L8 - religious reform (move to protestantism) under edward vi

key topics of questions asked about edward’s religious reforms

• extent of change/continuity

• extent of popular support

• impact in causing rebellions → factor within question

what proportion of the london population were protestants 1547?

20%

what areas had committed protestant minorities? (3)

• bristol

• kent

• east anglican ports

where did catholicism remain prevalent and popular? (3) why?

• north

• midlands

• far west

  • physically distanced/isolated from london, more difficult for enforcement & deliverance of king’s policies due to weakened influence. weaker communication for spread of knowledge and policy

what was the approach of edward’s government to religion? (somerset, cranmer, northumberland)

• somerset late convert to protestantism → reforms were predominantly cautious

• cranmer → similarly cautious to somerset, keen to avoid religious tension with moderate, gradual reform

• northumberland → government rapidly extended radical reforms, influenced by radical protestants

what were the causes of religious change during edward’s reign?

• role of the monarch (edward himself)

• role of key individuals in government (somerset, northumberland, cranmer)

• external more radical protestant influences (hooper, luther, zwingli, calvin)

• financial motives

why was it expected edward would advance protestantism under his reign?

• he was protestant

• received a protestant education

• regency council was protestant dominated

evidence to support edward’s personal role in religious reform (5)

• deeply involved in development of the second prayer book at 13 y/o

• determined to force people to attend protestant services

• involved in attempts to present catholic sister mary from succeeding him

• favoured radical reformers like zwingli

• northumberland pursued reforms he knew edward would favour (would soon become king in his own right at 16 y/o

how does guy describe somerset’s religious policy? why?

“a confused and chaotic policy”

• followed moderate and cautious policy that pleased few due to significant compromises

why did somerset follow a cautious religious policy?

• wanted to please all factions, not just reformers → e.g. first prayer book

• didn’t want to antagonise HRE or get involved in foreign wars → too financially unstable

• exercised more caution after rebellions of 1549 → avoid popular rebellion

somerset’s connection to protestantism

• late convert → key reformer

• new regency council dominated by reformers

• invited religious radicals (e.g. john hooper) to his house

what were the 2 main aims of northumberland’s religious policy?

1. build on somerset’s reforms → increasingly radical

2. gain control of church’s wealth → needed to fund expensive foreign policy + stabilise economy

what was northumberland’s approach to religious policy?

• genuinely committed to protestantism but naturally cautious, pragmatic approach to reform

• undoubtedly influenced by radical reformers → e.g. zwingli + increasingly radical policies from cranmer

• hoped to obtain wealth from church

what does hoskin’s call northumberland’s religious policy? why?

“the age of plunder”

• northumberland effectively stripped the wealth of the church

• motivated by desire to obtain wealth of the church rather than theological ideology

john hooper

• most radical bishop under edward vi

• previously travelled to protestant areas of europe and returned to england 1549

• 1549 - appointed chaplain to duke of somerset upon return

• promoted to bishop by northumberland → used position to promote radical reforms

who was leading campaigner for iconoclasm?

nicholas ridley

nicholas ridley

• former chaplain to henry viii

• one of most prominent reformers under edward

• became bishop of rochester then london

• campaigned for removal of ‘superstitious’ images from churches

• led iconoclasm in london

• burnt as heretic in mary’s reign

ulrich zwingli

• swiss pastor and reformer

• believed in simplified form of worship e.g. communion table

• denied transubstantiation

• built upon ideas of luther, more radical

john calvin

• believed salvation was based entirely on faith alone, not good deeds (e.g. pilgrimages, forgiveness)

• believed men’s fates were predetermined by god

  • radical protestantism

archbishop thomas cranmer

• previously worked to reform church w/ cromwell after 1532

• reluctant and cautious to initiate change → e.g. first prayer book

• drafted more radical 42 articles and second prayer book

• loyal to henry viii as political servant → asserted own beliefs under edward

• 1547 homilies - faith alone most important for salvation (calvinist)

• always recognised the monarch as head of church & importance of royal supremacy

what were the 2 types of reformist?

