was the elizabethan religious settlement successful

The religious settlement began to be implemented in the summer of 1559. During Edward's reign, the Church of England adopted a Reformed theology and liturgy. "[78] By the late 1560s, recusancy was becoming more common. While affirming traditional Christian teaching as defined by the first four ecumenical councils, it tried to steer a middle way between Reformed and Lutheran doctrines while rejecting Anabaptist thinking. [83], The persecution of 15811592 changed the nature of Roman Catholicism in England. The Elizabethan Religious Settlement is the name given to the religious and political arrangements made for England during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). The Elizabethan Settlement provided the foundation for the Church of England, much of which is still in place today. Gradually, however, parishes complied as bishops exerted pressure. Declaration on the proceedings of a Conference at Westminster, March 1559 (SP12/3/52, f.163r-164v) These are extracts from a report on the conference on religion, held during the Easter recess of Queen Elizabeth's first Parliament. During Henry's reign, the Church of England went semi-Lutheran in 1537, asserting that justification by faith alone was central to doctrine and that the church should eliminate saint worship. The Thirty-nine Articles were not intended as a complete statement of the Christian faith but of the position of the Church of England in relation to the Catholic Church and dissident Protestants. Cite This Work In addition, the liturgy remained "more elaborate and more reminiscent of older liturgical forms" and "took no account of developments in Protestant thinking after the early 1550s". It was intended to resolve the dispute between Catholics and Protestants. [46], The Injunctions offered clarity on the matter of vestments. [97] The majority of conformists were part of the Reformed consensus that included the Puritans; what divided the parties were disputes over church government. Later, she decided that roods should be restored in parish churches. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. Try and produce an argument for your decision by gathering evidence from the article! Crucially, the Prayer Book dealt with the bread and wine of the communion service. From the Puritans and Calvinists, it "inherited a contradictory impulse to assert the supremacy of scripture and preaching". A proclamation forbade any "breach, alteration, or change of any order or usage presently established within this our realm". While broad and ambiguous, this provision was meant to reassure Catholics that they would have some protection. Consequently, Elizabeth's reforms would have to be introduced with care. All members of the Church had to take the oath of supremacy under the Act of Supremacy if they were to keep their posts. [91], By 1572, the debate between Puritans and conformists had entered a new phasechurch government had replaced vestments as the major issue. Was the Elizabethan settlement successful? [32] The Litany in the 1552 book had denounced "the bishop of Rome, and all his detestable enormities". One of the most visible differences from traditional Catholic churches was the replacement of the altar with a communion table. [51], Many parishes were slow to comply with the injunctions. [12] She also kept many of her religious views private, which can make it difficult to determine what she believed. Few thought this was the rubric's meaning, however. How did the Elizabethan settlement affect the reformation in England? Some modifications were made to appeal to Catholics and Lutherans, including giving individuals greater latitude concerning belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and permission to use traditional priestly vestments. They were not going to waste time on abstract theological debates, but rather get down to the business at hand of finding concrete solutions to the problems of the day. "[108] Laudianism, however, was unpopular with both Puritans and Prayer Book Protestants, who viewed the high church innovations as undermining forms of worship they had grown attached to. [109] The English Civil War resulted in the overthrow of Charles I, and a Puritan dominated Parliament began to dismantle the Elizabethan Settlement. Parker was a prominent scholar and had served as chaplain to Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn. Catholics gained an important concession. What was a Protestant element of the new Church of England? Want to search our collection? [38], In his "Puritan Choir" thesis, historian J. E. Neale argues that Elizabeth wanted to pursue a conservative policy but was pushed in a radical direction by a Protestant faction in the House of Commons. The queen's reassertion of control over religious matters was achieved via the April 1559 CE Act of Supremacy, once more closing the door on the Pope. [31], The Act of Uniformity required church attendance on Sundays and holy days and imposed fines for each day absent. The bishops were placed in the difficult position of enforcing conformity while supporting reform. [93] It called for the church to be organised according to