Religious Changes under Northumberland (1550–1553)

When did Northumberland rule from?

John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, ruled from January 1550 until July 1553

What were Northumberland’s religious aims?

• His personal religious leanings were ambiguous , but his policies decisively pushed the Church toward radical Protestantism

• The broader political environment influenced Northumberland to adopt a more radical stance on Protestantism than might have been expected, given his previously cautious approach to religious issues

How did the religious aims under Northumberland effect the crowns finances?

This direction solidified his relationship with the Protestant king Edward VI and allowed him to continue plundering the Church’s wealth as well as continue the Protestant reforms initiated under Somerset

Why was Northumberland cautious towards the church?

Growing Radicalism in the Church and Edward VI’s Influence

Cranmer’s Shift

Financial Policies and Asset Stripping

Who were the people behind the growing radicalism in the church?

• Senior clergy such as Nicholas Ridley (Bishop of London) and John Hooper (Bishop of Gloucester) were increasingly influential, pushing for more radical reforms

• Continental reformers like Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr moved to England, shaping religious policy

• Close links existed between English reformers and Heinrich Bullinger of Zurich, who continued Zwingli’s Reformation

How did Edward VI influence the church?

• As Edward VI’s reign progressed, his influence on religious policy increased.

• He saw his role as head of the Church as a mission to eradicate idolatry.

• Official doctrine’s Protestant nature was confirmed in Cranmer’s Forty-Two Articles of Religion, though some ambiguity remained between different Protestant strands.

What was Cranmers shift?

Cranmer’s Shift

• Cranmer, initially cautious, moved in a more radical direction

• Reflected in the much more radical 1552 Book of Common Prayer

How did financial issues effect religious policies?

Financial Policies and Asset Stripping

• The Crown, still in financial difficulties, pursued a systematic policy of extracting wealth from the Church.

Examples of asset stripping:

• Gloucester and Worcester dioceses combined – two-thirds of Worcester’s estate went to the Crown

• Bishops of Exeter and Winchester made substantial “grants” from their property to the Crown

• Plan (never implemented) to divide the bishopric of Durham and appropriate much of its wealth.

What were the key religious changes under Northumberland?

• Second Book of Common Prayer

• Second Act of Uniformity

• Episcopal Appointments

• Expropriation of Church Goods

• The Black Rubric

• Forty-Two Articles of Religion

When did the Second Book of Common Prayer get published?

December 1552

When was the impact of the Second Book of Common Prayer and what did it reveal?

This was a highly Protestant document, reflecting the influence of continental reformers like Martin Bucer. It removed all remaining traces of Catholicism, establishing a Eucharist ceremony in line with Calvin’s belief in a 'spiritual presence'. Prayers for the dead and the wearing of vestments were removed.

When was the Second Act of Uniformity?

March 1552

What was the impact of the Second Act of Uniformity?

Enforced the use of the Second Book of Common Prayer and made it an offence for clergy and laity not to attend Church of England services.

When were the Episcopal Appointments?

1550s

What was the impact of the Episcopal Appointments?

Northumberland appointed active reformers to sees, such as the radical John Hooper as Bishop of Gloucester

When was the Expropriation of Church Goods?

1553

What was the impact of the Expropriation of Church Goods?

The doctrinal shift away from transubstantiation rendered church plate and vestments redundant. Northumberland ordered their collection, aiming to seize the remaining wealth of the Church, although this effort was halted by Edward’s death.

When was The Black Rubric?

1552

What was The Black Rubric?

This proclamation clarified that kneeling for Communion was for the sake of good order, not out of idolatry, addressing concerns raised by radical Protestants. Edward VI personally intervened in this debate.

When were the Forty-Two Articles of Religion?

June 1553

What was the impact of the Forty-Two Articles of Religion?

Issued by Archbishop Cranmer, these articles officially defined the essential doctrines of the Church of England, confirming the firmly reformed path. They reflected the influence of Swiss reformers and were strongly Protestant. They were never implemented due to Edward’s death shortly thereafter.

Changes introduced by the book of Commons 1552

What were the 5 main changes introduced by the book of Commons 1552?

• Removal of remaining ‘conservative’

  ceremonies

• Rewriting of baptism, confirmation and burial services

• Radical reform of communion service, including replacement of wafer by ordinary bread

• Ban on use of ‘popish’ vestments

• Restriction on use of church music

What was the reason and significance of the Removal of remaining ‘conservative’

ceremonies?

No longer fitted in with the regime's religious radicalism

Conservatives could no longer find anything in the prayer boo which they could accept

What was the reason and significance of Rewriting of baptism, confirmation and burial services?

To make services more easily understood by congregations

Showed Cranmer’s desire to see greater simplicity in church services

What was the reason and significance of Radical reform of communion service, including replacement of wafer by ordinary bread?

Need for decisive change from ambiguity of 1549 prayer book

Showed influence if Zwinglianism in the Eucharists declaration "Do this in remembrance that Christs blood was shed for thee" (Zwinglianism, based on the ideas of Swiss who was a major influence on the English Church under Edward VI and was more radical than Luther, Zwingli saw the Eucharist purely as a commemoration of Christ’s sacrifice, with no change to the bread and wine.)

What was the reason and significance of Ban on use of ‘popish’ vestments?

Seen as objects of 'superstition'

Simpler clerical vestments were seen as more in keeping with the simpler approach to services

What was the reason and significance of Restriction on use of church music?

Moderate Protestants thought that church music hindered religious understanding; radical opinion considered it idolatrous

Simpler approach to music reflected the emphasis on greater simplicity in church | services