1. The Impact and Implications of the Religious Settlement

2. Issues that determined Catholic support or opposition
Introduction
Elizabeth hoped the Religious Settlement would
appeal to most people but in reality it probably
created more problems than it solved.
Major
Problems
Catholic
Opposition
Which resulted
in Elizabeth
making
concessions
Protestant
Concerns
Over the omission
of a statement
of faith in the
Settlement
Elizabeth and her government can have had no illusions about the difficulty of creating a religious settlement which pleased even the majority of her subjects, let alone the whole nation. They may have assumed following the persecution that took place in Mary’s reign, that a Protestant settlement was more acceptable to a wider range of clergy and laity. If this is so, the resistance of Catholics in the House of Lords would have been a rude awakening. Elizabeth responded by making a significant concessions to placate conservative opinion. The having enshrined the settlement in law, she saw no need for any further discussion on the subject of religion. This however proved impossible because the 1559 Religious Settlement contained no statement of faith, a deliberate omission that committed churchmen of various persuasions wanted to fill to their advantage.
From the start, therefore, the Religious Settlement was bound to cause problems with Protestants who saw it only the first step on the road to establishing a doctrine in line with Calvinist theology. How far the Settlement would cause problems with the Catholics depended on foreign policy issues, Elizabeth's marriage, the succession, and above all on the Popes reaction.
Issues that determined
Catholic support or opposition
Foreign
Policy
Succession
Marriage
Pope’s
Reaction

3. Problems Arising from the Religious Settlement 1563-1572
Government’s
Response
Quality of the Clergy
Poorly educated
Poorly trained
Catholic clergy who
conformed lacked
conviction
Key Appointments
Matthew Parker as
Archbishop of Canterbury
Key Protestants and
Marian exiles to bishoprics
Confusion over Doctrine
Protestants concerned
the Settlement did not
include an enunciation
of Protestant doctrine
Key Publications
Injunctions
39 Articles
Commissioners also
investigated breaches of
the Prayer Book
Puritan Opposition
Led to Vestments
controversy (see p 198)
Failed to Make Concessions
Clergy resigned
Resulted in Puritanism
Turned to Presbyterianism
Catholic Opposition
Opposition to Elizabeth
as Supreme Governor
Northern Rebellions
Restoration of Mary
& Catholicism
Quashed Opposition
Put down rebellions
Executed rebel leaders
Imprisoned Mary

4. The Northern Rebellion 1569
Was the Northern Rebellion a serious threat
to Elizabeth?
It’s Significance
The first in a series of rebellions.
Conspiracy centred around Mary Queen of Scots.
Ushered in a turbulent period in foreign affairs.
Elizabeth’s Concerns
The northern rebellion was the first of a series of conspiracies centered around Mary, Queen of Scots, who arrived in England in 1568 expecting Elizabeth's support. Her arrival ended any hopes that Catholicism would wither away gently and heralded the start of a turbulent period in foreign affairs. Such as the English seizure of Spanish bullion ships on their way to Europe from the New World in 1568 ended the uneasy friendship between the two countries.
Elizabeth's failure to marry and produce a Protestant heir meant there was no guarantee than the Religious Settlement of 1559 would last. The chief fear of Elizabeth and her councillors – that a legitimate Catholic claimant to the throne might try to overthrow Elizabeth with foreign and English support – had materialised in the form of Mary, Queen of Scots.
HOWARD – a leading english noble he consipired to marry Mary Queen of Scots, to secure her succession to the English throne. He was supported by some of Eliz courtiers, including Leicester who wanted to discredit Cecil. When the conspiracy was discovered Norfolk fled from court, urged his co-conspirators Northumberland and Westmorland not to carry out the rebellion, and threw himself on the mercy of the Queen. He was imprisioned.
PERCY – was willing to rise in support of restoring Catholicism, but did not want Mary and Howard to marry.
NEVILLE – brother in law to Howard, an early conspirators.
DE SPES – spanish ambassador wrote to Phillip II and was optimistic about the outcome of a Catholic uprising against Eliz.
SUSSEX - president of the northern council, did question Percy and Neville regarding a possible plot and was assured loyalty.
That her failure to marry and produce an heir
to the throne would open the way for a legitimate
Catholic claimant to the throne of England.
When Mary Queen of Scots arrived in England in
1568 she became the focal point and catalyst of
Catholic Opposition.
Thomas Percy
(Earl of Northumberland)
Earl of Sussex
Thomas Howard
(Duke of Norfolk)
Rebels
De Spes
(Spanish Ambassador)
Charles Neville
(Earl of Westmorland