presbyterian polity. Between 1574 and 1603, 600 Catholic priests were sent to England. His rise to power has been identified with a "conservative reaction" against Puritanism. The north of England remained conservative in religious matters and England's three closest neighbours (Scotland, France, and Spain) were all Catholic states. After Henry's first wife, Catherine of Aragon, failed to give Henry an heir to his throne, Henry's eyes wandered! Here is an example answer to the following 16-mark question on whether geographical divisions were the biggest problem for Elizabeth I in establishing the religious settlement in England. It was a good start but finding the balance between radicals on either side of the religious debate was going to be more difficult than mere wordplay. Essentially, they covered all the matters not yet set out in previous legislation and aimed to definitively establish what was meant by the English version of Protestantism, otherwise known as Anglicism. Changes needed to be introduced with a minimum of confrontation in order to overcome fear and suspicion at home and abroad. Symbolic of the general compromises going on, priests could place a crucifix and candles on the table. Was the Elizabethan settlement successful? Was there a middle ground between Catholics and Protestants? The Elizabethan Religious Settlement proved to be far more successful than the reforms imposed by Mary . [18][19], To avoid alarming foreign Catholic observers, Elizabeth initially maintained that nothing in religion had changed. Her brief reign sought to return England's church to Catholicism and reconcile with the Pope. She inherited an England deeply divided on religious issues. The proposed settlement was roundly rejected and adulterated by the House of Lords, with its Catholic majority. When Elizabeth inherited the throne, England was bitterly divided between Catholics and Protestants as a result of various religious changes initiated by Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I. Henry VIII had broken from the Roman Catholic Church and the authority of the pope, becoming Supreme Head of the Church of England. [92] While Parliament still met, Thomas Wilcox and John Field published An Admonition to the Parliament that condemned "Popish abuses yet remaining in the English Church" and episcopal polity. This petition for church reform was referred to the Hampton Court Conference of 1604, which agreed to produce a new version of the Book of Common Prayer that incorporated a few changes requested by the Puritans. Most of their replacements were not consecrated until December 1559 or early 1560. Anglicans started to define their Church as a via media or middle way between the religious extremes of Catholicism and Protestantism; Arminianism and Calvinism; and high church and low church. . Which of the following was NOT included in the Thirty-Nine Articles? The Elizabethan Clergy and the Settlement of Religion, 1558-1564. "For a while, it was possible to sustain an attenuated Catholicism within the parish framework, by counterfeiting the mass, teaching the seven sacraments, preserving images of saints, reciting the rosary, observing feasts, fasts, and customs". "[114] Historian Judith Maltby writes that Anglicanism as a recognisable tradition "owes more to the Restoration than the Reformation". This debacle occurred at the same time that Puritanism's most powerful defenders at Court were dying off. [115] It was in the period after 1660 that Richard Hooker's thought became influential within the Church of England, as Anglicans tried to define themselves in ways distinct from Protestant dissenters. The Church will not prohibit oath-taking by Christians for civic purposes. There are only two sacraments: Baptism and Communion, or the Lord's Supper. The Act of Supremacy of 1558 re-established the Church of . In 1581, a new law made it treason to be absolved from schism and reconciled with Rome and the fine for recusancy was increased to 20 per month (50 times an artisan's wage). This bill would have returned the Church to its position at the death of Henry VIII rather than to that when Edward VI died. Her government's goal was to resurrect the Edwardian reforms, reinstating the Royal Injunctions of 1547, the 1552 Book of Common Prayer, and the Forty-two Articles of Religion of 1553. Elizabeth's intention was that the Religious Settlement would prove a compromise acceptable to people of all religious standpoints. Elizabethan Religious Settlement Religion became a very divisive factor in people's lives in England when Protestant ideas challenged the dominance of the Catholic Church of Rome. She envisioned a church rooted in traditional religious practices but upheld essential Protestant elements such as clerical marriage, Bibles in the vernacular language, and offering both kinds of communion (bread and wine) to all. The articles are based on the Forty-Two articles written by Thomas Cranmer in 1553 but could not be implemented because of Edward VI's death during the same year. "It was worthwhile for Elizabeth's government to throw the Lutherans a few theological scraps, and the change also chimed with the queen's personal inclination to Lutheran