ELIZABETH THE FIRST

ELIZABETH I AND RELIGION

SECTION 2 : THE ELIZABETHAN RELIGIOUS SETTLEMENT

YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING:

(a)    What Elizabeth set out to do

(b)   What the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity stated

(c)    What was the reaction to these proposals

(d)    How far Elizabeth was influenced by other groups, eg Puritans, Bishops, Cecil

(e)    How far Elizabeth tried to placate Catholics

(f)     What subsequent changes were made

1.                  WHAT ELIZABETH SET OUT TO DO

Evidence suggests Elizabeth wished for a peculiarly English Protestant settlement that embraced Protestant doctrine but kept the traditional structure and rituals of the Catholic Church.

Her policy included a mixture from Catholicism, Lutheranism and Calvinism, eg rituals appealed to Catholics and Lutherans, the Eucharist doctrine closer to Calvin.

Debate about what motivated her reforms � her own beliefs, political considerations or concessions to opposition she encountered, eg pragmatism

The compromise could be presented in positive light, designed to placate both Protestants and Catholics. By implementing protestant doctrines, she would appear as a hero to the Protestants and her reign would be seen as a merciful and welcome release from the dark years of Mary. The return of the Marian exiles meant there was a powerful Protestant political class in the country � Elizabeth�s policy would win their support.

Yet Elizabeth had also learnt the lesson of the rebellions under Edward. Most people were essentially conservative and so by keeping the existing structure and the outward appearance of the church, she would avoid inflaming unrest and discord. At same time she could assure Catholic princes that the church had not been radically altered along protestant lines.

The middle course would hopefully ensure foreign princes were not hostile, and create a church acceptable to the vast majority of her people. Elizabeth could see the way the wind was blowing in France. The religious divisions were intensifying and in 1559 led to 40 years of religious civil wars. Elizabeth was determined to avoid civil war and the persecution that had so damaged Mary�s reputation.

Yet Elizabeth would have known from the start that she would encounter opposition from extremists on both sides. Hard line Catholic bishops would seek to use the House of Lords and the pulpit; hard line Protestants the Commons. Getting legislation enacted was not going to be an easy task.

2.                  THE OPPOSITION TO THE ELIZABETHAN RELIGIOUS SETTLEMENT

Elizabeth And her Council were well aware that there would be opposition to any reforms and so they would need to plan them carefully and keep the actual details secret until they were ready.

The government seems well aware of the risks of taking England down a Protestant path for in 1559 a pamphlet was published, probably with government support, entitled A Device for Alteration of Religion. It outlined the dangers well : war with France and Scotland, rebellion in Ireland, riots among English Catholics and greater demands from Protestant hard liners.

Yet Elizabeth and her Council had determined to risk all this by adopting this route and she summoned Parliament in 1559 to deal with the religious question. She wished them to pass the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity.

The Act of Supremacy would determine the Queen�s authority over the Church. The Act of Uniformity would determine the form of service in the country.

Although the actual details of the parliamentary sessions is largely missing, it seems that Elizabeth�s policy met fierce opposition. Historians have pieced together a chronology of events:

A Bill was introduced in February combining both the terms of the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity. Not surprisingly the Commons accept the Bill, but it runs into opposition in the Lords, where an amendment is passed to remove the restoration of Protestantism. The depth of the opposition shocks Elizabeth. She considers compromise and a church on Henrician lines but soon determines to press ahead. She arrests two of the bishops and recalls Parliament. In April she introduces a new Supremacy Bill giving her the title of Supreme Governor rather than Supreme Head � this was intended to pacify Catholics and extreme Protestants who rejected idea of a woman being head of the church. Again it is passed easily by the Commons but some try to lock it in the Lords � yet it is passed after heated and fierce opposition.

A new Uniformity Bill is then also drafted to include concessions to the Catholics � it only gets through by 21 votes to 18 in the Lords.

Historians are divided over the Elizabethan Settlement:

THE TRADITIONAL VIEW

From the time of Elizabeth men like John Foxe argue that Elizabeth set out determined to create the Anglican Church and that, despite fierce Catholic opposition, she succeeded. Neale rejected this view and instead claimed that Elizabeth�s intention was to re-establish the HENRICIAN SETTLEMENT � A Catholic Church without the Pope, but these plans were thwarted by a Puritan group in the Commons. This forced Elizabeth to compromise. In Neale�s opinion the opposition in Parliament came from the Puritans rather than the Catholics, although the conservative bishops did oppose idea of royal supremacy. Elizabeth gave way to the more radical protestant elements. This became the accepted view for many years, but has now been challenged by historians who have turned back to Foxe�s original view.

