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When Elizabeth I inherited the throne, England was divided between Catholics and Protestants due to the religious changes made by her predecessors. Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church, becoming the head of the Church of England, while Edward VI furthered Protestantism in the country. However, Mary I reversed these changes, reuniting England with the Catholic Church. Elizabeth's main goal was to stabilize the country and end the religious turmoil. The Elizabethan Religious Settlement, implemented from 1559 to 1563, aimed to find a middle ground, with the Church of England having independence from Rome and Elizabeth as its Supreme Governor. While Elizabeth did not make England Catholic again, she also showed tolerance towards Catholics in the early years of her reign, as long as they were loyal to her. However, as time passed, fears of a Catholic conspiracy against her and the continued attacks by Catholics on the continent led to increased persecution and stricter laws against Catholics.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Main aim as queen | To make her situation as secure as possible |
| Religious decision | The Church of England should be Protestant, with services in English |
| Religious settlement | The Church of England was established in 1559 |
| Religious turmoil solution | The Act of Supremacy of 1558 re-established the Church of England's independence from Rome |
| Title conferred by Parliament | Supreme Governor of the Church of England |
| Act of Uniformity | Re-introduced the Book of Common Prayer, which contained the liturgical services of the church |
| Religious settlement | Failed to end religious disputes |
| Recusancy fines | Increased from twelve pence to twenty pounds |
| Attendance at the Church of England | Mandatory |
| Catholic loyalty | To the Pope, over the Queen |
| Catholic priests | If found in England, they would be found automatically guilty of treason and would receive the death penalty |
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What You'll Learn
Elizabeth's decision to make the Church of England Protestant again
When Elizabeth I inherited the throne in 1558, England was bitterly divided between Catholics and Protestants. This was due to the religious changes made by her predecessors: Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. Henry VIII had broken from the Catholic Church, becoming the supreme head of the Church of England, while Edward VI furthered the adoption of Reformed theology and liturgy. However, Mary I reversed these changes, reuniting England with the Catholic Church and persecuting Protestants.
Elizabeth I's main goal was to bring stability and peace to her nation. She wanted to end the religious turmoil and create a religious settlement that was inclusive and introduced with minimal confrontation. Elizabeth chose to make the Church of England Protestant again, with services in English. This decision was influenced by her own Protestant upbringing and the desire to maintain England's independence from the influence of foreign powers, particularly the Catholic states of France and Spain.
In 1559, Elizabeth's government passed new Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity. These acts made it compulsory to acknowledge the queen as the head of the Church of England and mandated attendance at Church of England services. The Act of Uniformity reintroduced the Book of Common Prayer, which allowed for Catholic and Protestant interpretations of communion. While most people conformed, a minority of recusants, or loyal Catholics, remained.
Elizabeth's decision had political consequences. Returning to Protestantism aligned England with its main trading partner, the Dutch, but risked antagonizing Spain, the most powerful nation at the time. Additionally, it created fear and suspicion among England's Catholics, who were now seen as potentially disloyal. Elizabeth tightened laws against Catholics, increasing recusancy fines and making it a capital offense to be a priest in England or to shelter one. Despite this, she did not seem to be particularly anti-Catholic, as long as they were loyal to her and discreet in their worship.
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement marked the end of the English Reformation and permanently shaped the Church of England's doctrine and liturgy, laying the foundation for Anglicanism. While it failed to completely end religious disputes, it was a significant step toward establishing a stable and peaceful nation under Elizabeth's rule.
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The Elizabethan Religious Settlement
When Elizabeth I inherited the throne, England was bitterly divided between Catholics and Protestants. This division was a result of various religious changes initiated by her predecessors: Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. Henry VIII had broken from the Catholic Church and the authority of the Pope, becoming the supreme head of the Church of England. Edward's reign saw the Church of England adopt a Reformed theology and liturgy. Mary's reign reversed these religious policies, reuniting England with the Catholic Church and suppressing Protestantism.
