Religion

The Elizabethan Religious Settlement (1558-1559)

Main Objectives of the Religious Settlement

  • Key priorities: Determining the form of religion in England, focusing on:

    1. The legal status of the Church.

    2. The liturgical books used in church services.

  • Despite the death of Mary I, the English Church remained Catholic until laws could be changed. The general assumption was that the Church of England (CofE) would be reinstated as the established State Church with the monarch at its head.

  • Debate over the type of Church:

    • Anglo-Catholic Church: Retained Catholic doctrines and practices but rejected papal supremacy.

    • Modest Protestant Church: Suggested by the 1549 Act of Uniformity.

    • Radical Evangelical Church: Implied by the 1552 Act of Uniformity.

  • The religious settlement was a mix of:

    • Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity (1559)

    • Royal Injunctions to enforce the Acts.

    • The Book of Common Prayer (modified from Cranmer’s 1552 version).

    • Set up for the 39 Articles of Religion (1563).

The Act of Supremacy (1559)

  • Restored royal supremacy in the Church.

  • Rejected papal supremacy and revived Henry VIII’s Reformation legislation.

  • Heretic laws were repealed, and royal visitation powers were revived. This allowed the Crown to appoint commissioners to visit, reform, and correct errors, heresies, and abuses in the Church. This gave commissioners immense power.

  • The Queen was described as “Supreme Governor” rather than “Supreme Head.”

  • Clergy and church officials were required to take an oath of supremacy; penalties were imposed for refusal.

The Act of Uniformity (1559)

  • Established the use of a single Book of Common Prayer: a modified version of Cranmer’s 1552 Protestant prayer book.

  • Eucharistic beliefs: Allowed for either Cranmer’s wording or Zwingli’s interpretation.

  • The ‘Black Rubric’ (explanation for kneeling during the Eucharist) was omitted.

Royal Injunctions (1559)

  • Issued in the Queen's name as Supreme Governor of the Church.

  • This set of instructions governed church services and the administration of the Church.

    • Protestant character: Focused on the “suppression of superstition” and emphasized simplicity in worship.

    • Required the Eucharist to be administered at simple communion tables, not altars.

    • Mandated the removal of Catholic practices (e.g., pilgrimages and candles) from churches.

    • Every parish church was required to have an English Bible.

    • Cecil appointed Protestant leaders to oversee the enforcement of these rules.

    • Reflecting Elizabeth’s personal idiosyncrasies, the injunctions also targeted clerical marriage (which she disapproved of).

Significance of the Settlement

  • The Queen faced pressure from radical Protestant clergymen and their allies in the House of Commons, known as the ‘Puritan Choir’. Elizabeth had to compromise, resulting in a more Protestant prayer book and settlement than originally intended.

  • Key assumptions of the settlement:

    • Elizabeth viewed the settlement as final, rather than a step towards further religious reform.

    • The intention was to establish a firmly Protestant Church—there was never any intention to restore the Edwardian Prayer Book.

    • However, Elizabeth had to maintain a delicate balance to keep conservative support in the House of Lords.

  • Political opposition:

    • Puritan opposition: Led by radical Protestants who wanted a more evangelical Church.

    • Catholic opposition: Mainly from Catholic bishops.

    • Conservative peers reluctantly accepted the restoration of royal supremacy but resisted the Uniformity Bill. It passed in the Lords by only 3 votes.

Impact of Religious Developments (1558-1563)

  • Protestant Support:

    • Returning Protestant exiles viewed Elizabeth as the protector of the godly against Catholicism.

    • Elizabeth disliked being seen as the “English Deborah” and felt that her supporters’ enthusiasm for Protestantism created a paradox in her reign.

    • Early bishop appointments were mostly moderates, but most were returning exiles with evangelical leanings, shifting the hierarchy of the Church of England (CofE) in a Protestant direction.

  • Elizabeth’s Religious Policies:

    • Elizabeth disapproved of clergy marriage, distrusted preaching, and aimed to preserve the musical culture of cathedrals and universities.

    • The relationship between Crown and Church was defined, and the CofE’s doctrinal position was established.

    • Erastian approach: Elizabeth sought to maintain control over the Church, blending political and religious authority.

Key Developments Defining the Settlement

  1. 1562: ‘An Apology of the Church of England’:

    • Written by the Bishop of Salisbury, this document argued that the CofE was returning to the true position that had been abandoned by the Church of Rome.

  2. 1563: 39 Articles of Religion:

    • These articles sought to define the differences between the CofE and the Catholic Church.

    • The articles were broadly supportive of Reformed doctrine, particularly that of Switzerland’s Calvinist teachings.

    • However, the 39 Articles failed to achieve the full reforms that some leading members desired, particularly regarding Catholic practices and church structures.

Summary of the Church of England (CofE) Under Elizabeth

  • The CofE rapidly became Calvinist in its official doctrine but remained “half-reformed” in its structure.

  • Elizabeth’s religious settlement defined the Church’s direction but left it somewhat ambiguous in practice, balancing between Protestant reforms and Catholic traditions.