5. What factors caused the rebellion?
17.6: Opposition
to the reformation
& support of Mary
17.5: ‘contrarie
to God word’
17.7: Business
matters
Reasons
for the
Rebellion
17.8: Fight
against evil
17.8: Forced to
rebel
17.12:
Resentment
towards
Elizabeth’s
authority
17.11:
Protestantism
a threat to the
realm
Haigh believed the Northern Rebellion was a major
threat to Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s response shows how
seriously she took the rebellion. She….
Had 450 people executed.
Land confiscated.
Catholic supporters of the rebellion punished.
The Council of the North was restored under the
leadership of the Puritan Earl of Huntington.

6. Success of the Settlement
Problems Caused
by the
Settlement
Up until 1568 Elizabeth’s middle-of-the-road, broad-
based church was a success.
The
Success of the Settlement
Settlement
Refined
Injunctions
&
39 Articles
Introduced
Catholics
Conformed
Outwardly
Northern
Rebellion
Quashed
From 1568 Elizabeth encountered significant
Catholic Opposition.

7. Religious
Settlement
Catholic Opposition

8. Introduction
Purpose of the Religious Settlement was to…..
Establish outward conformity.
Not to…..
Examine inward reality.
Traditional View
(A.G. Dickens)
By 1558 majority of Englishmen were….
Receptive to a Protestant national Church
Ready to become loyal Anglicans.
That a minority group of Catholics continued in their
support of the Pope and Mary, Queen of Scots, which
resulted in them……
Being branded traitors.
Becoming the target of repressive measures.
Traditional historians argue that Elizabeth was more
concerned with countering any political threat than
punishing someone for religious non-conformity.
Revisionists have raised serious questions about the Traditional view however.

9. Why was Elizabeth so accommodating of Catholics?
Revisionist View
England was still largely Catholic, particularly
outside of London and in the north in This
would suggest that…….
The majority of the population was Catholic.
Catholic opposition was not restricted to a
minority group of extremists.
Catholic opposition in the House of Lords supports
this view. This also explains Elizabeth’s concessions
to Catholics in the Religious Settlement. She retained
some of the outward symbolism of the old faith in an
attempt to win them over to Protestantism.
Why was Elizabeth so accommodating of Catholics?
To have enforced the Religious Settlement with
heavy-handed tactics would have led to….
The outbreak of civil war.
Isolating Catholic gentry – and she needed their
support to enforce the law and govern the
localities.

10. Who were these Catholics?
Church Papists
Recusants
Catholic
Opposition
Seminary Priests
Jesuits

11. Why was Mary a problem for Elizabeth didn’t help her cause….
The Threat of
Mary, Queen of Scots
Historians are divided in their assessment of Mary.
Assessment of Mary
Tragic, Misguided
Figure
Calculating
and Dangerous
They are also divided over the wisdom of Elizabeth’s
decision to have her executed in Was it a…..
Serious blunder or a Political Necessity?
Why was Mary a problem for
Elizabeth?
Legitimate claimant to the English throne.
She was both half-French and Catholic.
This threatened England’s political independence and
Protestant religion.
Elizabeth didn’t help her cause….
By Failing to Marry or Name a Successor!

