Religious Settlement

What was the English Reformation?

A movement where people moved away from the Roman Catholic church (due to greed and corruption) and created their own church (Church of England) without a Pope.

What was the main difference between Protestantism and Catholicism?

Catholics focused more on tradition, whereas, Protestants focused more and what the Bible stated.

What were the different beliefs in Protestantism and Catholicism?

Catholics:

• Pope was the Head of the Church

• Below the Pope there were cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests.

• Bible and other services should be in Latin

• Church was an intermediary between people and God

• Church can forgive sins

• Bread and Wine represents miracles

• Priests wear vestments

• Churches should be highly decorated

• There are seven secrements

• Priests are forbidden to marry

Protestants:

• No Pope

• Is not necessary to have cardinals, archbishops, etc.

• Bible should be in your own language

• Every person has a different, personal, and direct relationship with God

• Only God can forgive sins

• Wine and Bread represents the last supper

• Priests don’t need to wear any special clothing

• Churches should be plain and simple not to distract us from worshipping God

• There are two secrement: Baptism and Holy communion

• Priests are allowed to marry if they wish

What was the religious division in England?

Both Catholics and Protestants fought to establish their religion as “true faith” in Europe and E|lizabeth feared that this would happen in England because of Mary QOS and Puritans.

What was the problem with the Parliament?

To establish a religious act in the country the Parliament need to take part with an Act of Parliament. Many members of the House of Commons would agree with Elizabeth, but many member of the House of Lords were archbishops and bishops and didn’t agree with the settlement.

What areas were mostly Protestant/Catholic?

North was Catholic and South was Protestant

What were Puritans?

(Mostly) Protestants that escaped during Mary I’s reign and returned during Elizabeth’s reign with radical Protestant beliefs. Mainly, they wanted to remove anything that wasn’t in the Bible.

What was the features of the Religious Settlement?

• Act of Supremacy: Made Elizabeth the supreme goevrnor of the Church of England - The clergy swore an Oath of allegiance to her being Head.

• Act of Uniformity: Established the apperence of Churches and the form of services they held.

• Royal Injunction: instructions for the clergy to reinforce the Act of Supremacy and Act of Uniformity.

What were the terms of the Act of Uniformity?

• Book of commun prayer needed to be used in All churches - anyone who refused to do so would be punished.

• Everyone was to attend church on Sunday and other holy days - failure to do so would result in a fine of one shilling (12p), they would also be reported to the Privy council.

Arguments for the success of the Religious Settlement

• 800 (out of 10,000) clergymen took the oath

• Most people attended Church on Sundays or agreed to the majority of the terms of the Religious Settlement.

• People turned to their parish church in times of hardship

• It legitimised the power of the monarch

Arguments that the Religious settlement was a failure

• Recusants - people who refused to follow the Religious settlement

• Bishops did not agree with the religious settlement

How did Elizabeth reinforce the Religious Settlement?

Inspections in Churches every three to four years

How many clergy were dismissed in the first inspection?

400