Religious Settlement Religion in England

Religion had divided England since 1530. Introduction Religion had divided England since 1530. When Elizabeth became Queen there was an expectation she would return England to Protestantism. Elizabeth’s Reign Created Tension Pope never considered her rightful ruler of England Living Symbol of Henry VIII break with Rome Catholics considered her illegitimate. Bloody Mary’s reign had been associated with the…. Disputes over religious worship and ceremony may seem trivial to us today. But remember that, in an age when lives were frequently short and troubled, religion was central to people’s existence. Faith guided souls in this life and prepared them for the next. Such vital matters could not be left to chance. Worship had to be conducted properly for fear of eternal damnation. Catholics and Protestants violently disagreed as to what the ‘proper’ form of worship was. The church also had a less spiritual role. At a time when communications were primitive, the pulpit was the only way in which the central government could guarantee to contact the majority of the population. Persecution of Protestants Loss of Calais Elizabeth wanted to…. Distance herself from Mary’s bloody legacy Introduce new policies While there is little doubt over her own Protestant beliefs, she realised that religious changes made an impact at home and abroad. It had caused rebellion and repression. 2. Linked to succession and potential candidates 3. Determined foreign policy

Religious Changes Henry VIII Edward VI Mary I Elizabeth’s Religious Inheritance England’s religion determined by the King or Queen. Between 1530-1558 the official religion of England changed a number of times. Religious Changes Broke with Rome Henry VIII Became Head of the Church Somerset introduced Protestant prayer book Edward VI Northumberland introduced the 42 Articles: removed Catholicism from Common Prayer Book Over the past 30 years England had lurched through three changes of religion Henry VIII had broken with Rome and formed an English national church of which the King, not the Pope was the Supreme head. Otherwise the church of Henry VIII was little changed. Catholic rituals, ceremonies and the hierarchy of bishops remained. Henry himself continue to attend mass. Edward VI’s Protectors had moved the Protestant English Church much more towards radical Calvinism. (covered in reading pg149-50) Two Prayer books were published in English (instead of Latin) in 1549 and 1552. Many Catholic doctrines and ceremonies were abolished. Mary Tudor returned the English Church to Rome and to the Pope. Catholicism with the Latin Mass became England’s official religion again. The Marian* (refers to Mary’s reign) Church began to restore the monastic orders abolished in Henry VIII’s regin and those who denied ‘transubstantiation’ (bread and wine transformed into body & blood of Christ) risked being burned at the stake. (300 were burned and 800 leading protestants fled becoming the Marian Exiles). During the reign of Edward, Princesss Elizabeth had lived in quiet retirement in the country. When her half sister Mary was crowned queen, however, she became heir to the throne and much more vunerable. Elizabeth was known to be attached to the protestant faith, and after rebellion against Mary’s catholicism and her intention to marry Philip of Spain, Elizabeth spent two months in the Tower followed by a year’s house arrest in Oxfordshire. There after Elizabeth passed the rest of the reign in discreet withdrawl on one of her country estates. Though she did nothing to provoke the government to take action against her, she was never safe nor secure. After all she represented Protestant hopes under a catholic regime, which burnt to death 300 Protestants. And as year after year Mary failed to give birth to the heir who would secure a catholic dynasty, protestant hopes and catholic fears focused increasingly on Elizabeth. Restored Papal authority Mary I Restored Catholic doctrine Persecution of Protestants

Could excommunicate Elizabeth & order a religious crusade against her Choices and Consequences Elizabeth had THREE important factors she had to consider when determining England’s religious direction. SPAIN FRANCE Alliance to counter threat of France Mary Stuart claimed English throne The Situation In Europe SCOTLAND NETHERLANDS A threat because of Mary of Guise Ruled by Spain. England needed access to Antwerp Alliance to counter threat of France – Although Spain was Catholic, an alliance with such a powerful country was advantageous for both – Philip II (spain) did not want a combined French/Scottish attack on England cutting off his access to the English Channel. Mary Stuart (Queen of Scots) Mary of Guise – Widow of James V – Mary Stuart was her daughter. Many Scottish nobles were protestant and wary of this French regent. Netherlands – Antwerp was vital to the English textile trade. At home there was a split in the houses of parliament, Commons was Protestant, Lords was Catholic. Because Eliz was able to chose her Privy Council it was Protestant and politically allied in her favour. Elizabeth also had to contend with the returning Marian Exiles who expected to be placed in positions of power and influence within the new church. POPE Could excommunicate Elizabeth & order a religious crusade against her House of Commons House of Lords Supportive Protestants Opposition from Catholic bishops & nobles The Situation At Home Privy Council Marian Exiles Protestant & political allies Wanted key roles. Opposed Catholics The People Conservative

