Religious Change - Elizabethan Church Settlement

Question 1

What problems did Elizabeth face with Religion when she came to the throne?
2 points

Answer 1

• Daughter of Anne Boleyn and also Protestants who had been persecuted or exiled wanted her to reform the Church and Beak with Rome.
• However, if she moved away from the Catholic Church she was under threat of invasion from much more Catholic countries.

Question 2

What were her personal beliefs?

Answer 2

She had no sympathy for radical Puritans. But she also had sympathy for Catholics and Protestants, By being religiously ambiguous, she could appeal to as many as possible.

Question 3

How was Elizabeths religious settlement reached ? (what years)
2 big points

Answer 3

1558-9:

• She had to use Parliament, most of her Parliament were Catholic so her and Cecil had to try make it more Protestant by proposing Bill of Supremacy and uniformity (bill of supremacy put her as supreme governor rather than head which Catholics liked as Pope was head)
• Through these 2 acts she then enforced the settlement with oath of supremacy and those who supported Mary refused to take it and were removed meaning Elizabeth could put more Protestants there.

Question 4

What changes were made after 1559? (to the Elizabethan settlement)

Answer 4

• After 1559, Elizabeth didn’t want any changes to be made, She left matters of doctrine to convocation and when unhappy she would intervene e.g. in 1563 when they tried to change a rule which Puritans had pressured convocation to change