THE REVISIONSIST VIEW

This view is promulgated by historians such as Haigh. They argue that Neale is mistaken on two accounts. Firstly they dismiss Neale�s assertion that Elizabeth adopted a conservative policy early in her reign in order to reach a satisfactory treaty with France at Cateau-Cambresis. Haigh dismisses this by pointing out that Elizabeth actually delayed the peace negotiations by initially insisting on the return of Calais and that there appears to be no connection at all between these negotiations and her religious policy. Haigh even suggests that Elizabeth may have deliberately prolonged the war in order to weaken the resistance of the conservative peers. The second ground on which Haigh attacks Neale is over the influence of the Protestant radicals in parliament at the time. He points out that only 19 Marian exiles were elected to the 1559 parliament and that many of those were not actually present at the time. At no time did they resemble a well-organised united group and the Queen�s tactics were clearly focused at dealing with the conservative peers rather than protestant radicals, which suggest she did not perceive them as a threat. However Haigh�s main argument is that Protestantism was clearly on the agenda, rather than some form of Catholicism. He points out that Elizabeth�s chief advisers, men like Cecil and  Francis Knollys were firm protestants.

3.                  WHAT WERE THE TERMS OF THE ACTS OF SUPREMACY AND UNIFORMITY?

These Acts established the Elizabethan religious settlement:

�        Elizabeth was Supreme Governor of the Church of England with the power of visitation

�        Legislation repealed by Mary was revived

�        The Heresy Acts and the Papal supremacy were revoked

�        All clergy and office holders were forced to take an oath to enforce conformity to the new Prayer Book

�        Punishments were imposed for those who failed to use the Prayer Book

�        Everyone had to attend Church on Sunday and other holy days and to participate in the new services. Fines were used to enforce this.

�        Church ornamentation and clergy�s dress was to be as laid down in the more moderate 1549 prayer book.

�        The Book of Common Prayer omitted the Black Rubric of 1552, which denied the real presence of Christ during the communion service, and changed the words said by the priest as he consecrated the bread and wine. This was probably done in hope that ambiguity would enable people of differing opinions to participate in new national Church.

In addition Cecil drafted the Royal Injunctions in 1559 :

Clergy were ordered to:

�        observe the royal supremacy and preach against superstition and Papal authority

�        condemn images, relics and miracles

�        preach only with permission in form of a licence

�        report recusants to privy council or JPs

�        marry only with permission of bishop and two JPs

�        observe the Ornaments Rubric laid down during Edward�s reign

To ensure these orders were enforced, 125 commissioners were appointed to visit churches and enforce the oath of supremacy � led to much destruction of church ornaments and loss of 400 Marian clergy.

Crown also took control of church wealth, eg control of tenths. Appropriated remaining religious foundations and allow vacancies to continue to exploit wealth. Former monastic land remained with owners � pleased Commons.

4.                  WAS THE ELIZABETHAN SETTLEMENT A FUDGE?

In certain areas it appears to have been:

DOCTRINE � no mention of doctrine as Elizabeth�s concern was a national and legal framework for her church. Meant confusion and uncertainty � Protestant reformers left dismayed and started to campaign for more.

CLERGY � As leading Catholic clergy lost out, so meant more Protestants had to be appointed to replace them. This was not easy as difficult to find properly qualified men and the financial plight did not help. As a result unsuited people often appointed. Church suffered from poorly qualified priests and the Crown�s milking of its assets.

THE POPE � Elizabeth had concluded peace with France, but there was the real fear of a Catholic crusade against Elizabeth, who was forced to make overtures to the Protestant princes in Germany in the hope of establishing religious alliances. It was feared that the Pope, Pius IV, would excommunicate Elizabeth and urge such a crusade. Not sure how English Catholics would react.

This was merely the start of Elizabeth�s religious reforms

YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING:

(a)    Why Elizabeth introduced changes between 1559 and 1563

(b)   How far these were influenced by wider political considerations

(c)    How far they settled the religious situation

WHY ELIZABETH INTRODUCED FURTHER CHANGES BETWEEN 1559 AND 1563

The religious settlement of 1559 left many dissatisfied :

(a)    Failed to give a clear doctrinal lead

(b)   Failed to embrace radical Protestantism and so left Marian exiles and Puritans unhappy

(c)    Failed to quell Catholic uncertainty and remove danger of Catholic rebellion or invasion

