Elizabeth Religion - History A level OCR Tudors

What were the three problems facing Elizabeth when she created the religious settlement?

the unsettled situation at home

the European situation

Elizabeth's own preferences

How did the situation at home affect the religious settlement under Elizabeth?

The quality of Marian bishops meant they were unwilling to compromise and were able to defeat Elizabeth's first proposals for a settlement.

The Marian exiles wanted a radical Protestant settlement having experienced the Calvinism of Geneva and Zurich.

How did the situation with France impact Elizabeth's religious settlement?

England was still at war with France in 1558 and had lost their last enclave, Calais. Although she was reluctant to give it up, Elizabeth needed peace with France and it might be easier to achieve this if England was not aggressively protestant, as France was Catholic. Peace was made with France in April 1559, and although Calais was lost, it did mean that Elizabeth could proceed with the religious settlement.

How did the situation with Spain impact the religious settlement?

Spain was vital to English interests as it ruled the Netherlands, a vital trading partner. Given Spanish power and their Catholicism, they could threaten England if Elizabeth introduced a Protestant settlement. However, Philip II needed English support to allow Spanish ships to move through the channel to the Netherlands. He was also concerned that England did not come under French-Scottish dominance. Therefore he put politics before religion and proposed to her.

How did the situation with Scotland affect the religious settlement?

Scotland was allied to France and in Mary Queen of Scots had what many Catholics believed to be a good claim to the English throne. France was eager to promote Mary as an alternative ruler. However, the success of the Protestant lords in removing the regent in 1559 reduced the Catholic threat.

Why was Elizabeth bound to make a Protestant settlement?

As the daughter of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was the symbol of the break with Rome. Catholics did not accept Henry's marriage to Anne and therefore saw Elizabeth as illegitimate.

What is the evidence of Elizabeth's personal protestant religious beliefs?

She was educated by humanists

She continued to use an English bible under Mary

She left chapel on Christmas Day 1558 when the host was elevated, as it implied worshipping the sacrament

She reacted to monks carrying candles and incense

What is the evidence of Elizabeth's personal catholic religious beliefs?

Elizabeth liked church music, silver crosses on the altar and rich vestments. She also disliked long sermons from radical protestants.

What opposition did Elizabeth face in parliament when she tried to pass the religious settlement?

There was a strong Catholic party in the Lords that opposed her. The first proposal was approved by the commons but all the bishops opposed the idea of Royal Supremacy and eighteen peers objected to doctrinal changes.

How did Elizabeth get the religious settlement passed?

Elizabeth prorogued parliament for Easter. When it met again, two bishops were sent to the tower for disobedience.

How did Elizabeth get the Act of Supremacy passed?

Her title was changed from 'Supreme Head' to 'Supreme Governor' which appeased Catholics who held that the Pope was head of the Church. This Act now passed both houses.

How did Elizabeth get the Act of Uniformity passed?

It passed the commons easily, but passed the Lords by only three votes. It passed only because of the absence of two bishops and the absence of the Abbot of Westminster. Soon after all the Marian bishops refused to take the Oath of Supremacy and were deprived of their position

What were the two main acts of Parliament that made up the Elizabethan religious settlement?

The Act of Supremacy and The Act of Uniformity

What was in the 1559 Act of Supremacy?

1) Elizabeth was made Supreme Governor of the Church

2) All clergy and officials had to take an oath to her as Supreme Governor

3) The heresy laws were repealed

4) Communion in both bread and wine was authorised

What was in the 1559 Act of Uniformity?

1) The 1552 Book of Common Prayer was to be used in all churches

2) All must attend church on Sundays or pay a fine of one shilling

3) The ornaments of the church and dress of the clergy were to be those of 1548, but could be changed later if the queen wished

4) When communion was said the words included the forms from both the 1549 and 1552 prayer books

5) The Black Rubric from 1552, which denied the real or bodily presence of Christ at communion, was omitted.

What was in the other Acts of Parliament that were passed as part of the Elizabethan religious settlement?

1) Taxes paid by the Church were to paid to Elizabeth

2) The monasteries restored by Mary were dissolved and lands were confirmed as the legal possession of those who had acquired them

3) Clergy could marry but their wives had to be approved by the bishop.

What was in the royal injunctions under Elizabeth?

1) all clergy to observe the royal supremacy and preach against superstition and papal authority

2) all clergy to wear distinctive dress,

music was encouraged

3) congregations were to bow at the name of Jesus

5) images did not have to be destroyed but were condemned

6) all clergy to preach only with a licence

7) all clergy to report recusants to the privy council or to JPs

8) all clergy to marry only with the permission of their bishop and two JPs

What did the Marian exiles think of the Elizabethan religious settlement?