The Elizabethan Church CLERGY GOVERNMENT Mostly Catholic Sermon’s promoted anti-Protestant sympathies Opposed to a woman being Head of the Church The Situation In the Church ORGANISATION RITUAL No significant changes Less emphasis on external trappings DOCTRINE Influenced by Reformers Coming after Mary I, where England had returned to a strongly Catholic church. The Catholic church has a strong and structured hierarchy and this was a hurdle as any dramatic changes could alienate vast portions of the population. WHAT KIND OF CHURCH Elizabeth had two broad options 1 – retain the Catholic Marian Church with the Pope as spiritual leader. 2 – re-establish a national Protestant Church with herself as leader. In this case it could be : the conservative protestantism of the Henrician church (reject the pope but keep the doctrine) or the fully protestant Edwardian Church (also rejecting the pope and including doctrinal changes) or it could be somewhere between the two. ELIZ BELIEFS Having been raised under both religions, Eliz’s own faith was the ‘least known part of her ‘ (Prof GR Elton). But we do know that the queen was essentially conservative. She liked much of the ritual and ceremony of the Catholic church but disliked the mass. Eliz’s views on matters of doctrine are not known but she did like the ornaments and pomp and ceremony of the Catholic Service. Above all however the Queen wanted political stability. Additional Activity: read pages 6 – 9 Graves/Frood – identify the differences between Catholic & Protestant faiths. The Elizabethan Church What kind of church did Elizabeth want? Any answer depends on our view of Elizabeth’s faith and her religious beliefs. Elizabeth’s Faith Indifferent Pious Her position would determine the kind of church Elizabeth wanted.

Features of Elizabeth’s Church Elizabeth wanted a broad church that would appeal to both Protestants and Catholics. Catholic ceremony Protestant doctrine Elizabethan Church There were a number of advantages of having a broad church that sought to steer a middle ground that would appeal to the majority of people. Advantage for Protestants Appear to be a Protestant Heroine. It was a compromise in that it was a mix of both Protestant and Catholic. Calvinist rather than Lutheran ideas. God all powerful and all knowing. People were predestined to salvation. Calvin’s ideas helped explain unanswerable problems because everything that happened was determined by God. The marian exiles had produced the ‘Geneva Bible’ (an english translation with marginal notes) which became very popular in England. The services were in English and Eliz had to appoint Protestants to run the church (all of Mary’s bishops had resigned). Eliz did however make her new archbishop and bishops reject the most strongly Protestant ideas. The Episcopacy (church structure) was Catholic. Bishops and Church courts were retained, as were Catholic rituals and vestments. Some traditional elements such as Saints Days, kneeling, fasts and signing with the cross, were kept. Its broadness and ambiguity made it a comprehensive Church – one that comprehended (included) as many people as possible. Draw picture on board?? Signal her break with the repression of ‘Bloody Mary.’ Ensure loyalty of the politically active. Advantage for Catholics Retaining rituals and ceremony was reassuring. Avoid social upheaval. Reassurance to Catholics leaders in Europe of religious stability. Not too many changes introduced. In choosing a middle-of-the road approach Elizabeth hoped to avoid religious persecution and a civil war. The only people unhappy with Elizabeth’s church were religious extremists among the Catholics and Protestants.