1. evangelical humanists - identified w/ erasmus

2. radical forms of protestantism

evidence of moderate evangelical humanism (identified w/ erasmus)

• archbishop cranmer influenced by humanism

• 1547 injunctions orders all churches to have a copy of erasmus’ work

• john cheke (humanist) had been edward’s tutor

• william cecil encouraged humanist scholars at cambridge

• humanist scholars invited to work in england and gained positions of interest

example of humanist scholar invited to work in england and gained position of influence?

bucer

evidence of the influence of radical protestanism

• strained relationship between northumberland and cranmer

• northumberland grew increasingly radical under influence of john hooper

• increasingly radial 1552/3 reforms - second book of common prayer and 42 articles

impacts of 1547-1553 religious reforms

• crown stripped wealth from church & plundered properties

• services now plainer, people donated less money to local church

• bishops and priests appear to have adopted new changes to ceremony + doctrine

• swift return to catholicism under mary → edward’s reforms unpopular & laity just conformed

• little evidence showing change in personal beliefs of ordinary people

• religious discontent fuelled popular rebellions

examples of popular rebellions motivated by religious discontent? reason?

• western rebellion 1549 → opposed new prayer book

• kett rebellion 1549 → called for more protestant reforms

themes for a question of extent to change to the english church (inc. edward)

• structure and governance of the church

• changes to practice

• changes to doctrine

• other → 1530s: physical buildings, else focus on conformity from public

key 4 stages of edward’s religious reforms

phase 1: destruction of old practices/attack on catholicism 1547

phase 2: no official state religion 1547/8

phase 3: more direct move to protestantism 1549-1552

phase 4: completion of protestant church w/ radical reform (‘full protestantism’) 1552/3

religious reforms under phase 1 - attack on old catholic practices

• july 1547 - book of homilies & paraphases

• july 1547 - royal injunctions

• nov/dec 1547 parliament chantries act

• repeal of act of six articles

• repeal of treason act

explanation of july 1547 book of homilies and paraphrases

• new book of homilies (book of model sermons written by cranmer) to be put in every church

• book written by humanist, erasmus (his paraphrases) to be put in every church

• one of homilies based on lutheran & calvinist belief - importance of faith alone, not good deeds

impact/response of july 1547 book of homilies and paraphrases

• homilies and paraphrased in use in nearly all parish churches by 1549

• stephen gardiner and the bishop of london (edmund bonner) objected and were arrested

explanation of july 1547 royal injunctions

• orders were given for all clergy to preach in english and have english bible in every church

• superstitious images to be removed from churches → iconoclasm

  • e.g. crucifixe, statutes of saints

impact/response to July 1547 royal injunctions

• some clergy carried out orders enthusiastically

• iconoclasm became widespread esp. in london → influenced by bishop of london, nicholas ridley

• others hit latin bibles & artefacts, avoid seizure and destruction → suggestive of unpopularity

explanation of nov-dec 1457 chantries act

• ordered closure of all chantries, guilds and brotherhoods

  • blatant attack on catholicism

  • drastic step towards protestantism

  • risky due to social significance

influences behind nov-dec 1547 chantries act

• seize land and buildings to plunder church → major profits from sale of land and assets

• fits luther’s criticism of church corruptions

  • chantries scripturally invalid practice, never mentioned explicitly within bible

  • morally opposed to charging people for unnecessary prayers for the dead

closures due to nov-dec 1547 chantries act (statistic)

• 3000 chantries

• 90 colleges

• 110 hospitals

impact/response of nov-dec 1547 chantries act

• closure of chantries, colleges and hospitals affected local communities

• some turned into schools and money distributed within parish → RARE occurrence

• those who believed without prayers the souls of the dead would remain in purgatory left uneasy

  • created opposition to reform

consequence of 1547 repeal of the act of six articles

• removed pre-established act of 1539 that re-established catholic practices

• left the church without official doctrine with no immediate replacement

  • most important evidence to show initial meaningful shift to protestantism

explanation of repeal of treasons act

• removed old heresy, treason and censorship laws

• enabled disagreement with religion via freedom of speech

• enabled discussion and camaraderie that stoked rebellions

• allowed proliferation of ideas via printing press

impact/response of 1547 repeal of treason act

• allowed discussion of religion freely w/o fear of imprisonment, to print and publish info freely