views on eucharistic presence. The Act of Uniformity of 1559 set out the groundwork for the Elizabethan church. Roman Catholics, however, would have no such freedom. They sing the psalms in English, and at certain hours of the day they use organs and music. The collections at Royal Museums Greenwich offer a world-class resource for researching maritime history, astronomy and time. [99] Whitgift's demands produced widespread turmoil, and around 400 ministers were suspended for refusal to subscribe. Haigh argues that the Act of Uniformity "produced an ambiguous Book of Common Prayer: a liturgical compromise which allowed priests to perform the Church of England communion with Catholic regalia, standing in the Catholic position, and using words capable of Catholic interpretation". During this time, priests said Mass in Latin wearing traditional Catholic vestments. Elizabeth's bishops protested both moves as revivals of idolatry, arguing that all images were forbidden by the Second Commandment. As the older generation of recusant priests died out, Roman Catholicism collapsed among the lower classes in the north, west and in Wales. [25][26], Following the Queen's failure to grant approval to the previous bill, Parliament reconvened in April 1559. These articles served as the foundation for the Church of England's doctrine. Essentially, the act returned churches to their appearance in 1549 CE. Please donate to our server cost fundraiser 2023, so that we can produce more history articles, videos and translations. The Elizabethan Religious Settlement. The first act passed by the House of Commons in February 1559 joined together a bill of supremacy, establishing Queen Elizabeth I as head of the church, with one of uniformity, dealing with the type of faith and service. This resulted in Elizabeth appointing 27 new bishops whose support she could not afford to lose given there was a shortage of qualified Protestant clergy in England. Elizabeth was a Protestant, but not a zealous one as her brother Edward VI had been. [61] By far the most popular and reprinted metrical Psalter was Thomas Sternhold's Whole book of Psalms. The Elizabethan Religious Settlement was a collection of laws and decisions concerning religious practices introduced between 1558-63 CE by Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE). The Elizabethan Settlement did not heal the divide between Protestants and Catholics. It included the Act of Supremacy, Act of Uniformity, a new Book of Common Prayer, and the Thirty-Nine Articles. [34] Edward's second regnal year ran from 28 January 1548 to 27 January 1549. As for the manner of their service in church and their prayers, except that they say them in the English tongue, one can still recognise a great part of the Mass, which they have limited only in what concerns individual communion. [2], During Edward's reign, the Church of England preached justification by faith alone as a central teaching,[3] in contrast to the Catholic teaching that the contrite person could cooperate with God towards their salvation by performing good works. There was much debate among traditionalists and zealous reformers about how this new church should look. Bibliography The traditionalist argument was very pro-Protestant. [11], Elizabeth's religious views were Protestant, though "peculiarly conservative". Edward died at age seventeen in 1533, and England's official religion suffered dramatic changes again. [88], The controversy over dress divided the Protestant community, and it was in these years that the term Puritan came into use to describe those who wanted further reformation. The Thirty-nine Articles of 1563 CE (made law in 1571 CE) were the final part of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. Again, the question remained a moving target, and many-faced persecution as the definition of acceptable religion continued to shift. In response, a group of conformists including Richard Bancroft, John Bridges, Matthew Sutcliffe, Thomas Bilson, and Hadrian Saravia began defending the English Church's episcopal polity more strongly, no longer merely accepting it as convenient but asserting it as divine law. John Whitgift of Cambridge University, a leading advocate for conformity, published a reply in October 1572, and he and Cartwright subsequently entered into a pamphlet war. We care about our planet! This act ignited the English Reformation and established a unique form of Protestantism known as Anglicanism as the official religion. Every church had to have a Bible in English available to its congregation, no further altars were to be destroyed, and pilgrimages were banned. [40], Another historian, Diarmaid MacCulloch, also finds Neale's thesis flawed. Historians John Coffey and Paul C. H. Lim write that the Elizabethan Church "was widely regarded as a Reformed church, but it was anomalous in retaining certain features of late medieval Catholicism", such as cathedrals, church choirs, a formal liturgy contained in the prayer book, traditional clerical vestments and episcopal polity. Calvinists were divided between conformists and Puritans, who wanted to abolish what they considered papist abuses and replace episcopacy with a presbyterian