The Settlement was contained in two acts: the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity. The Act of Supremacy of 1558 re-established the Church of England's independence from Rome, with Elizabeth as its Supreme Governor. The Act of Uniformity of 1558 re-introduced the Book of Common Prayer, which contained the liturgical services of the church. The Prayer Book included modifications to appeal to Catholics and Lutherans, such as allowing for two interpretations of communion and the use of traditional vestments.
The Settlement failed to end religious disputes entirely. While most people conformed, a minority of recusants remained loyal Catholics, continuing Catholic practices and attending Mass where possible. On the other hand, within the Church of England, a Calvinist consensus emerged, splitting into conformists and Puritans, who sought to abolish "papist abuses". Elizabeth herself does not seem to have been particularly anti-Catholic, as long as Catholics did not cause any trouble, and she seems to have disliked extreme Protestants more.
The Settlement was further consolidated by the adoption of the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, which affirmed traditional Christian teaching while steering a middle way between Reformed and Lutheran doctrines. This moderately Protestant doctrinal statement was finalised in 1571 and given statutory force by the Subscription Act, requiring all new ministers to affirm their agreement.
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Catholics remained loyal to the Pope over the Queen
When Elizabeth I inherited the throne, England was bitterly divided between Catholics and Protestants. This was due to the religious changes made by her predecessors, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. Henry VIII had broken from the Catholic Church, becoming the supreme head of the Church of England, while Edward's reign saw the Church of England adopt a Reformed theology and liturgy. Mary I, Elizabeth's half-sister, reversed these changes, reuniting England with the Catholic Church and recognizing the pope's authority.
Elizabeth's religious views were Protestant, and she wanted to establish a stable, peaceful nation with a strong government, free from the influence of foreign powers in matters of the church and state. She chose the latter, making the Church of England Protestant and independent from the Pope. Elizabeth's decision was influenced by the desire to maintain England's alliance with its main trading partner, the Dutch, and to distance the country from Catholic states such as France and Spain.
However, this put Catholics in England in a difficult position, as they had to choose between obeying the Queen and risking their souls' damnation, or obeying the Pope and facing execution for treason. The excommunication of Elizabeth by Pope Pius V in 1570 further complicated matters, as Catholics were now officially released from their allegiance to the Queen. This led to increased suspicions of Catholics and the belief that they were traitors, especially with the plots against Elizabeth's life in the 1570s and the continuous flow of Jesuit priests into the country.
Despite the risks, some Catholics remained loyal to the Pope, with priests living in secret and rich Catholic families providing "priest holes" for their protection. These priests often bore the brunt of Catholic persecution, with many executed for treason. The question of whom they would support if the Pope invaded England, known as "The bloody question," was a test used to identify Catholics who chose their allegiance to the Pope over the Queen.
While Elizabeth's religious settlement aimed to end religious disputes, it ultimately failed to do so. A minority of recusants, or Catholics who refused to attend the Church of England, remained loyal to the Pope. They were willing to pay fines and face persecution rather than compromise their religious beliefs.
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Catholics were persecuted and executed as heretics
When Elizabeth I inherited the throne, England was divided between Catholics and Protestants due to the religious changes made by her predecessors. Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church, becoming the head of the Church of England. Edward VI's reign saw the Church of England adopt Reformed theology and liturgy. Queen Mary I, Elizabeth's sister, reversed these changes, reuniting England with the Catholic Church.
Elizabeth's main goal was to stabilise her rule and build a peaceful nation. To achieve this, she had to make a decision about the English Church. She chose to establish the Church of England, with Protestantism as the state religion. This decision was influenced by the desire to maintain England's independence from the influence of foreign powers, particularly Catholic states like France and Spain.
Elizabeth's government passed new Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity in 1559, making it mandatory to recognise her as the head of the Church and attend Church of England services. While some complied with these changes, others continued their Catholic practices, becoming known as "Church-Papists". A small group of Catholics refused to attend the Church of England and paid weekly "recusancy" fines.