  • led to rapid spread of radical ideas from europe

• radicals destroyed images and altars

• government no longer had the power to stop such outrages

key reforms under phase 2: no official doctrine

• feb 1548 - all images to be removed from churches

• april-september 1548 - royal proclamations

explanation of feb 1548 removal of all images from churches

• continuation of iconoclasm → removal of statues of saints, paintings and stained glass

  • could be seen as follow on to royal injunctions 1547 through advancing removal of iconography and symbols of catholic frivolity

impact/response to feb 1548 removal of iconography from churches

• appears to have been carried out with little opposition → indication of temporary progress due to conformity

• one of most visible changes of the reformation for ordinary church goers

explanation of april-september 1548 royal proclamations

• orders delivered directly from edward

• stated only authorised clergy could preach → required a license

• no new ideas could be preached until liturgy had been agreed

  • could only preach things previously agreed earlier in edward’s reign

what influenced the april-september 1548 royal proclamations?

• government felt is was necessary to stop flood of unuthorised radical preachers after repeal of treason act

  • saw drastic increases in both radical reformist and rebellions

impact/response of april-september royal proclamations

• helped to slow spread of ideas that conflicted with agreed upon religious policy

• did NOT hinder growth of opposition completely

key reforms of phase 3: more direct moves to protestantism

• 1549 FIRST book of common prayer

• november 1549 parliament removed all laws preventing clergy from marrying

what was cranmer’s 1549 first book of common prayer? what were its 8 key points of ceremony and doctrine?

outlined liturgy to be used in church services

• services in english

• communion up to interpretation → ambiguous on transubstantiation

• kept all but 2 sacraments

• allowed clerical marriage

• banned prayers for the dead

• worship of saints discouraged by not banned

• traditional robes (vestments) to be worn in church

• fast & holy days remained

impact/response to cranmer’s 1549 first book of common prayer

• ‘fudge’ → unseemly weak attempt at compromise, cranmer made moderate reforms from what was politically acceptable, not personal beliefs

  • continuation of cranmer’s role as political servant from henry viii

• satisfied few → too protestant for catholics, protests felt it ‘smacked of popery’

• mildly protestant

how was 1549 first book of common prayer enforced? consequence?

• act of uniformity

• only small pockets of resistance → book could have encouraged rebellions in south west

what religious reform was made in november 1549?

• parliament removed all laws preventing clergy from marrying

• inherently lutheran → more practical than vows of celibacy that would inevitably be broken, reduced corruption within church

key reforms of phase 4: creation of radical protestantism

• jan 1552 - second book of common prayer

• april 1552 - act of uniformity

• june 1553 - issuing of 42 articles

explanation of january 1552 second book of common prayer? 5 key policies?

• cranmer’s second book → absolutely responsible for drastic, more radical shift to protestantism

• denied transubstantiation

• no traditional vestments to be work

• stone altar replaced with communion tables

• restrictions on music

• services still in english

impact/response to second book of common prayer

• further drastic move towards protestantism → further denied hallmarks of catholicism

• broke radically with the past → satisfied reformists, reduced potential of rebellion from this group

explanation of april 1552 act of uniformity

• became an offence for clergy & laity not to attend CofE services

• punishable by fines and imprisonment

• severe attempts to enforce religious policy despite pre-existing conformity

influence behind april 1552 act of uniformity

• to ensure consistent adherence to second book of common prayer

• method of enforcement

impact/response to april 1552 act of uniformity

• evidence shows that the new book of common prayer was established in all parishes

  • indicator of conformity from laity

purpose of june 1553 issuing of the 42 articles by cranmer? key points?

• drawn up by cranmer to clarify doctrinal beliefs

• lutheran idea of ‘justification by faith alone’ NOT good works

• lutheran idea that ‘good works’ were not pleasant to god

• gave english people first encounter with calvanist idea predestination

  • mankind couldn’t achieve salvation through good works, fate pre-determined by god

impact/response to june 1553 issuing of 42 articles by cranmer? impact of succession of mary?

• strong radical protestant beliefs, continued trend of escalation & radicalism

• had been drawn up months before, delayed by council

• issued weeks before edward’s death → immediately removed by mary

  • short term reform with limited overall change

• would form basis of elizabeth’s 39 articles → long term influence on policy