Religious changes Flashcards
What did governments fear and what effort was made?
Rapid change
To explain and justify religious reforms and minimise popular instability
What was a realistic objective?
To implement changes with as little disruption as possible and only to target extremists who could not be accommodated in the English church
Who did Henry VIII persecute?
A minority of Catholics who would not be reconciled to the new headship and Protestant reforms
Those sects that threatened the unity of the COE
After the POG what did Henry VIII not face and why?
No more religious uprisings
He decided in 1539 to halt further reforms in the face of growing iconoclasm and because few were prepared to rally to the papal cause
What happened in 1543?
An Act for the Advancement of True Religion declared that ‘no woman nor artificers … husbandmen or labourers’ was to read the bible because those lower sort might acquire ‘naughty’ opinions and fall into ‘great division among themselves’
What was there little of in Edward’s reign and why?
Negative reaction to the Edwardian religious reforms
Somerset and Northumberland introduced reforms slowly and cautiously
What were Somerset and Northumberland concerned about and what happened in 1548 and 1549?
Iterant preachers and unlicensed printing being provocative
Banned all preaching
Censorship was introduced to prevent the printing of radical texts
What were Edwardian reforms greeted by?
Apathy and indifference rather than by active opposition
What could have deterred potential protestors by 1552?
Anticipation of a Catholic restoration
Legislation which made the gathering of twelve or more people a felony
What did Mary Tudor not face and why?
Religious revolts
She and her council encouraged Protestants to emigrate rather than spread opposition
How many heretics were burnt during Mary’s reign?
300
What did a proclamation in 1536 attempt to do and why?
Bar servants, apprentices, and young people from attending burning ceromonies
Thought that public burnings might generate protests
Who was keen to enforce a Counter-Reformation during Mary’s reign?
Bishops in London and dioceses such as Canterbury, York, and Winchester
What was the effect of religious reforms in the 1550s and give examples?
Little impact on the spiritual condition of the people
Catholic and Protestant gentry acquired monastic and chantry
No appetite by clerics or laymen to see a restoration of the papacy
2000 priests resigned or retired
What was Elizabeth’s principal desire?
To achieve outward conformity and to establish a religious settlement that was acceptable to the vast majority of the nation
What was significant during Elizabeth’s reign?
A minority of English counties, notably Lancashire and Sussex, had a Catholic core but none was prepared to revolt against Elizabeth and none of these areas joined the northern earls
What was there only a small minority of?
A number of Catholic priests who were unwilling to subscribe to the oaths of supremacy and uniformity
What increased the potential for Catholic disturbances and how did the government counter it?
The ex-communication and the arrival of Mary Queen of Scots
Counties known to favour Catholicism had their JPs remodelled and assize judges were ordered to readminister the oath of supremacy to all JPs in 1579
What did Walsingham’s agents do?
Alerted the privy council to plots linked with Mary
What did few Catholics do during Elizabeth’s reign?
Sympathise with Mary’s plight or showed interest in the activities of Jesuits and missionaries
What was the impact of Anti-Catholic penal laws from 1571?
Made it clear that Catholics had to choose between obeying the queen and obeying the pope
The majority of the nobility/gentry stayed loyal to the queen
In 1571 what happened?
Parliament passed a bill to force Catholics to take Anglican Communion once a year of pay a £66 fine
Queen vetoed the proposal
What was there no concerted attempt to do?
Force the Church settlement on Ireland
What were English Protestants and give examples?
Loyal to the monarchy
A minority in 1549 wanted further reforms, none rebelled against Mary, and puritans acknowledged Elizabeth as Supreme Governor
What was Elizabeth Protestantism?
Not that popular: it was too academic and unattractive to most rural people
What was generally low and what was the impact?
Attendance at church
Some parishes had difficulty keeping order during services
What were authorities reluctant to do?
Proceed against absentees
What did the emergence of Protestant nonconformists in the 1580s result in?
Sects like the Brownists and Barrowists were forced into exile
Leading members who returned from the continent were arrested
The Court of High Commission was used to censor literature and issue licences to preachers
What did an Act of 1593 do?
Restricted all recusants to a five-mile radius from their homes and imprisoned known troublemakers
Ensured that dissidents were kept under control