church government. What did the Elizabethan Religious Settlement do? World History Encyclopedia. The Elizabethan Settlement established a unified Church of England that included Protestant beliefs and the Catholic hierarchical structure. Around 900 ministers refused to subscribe to the new prayer book and were removed from their positions, an event known as the Great Ejection. [13][14] At certain times, the Queen made her religious preferences clear, such as on Christmas Day 1558, when before Mass she instructed Bishop Owen Oglethorpe not to elevate the host. Which of the two mentioned historians do you agree with? The most important outcome of the Conference, however, was the decision to produce a new translation of the Bible, the 1611 King James Version. Elizabeth . "[14], Historians Patrick Collinson and Peter Lake argue that until 1630 the Church of England was shaped by a "Calvinist consensus". The belief that the wafer and wine literally transform into Christ's body and blood during Communion service. [67] Over time, however, this "survivalist Catholicism" was undermined by pressures to conform, giving way to an underground Catholicism completely separate from the Church of England. [108], During the reign of Charles I, the Arminians were ascendant and closely associated with William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury (16331645). The Elizabethan Religious Settlement was composed of the following principal elements: Henry VIII had started the English Reformation which split the Church in England from Catholic Rome. The 1588 Marprelate Controversy led to the discovery of the presbyterian organisation that had been built up over the years. In the end, Archbishop Parker issued a code of discipline for the clergy called the Advertisements, and the most popular and effective Protestant preachers were suspended for non-compliance. Yes and no. [44], In the summer of 1559, the government conducted a royal visitation of the dioceses. In 1571, the Thirty-Nine Articles were adopted as a confessional statement for the church, and a Book of Homilies was issued outlining the church's reformed theology in greater detail. Others refused to conform. So much flipping back and forth between Protestantism and Catholicism left the country deeply divided. Immediately after becoming Queen, she created the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. James I tried to balance the Puritan forces within his church with followers of Andrewes, promoting many of them at the end of his reign. [5][6] The Mass, the central act of Catholic worship, was condemned as idolatry and replaced with a Protestant communion service, a reminder of Christ's crucifixion. The English Reformation began with Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 Mary, Queen of Scots was the queen of both Scotland (r. 1542-1567 Mary I of England reigned as queen from 1553 to 1558 CE. The Elizabethan religious settlement survived with the attrition of other religious beliefs and practices. Implemented between 1559 and 1563, the settlement is considered the end of the English Reformation, permanently shaping the theology and liturgy of the Church of England and laying the foundations of Anglicanism's unique identity. Those exiles with ties to John Calvin's reformation in Geneva were notably excluded from consideration. The successful defence of the Kingdom against invasion on such an unprecedented scale boosted the prestige of England's Queen Elizabeth I and encouraged a sense of English pride and nationalism. Nie wieder prokastinieren mit unseren Lernerinnerungen. Failure to attend service resulted in a small fine (which was then given to the poor). The revised Act of Supremacy still abolished papal supremacy, but defined Elizabeth as Supreme Governor, rather than Supreme Head, of the church. Rycote Chapel, OxfordshirePeter Reed (CC BY-NC) The Religious Settlement was an effort by Elizabeth I to unite the country. 1559-60: 400 Catholic clergymen who served under Mary I resign. This would help secure her throne in political terms, too. No, the feud between these religions would continue until the end of the seventeeth century. They went through several revisions and were finalized in 1571 and added to the Book of Common Prayer. There is none other like it in Europe. Made Elizabeth I Supreme Governor of the Church. This act stipulated what the interior of churches should look like. Recently saved for the nation, the Armada Portrait commemorates the most famous conflict of Elizabeth I's reign the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in summer 1588. They reduced the number to thirty-nine, leaving out a few that they thought would most offend the Catholics. She tried to make everyone happy and to at least avoid infuriating any more people. In addition to the English College at Douai, a seminary was established at Rome and two more established in Spain. Historians debate how fast and complete the settlement changed religion in England. All clergy and royal office-holders would be required to swear an Oath of Supremacy. [35], The most significant revision was a change to the Communion Service that added the words for administering sacramental bread and wine from the 1549 prayer book to the words in the 1552 book. Instead, she approached religion with a more pragmatic air. