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When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, England was a country deeply divided by religion. Her father Henry VIII had broken with Rome, her brother Edward VI had made England firmly Protestant, and her sister Mary I had restored Catholicism and burned nearly 300 Protestants at the stake. Elizabeth needed to find a religious settlement that would unite the country and end the cycle of persecution.
| Group | Position |
|---|---|
| Catholics | Wanted England to return to the Catholic faith under the authority of the Pope; believed the Mass, transubstantiation, and Catholic ceremonies were essential for salvation |
| Moderate Protestants | Wanted a Protestant Church but were willing to accept some Catholic traditions (bishops, vestments, ceremonies) if the Pope's authority was rejected |
| Puritans (Radical Protestants) | Wanted a thoroughly reformed Church stripped of all Catholic practices — no bishops, no vestments, no ceremonies; emphasis on preaching and Bible reading |
Elizabeth herself was a moderate Protestant. She wanted a Church that would be acceptable to the greatest number of people — a "middle way" (via media) between Catholicism and radical Protestantism.
Key Term: The via media (middle way) is the term used to describe Elizabeth's approach to religion. She sought to create a Church that was Protestant in doctrine but retained many Catholic elements in ceremony and structure. The aim was to include as many people as possible.
flowchart TD
S["Elizabethan Religious Settlement 1559<br/>via media"] --> AS["Act of Supremacy<br/>29 April 1559"]
S --> AU["Act of Uniformity<br/>28 April 1559"]
S --> RI["Royal Injunctions<br/>1559: 57 orders"]
AS --> SG["Elizabeth: Supreme Governor<br/>not Supreme Head"]
AS --> OS["Oath of Supremacy<br/>required of clergy/officials"]
AU --> BCP["Book of Common Prayer 1559<br/>ambiguous communion wording"]
AU --> CA["Compulsory church attendance<br/>1 shilling recusancy fine"]
RI --> EB[English Bible in every church]
RI --> CM["Clergy may marry,<br/>pilgrimages and relics banned"]
S --> C[Catholics: too Protestant]
S --> P[Puritans: too Catholic]
The Act of Supremacy re-established the monarch's control over the Church of England.
| Provision | Detail |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth was declared Supreme Governor of the Church of England | Not "Supreme Head" (as Henry VIII had been) — the title "Governor" was more acceptable to those who believed only Christ could be head of the Church |
| All clergy and royal officials had to swear an Oath of Supremacy | Acknowledging Elizabeth's authority over the Church; refusal meant dismissal from office |
| Papal authority was rejected | The Pope had no legal or spiritual authority in England |
| The Court of High Commission was established | To enforce the religious settlement and punish those who refused to conform |
The Act of Uniformity established what the Church of England would look like in practice.
| Provision | Detail |
|---|---|
| A new Book of Common Prayer was introduced | Based on the 1552 Protestant prayer book, but with some Catholic elements added to make it more acceptable |
| Church attendance was compulsory every Sunday and holy day | Absence was punishable by a fine of one shilling per week (the "recusancy fine") |
| The wording of the communion service was deliberately ambiguous | It could be interpreted as either Catholic (the bread and wine become Christ's body and blood) or Protestant (a symbolic act of remembrance) — this was a deliberate compromise |
| Clergy were required to use the Book of Common Prayer | Failure to do so could result in imprisonment |
Exam Tip: The deliberately ambiguous wording of the communion service is a perfect example of the Elizabethan via media. By refusing to define exactly what happened during communion, Elizabeth allowed both Catholics and Protestants to interpret the service in their own way. This pragmatic ambiguity is key to understanding the settlement.
Elizabeth issued Royal Injunctions — 57 orders that provided further details on how the Church should operate.
| Key Injunctions | Detail |
|---|---|
| Clergy must be licensed | To preach; only licensed clergy could deliver sermons |
| The Bible in English | Every church must have a copy of the Bible in English |
| Pilgrimages and relics banned | Catholic practices such as pilgrimages, worship of relics, and miracle cures were prohibited |
| Clergy could marry | Reversing Mary I's ban on clerical marriage |
| Church furnishings | Churches were to be kept clean and orderly; images that encouraged "superstition" were removed, but some decoration was retained |
| Music | Church music was permitted, including hymns — a moderate position between Catholic elaborate choral music and Puritan insistence on plain psalm-singing |
One notable example of Elizabeth's personal influence was the crucifix controversy. Elizabeth insisted on keeping a crucifix (a cross with a figure of Christ) in her private chapel. Many Protestants were horrified, as they saw crucifixes as Catholic idolatry.
This incident showed that Elizabeth's personal religious tastes were more conservative than many of her Protestant advisors and bishops. She was willing to override them when she felt strongly about an issue.
| Argument For Success | Argument Against |
|---|---|
| Most English people accepted the settlement without serious resistance | Committed Catholics saw it as heresy; committed Puritans saw it as a weak compromise |
| The Church of England survived and became a permanent institution | The settlement did not resolve deep religious divisions — they continued to cause problems throughout Elizabeth's reign |
| The via media prevented the religious wars that devastated France, Germany, and the Netherlands | Catholic plots (including those involving Mary Queen of Scots) showed that many Catholics never accepted the settlement |
| The settlement gave England religious stability for most of Elizabeth's reign | Puritan pressure for further reform intensified, especially from the 1570s onward |
In the 1560s, some Protestant clergy refused to wear the vestments (robes) prescribed by the settlement, arguing that they were "popish rags" — remnants of Catholicism. Elizabeth and Archbishop Parker insisted on conformity.
The controversy showed the tension between Elizabeth's desire for uniformity and the demands of radical Protestants (Puritans) who wanted a more thoroughly reformed Church.
| Figure | Role |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth I | Determined the shape of the settlement; insisted on the via media |
| Matthew Parker | Archbishop of Canterbury (1559–1575); enforced the settlement |
| Edmund Grindal | Archbishop of Canterbury (1575–1583); sympathetic to Puritans; clashed with Elizabeth over prophesyings |
| John Whitgift | Archbishop of Canterbury (1583–1604); cracked down on Puritans and enforced conformity |
Exam Tip: The Religious Settlement is one of the most commonly examined topics in the Elizabethan England paper. You must be able to explain what the settlement was, why it was a compromise, and how successful it was. Always use specific details — the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, the Royal Injunctions, and the key controversies.
Question: "The Elizabethan Religious Settlement of 1559 was a failure." How far do you agree? Explain your answer.
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