Religious Settlement Flashcards
what influenced the religious settlement
Elizabeths own views
Parliament’s views
Foreign Policy Considerations
Desire to avoid rebellion or wars
Desire to heal divisions with Scotland
Mary I’s rule and the unpopularity of the persecutions
Religious Settlement acts with dates
Act of Supremacy 1559
Act of Uniformity 1559
Royal Injunctions 1559
Prayer Book 1559
Thirty Nine Articles 1563
what did Elizabeth choose to be called
Supreme Governor
Act of Supremacy 1559
It reestablished the monarch as head of the church, although Elizabeth choose to be called Supreme Governor. In effect, her status was the same as that which was held by Henry VIII and Edward VI but by choosing a less controversial title than Supreme Head she was able to satisfy those who still regarded the Pope as the rightful head of the church or who felt that it was wrong for a woman to hold the top positions. It also required all clergymen and church officials to take an oath of supremacy, those who refused were deprived of their posts. The act restored the legal position of the crown in relation to the church which has been first established in the reign of Henry VIII, the crown had the legislative authority to act in matters relating to the church.
Act of Uniformity 1559
It set out rules about the appearance of churches. It said that any practices which had existed in 1549 when the first prayer book had been issued should still be followed. Although the altar was replaced by the protestant communion tables, catholic artefacts such as crosses and candles were placed on it. The act also set out what priests should wear to conduct services. They kept a catholic appearance of the church which made people less concerned with doctrinal disputes, which means that they would accept the mildly protestant ideas about worship
what was done to ensure uniformity of worship
To ensure uniformity of worship, church attendance was made compulsory. Anyone failing to attend church would be fined, though the fines were small and not usually imposed, and the money collected was distributed to the poor. Attendance at catholic mass was a serious offence with a heavy fine, and anyone saying mass could face the death penalty
Royal Injunctions 1559
It was impossible to set out all the regulations governing the reformed faith in a single act of parliament and so the royal injunctions were issued. Which were a set of instructions about the conduct of church services
Key things included in the 1559 Royal Injunctions
- It attacked traditional catholic practices on the grounds that those ‘works devised by man’s fantasies’
- Preachers had to be licensed by bishops before they could start preaching - to ensure that they were preaching the right doctrine
- Preachers had to preach at least one service each month or lose their license - to ensure that Protestantism was being spread
- Churches had to display a bible in English
- Pilgrimages were to be outlawed
- No more altars were to be destroyed.
Prayer Book 1559
The Act of Uniformity was passed to establish a single agreed set of doctrines throughout the country ending the quarrels between protestants and Catholics. To achieve this, the new prayer book was passed to set out the way that services should be conducted, It was a fusion between the two prayer books issued in Edward VI’s reign as it joined the moderate language of the 1549 prayer book with the more openly protestant words in the 1552 book, it worked brilliantly as a compromise. It changed the meaning of the bread and wine to appeal to both Catholics and protestants
thirty nine articles 1563
It created a new church - Anglicanism and welded together parts from the different protestant and catholic traditions into one.
what happened in the early years to priests who said Catholic Mass
They could be imprisoned
who were recusants
Those who didn’t attend services
what happened to recusants
They were fined but those fines were rarely demanded from those who didn’t attend, this may have been due to failure to collect the, rather than because people attended.
what happened to Catholics in the early 1560s
In the early 1560s, they were rarely prosecuted if they kept their heads down
what was passed against office holders and when
In 1563 stricter laws against officeholders such as lawyers and MPs who refused the oath of supremacy, second refusal meant the death penalty.
how many catholic bishops signed the oath of supremacy and what did this lead to
Only one catholic bishop signed the oath of supremacy in 1559 and this meant that around 400 of the clergy lost or resigned their livings, because they would not accept the settlement, this gave Elizabeth the opportunity to make appointments to loyalists
how did Elizabeth move cautiously against Catholics
Fines were imposed for those not attending protestant services and fines and confiscation of land for anyone persuading the priest to say mass. Priests conducting catholic services could be imprisoned and could face the death penalty
why did Elizabeth move cautiously against catholics
The penalties were severe but not harsh as Elizabeth did not want to create martyrs, and the laws were not fully implemented on instructions of the queen herself to Archbishop Parker. She didn’t not want to make ‘windows into men’s souls’ and most Catholics were outwardly conforming
when did she start to execute priests
In 1577 and this harshness was due to the change in the international situation
catholic threat in England - bishops
Most Marian bishops refused to accept Elizabeth’s religious changes and were deprived of their positions. Few parish priests refused the Oath of Supremacy, but this does not mean that they were wholeheartedly behind the church of England. Regional surveys show that in some areas like Lancashire, there was substantial support for Catholicism. Many clergy in the 1560s led worship that contained traces of Catholicism, for example using Latin rather than English
when did policy towards catholicism begin to change and why
Between 1567 and 1572, Liz found it difficult to sustain her tolerance. Several events at home and abroad changed the image of catholicism
events that sparked a change of policy towards catholics
- In 1567 the pope instructed English Catholics not to attend Anglican Church Services
- In 1567 the Duke of Alba was sent to the Netherlands to put down the rebellion that had broken out against Spanish Catholic Rule. which raised fears that Spain might be intending to force England back to Catholicism
- In 1568 MQS arrived in England seeking sanctuary
- In 1568, A seminary training college for priests in the Netherlands to train missionaries to go to England to support Catholics.