They disliked bowing at Jesus' name, kneeling to receive communion, the sign of the cross in the baptism and wearing of vestments. They argued these were not in the Bible, but defenders of the settlement argued that they were 'matters indifferent' aka adiaphora. Some also disliked the structure of the Church particularly the use of bishops who they disliked because they were appointed by the queen and not the whole Church.

What was the puritan challenge over Vestments?

This started in 1565 when Thomas Sampson, Dean of Christ Church Oxford, refused to wear a surplice and was deprived. The Puritans did win some concessions on this but some still refused to conform and 37 London preachers were deprived in 1566. However, this was a small number and their appeal for support to Henry Bullinger, a leading reformist in Switzerland, also failed to gain support. Some of the deprived did, however, establish independent churches.

What did the Puritans win a concession over in parliament under Elizabeth?

Accepting the 39 articles that defined the Church's beliefs. Clergy had to accept only those about doctrine.

What did MP Walter Strickland do in 1571?

Proposed changes to the Prayer book. He was summoned before the Privy Council for infringing royal prerogative and barred from the house but later returned. The bill did not appear again.

What did Anthony Cope do and what happened to him?

Antony Cope proposed a 'bill and book' to overturn the government of the church. His proposals would have ended the authority of bishops. Elizabeth sent Cope and four others to the Tower. The government also launched an attack in the Commons against the bill.

What did Thomas Cartwright do and what happened to him?

He was the leading academic to attack the settlement and particularly the office of bishops. He had his academic freedom of speech removed and his professorship.

What did the ministers John Field and Thomas Wilcox do in 1572 and what happened to them?

They published 'The Admonitions to Parliament'. It called for Church hierarchy to be replaced. Field and Wilcox were arrested and sent to jail. However, it led to their ideas being debated.

Who were the separatists and what happened to them?

Separatists were Puritans who wanted to establish their own church. The most famous were the Brownists in Norwich. Another group under Henry Barrow and John Greenwood was established in London, but as a result of legislation against sectaries they were arrested and executed.

How did puritanism survive?

Some puritan preachers went abroad

Others were protected by Privy Councillors such as Cecil and Leicester

Prophesyings where clergy came together to discuss the bible

Classis movement where clergy discussed common interests

Nobles and gentry established lectureships and increased the amount of preaching

Why was the success of Puritanism limited?

It didn't have an agreed doctrine

It was bible centred so people needed to be literate

Archbishop Whitgift introduced the three articles which all clergy had to subscribe or be suspended

They published the Marprelate Tracts which attacked bishops which shocked many and allowed a clampdown on printing presses

Why did Matthew Parker appeal to Elizabeth to have him as her archbishop?

He was Anne Boleyn's chaplain

During Mary's reign, although deprived, he had remained in England and therefore had not experienced the ideas of Geneva

What were Matthew Parker's achievements?

1) The passage of the Thirty-Nine articles, resisting calls for them to be more protestant

2) Reaching a compromise over vestments and issuing his advertisements, which told the clergy to accept some uniformity. His compromise initially disappointed Elizabeth, but also helped to maintain her popularity.

3) He provided the settlement with a firm basis.

What did Grindal disagree with Elizabeth over?

Prophesyings which he thought could be used to improve clerical standards and preaching. Elizabeth disagreed as she disliked preaching and the lack of control the government had over these events

How did Grindal fall?

In 1576 he refused to suppress the prophesyings or send orders out for them to end. Elizabeth was unwilling to accept disobedience and Grindal was punished. He was confined to his house and suspended for 6 months. Finally he agreed to resign, but died before the process was complete. His suspension meant that for much of his period in office the Church lacked leadership, bringing discredit on it.

What did Whitgift do to strengthen the church?

1) He used the new Court of High Commission to ensure uniformity

2) He introduced the Three Articles

3) He used the ex-officio oath so those questioned had to swear to answer the questions truthfully before they knew the questions

4) He and Bancroft, the Bishop of London, clamped down on those responsible for the Marprelate Tracts.

What happened in the Northern Earl's Rebellion?

The Catholic earls Northumberland and Westmorland led a rising. Mass was briefly restored in Durham cathedral and Mary's claim to the throne was put forward. The rebellion was defeated and Mary was moved further south.

What did the Pope do to excommunicate Elizabeth in 1570?

He issued the papal bull, Regnans in Excelsis, which excommunicated and deposed Elizabeth. Catholics were now absolved from recognising Elizabeth as queen.

What were the Catholic plots against Elizabeth?

1) In 1571 Roberto Ridolfi plotted with the Spanish ambassador to marry Mary to the Duke of Norfolk and put her on the the throne.

2) In 1583 Francis Throckmorton plotted with the Spanish ambassador to kill Elizabeth.

3) In 1586 Anthony Babington plotted to kill Elizabeth and make England Catholic using Spanish troops.

What plots and events in Europe convinced many that Protestantism was under threat during Elizabeth's reign?

