Religious Settlement 1559

Question 1

What were the two main acts of the religious settlement?

Answer 1

• act of supremacy

- act of uniformity

Question 2

What was the act of supremacy?

Answer 2

to firmly establish the English monarch as the official head of the Church of England. It stated that the queen was “supreme governor” of the Church of England

Question 3

What was the act of uniformity

Answer 3

An amended version of the 1552 Prayer Book was reissued under the Act of Uniformity of 1559

Question 4

Why did Elizabeth want to please the catholic’s ?

Answer 4

very powerful Catholic states were carefully scrutinising religious events in England. At this time, 1559, Spain was seen as an ally. She didn’t want to anger Catholic France and push the French government even more into a relationship with Scotland

Question 5

What was the first problem Mary faced ?

Answer 5

when Convocation stated its belief in Papal supremacy and its support for the doctrine of transubstantiation

Question 6

What was the problem with the act of supremacy ?

Answer 6

Neither zealous Catholics or Protestants were willing to accept a woman as Head of the Church – hence Elizabeth’s compromise of taking the title ‘Supreme Governor’ as opposed to ‘Head’.

Question 7

What was the challenge in passing the act of supremacy and how did Elizabeth deal with it ?

Answer 7

The arrest and imprisonment in the Tower of two catholic bishops during the Easter Recess of 1559 may have also ‘persuaded’ some Catholics in the Lords that it was in their best interests to support the new Queen.

Question 8

What was the religious settlement unable to do ?

Answer 8

it could never have satisfied the wishes of those who were at the religious extremes of society

Question 9

How did the act of supremacy please people ?

Answer 9

This may have been to appease Catholics who believed the Pope was “head” of the church, or to appease those who believed a woman could not be head of the church

Question 10

What did the act of supremacy include that the clergy needed to do ?

Answer 10

This Act also included an oath of loyalty to the Queen that the clergy were expected to take. If they did not take it, then they would lose their office

Question 11

What happened with transubstantiation in the prayer book ?

Answer 11

The wording of the Communion was to be vague so that Protestants and Catholics could both participate

Question 12

How difficult was it passing the act of uniformity and why ?

Answer 12

passing the Act of Uniformity was much more difficult. A large number of the Parliament, who were still Catholic, opposed the bill, and it was eventually only passed by three votes. Radical Protestants didn’t like and neither did radical catholic’s

Question 13

What was a difficulty for Protestant reformers who wanted to pass acts ?

Answer 13

the House of Lords, including the bishops, was staunchly Roman Catholic.

Question 14

How did Elizabeth’s future marriage have an influence on the religious settlement?

Answer 14

Elizabeth would soon marry and that her future consort might wish to exert his influence over the religious settlement, she already had a proposal from the Spanish catholic King Phillip

Question 15

Who did Elizabeth’s reign After Mary’s give hope to but she disappointed them ?

Answer 15

The Religious Settlement did not enforce the Puritan view of church layout, decorations or the dress of preachers.

Question 16

What catholic element did Elizabeth have to remove due to a lack of support ?

Answer 16

The main areas that puritans disagreed with were the allowance of crucifixes, For puritans, it was an icon and as such ought not to be permitted. Puritan bishops threatened to resign if the crucifix was imposed. Due to the number of bishops and the lack of suitable replacements, Elizabeth had to remove the imposition of the crucifix from the Settlement.

Question 17

How did the war with France affect the settlement ?

Answer 17

Mary had lost Calais in the Habsburg-Valois, Elizabeth wanted peace and she thought it might make negotiations easier if England did not become aggressively Protestant

Question 18

What was the act of uniformity?

Answer 18

• 1552 book of common prayer to be used in all churches

- all must attend church or pay a fine

Question 19

What other acts were involved in the settlement?

Answer 19

• taxes paid by the church were to be paid to Elizabeth
• the monasteries Mary has restores were dissolved again
• clergy could marry but their wives had to be approved by a bishop

Question 20

What was involved in the royal injunctions?

Answer 20

• clergy were to wear distinctive dress
• Music was encouraged
• congregations were to now at the name of Jesus
• unleavened bread could be used for communion

Question 21

Why did some Protestants disagree with the settlement?

Answer 21

Marian exiles were hoping for a settlement leaning more towards Calvinism, they wanted to erase all catholic elements

Question 22

How was the settlement successful in terms of rebellions ?

Answer 22

the settlement prevented wide scale uprising, and so can be judged as at least partially successful

Question 23

How was the settlement unsuccessful in terms of rebellions ?

Answer 23

the continued presence of Catholics and plots against the monarch, as well as existence of Puritans shows that the settlement was not entirely successful at creating uniform faith

Question 24

What were the plots against Elizabeth that may show the settlement was not successful ?

Answer 24

The babington plot
The Ridolfi plot
The throckmorton plot

Question 25

When was the settlement passed ?

Answer 25

February 1559

Question 26

What were Elizabeth’s royal injunctions?

Answer 26

Totalled 57, written by William Cecil and dealing with day to day organisation of the Church. Aim was to ensure unformity. Elements pleased Protestants (shrines closed) and some upset them (kneeling allowed at Communion, altars were not to be destroyed and a wafer used at communion).

Question 27

What factors influenced the Settlement?

Answer 27

• Elizabeth’s own beliefs
• Keeping Catholic Europe at bay
• Balancing interests of Catholics and Protestants at home
• Getting government to agree

Question 28

How many of Mary’s bishops took oath ?

Answer 28

1

Question 29

What percentage of clergy refused to take oath ?

Answer 29

4%

Question 30

List four characteristics of the Uniformity Act, May 1559

Answer 30

1) Regulations for the wearing of vestments
2) Church attendance compulsory - fined 12d (5p) for non-attendance, given to the poor
3) Every church had to have an English Bible
4) All clergy had to swear the oath

Question 31

Two ways in which the Uniformity act was Protestant

Answer 31

1) English Bible

2) Book of Common Prayer repealed Black Rubric (transub)

Question 32

Three ways in which the Uniformity act was Catholic

Answer 32

1) Church attendance compulsory - no ‘justification by faith alone’
2) Vestments must be worn
3) Crosses and candlesticks on communion tables

Question 33

Who drafted the royal injunctions?

Answer 33

William Cecil

Question 34

List three things that the Royal Injunctions instructed clergy to do

Answer 34

1) Marry only with the consent of the bishop and two JP’s
2) Report recusants to the Privy Council
3) Preach against Papal Authority

Question 35

What was the aim of the Injunctions?

Answer 35

Ensure uniformity

Question 36

List two Catholic elements of the Injunctions

Answer 36

1) Elizabeth didn’t want clerical marriage
2) Clergymen made to wear Vestments
3) Wafer as host at Communion

Question 37

List three Protestant elements of the Injunctions

Answer 37

1) Bible in English in all churches
2) Shrines closed and pilgrimages outlawed
3) Condemn images and preach against Papal Authority