Religion policies + The Religious Settlement

Question 1

What were the 2 key features utilised to reform religion during Elizabeth’s reign?

Answer 1

One of the major properties of the Elizabethan regime

• The legal status of the church
• The liturgical books to be used in church services

Question 2

Explain the main reasons for the creation of The Religious Settlement

Answer 2

Elizabeth aimed the settlement could be utilised as a means of preventing further religious turmoil + brutality seen under Mary In stamping down protestants (a final enforcement)

It enforced her protestant doctrinal beliefs but attempted to ensure that the process was somewhat gradually in bringing the conservative ideology under attack in order to ensure she didn’t antagonise catholics which would help to kept social order + support from the concervative house of lords.

Question 3

What was the Elizabethan Religious Settlement?

Answer 3

The Religious settlement of 1559 essentially comprised;

• The Act of Supremacy
• The Act of Uniformity
• The Royal Injunctions
• The Book of Common Prayer
• The 39 Articles of religion were introduced to law in 1563.

Question 4

What was the Act of Supremecy?

Answer 4

Act restored in law the royal supremacy in the church which had been established by Henry8

• Act described the Queen of England as Supreme Governor rather than supreme head’ of the church of England like her father had been
• Required clergymen + churchmen to swear an Oath of Supremacy + penalties for failing to do so.
• It revoked Heresy Acts + the Papal supremacy & set up system of punishments for recusants or those who failed to use the prayer book/ publicly objected to its use but allowed freedom of disccuion of religion

Question 5

What was The Book of Common Prayer?

Answer 5

• It Omitted the Black Rubric of 1552 which denied the real presence of Christ during the communion service and changed the words said by the priest as he consecrated the bread and wine.

The Act Restored the legal position of the crown in relation to church + granted legislative authority for the crown to act in matters regarding church.

Question 6

What was The Act of Uniformity?

Answer 6

• The Act of Uniformly specified the use of a single book of common prayer which was a modified version of the second strongly protestant book of prayer that Cranner introduced in 1552.

The two modifications meant that;

• Variations of Eucharstic belief were possible as the wording of the 1549 version (more conservative language) and wording derived from the swiss reformer were both permitted
• The ‘Black Rubric’ which had been included in the 1552 prayer book to explain away the practice of kneeling at the administration of the Eucharist was omitted.

Question 7

What are historians views on the Elizabethan Religious Settlement ?

Answer 7

American historian William Haugarard in 1968 argued;
- Elizabeth saw the settlement as a final rather than a precursor for further reform.

Its argued Elizabeth + her ministers always intended the settlement should be firmly protestant + their was never any serious or genuine intention to restore catholicism but for appearances people needed to believe some elements of traditionalist ideas were being restored in order to maintain social order + to keep support in the conservative house of lords.

Question 8

What were The Royal Injunctions?

Answer 8

A set of instructions drafted by Ceil about the conduct of church services issued + made the protestant character of the iinjunctions clear by putting emphasis on suppressing superstition.

The injunctions ordered the clergy to;

• Observe royal supremacy + preach against superstition
• Condem images, relics + miracles
• Observe the ornaments the rubric laid down during Edwards reign.

Parish churches were required to have an English bible however didn’t include all Elizabeths personal idiosyncrasies eg her dissaproval of clerical marriage.