Despite Elizabeth's initial tolerance towards Catholics, an event in 1570 changed the situation. Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth, declaring her a heretic and releasing Catholics from their allegiance to her. This act, along with a failed rebellion in the north of England where rebels held Mass in Durham Cathedral, led to increased suspicion and persecution of Catholics. Elizabeth's subsequent persecution of Catholic Jesuit missionaries resulted in many executions.
The laws against Catholics were gradually tightened, and various restrictions were imposed. Recusancy fines were increased, and priests found in England were considered guilty of treason, punishable by death. It also became a capital offence to shelter a priest. While these laws were sometimes enforced leniently, there were instances of harsh punishment, such as the martyrdom of St. Cuthbert Mayne, the first of 123 English Catholic priests executed during Elizabeth's reign.
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Elizabeth's tolerance of Catholics early in her reign
When Elizabeth I inherited the throne in 1558, England was bitterly divided between Catholics and Protestants. The religious policies of her predecessor, Mary I, had reversed the reforms of Henry VIII and Edward VI, reuniting the English Church with Rome and suppressing Protestantism. Elizabeth's main goal was to establish a stable, peaceful nation with a strong government, free from foreign influence in matters of church and state. To achieve this, she needed to navigate the religious turmoil and find a middle ground between the two factions.
Elizabeth's early religious policies towards Catholics were marked by a cautious tolerance. She was aware that many Catholic gentry held important positions in local government, and she did not want to provoke unnecessary conflict. Her approach can be summarised as "loyalty without insistence on conformity". Catholics could practice their faith as long as they were loyal to the Queen and discreet in their worship. However, this stance was not without contradictions, as bishops were instructed to remove Catholic practices from church services, leading to a lack of clarity in early religious policies.
Elizabeth's religious settlement, implemented from 1559 to 1563, aimed to end the religious disputes and shape the doctrine and liturgy of the Church of England. The Act of Supremacy of 1558 re-established the Church's independence from Rome, and Elizabeth was conferred the title of Supreme Governor. The Act of Uniformity of 1558 reintroduced the Book of Common Prayer, which allowed for Catholic interpretations. These measures were intended to be inclusive and to minimise confrontation, but they failed to satisfy either extreme Catholics or Protestants.
While Elizabeth's early tolerance of Catholics was pragmatic, it was not without limits. Over time, laws against Catholics were tightened, and the perception of Catholicism as treasonous grew, especially after the 1569 Revolt of the Northern Earls. The arrival of Jesuits in England and the issuance of the Papal Bull in 1570, which excommunicated Elizabeth, further strained the situation. By the end of 1588, Elizabeth's tolerance had diminished, and Catholics were increasingly viewed as a threat to her rule.
In conclusion, Elizabeth I's early reign was characterised by a cautious tolerance towards Catholics, driven by her desire to establish stability and peace in a bitterly divided nation. However, her religious policies lacked clarity, and as external events unfolded, her tolerance gave way to a more hardline stance towards Catholicism.
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Frequently asked questions
England was bitterly divided between Catholics and Protestants as a result of various religious changes initiated by Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I.
Elizabeth wanted to build a stable, peaceful nation with a strong government, free from the influence of foreign powers in matters of the church and the state. She chose Protestantism and worked to establish the Church of England.
Elizabeth was tolerant of Catholics in the early years of her reign as long as they were loyal to her and discreet in their worship. However, over time, laws against Catholics were tightened, and attendance at the Church of England became mandatory. Catholics who refused to conform were interrogated, fined, and sometimes imprisoned, tortured, or killed.
No, Elizabeth did not make England Catholic again. She established the Church of England as the state religion and made it compulsory to acknowledge her as its head. While she allowed for some Catholic practices and interpretations within the Church of England, she did not return the country to full Catholic control under Rome.