• Elizabeth between 1559 and 1563 seemed wary of a possible Catholic threat. The opposition of the Catholic clergy and the Bishops in the Lords served as a warning. There was also the danger of France and Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots, was married to the French Dauphin and was Elizabeth�s heir. Many Catholics saw her as the rightful Queen.
• Many Catholics were looking to the Pope for a lead. If he excommunicated Elizabeth it would absolve Catholics from their oath of loyalty to her and from the charge of treason. There was a real danger that the Pope�s interference would stir up a Catholic rebellion, supported by foreign troops.
• Civil war began in both Scotland and France in 1559, largely engineered by political divisions. These Civil wars showed Elizabeth the dangers of a rift between two religious extremes. Elizabeth was keen to avoid the same fate for England.
• Elizabeth started off cautiously in her treatment of Catholics. Yet she was determined not to allow extreme Catholics to challenge her authority. Only the more extreme Catholics were removed initially. Those who had accepted Edward�s reforms were allowed to remain in office. However, Elizabeth was determined to ensure that they were not using their positions to oppose her. Commissioners were sent out to ensure all the clergy took the oath of supremacy and to check on the use of the Prayer Book.
• Yet the resistance of the Marian clergy soon became clear. By the summer of 1559 only one of Mary�s bishops had taken the oath � the rest refused. Elizabeth could not tolerate this challenge to her authority and dismissed them. This had a profound effect for it robbed them of their power base, their control over the lower clergy and their seats in the House of Lords. 400 lower clergy were also dismissed.
• Yet Elizabeth seemed keener on raising Crown revenue than on introducing a staunchly Protestant church. She delayed the consecration of the new Protestant bishops so she could take control of their income for the Crown�s use.
• However Elizabeth was determined not to antagonise moderate Catholics. To placate them in 1559 the Royal Injunctions allowed many of the old vestments to be worn during services, and the communion table to stand where the altar had stood.
• Elizabeth�s religious policy seems to have been shaped by Catholic opposition, the perceived threat of rebellion and the danger of a Catholic crusade. In this respect it was probably less Protestant than she wished. Elizabeth�s settlement led many Catholics to become confused. As Haigh states : �The Pope failed to make it clear to English Catholics where their duty lay � This gentleness towards the Catholics and the ornamentation in her churches was already worrying some leaders of her new Church, who feared that the new religion would be laxly imposed.� Elizabeth risked therefore alienating Protestants, particularly the puritans, by her actions.
• In 1560 and 1561 Elizabeth appeared to make further concessions to the Catholics. This may have been prompted by the French pressing Mary Stuart�s claim to the English throne in that year. This raised the possibility of a Catholic crusade with Mary at its head supported by France and Scotland, with the possible aid of rebellious English Catholics. Elizabeth was pressurised into sending English help to the Protestant lords in Scotland to try to minimise such a threat.
• In 1560 a Latin edition of the Prayer Book allowed requiem celebrations for the dead. Elizabeth had also restored a crucifix and candles to the altar in her chapel � and let this be known � and had tried to re-establish full Catholic vestments.
• In 1561 Elizabeth even contemplated banning clerical marriage. Eventually, she compromised and evicted the wives and children of higher clergy from colleges and cathedral closes.
• Elizabeth�s reaction to opposition was to make more concessions to Catholics, including minimising the harshness of punishments for Catholics who did not attend church every week.
• Having enforced the Religious Settlement legally, Elizabeth was determined to define the doctrine of the Church of England and prevent it from changing. The 39 Articles were passed through Convocation in 1563 and given statutory authority in 1571.
• These 39 Articles were based on the 42 introduced under Edward VI. The 42 Articles had been the work of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533 to 1556. These 42 Articles were suppressed during the Catholic reign of Mary. The 1563 Latin and the 1571 English editions of the articles, which benefited from the consultation of the queen herself, are the definitive statements. Elizabeth promoted the articles as an instrument of national policy (to solidify her kingdom religiously) and as a theological instrument (to encompass as wide a spectrum of English Christians as possible).
• The 39 Articles repudiated teachings and practices that Protestants in general condemned in the Catholic Church. For example they denied transubstantiation and the sinlessness of Mary. They also affirm with the reformers on areas such as scripture being the final authority on salvation and that ministers may marry. The Articles also make clear the sovereign�s position. Article 37, for example, maintains the sovereign�s right to �chief government� over the whole realm, including the church.
• The articles are Protestant in affirming the final authority of Scripture but they are also �catholic� in their respect for tradition and in their belief that religious ceremonies should be everywhere the same within a realm.
• The result of Elizabeth�s reforms between 1558 and 1563 is generally regarded as successful because the church survived and became acceptable to the majority. Yet as MacCulloch points out : �From the story of confusion and changing direction emerged a church which has never subsequently dared define its identity decisively as Protestant or catholic, and which has decided in the end that this is a virtue rather than a handicap.�
• Although the legal framework was established by the Religious Settlement the quality of the Church�s spiritual life and its doctrines had not been addressed.
• Most contemporaries probably waited on events, such as the Pope�s reaction after the Religious Settlement had been determined, before they assessed its success.
• However, many were less than happy. Many Catholics bemoaned the loss of Mary and dreamed of a Catholic revival under a new queen. Many Protestants dreamed of further protestant reforms.

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