The Religious Settlement Elizabeth’s authority Elizabeth and her Privy council were concerned that a change in religion could result in…. A civil war. A war with France and Spain A rebellion in Scotland Elizabeth’s middle-of-the road position meant she faced criticism from…. Catholics who accused her of ‘going too far.’ Protestants who accused her of ‘not going far enough.’ What was the Act of Supremacy – key point as in green box – elaboration – This act was required because the parliament (made up of men) heeded the words of St Paul, that women could not hold a ‘spiritual’ office in the Church. Instead of Supreme Head, Elizabeth became the Supreme Governor (a lay supervisor) of the Church. She supervised the church through her (male) bishops and the bishops preformed the spiritual functions. If a bishops refused to do as Eliz wished then she could only punish him and could not force him to do her bidding. This occurred in 1576 when Archbishop Grindal refused to suppress meetings of the clergy. Eliz suspended Grindal from duty. Until Grindal died 6 yrs later, Eliz had no active Archbishop of Canterbury. The act also required that all office holders in the Church take an oath recognising the Supremacy of Eliz as Supreme Governor. What was the Act of Uniformity – aimed to make worship uniform throughout England. Laymen who failed to attend the new church could be fined a shilling for each offence. The act introduced – a new prayer book, ‘communion table’ replace the ‘alter’, confession was retained with priests have power to administer absolution, communion was in two kinds, ornaments and vestments were defined as those used in the second year of Edward VI reign, clerical marriage allowed, services to be in English, the transubstantiation debate was resolved by giving the freedom to believe in the real presence, not just symbolic, of Christ. The Religious Settlement 1559 Act of Supremacy Determined Elizabeth’s authority over the Church Act of Uniformity Religious conformity

Elizabeth was conservative. The Religious Settlement Act of Uniformity Act of Supremacy Elizabeth becomes Supreme Governor Church attendance Uniformity in order of service Oath of allegiance What Do Historians Say? Traditional View J.E. Neale Elizabeth was conservative. She wanted a Henrician Church (Catholic Church but without the Pope) Traditionalism is the accepted historical viewpoint. It is often complementary of key figures and is the view perpetuated by the governing/powerful class in society. Revisionism is the histography that challenges the accepted viewpoint. It is the act of revising documents, data, viewpoints and often is branded as sceptical. Activity: Read pgs 254 -255 (Graves/Silcock) ‘The Elizabethan Settlement’, read and complete activities on ‘Historians interpretation sheet’. She was pressured by the ‘Puritan Choir’ in the House of Commons into a more Protestant Settlement than she originally intended. Revisionist View N. Jones Main opposition came from Catholics in the House of Lords who pressured Elizabeth into including more Catholic elements into the Settlement than she originally intended.

The Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity The Key Features of the Religious Settlement The Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity established the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. Imposed Oath of Allegiance Elizabeth made Supreme Governor Punished opponents of Prayer Book Religious Settlement Revoked Heresy Act & Papal Supremacy Punished recusants Omitted the Black Rubric from Prayer Book The Royal Injunctions filled in the detail of the settlement. Royal Injunctions Was drafted by William Cecil and ordered clergy to… Observe Royal Supremacy. Preach against Papal authority and superstition. Condemn images, and relics. Report recusants to the privy council or JPs. Observe Ornaments Rubric. 125 commissioners were appointed to enforce the Religious Settlement and the 39 Articles.

Issues from the Settlement Doctrinal Confusion Shortage of Qualified Clergy Fear of Pope Pius IV’s response Refining the Religious Settlement 1559-1563 1559 Non-conforming Catholic bishops removed Commissioners took oath of supremacy & monitored use of Prayer Book Possibly to avoid further antagonising Catholics at home and abroad, Eliz had not added a definition of doctrine to the Settlement. However in 1563 the Bishops at last produced one (39 Articles) which became the Church of Englands statement of faith to which all clergy had to subscribe. Interestingly the Articles tried to find common ground between all the different Protestant reformers ie Calvanists and Lutherans and therefore Catholics. Lutherans and Catholics had very simillar interpretations of communion and the ‘spiritual presence’ of christ. 1560 Latin Prayer Book allowed Requiem Mass Royal Injunctions allowed use of vestments Elizabeth restored Crucifix/candles in her chapel 1561 Elizabeth opposed marriage of clergy 1563 39 Articles defined Church doctrine The 39 Articles were given statutory authority in 1571.

Was the Religious Settlement a Success? The answer is both ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ It was a success in the sense that the Church of England became the permanent national church. But it ….. Was lengthy process and it took all of Elizabeth’s reign for England to become thoroughly Protestant. It was not a success in the sense that many of the religious issues that were divisive remained unresolved. As a result it took a great deal of skill on the part of Elizabeth and her Privy Council to ensure the success of her legislative program.