The Religious Situation under Elizabeth I: Domestic and Abroad

Religious Situation and Problems in 1558

Elizabeth I and Legitimacy

• Elizabeth's accession had been relatively easy but questions of her legitimacy plagued her reign.
• With Henry VIII breaking away from the Catholic Church, followed by Edward VI's heavy-handed Protestant reforms, Elizabeth already had the Catholic Church against her.
• The Catholic Church refused to recognise Henry's annulment thus in the eyes of many Catholics Elizabeth I was an illegitimate child.
• Added to that was the Protestants' negative attitudes towards the Catholic Church after the Marian persecution.

Religious Tensions under Previous Monarchs

Henry VIII

A major rebellion in the North, Pilgrimage of Grace, broke out after Henry VIII closed down monasteries.

Edward VI

The Prayer Book Rebellion broke out in 1549 after the theology of the English Reformation was published and enforced.

Mary I

Catholic persecution characterised Mary's reign, killing over 300 martyrs. Committed resistance to Catholicism grew.

The Religious Situation When Elizabeth I Became Queen

• Elizabeth believed in the importance of religion to bring stability and unity to the kingdom as the reign of past Tudor monarchs encountered rebellions due to differences in religion.
• When Elizabeth became Queen, most of the people in the country were Catholic.
• There was also a great deal of religious tension spreading across Europe as Catholics and Protestants fought to establish their faith as the 'true religion'.
• The Queen had reasons to fear the religious conflict that would arise in England during her reign.

Elizabeth depicted in the pages of the Bishops' Bible, 1569

Why Elizabeth Refused to Accept Catholicism

1. Elizabeth was educated and influenced by Protestant tutors.
2. Elizabeth rejected the Catholic belief of transubstantiation. She therefore forbade traditional mass from being performed.
3. Similarly, Catholicism revered saints, relics and religious iconography, which Protestants regarded as superstitious and corrupt.
4. She was no religious radical and being a politique, preferred a compromise between the religious beliefs.

The Foreign Situation under Elizabeth I

The Elizabethan Religious Settlement

Considering the foreign situations and the consequences of leaning completely towards one religion, the Queen steered a 'middle way'. Elizabeth I's Religious Settlement of 1559 aimed to provide religious stability by finding a middle ground for both Catholics and Protestants. She faced considerable Catholic opposition to the Settlement, particularly from nobles in the House of Lords. As such, Catholicism was tolerated provided it was practised in private, Catholics outwardly conformed to the new religion, and loyalty was promised.

The implementation of the Middle Way came in three parts in 1559.

• Elizabeth I passed the Act of Supremacy, the Act of Uniformity, and finally, the Royal Injunctions.
• The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion followed in 1563 detailing the doctrines and practices of the Church of England.

Aims of the Settlement

Elizabeth aspired for two outcomes from her religious settlement:

Uniformity: Elizabeth wanted to establish a national Church that would be acceptable to all.

Conformity: Elizabeth wanted her subjects to conform to the demands of her religious settlement.

The Act of Supremacy, 1559

This act replaced the Pope as the head of the English Church, with the monarch. It gave legal sovereignty of civil laws over the laws of the Church of England.

It was previously passed and revoked by past Tudor monarchs:

1534: Henry VIII designated himself head of the Church of England through the Act of Supremacy

1553: Mary took the throne, revoked the Act of Supremacy and reinstated Catholicism

1559: Elizabeth acceded to the throne and reinstated the Act of Supremacy

Elizabeth instituted an Oath of Supremacy.

• This required anyone taking public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch as Governor of the Church and State. Refusing was treason. She did, however, keep the pre-Reformation episcopal structure of two archbishops. Under the Act of Supremacy 1559:

• All clergy and members of the government had to swear an oath of allegiance to Elizabeth.

• This was important as it meant the clergy were first and foremost responsible to her and not the Pope.

• The Ecclesiastic High Commission was set up to ensure everyone was doing as they were told.