St Bartholomew's Day Massacre and the assassination of William of Orange

What measures were taken to protect Protestantism under Elizabeth?

1) In 1584 parliament set up a Bond of Association under which anyone linked to plots against Elizabeth could be executed

2) In 1586 England signed the Treaty of Berwick with Scotland and promised James VI a pension as long as Scotland remained friendly

3) In 1586 the Privy Council put more pressure on Elizabeth to execute Mary, which finally happened in 1587.

Who trained the seminary priests?

William Allen. He established a seminary at Douai to train priests to go to England. They would be able to give the sacraments and administer rites, thus keeping the faith alive.

How did the government respond to the seminary priests' arrival?

Cuthbert Mayne was executed in 1577 for treason.

The Jesuits emerged in the 1580s and in 1581 parliament passed an Act which increased recusancy fines to £20 per month and made it treason to recognise the authority of Rome or encourage others.

In 1585 it was made treasonable to be an ordained Catholic priest in England.

How many seminary priests were there?

About 100 seminary priests came before 1580 and, after 1580, 179 came in a five-year period, 24 of whom were executed. In total some 650 Jesuits and seminary priests came and 133 were executed as traitors with numbers peaking around 1588.

What were the problems facing Catholics in 1558-89?

1) Elizabeth's longevity meant Catholicism was dying out.

2) Government legislation, fines and treason Acts limited the appeal.

3) They lacked effective support from abroad.

4) There was a shortage of Catholic priests to keep the faith alive; as they died they were not replaced.

5) The execution of Mary Queen of Scots removed the figurehead

6)The defeat of the Spanish Armada

7) There were social pressures to conform

Which conformist puritans agitated the Privy Council in the 1570s and early 1580s and what over?

Leicester and Walsingham in favour of immediate intervention in the Netherlands and against Elizabeth's proposed marriage to the Duke of Alencon thereby threatening Elizabeth's control of affairs.

What is the nature of presbyterianism?

A form of puritanism demanding the abolition of bishops and government of the church through a national synod of elders

Which act provided for the execution of separatists?

1593 Act against Seditious Sectaries

What did Catholic priest William Wright do in 1588?

He wrote a pamphlet calling on English Catholics to stay loyal in the event of a Spanish invasion.

How many of the peerage were recusants during Elizabeth's reign?

1/3 of them

Where did recusants outnumber protestants in 1603?

Central Lancashire

What did the 1571 treason acts make it a treasonable offence to do?

Deny that Elizabeth was the lawful queen. It was made clear that anyone using the Regans in excelsis or any other Bull to convert or reconvert was guilty of treason.

How many recusants did the council estimate there were in 1582?

1939

What did Bishop Sandy try to pass?

A bill to increase penalties for recusants which passed through Parliament but Elizabeth vetoed it.

When did Elizabeth contemplate banning clerical marriage and what did she do instead?

1561. She evicted the wives and children of higher clergy from colleges and cathedral closes.

What was the preferred doctrine of Marian exiles?

Calvinism

What is the MacCulloch interpretation of the religious settlement?

The church didn't define its identity as wholly protestant or Catholic and this was thought of as a good thing.

What is Haigh's interpretation of the religious settlement?

The Catholics didn't like the settlement even though they weren't persecuted. They were confused of their duty for the pope as he failed to make it clear The Queen's gentleness towards Catholics and her fancy decoration of her church worried some leaders of her new church as they thought the new religion would be weakly enforced.

What did the Puritans do during the third Parliamant?

The Puritan MPs, Cartwright and Field, managed to get bills passed banning religious practices reminiscent of Catholicism including the use of the surplice and kneeling at communion. The queen vetoed them.

What did the Puritan MPs do during the fifth parliament?

The Puritan MP Peter Turner tried to introduce a bill to bring in Calvinist prayer book and a Presbyterian system of church government. The House of commons refused to hear it.

What happened with the Alphabet Bills in 1571?

The bishops had hoped to see the Alphabet bills pass through Parliament, aimed to prevent pluralism and absenteeism, but the Puritan MP William Strickland had tried to add on to the legislation a new prayer book bill, which tried to do away with some Catholic practices. All this did was annoy the queen, who vetoed most of the alphabet bills. The bishops blamed the puritans and increased pressure on them to conform, summoning them before Ecclesiastical Comissions.

What did Field do in 1584?

He launched a national survey to establish grievances against the Bishops following Whitgift's three articles in the hope of influencing forthcoming Parliaments to pass pro-Presbyterian legislation.

What did a few extremist puritans do in 1589-90?

Proclaim a deranged individual called Hacket the new Messiah

What were the key features of the different types of puritans under Elizabeth?

Conformist - compromised, Calvinist theology - preaching and discipline

Presbyterian - didn't like Catholic structure

Separatists - wanted a separate church