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. [86] Throughout her reign, the Queen successfully blocked attempts by Parliament and the bishops to introduce further change. This pressure meant that the Act was passed by Parliament but only by the slightest of majorities. It was also a concession to the Queen's Protestant supporters who objected to "supreme head" on theological grounds and who had concerns about a female leading the Church. There were 10,000 parishes in England at this time so this shows that the religious settlement was largely successful . [42], To enforce her religious policies, Queen Elizabeth needed bishops willing to cooperate. However, this stance hardened over time. [111] Puritans became dissenters. [95] Under Field's leadership, the Classical Movement was active among Puritans within the Church of England throughout the 1570s and 1580s. The papal bull Regnans in Excelsis released Elizabeth's Catholic subjects from any obligation to obey her. [87] Bishop Jewel called the surplice a "vestige of error". The Council hoped that by separating them at least the Supremacy bill would pass. Almost 200 Catholic priests and those who helped them were hunted and burned. [98] Whitgift's first move against the Puritans was a requirement that all clergy subscribe to three articles, the second of which stated that the Prayer Book and Ordinal contained "nothing contrary to the word of God". In 1560, Bishop Grindal was allowed to enforce the demolition of rood lofts in London. According to historian Diarmaid MacCulloch, the conflicts over the Elizabethan Settlement stem from the "tension between Catholic structure and Protestant theology". At this point, the Privy Council introduced two new bills, one concerning royal supremacy and the other about a Protestant liturgy. It remains a unique institution that treads between Catholicism and Protestantism known in other regions. Sign up to highlight and take notes. When Henry died in 1547, the Protestants gained the upper hand. Neither France nor Spain reacted to the changes, perhaps believing that they were as temporary as they hoped Elizabeth's reign would be. Additionally, today's Anglican Church structure is essentially the same as it was in 1563. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Puritan clergy in this movement organised local presbyteries or classes, from which the movement took its name. World History Encyclopedia. Thomas Sampson, a Marian exile, believed that "All scripture seems to assign the title of head of the Church to Christ alone". . [85], There were objections over the prayer book, including certain formulas and responses, the sign of the cross in baptism, the surplice and use of a wedding ring in marriage. The next step followed quick on the heels of the first and was the May 1559 CE Act of Uniformity. Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates. Henry named Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, as regent for the young King Edward VI. As a Protestant, Elizabeth had to tread carefully between both faiths to maintain unity. A debate was scheduled during the Easter recess between a team of Catholics and a team of Protestants, with the Privy Council as judge and Bacon as Chairman. Both attempts failed, mainly because of the Queen's opposition. [77] In 1562, the Council of Trent ruled out any outward conformity or Nicodemism for Catholics: "You may not be present at such prayers of heretics, or at their sermons, without heinous offence and the indignation of God, and it is far better to suffer most bitter cruelties than to give the least sign of consent to such wicked and abominable rites. Irregular Unions: Clandestine Marriage in Early Modern English Literature Elizabeth I: A Captivating Guide to the Queen of England Who Was the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Discover the art of the Van de Veldes at the Queen's House, See the world's greatest space photography at the National Maritime Museum, Picnics and treats, free workshops and tours, plus a very special World Record attempt! The visitation was conducted according to injunctions based on the Royal Injunctions of 1547. Elizabethan Religious Settlement Religion became a very divisive factor in people's lives in England when Protestant ideas challenged the dominance of the Catholic Church of Rome. Henry VIII officially broke with the Catholic Church in Rome in 1534 by passing the First Act of Supremacy, making himself head of a new Church of England. Two other important features of the Act of Uniformity were, first, church attendance was made compulsory. Elizabeth then set about returning the Church of England to its reformed state as it had been under Edward VI or, if possible, not quite as radical. Elizabeth's first Parliament was inaugurated on 25 January 1559. The Queen still believed there should be a division between the chancel and the rest of the church. Churchwarden accounts indicate that half of all parishes kept Catholic vestments and Mass equipment for at least a decade.
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