12. Most Catholics in England placed their allegiance for
Elizabeth before that of the Pope. In other words
they were….
Englishmen before they were Catholics!
They supported Elizabeth but…...
They wanted Mary recognised as Elizabeth’s heir.
When relationships between England and Spain
soured in 1569 Spain began supporting Mary’s claim
to the English throne.
Mary’s Claim
to the
Throne of England
Was it real or imagined?
There is no doubt that Mary’s hasty and untimely
arrival in England after her abdication in 1568
created a serious problem for Elizabeth;
Problems
To support Mary would be to reject those who
deposed her ( Protestant nobles in Scotland)
To insist Mary be restored to the throne could
result in making enemies of potential allies

13. #1 #2 #3 in England. Elizabeth’s Options
She could return Mary to Scotland to face
trial and possible execution.
Elizabeth rejected this option because of her belief in
the Sanctity of Princes! (see source 18.9, p 183) #2
She could return Mary to her family in
France.
Elizabeth rejected this option because it might revive
the old Franco-Scottish connection. The Guises
could intervene in Scotland and this would pose an
even greater threat to Elizabeth. #3
She could permit Mary to stay in England.
This is exactly what Elizabeth did. She permitted
Mary to stay in England as her prisoner.
The problem was that during her 18 years
imprisonment Mary remained a constant threat as
she became the…
Symbol of Hope for Disenchanted Catholics
in England.
Rallying-point for Catholic Opposition!
Until her execution in 1587 Mary was linked with
a number of Catholic plots to assassinate Elizabeth.

14. The Northern Rebellion 1569
Bull of
Excommunication
1570
Catholic
Threats
Key Events
The Northern Rebellion
1569
Court conspiracy to have Norfolk marry Mary
Mary to be proclaimed heir to English throne
Catholicism restored –Elizabeth & Cecil ousted
Privy Council’s Response
Demanded Norfolk's execution
Parliament’s Response
Parliament not called to discuss the matter
Elizabeth’s Response
Wanted Mary restored to Scottish throne
Sent force to subdued Mary’s supporters
The Babington
Plot
1586
The Ridolfi Plot
1571
The Papal Bull of Excommunication
1570
Pope Pius V excommunicates Elizabeth
Pius V considers Elizabeth a heretic
Pius calls on Catholics to depose Elizabeth
Parliament’s Response
Increased security of Elizabeth
Privy Council’s Response
Increases security to ensure the safety of Elizabeth
Introduce TREASON ACTS that make it an offense to:
Challenge legitimacy of Elizabeth as Queen
Introduce or publish any Papal Bulls in England
The Ridolfi Plot
1571
After excommunication Norfolk plans
uprising
Plan included Philip II of Spain & the Pope
Cecil discovered the plan
Privy Council’s Response
Demanded execution of Norfolk
Initiated Parliamentary Bills against Mary
Parliament’s Response
Passed two Bills: 1. Prohibited the Papal from being brought into England. 2. Treason to deny Elizabeth as rightful Queen
Elizabeth’s Response
Agreed to Norfolk’s execution to placate the
House of Commons
Refused to sign Mary’s death warrant
The
Throckmorton Plot
1583
The Babington Plot
1586
Walsingham’s agents intercept a letter from
Mary endorsing the murder of Elizabeth
Privy Council’s Response
Persuade Elizabeth to bring Mary to trial
Push Elizabeth to sign Mary’s death warrant
Parliament’s Response
Demands execution of Mary
Elizabeth’s Response
Orders Babington and plotters to be hanged
Wanted an alternative punishment for Mary
Signed warrant after initial indecision
Blamed her secretary William Davidson
The Throckmorton Plot
1583
French forces to invade England, free Mary and created popular Catholic uprising
Privy Council’s Response
Throckmorton tortured & executed
Spanish Ambassador, De Mendoza expelled
Parliament’s Response
Priests expelled from England
Treason to become a Catholic priest
Death penalty for aiding Catholic priests
Elizabeth’s Response
Concerned for James future ‘S

