance of Purgatory and mass
1538: Ordered English Bible in Pasishes + relics removed
1539: Act of Six Articles = confirmed transub + those who denyed would be burnt at the stake with no possibility of recantation - MORE CATHOLIC THAN ROME
1543: Act of the Advancement of the True Religion - restricted the Bible to the upper class + publication of the Kings book - defended transub and Six Articles = still used ENG bible tho
Point One - Overall
Legally - ENG not a protestant Country and Catholic beliefs still upheald in 1547
BUT fundamental legal Catholic beliefs had been changed - Pope (But this didnt impact the everyday) christian
Point Two - The Example of Henry and The influence of Factions
- Evidence of Confusion
- Evidence of Protestantism
- Evidence of Catholicism
Supposed to be Supreme Head of the Church - top down reforms
Even events at Court suggest a Confused religious picture = example of Henry’s marriages
1) PROTESTANT Anne of Cleves 1540
2) CATHOLIC Catherine Howard 1540
3) PROTESTANT Catherine Parr 1543
The king executed both Catholics and Protestants as and when he wished.
- Rebels of the Pilgrimage of Grace
- Cromwell
Catholicism
–> Cromwell fall // Henry could have greater control
= Act of Six Articles = // confirms Henry’s view - transub eg. Burning of John Lambert 1548
Protestantism
The issue of why the monasteries were actually closed down, i.e. for religious or economic reasons, is debatable,
== but it must be pointed out that it does create flaws in the idea that he was strongly Catholic, if that was the case he would not have done so.
–> Triumph of Reformist Faction tho - Norfolk imprisoned 1547: but still would take time for their reformist view // - John Cheke as Edwards Tutor
Overall Example of Henry and the Court
Henry = example of the Nation - symbolic of the mood
Some people may argue that if the monarch of a country is Catholic then the country must also be.
However Henry was not consistent in his beliefs, both his fourth and sixth wives were inclined towards Protestantism, and he did close down the monasteries.
Henry did whatever suited him, and therefore his beliefs are not a strong argument for the case that England was still, to a large extent, Catholic.
Reformist faction of seymore secured and catholic faction of Norfolk ousted
–> if not Protestant 1547, // will be later on John Cheke
Point Three: Support on a Local Level for Catholicism
- Evidence to challenge this?
If there was little direction of religious beliefs from central government, unlikely there would be a large scale conversion to Protestantism in the countryside.
It could be said that the bulk of the population was still participating in Catholic practises, such as attending confession, in 1547, and therefore the country itself was Catholic.
–> Pilgrimage of Grace: 1536 - carried on these sentiments - largest rising in Tudor reign w. 40,000
= Studies of wills in 1547 reflect this eg. Gloucestershire
Most still Catholic in wording - references to Virgin Mary and trust in the Salvation through Christs death v. God alone
BUT: Wills mainly written by priests as literate // may influence BUT this even shows that priests were mainly Catholic
Point Three: Support on a Local Level for Protestantism?
- Evidence to challenge this?
However the fact that there was very little opposition to the reform nationwide suggests that people were unhappy with the Catholic Church and the corruption within it, and sympathised much more with Protestant values.
By 1544 all church services were in English, and Catholic prayers were no longer being used, which clearly indicates that people were being subjected to Protestantism.
Geographically some areas, such as Kent, were more Protestant than others, for example Lincolnshire,
- BUT even in Kent, numbers were not large and studies of London wills have suggest only 20% of people were
- BUT even if Protestantism was small level = the attack on traditional practices sill had an impact
–> Period witness decline in number coming forward for ordination
–> Less Church building money being left to the local parish church then before 1529
// confidence in the Church declined + and would be hard to restore - translation of the bible and availability meant things would never be the same again
Overall the extent of Protestantism differed depending on the county, but though some areas were slower to develop their religious change, throughout the country such change was happening.
Overall
In conclusion, by 1547 England was Protestant to quite a large extent.
Obviously some still felt ties to the traditional Catholic beliefs, but religious life had changed for ordinary people.
Their church services were now in English, as were the bibles in their churches. Catholic shrines had been destroyed and people were being discouraged from purchasing relics or indulgences.
Henry VIII, as opposed to the Pope was now the authoritative religious figure, and the monasteries were no longer in existence.
The king’s break from the church had allowed Cromwell and Cramner to use their influence to reflect the urge for religious change that was felt by the English people.
By 1547 religious life and worship had shifted a great deal, and Protestant ideas were very valued, though the country was not yet officially ‘Protestant’.
However this name was only a technicality, and Protestantism seemed inevitable after Henry’s death, considering the young impressionistic new king, the religious values of his advisers, and the feeling amongst the people of the country.
Protestant ideas were distinctly felt by people throughout society, and the evidence backing this up is strong, and despite the erratic nature of Henry VIII, fairly consistent.