- In 1569, Northern Earls
- In 1570 the pope excommunicated Elizabeth.
- In 1571 the Ridolfi Plot was uncovered which planned to murder Elizabeth and replace her with Mary
- In 1572, Catholics in France killed protestants and brought the religious wars there to a temporary end, this raised the possibility of France turning its attention to England.
events that sparked a change of policy towards Catholics - plots and MQS
- In 1569, leading Catholic Northern Nobles, led by the Earls of Northumberland and Westmoreland rebelled against Elizabeth. They conspired to get the Duke of Norfolk married to MQS which would ensure the restoration of catholicism. They got support from the Pope and military support from Spain. Norfolk was put in the tower, the rebels entered Durham, replaced the protestant communion tables in the cathedral with catholic symbols and restored mass, they failed to gain much support except in North Yorkshire.
- In 1568 MQS arrived in England seeking sanctuary, she seemed to represent all the worst scenarios of English Foreign Policy - she was a catholic contender for the English throne, a focus on the traditional hatred of Scotland and someone who would encourage a French scottish alliance against England
- In 1571 the Ridolfi Plot was uncovered which planned to murder Elizabeth and replace her with Mary
events that sparked a change of policy towards catholics - pope
- In 1567 the pope showed his hostility to the religious settlement by instructing English Catholics not to attend Anglican Church Services
- In 1570 the pope excommunicated Elizabeth. He declared that all Catholics were free of any oaths of loyalty to her. Pius hoped to encourage other Catholics to join the rebellion. Any catholic obeying her would also incur the sentence of ex-communication. This provided direct encouragement to Catholics in English and abroad to oppose Elizabeth’s rule and a justification for rebellions centred on MQS and for catholic Europe to wage war on England. It placed Catholics in an impossible position, it forced them to choose between loyalty to their church or loyalty to the crown
events that sparked a change of policy towards catholics - foreign policy issues
- In 1567 the Duke of Alba was sent to the Netherlands to put down the rebellion that had broken out against Spanish Catholic Rule. The presence of 10,000 Spanish troops just across the channel from southern England raised fears that Spain might be intending to force England back to Catholicism
- In 1568 A seminary training college for priests was founded by William Allen in Douai in the Netherlands to train missionaries to go to England to support Catholics
- In 1572, Catholics in France killed protestants and brought the religious wars there to a temporary end, this raised the possibility of France turning its attention to England.
when did the pope excommunicate Liz
1570
why was legislation tightened against Catholics
The tightening of legislation was a party in response to the internal situation and the worsening relations with the catholic king Phillip of Spain and because of fear of catholic rebellion made worse by the arrival of Catholic priests. despite these problems, Elizabeth was cautious about provoking an outright confrontation with English Catholics.
what was passed in 1571 and why
A new treason act was passed in 1571, making the denial of Elizabeth’s supremacy or following the pope’s order of ex-communication acts punishable by death, though she blocked attempts by the more aggressive protestants MPs to increase penalties for recusancy or attendance at mass
why did start to catholicism decline
In many ways, the decline of Catholicism in England from the 1570s was brought about by the Catholics themselves rather than by Elizabeth’s actions. By forbidding them to attend church the pope exposed Catholics to fines for recusancy that few could afford and forced them to choose between their loyalty to Rome and their loyalty to friends and neighbours because the parish church lay at the centre of village life. Attacks by foreigners on Elizabeth were not popular with English Catholics. Most landlords were happy with the stability of Elizabeth’s reign, she had inherited the throne lawfully through parliamentary statutes, if her position was questioned, so was that of landowners and they preferred social stability to anarchy
what emerged in the mid -1570s
A new catholic emerged in the mid-1570s with the arrival of Catholic priests, specifically trained in Europe
where did the catholic priests come from
They mostly came from Doaai in the Netherlands where there was a catholic seminary, founded by William Allen. It was created for Catholics in England who could be trained as priests for England.