15. Yes! No! Was Mary Stuart a Genuine Threat? Henry VIII excluded
Legitimate heir to
the English throne
Henry VIII excluded
Stuart succession
Viewed as a foreign
threat
Natural leader of
English Catholics
English Catholics were
loyal to Elizabeth
Upset at Darnley
scandal
Little support elsewhere
Cause of the
Northern Rebellion
France preoccupied with
Civil War –
Spain preoccupied with
Netherlands & Turks
Papal Bull issued too
late to cause a Catholic
uprising
Supported by Guises
of France, Philip II of
Spain & the Pope
English Catholics upset
by Mary’s involvement
in the plot & opposed
foreign intervention
Instigated the
Babington Plot to
Murder Elizabeth

16. Why The Delay in Executing Mary?
Mary’s execution would increase Catholic
opposition at home and in Europe.
Using Mary as a hostage ensured France would
not act aggressively toward England.
It almost guaranteed Philip II of Spain would not
attempt to dethrone Elizabeth. If he did it would
only serve to strengthen Mary and French political
ambitions for England.
It was a more merciful, wise and courageous
decision.
Conclusion
While Mary remained alive concerns over Catholicism,
succession and national security would remain.
But most historians agree that while the plots against Elizabeth never developed into a serious threat, the execution of Mary Stuart was a political necessity.

17. Religious
Settlement
Puritan Opposition

18. ‘Hotter sort of Protestants.’
Introduction
While most historians agree that Elizabeth’s main
opposition came from Catholics it is important to
consider the threat posed by Puritans (Puritan Choir).
Who are the Puritans?
Most were Marian exiles had been influenced by the
reformer John Calvin and his Godly society in
Geneva.
The word ‘Puritan’ comes from the word ‘pure.’
They wanted the faith of the Church of England to
be rid of mediocrity and its forms of worship to be
simple, biblical and free of the influences of
Catholicism.
They were considered fanatical, left wing and very
religious’, ‘Godly Protestants’ or
‘Hotter sort of Protestants.’
Their religious ideas, actions and practice, along
with their views on Church organization led to
conflict with the Church of England.

19. Why such a radical approach?
They were concerned about:
Influence and impact of Popular Religion.
Ongoing influence of Catholicism.
Ignorance of the people on matters of religion.
Parish Anglicans who were more concerned about
outward conformity than inward reality.
Was Puritanism at this stage a
‘mindset’ or a ‘movement?’

20. Initially Puritanism was a ‘mind-set’ rather than an
A Mindset or Movement?
Initially Puritanism was a ‘mind-set’ rather than an
organized movement independent of the Church of
England. By the reign of Charles I however, it had
become a highly organized and influential
movement that worked in opposition to the King
Some historians have identified THREE strands of
Puritanism. All three offered Elizabeth a challenge.
The Three Strands of Puritanism
Worked outside the Church and
wanted reforms that would see:
The national church disbanded
Each parish determine its
own direction.
(Read p for additional
notes-particularly those on
prophesying & Classical
Presbyterianism.
Moderates
Presbyterians
Separatists
Upset at imposition of Religious Settlement without consultation.
Reluctantly accepted the established church.
Wanted Doctrine and Prayer book to be more Calvinistic.
Worked within the Church to initiate change.
(Read p for additional notes,
Particularly on the Vestments/Vestarian
Controversy)
Small influential group.
Wanted Church government reformed.
Used their position in Parliament to initiate change.
Thomas Cartwright key person.
(Read p for additional notes)

21. the Puritan Opposition? Government Suppression
How Successful was
the Puritan Opposition?
While most historians agree that major opposition
came from Catholics it would be a mistake to
discount entirely the threat of the Puritan Choir.
If the Puritan Choir was a threat it certainly
was not on the same scale as the threat posed by
the Catholics.
Government Suppression
Elizabeth viewed the Puritans with a great deal of
suspicion. As a result she attempted to moderate
their influence by:
Her policy of religious uniformity
John Whitgift’s commitment to enforcing this
policy
The execution of Puritan extremists
whose opposition was considered
Seditious!
This forced Puritan’s to leave the Church of England
to establish their own Separatist Church. While some
believe Whitgift broke the back of Puritanism the fact
that were instrumental in bringing about the
downfall of Charles I in 1640s suggests otherwise.