Religion under Elizabeth

Question 1

Why did Elizabeth have to find a ‘via media’ (middle way) regarding religion?

Answer 1

Because she faced a dilemma: As Anne Boleyn’s daughter, she was the embodiment of the break with Rome and protestants wanted her to break from Rome again, but England had returned to Rome under Mary I and if she went too far, she risked invasion from Catholic countries or Catholic insurrection at home. Also, she was technically illegitimate and many people, both Protestant and Catholic, felt a woman was not fit to rule.

Question 2

Why did parliament present an obstacle to Elizabeth achieving a more Protestant religious settlement?

Answer 2

Because the House of Lords was about half Catholic and also had the bishops appointed by Mary in it.

Question 3

How did Elizabeth and her closest adviser, William Cecil, try to resolve the problem presented by parliament?

Answer 3

They introduced two separate bills - for supremacy and uniformity. That way, even if the more controversial uniformity bill ran into trouble, the restoration of the supremacy would not be affected.

Question 4

How did Elizabeth make compromises even with the supremacy bill?

Answer 4

Elizabeth took the title ‘Supreme Governor’ rather than ‘Supreme Head’ of the Church. This was an attempt to appeal to both Catholics, who only recognised the Pope and some Protestants who didn’t like having a woman as head of the Church.

Question 5

How did Elizabeth ensure her governorship would be accepted?

Answer 5

She included an oath of loyalty to be taken by all officials; the penalty for not doing so was loss of office.

Question 6

Did the supremacy bill encounter problems in being passed through parliament?

Answer 6

No!

Question 7

Why did the uniformity bill face problems in parliament?

Answer 7

Because it was more Protestant than the Catholic peers would allow.

Question 8

In what ways was the uniformity bill a compromise?

Answer 8

In terms of the doctrines it aimed to enforce. On the one hand, it reimposed the more radical 1552 Prayer Book and imposed a fine of 12d on anyone who refused to attend weekly Church services. On the other hand, it added two sentences from the more moderate 1549 Prayer Book.

Question 9

What were the lines added to the bill of uniformity from the 1549 Prayer Book?

Answer 9

“The body/blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee, preserve thy body and soul until everlasting life”

Question 10

Why were the two lines from the 1549 Prayer Book added to the bill of uniformity in 1559?

Answer 10

Because Catholics could interpret them as meaning that the real presence existed in the bread and wine (transubstantiation), while Protestants could choose to interpret them as a commemoration of the Last Supper.

Question 11

How did the bill of uniformity get through parliament?

Answer 11

It narrowly passed the Lords vote by 21 to 18. This also includes the fact that two Catholic bishops had been imprisoned and the Abbot of Westminster mysteriously missed the vote. This could be seen as careful management by Elizabeth and Cecil.

Question 12

What happened after the bills were passed and became Acts?

Answer 12

Elizabeth was able to enforce her settlement through the new Oath of Supremacy.

Question 13

Did the bishops take the Oath of Supremacy?

Answer 13

All but one refused - these were Catholic bishops appointed under Mary I - so Elizabeth was able to extend her control over the Church by replacing them with Protestant sympathisers.

Question 14

Who did Elizabeth appoint as the new Archbishop of Canterbury?

Answer 14

Matthew Parker, Anne Boleyn’s chaplain.

Question 15

Did the lower clergy accept the 1559 Act of Supremacy?

Answer 15

Largely, yes. Only about 300 out of 8,000 refused the Oath and were deprived of office.

Question 16

How successful was the Elizabethan settlement as laid out in the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, 1559?

Answer 16

Very successful. There were pressures from Puritans to reform further and there was even a serious revolt in the North led by discontented Catholic nobles in 1569, but the settlement remained intact for the entire reign and became the basis for the Elizabethan Church of England.

Question 17

What developments were there after 1559 regarding the Elizabethan settlement?

Answer 17

In 1563, Convocation met to discuss the Forty-Two Articles of faith introduced in Edward VI’s reign - these were to become the Thirty-Nine Articles. However, a group of Puritans pushed for more radical reforms - so Convocation passed Article 29, which denied the real presence in the Communion (transubstantiation).

Question 18

Why was Article 29 significant?

Answer 18

Article 29 was unacceptable to Catholics and even moderate Protestants, so Elizabeth was forced to intervene. She ordered the article to be left out - so only 38 were published.

Question 19

What was the most significant threat to the Elizabethan Settlement of 1559?

Answer 19

The greatest threat came from Puritans - especially those that had been elevated to positions of power within the Church of England, such as Edmund Grindall.

Question 20

What was the ‘vestments controversy’?

Answer 20

Some more Puritanical priests refused to wear the official uniform for priests - preferring a simpler style.

Question 21

What did Elizabeth do to stop the ‘vestments controversy’, which she saw as a direct challenge to her authority over the Church?

Answer 21

She ordered Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker to enforce the rules. He issued the ‘Book of Advertisements’ instructing clergy on the correct form of dress.

Question 22

What effect did the ‘vestments controversy’ have?

Answer 22

37 London clergy resigned, but Elizabeth had reasserted her control over the Church.

Question 23

What were ‘prophesyings’?

Answer 23

Meetings of Puritans aimed at encouraging better education through Bible study and Puritan clergy practising the art of preaching sermons.

Question 24

What did Elizabeth do about ‘prophesyings’?

Answer 24

She ordered Grindall - the new Archbishop of Canterbury - to suppress them because she feared they might encourage the spread of radical ideas. Grinadall refused, so Elizabeth had him placed under house arrest in 1577.

Question 25

How did Puritans attempt to challenge the Elizabethan Settlement through parliament?

Answer 25

Some Puritans managed to get themselves elected as MPs and used their position to introduce bills that would have changed the original 1559 settlement.

Question 26

Give an example of a Puritan challenge via parliament to the Elizabethan Settlement after 1559?

Answer 26

In 1571, Walter Strickland attempted to introduce a bill that would have changed the Prayer Book. Elizabeth intervened and the bill was suppressed.

in 1587, Anthony Cope and Peter Wentworth attempted to remove the hierarchical structure of the Church of England. They were sent to the Tower of London and Elizabeth ordered the Speaker of the Commons to block any further discussion of the settlement.

Question 27

What had become of the Puritan challenge by 1589?

Answer 27

The Puritan challenge had diminished to an extent. Key Puritans had died (e.g. Earl of Leicester) and parliament passed the Act against Seditious Sectaries in 1593, which exiled anyone who refused Church of England services and execute any exiles who returned.