when did priests start to arrive and how many
The first four priests arrived in England in 1574, by the 1590s there were over 100 they moved around in secret living with catholic families.
what other type of priests begin to arrive and when
In 1580 another wave of priests began to arrive and they were called the jesuits
who were jesuits
A religious order dedicated to serving the pope, they underwent rigorous spiritual training to emerge as dedicated enemies of anti-catholic beliefs and used their influences as educators to the rich and powerful in Europe to mount a counterattack against Protestantism. They were trained members of the society of Jesus which focused on missionary activity.
who were the first two Jesuits
Edmund Campion and Robert Persons, and they began building up a network of safe houses with priests hiding holes
reaction to catholic threat 1580s-90s - why was the government forced into action
In the 1570s the Douai priests were not initially seen as a major threat. However by the late 1570s and with deteriorating relations with Spain and the continued presence of MQS in prison, the government was forced into action and several priests were executed for denying royal supremacy.
why were the Jesuits more dangerous
They were seen as fanatics
what happened to campion
He was executed in 1587
Parliament acts against catholic threat in the 1580s-90s
Parliament wanted to impose several penalties on any catholic worship. They agreed on an Act in 1581 to ‘retain the Queen’s majesty’s subjects in their due obedience’. Penalties were harsh, saying mass incurred a year’s imprisonment and 200 marks. Failure to attend church incurred a fine of £20/month - sums ordinary people couldn’t afford. In 1585 an even more extreme act was passed ‘against Jesuits seminary priests and other disobedient persons’. Catholic priests were to leave the country withing 40 days. Even their continued presence in England would be deemed as high treason
how many catholic priests were executed and why
Nearly 150 and most of them under the 1585 act passed ‘against Jesuits seminary priests and other disobedient persons’. This was closely linked to the drift to war with Spain and the pressing need for Liz to act against MQS
what made Catholicism less of a threat
With a combination of harsh laws and the wish of most Catholics to remain loyal subjects to the crown, catholicism became less of a threat. In some parts of the country, mass was still practised in secret, especially among the nobility in the north. Protestantism had nearly wiped out Catholicism until the priests arrived and gained converts.
decline of catholicism among the ordinary people
Among the ordinary people, Catholicism appeared to have had less support.
what didn’t help the catholic cause
The Catholic cause was not helped in the late 1580s and 1590 with disputes between the Douai priests and the Jesuits. The Jesuits were firmly behind Spain’s plans to invade England, the Doaui priests urged caution in supporting Spain because Phillip II was not just fighting against England for the cause of Catholicism, he had his agenda centred on power and wealth.
was Elizabeth’s cautious policy towards Catholics successful
It was, she gained the loyalty of her subjects including the landholders who had the most to lose if they rebelled.
% of catholicism in the end of her reign
In 1603 10% of the population had catholic sympathies but only 2% were active recusants
who were puritans
Hardline protestants who were rejected by Catholics and some protestants
how did the Religious Settlement create puritans
By creating a church which drew on both traditions, the settlement included elements that some protestants found difficult to accept because the restored church of England, though protestant in doctrine was catholic in structure - bishops , rituals and practices.
what did puritans want
They wanted to remove any papal elements from the religious settlement, they were upset with the settlement because they felt it should be a stepping stone to further protestant reform. They wanted a simpler, more biblical form of worship and a hard-line stance against catholicism
what did puritans particularly oppose
They opposed the survival of bishops and the wearing of vestments
what were the main strands of puritanism
Moderate Puritans - reluctantly accepted the structure of the church but wanted doctrinal reforms
Presbyterian - Popular in Scotland, wanted a complete reform of church structure and the simplifying of faith and ritual
Separatist Strand - Broke away from the national church to create their own reformation on a parish-by-parish basis
what puritanical controversy started
the vesterian controversy in 1566
what led to the vesterian controversy
The Vesterian controversy resulted due to tensions between the queen who desired conformity and obedience based on complete acceptance of the settlement and Puritans who believed in the eradication of superstitious practices. Several figures within the church decided that they could not obey the rules on clerical dress laid down in the act of uniformity and royal injunctions
what did Elizabeth do as a result of the Vesterian Controversy
Elizabeth demanded that Archbishop Parker ensure that all clergy were following the religious practices set out in the Injunctions of 1559.
what did Archbishop Parker do initially in response to the VC
Parker issues a book of advertisements which set out what was expected. 37 clergymen in London refused to follow it and were suspended. The refusal raised the question of how far the Queen’s authority as Supreme Governor of the Church extended and her determination to enforce the settlement.