The Act of Uniformity, 1559

• It governed the way churches looked and how services were held.
• The Book of Common Prayer in English was published. The text was carefully chosen to please both Catholics and Protestants.
• Attendance every Sunday and on other holy days was compulsory and skipping was punishable with a fine of one shilling.
• It described what clothing priests had to wear. The clothing was simpler than Catholics' robes, but was still different to everyday wear.

Royal Injunctions

• All clergy must teach Royal Supremacy.
• People who refused to go to church were to be reported to the Privy Council or JPs.
• No one was allowed to preach without a licence from the government.
• Each parish should have a copy of the Bible in English.

Catholic and Puritan Responses to the Changes

Since Elizabeth was not a radical, some viewed the changes brought about by the religious settlement to be insufficient, while others believed them to be extreme. Catholics and Protestants responded differently to the changes.

Changes

Catholic Response

Protestant Response

Book of Common Prayer wording is ambiguous / deliberately vague.

E.g. Communion sacrament. Catholic transubstantiation meant bread and wine were the body and blood of Christ.

E.g. Communion sacrament. Protestants could regard communion as an act of remembrance.

Elizabeth banned pilgrimages to and monuments of fake miracles.

Catholics were pleased because it still meant there were real miracles.

Protestants were pleased because it stopped money-makers from duping people with fake miracles.

Use of Catholic elements allowed in the Church.

Catholics were pleased.

Protestants wanted much less but could deal with elements. Puritans were very unhappy.

Some extreme Protestants, called Puritans, emerged and demanded further reform, believing that the Church of England needed 'purifying' of Catholic elements.

The Puritan Challenge

What were Puritans all ab****out?

Belief: They believed Catholic rituals, ceremonies and teachings went against God's intentions.

Simplicity: Puritans wanted a simple, uncomplicated worship and way of life.

More reform: Protestants who fled Mary I returned to England with radical ideas. Church of England was still too Catholic.

Modesty: Things such as dancing, theatre and enjoyment were sinful and people should dress modestly. Sundays were for devout religious study.

No order: Puritans felt that church hierarchy wasn't needed and congregations could organise themselves.

Why Elizabeth did not Pursue a Puritan Religion

1. It would turn her Catholic subjects against her.
2. Puritanism challenged her authority, her being the head of the Church.
3. Elizabeth preferred some decorations in the church. The Marian exiles were exposed to ideas and practices of thoroughly Calvinist churches, such as in Reformation Geneva. Many wanted to implement these changes upon their return to England.

What did the Puritans aim for?

The English Church and State should be further reformed by the Word of God and the faithful preaching of the Gospel, as in the continental reformed churches.

Support for Puritanism and Puritan leaders

Walter Strickland

In 1571, he introduced a bill into the Commons to change the Prayer Book along Puritan lines. Elizabeth closed Parliament and banned bills which had to do with religion.

Peter Wentworth

Along with other Puritans, he challenged Elizabeth over freedom of speech in order to discuss religious policy. He was imprisoned a number of times for raising the issue.

Anthony Cope

In 1586, he was imprisoned with Wentworth after introducing a bill to change the Religious Settlement. This forced Puritans to find other ways to gain influence.

Elizabeth also faced a challenge from the Puritans in the Privy Council. Unlike the radical MPs and priests, they were relatively moderate and hoped to introduce more reforms by taking a softer approach with Elizabeth.

Attempts to Change the Church

It was not long before objections to the terms of the religious settlement began, especially the use of the Prayer Book. Throughout Elizabeth's reign, she attempted to block Parliament and the bishops from introducing further religious reforms. The bishops were faced with the dilemma of enforcing conformity while supporting reforms.

The Crucifix Controversy, 1559

• Puritans believed that crucifixes represented idols.
• However, the Queen preferred them to be kept in churches so as not to alarm the Catholics.
• The Queen was disappointed with the extreme iconoclasm of the bishops during the visitations.
• Some Puritan bishops threatened to resign when she insisted on crucifix display in each church.
• She could not afford to replace the bishops since there were not enough suitable Protestant clergymen.
• She was forced to back down and give in to the bishops' concerns. It was an unspoken compromise.
• Nevertheless, she kept a crucifix in the Chapel Royal.

