14-Social impact of religious and economic change under Edward VI

Under Somerset (1547–1549)

Relevance of Archbishop Cranmer’s Homily (1547)

  • Published in 1547 to be read in parish churches.

  • Clergy instructed to reinforce obedience to the authority of the king as the will of God.

  • Disobedience was framed as a mortal sin.

Social Impact of Religious Changes

  • 1547 Injunctions:

    • Attacked traditional Catholic practices.

    • Enabled plundering of the Church’s resources.

  • Attacks on Chantries and Guilds:

    • Chantries dismantled, and their assets confiscated, disrupting community connections with the dead.

    • Guilds and confraternities targeted, with Crown seizing money and property previously used for charitable activities, feasts, and celebrations.

    • Widespread fear of systematic asset stripping of the Church.

  • Expenditure on Church Goods Declined Post-1540:

    • Resulted from destructive Crown policies.

    • People refrained from leaving money to the Church due to fear of confiscation.

  • Intellectual Developments:

    • Evangelical Humanism: Influenced by Erasmus and seen in the requirement (1547 Injunctions) for each parish church to have a copy of Erasmus’ Paraphrases.

    • Sir John Cheke served as Edward’s tutor.

    • Government support for moderate humanism:

      • William Cecil encouraged humanist scholars at Cambridge.

      • Bucer appointed Professor of Divinity at Cambridge.

Under Northumberland (1550–1553)

Changes Introduced by the Revised Book of Common Prayer (1552)

  • Religious Ceremonies:

    • Remaining conservative ceremonies removed.

    • Baptism, confirmation, and burial services rewritten to be more accessible.

    • Radical reform of the communion service, including replacing the wafer with ordinary bread.

  • Conservatives could no longer accept anything in the prayer book.

Impact of Religious Change on Society

  • Crown orders to destroy old Catholic practices were gradual.

  • Parish-level crises:

    • Decline in Church Attendance:

      • Evident in regions like the Diocese of Exeter.

    • Manpower Shortages:

      • Decline in candidates for ordination.

    • Crisis Over Church Plate:

      • Parishes feared confiscation and often sold treasures to prevent loss.

      • Crown began confiscating church plate in January 1553, though some parishes hid their treasures.

  • Resulted in widespread discontent and disobedience.

  • Rapid return to Catholic practices upon Queen Mary’s accession in 1553.

More Radical Religious Reforms

  • Shift to more radical Protestantism under Northumberland due to tensions between him and Cranmer.

  • John Hooper’s influence on Northumberland contributed to divisive reforms.

Impact of Intellectual Developments

  • Continued but shifted under Northumberland:

    • Radical Protestantism gained traction.

    • Less emphasis on moderate humanism as Northumberland’s policies strained relationships with reformist leaders like Cranmer.

  • Profound societal impact due to rapid and extensive changes.