what did Archbishop Parker do instead - VC
Parker wanted to compromise and so he watered down the requirements in this Book of Advertisements as he recognised that the Bible did not prescribe particular clothing. The controversial ended with no conclusion
presbyterian movement - what they believed
The Presbyterian movement gave radical Puritanism national and royal attention. They believed that the church of England which was already calvinist in its doctrine should be further reformed in its structure and forms of worship
what did the presbyterian ideas grow out of
Its ideas grew out of Calvin’s views on church organisation. They wanted the abolition of Bishops, Elizabeth’s reaction to Cartwrights’ ideas was open horror as the movement left very little room for a supreme governor
did Cartwright have influences
In practice, his ideas had little practical influence but the matter was debated in the House of Lords in 1571, when Strickland tried to suggest changes to the structure of the church but most of the bishops were horrified.
what did Presbyterians publish
in 1572, John Field published their criticisms in Admonitions to the Parliament, they attacked the Book of common prayer and asked for the abolition of bishops and a Presbyterian church government, Field was imprisoned for a year as a result.
what began to be spread by puritans
The government became alarmed at the spread of prophesying which was gatherings of clergymen who could practice their art and receive advice. Their main emphasis was on educating the clergy and the laity, the meetings were able to increase the number of competent preachers at their disposal
what did Elizabeth do against Prophesyings
In 1576, Liz ordered Grindal to suppress prophesyings but he concluded that the meetings were not dangerous, he, therefore, refused to accept the queen’s instructions and lectured her about the importance of prophesying in spreading the word of God. She had Grinal placed under house arrest for 7years until his death and she issued direct orders to her bishops to stop prophesying.
who began to attack Presbyterianism in the 1580s
Whitgift
Whitgifts attack on Presyberianism
The 1580s saw the purging from the national church of its Presbyterian elements. In 1583, Grindal died and Elizabeth appointed devout Anglican Whitgift to replace him who has no sympathy for puritans and was determined to enforce uniformity.
what did Whitgift issue
He issued the 3 articles that would have forced all ministers to swear an absolute acceptance of bishops and all that was contained in the prayer book and 39 articles. The result was uproar and within weeks about 300 ministers had been suspended in the south of England alone. Over the next few years strict control was enforced to end prophesying and suppress other Presbyterian practices, he was forced to back down but he had complete support from the queen. By the late 1580s, Presbyterianism was in decline, very few Puritan clergies were prepared to break with the Church by refusing to accept the 3 articles. it was further weakened by the death of its key organiser, John Field in 1589
what was the most extreme form of puritanism and what did they want
The most extreme form of Puritanism was the separatist movement which wanted to separate from the Church of England completely. They argued that the church was incapable of reforming itself and they opposed the queen as supreme head of the church
when did the separatist movement emerge and why
It emerged in the 1580s. The brownists are a form of separatists, they emerged when Robert Brown established a separate congregation in Norwich, he was imprisoned and left England. A new leader for the separatist movement emerged though the numbers involved were small. But their activities were sufficient to alarm the authorities.
what act was passed against separatists
Parliament passed the act against seditious sectaries in 1598. Barrow, Greenwood and Perny (leaders) were tried and executed for circulating offensive books. The movement was destroyed, some claimed this was due to Whitgift’s involvment
when did the separatist movement re-emerged and why
The separatist movement reappeared in 1588-89 in the form of Martin Marprelate tracts
what were Marprelate tracts
They were a bitter written attack on the church and bishops, they used foul language and abuse to make their case. The pamphlets were anonymous and printed in London.
what was the reaction to the Marprelate Tracts
There was a massive outcry which allowed the privy council to bring the destruction of organised Puritanism. Cartwright a Puritan and his associates were tried before the court of high commission and forced to reveal what they knew about the remnants of the prophesying movements. Government propaganda linked puritanism to separatism and separatism to treason. The act against seditious sectaries allowed authorities to execute those suspected of being sepatists
reasons for the survival of the English church
- Elizabeth’s role and strong interest in maintaining the settlement which she saw as the best way to create both political and religious stability. Her opposition to Puritans meant that they found it difficult to use parliamentary means to change elements of the settlement
- The establishment of the Court of High Commission gave the authorities a means to prosecute religious radicals and laws like the treason act acted as a deterrent to those thinking of revelling against Anglicanism
- She was aided - by the role of whitgift. His uncompromising support for Anglicanism gave her a powerful ally against radical elements within the church of England
- Attendance at Anglican Services was made compulsory from 1559 and fines were introduced to enforce this. In small communities, non-attendance was the subject of gossip and could lead to isolation from the rest of the village
- Catholicism in England was disoriented by its association with rebellion against the legitimate monarch and by its undertone of foreign control
- Religious disagreements (divisions between priests and Puritans) and civil war abroad put English people off discussing religion as it reminded them of the dangers of encouraging religious disagreements