The Vestments Controversy, 1566

• The use of a certain clerical dress as stated in the Injunctions was objected to by the Puritans.
• Puritans thought that the elaborate vestment was too Catholic.
• By 1565, some clergymen refused to wear the special vestments, which was an act of challenging the settlement.
• Puritan MPs continued to press religious reforms in Parliament which was met with Elizabeth's successful handling of the challenges. In response to the Vestments Controversy, the Queen asserted her authority and chose not to compromise on this Puritan issue. In the end, Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, issued a code of discipline for the clergy known as the Book of Advertisements resulting in the suspension of prominent Protestant priests due to non-compliance. The majority of priests consented.

• Some Puritans who were dissatisfied with the middle way and who failed to push for reforms chose to withdraw from the Church of England.
• They held their services whilst some continued to attack some practices prescribed in the Injunctions.
• Whilst the actions of the separatists were threatening, their population was insignificant during Elizabeth's reign.
• However, two Puritan separatists, namely Henry Barrowe and John Greenwood, were arrested and executed in 1593 for advocating their beliefs which were considered seditious.

Henry Barrowe and John Greenwood, stained glass windows at a church in Cambridge

Attitude of Elizabeth's Archbi****shops

Elizabeth had three Archbishops of Canterbury throughout her long reign.

Matthew Parker (1559-1575)

Parker previously became the chaplain of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. He was a moderate reformer and worked well with Elizabeth, putting the Church of England on a firm foothold. He had a few different views from the Queen including the issue of clerical marriage. Whilst he was blamed for not being able to properly enforce the Injunctions, the strength of his partnership with the Queen resulted in the relative success of the Church in early Elizabethan England.

Edmund Grindal (1575-1583)

Grindal assumed the Archbishopric of Canterbury after Parker died in 1575. Unlike Parker, he had a disastrous working relationship with the Queen due to his Puritan sympathies. He clashed with the Queen, especially on the issue of prophesying, the unauthorised meetings for prayer and preaching. This led to Grindal's suspension from office in 1577 until he died in 1583.

John Whitgift (1583-1604)

Whitgift was Elizabeth's favourite of all her Archbishops of Canterbury. He shared the same views as the Queen. He was suspicious of the Puritans and also protected the Church from the Catholics. He thoroughly carried out the Queen's religious policy of uniformity. It was during his administration that Puritan separatism was made a crime. He was at the Queen's side until she died in 1603.

The Catholic Threat

The Catholics in England found significant backing abroad. The papacy was engaged in persecuting Protestants while the Counter-Reformation was spreading across Europe. It was clear that the Catholic Church was not in favour of other doctrines.

• In 1566 the Pope issued an instruction to the English Catholics that they should not attend Elizabeth's Church of England.
• Non-attendance at Church service was punishable with a fine and repeat offences meant harsher punishments.
• However, the Queen was cautious to not create martyrs, thus ignoring smaller forms of disobedience. Though there were many Catholics in England, the Church was concerned that Catholicism would die out under the settlement.

Consequently, in 1568, a school for training English Catholic missionaries was established in the Netherlands by William Allen, an English Cardinal.

The Role of Mary Queen of Scots

Figurehead: Mary, QoS, became an influential Catholic figurehead in England.

Immediate Threat: Elizabeth's refusal to marry and bear children meant Mary, QoS, was next in line to the throne.

Catholic Queen: The counter-reformation to Protestantism aimed to restore nations to Catholicism. This resulted in several assassination plots against Elizabeth.

Foreign Friends: Mary, QoS, had the support of powerful Catholic nations like France and Spain, and the Catholic Church in Rome.

