Topic 4 - the problem of religion Flashcards
Why did Elizabeth face problems from Catholics?
They viewed her as illegitimate due to the fact Henry VIII divorce to Katherine of Aragon hadn’t been recognised, so this made his marriage to Anne Boleyn illegal
How many people in England were Protestant in 1559?
More than half of the population
What were the aims of the religious settlement?
The religious settlement aimed to make compromise between Catholics, Protestants and Puritans
How did foreign relations pose an issue to the English religious view?
Both France and Spain were two powerful, Catholic countries, and England couldn’t afford to wage war with them
How did the pope pose an issue to the choices Elizabeth had to make?
If the pope chose to excommunicate Elizabeth, this would free other subjects from the bond to obey her and he could also call on other Catholic powers to launch a religious crusade on England
How did the middle way benefit all Elizabethan people?
The middle way made Protestantism the official religion, but incorperated many Catholic aspects and Catholics were not persecuted
What was the Act of Uniformity?
It was an act that made prayer, divine worship and the administration of the sacraments in the Church of England universal across the country
What was the main part of the Act of Supremacy?
Elizabeth was made head of the Church of England, and adopted the title of ‘Supreme Governor of the Church of England’
What other changes happen from the Act of Supremacy?
All important officials swore an oath to Elizabeth, and if they refused they could be imprisoned; Bishops would be used to govern the church and the heresy laws from the reign of Mary were retracted
What were the Royal Injunctions?
They were a set of instructions to the clergy on a wide range of practices, with the aim being to establish a uniformity of worship and behaviour
What were visitations?
125 comissioners would tour the country and judge whether the regulations were being followed correctly
What did the 1559 Act of Exchange allow Elizabeth to do?
She could take land and buildings from the church, and could use church resources to reward her nobility
What were the Thirty-nine articles?
The beliefs of the Church of England
How did the people of England react to the religious settlement?
At the beginning many people accepted the compromise, but after a few years extremist groups began to take actions against the settlement
How did foreign powers react to the settlement?
Both the Pope and King Phillip II didn’t speak critically of the settlement, hoping that the changes would not be permanent