Centre of Plots: Mary, QoS, was at the centre of several plots to overthrow Elizabeth, most notably the Rebellion of the Northern Earl, which she instigated. Other plots included: the Ridolfi Plot, 1571; Throckmorton Plot, 1583; and finally, Babington Plot, 1586 - which directly led to Mary, QoS', execution.

The Northern Rebellion, 1569

In Tudor England, the Catholic Northern Earls were wealthy and powerful, particularly during Mary I's reign. Being so far away from the centre of power, they governed somewhat independently of the Crown and had the manpower to do so. When Elizabeth acceded, their influence was reduced and southern lords were put in charge of some northern land. They resented the Crown's interference. When Mary, QoS, showed up in 1568 and with Pope Pius V stoking their dissent, a rebellion broke out in 1569. Thomas Percy and Charles Neville led this rebellion.

Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland

Key Events of the Rebellion

• In 1569, Northern Earls Charles Neville and Thomas Percy gathered a force consisting of over 4,500 men and 700 knights.
• They marched on the fortified city of Durham.
• They stormed the cathedral and destroyed the English Bible and Protestant communion table.
• An illegal Catholic mass was then conducted.
• They then marched further south to Bramham Moor.

Charles Neville, 6th Earl of Westmorland

Lord President of the North

Consequences of the Rebellion

• The Earls fled to Scotland.
• Westmorland evaded capture and escaped to Flanders.
• Northumberland was captured, however, and executed in 1572.
• Rebel lands and land belonging to Catholic families were confiscated.
• The power of the Northern Earls was stripped and broken.

Why the Rebellion Failed

1. There was poor planning and leadership.
2. Elizabeth acted decisively and with force.
3. There was a lack of foreign support for the rebels.
4. Elizabeth was a popular ruler.

Papal Excommunication 1570

"But the number of the ungodly has so much grown in power that there is no place left in the world which they have not tried to corrupt with their most wicked doctrines; and among others, Elizabeth, the pretended queen of England and the servant of crime, has assisted in this, with whom as in a sanctuary the most pernicious of all have found refuge." Pope Pius V, 1570

• The Pope attempted to capitalise on the discontent caused by Mary, Queen of Scots, arrival in England and the rebellion of the Northern Earls, albeit unsuccessful.
• These three factors jeopardised Elizabeth's Religious Settlement and added to the risk of a Catholic foreign power lending support for Elizabeth's removal.
• The Pope overestimated his power over Catholics in England, however, and Welsh Catholics were in favour of supremacy and remained loyal to Elizabeth.
• Nevertheless, in 1571, Parliament cracked down on dissenters and made it illegal to carry out papal bulls in England and Wales.

The Problems Facing Catholics, 1558-1589

From 1558 to 1570, there was relative leniency towards Catholics who were willing to keep their religion to themselves as long as they would follow the religious laws. However, Pope Pius V's 1570 bull, Regnans in Excelsis, conflicted with the English Catholics.

Catholic Reactions to the Religious Settlement

By 1580, the Catholics reacted differently to Elizabethan religious laws:

• Conformers: A large proportion of English Catholics chose to become Protestants.
• Recusants: Several thousands of usually wealthy English Catholics refused to attend Protestant church service and arranged their Catholic mass at home.
• Church papists: Most English Catholics attended Protestant church services but kept Catholic beliefs and some loyalty to the Pope.
• Plotters: A small number of English Catholics refused to attend Protestant church services and were fiercely loyal to the Catholic beliefs and to the Pope.

In 1581, the Religion Act or the Act to Retain the Queen's Majesty's subjects in their due obedience was passed to discourage the English Catholics from obeying the papal bull. The act made it high treason to reconcile anyone or to be reconciled to Catholicism, or to procure or publish any papal bull or writing whatsoever. Furthermore, punishment for non-compliance to the settlement became harsher and the celebration of Catholic mass, even privately, was strictly prohibited.

The persecution of Catholics climaxed in 1585 with the passage of the act against Jesuits, seminary priests and other such like disobedient persons. Some of the English Catholics executed under Elizabeth were Edmund Campion, Robert Southwell and Margaret Clitherow.