Elizabethan religious settlement Flashcards
(14 cards)
Why was the term ‘Supreme Head’ avoided when Elizabeth became the Supreme Governor of the Church, and what was the consequence of denying her position in the Church?
- This made Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church. The term ‘Supreme Head’ was avoided because Christ was seen as Head of the Church.
- There was a strict prohibition of foreign leadership in the English church, so denying Elizabeth’s position in the Church was considered treason
What was the purpose of the Act of Uniformity, and what challenges did Elizabeth face despite its broad support?
Act of Uniformity:
- Made Protestantism England’s official faith.
- Set rules for religious practice and worship using a revised prayer book.
- Retained some Catholic traditions as a compromise to maintain unity.
Support and Opposition:
- Broad support for the new settlement, with few refusing to take the oath of loyalty to Elizabeth.
- The compromise approach was mostly successful but faced opposition.
- Catholic opposition: Continued resistance from Catholics who rejected Protestantism.
- Puritan opposition: Extreme Protestants (Puritans) objected to any compromise with Catholic practices.
What laws did Elizabeth pass to reduce the Catholic threat, and what were their consequences for recusants?
1559 - Act of Uniformity:
- Catholics who refused to attend Church of England services (recusants) were fined a shilling a week for not attending church on Sundays or holy days.
1581 - Act to Retain the Queen’s Subjects in Their Due Obedience:
- Catholics who still refused to attend Protestant services faced a larger fine of 20 pounds per month (equivalent to thousands of pounds today).
- Anyone found trying to convert others to Catholicism was guilty of treason and could be executed.
What were the key factors that contributed to the Catholic threat to Elizabeth I’s reign, and how did she respond to these threats?
Fear of Catholic Plots:
- Despite strict laws, there was a constant threat of Catholic plots, often backed by foreign powers like Spain and France, both Catholic countries.
- In 1570, the Pope issued a Papal Bull of Excommunication against Elizabeth, encouraging plots to overthrow her.
- The Pope also urged Catholic priests to secretly convert people back to Catholicism in England.
- Catholic priests caught in England were executed for treason, such as Edmund Campion, who was executed in 1581.
- Mary, Queen of Scots was the main figurehead for Catholic plotters, as she had a claim to the English throne and was seen as a potential replacement for Elizabeth.
Elizabeth’s Response:
- Passed strict laws, such as the Act of Uniformity, to force Catholics to conform to Protestant practices.
- Increased punishments for recusants (those who refused to attend Protestant services), including heavy fines and even death for those found guilty of treason.
- Executed Catholic priests, such as Edmund Campion, who were found promoting Catholicism in secret.
when/who/actions on the Northern rebellion ? response ?
1569 - The Northern Earls’ Rebellion
Aim:
Restore Catholicism in England, Replace Elizabeth with Mary Queen of Scots by marrying her to the Duke of Norfolk, Protest against the loss of power by northern nobles under Elizabeth’s rule.
Key People: Earl of Northumberland, Earl of Westmorland, Duke of Norfolk (planned to marry Mary)
Mary Queen of Scots (under house arrest in England since 1568)
Events:
- 5,000 rebels marched south and captured Durham Cathedral, held a Catholic mass.
- Expected support from Spain and other Catholics never arrived.
- The rebellion collapsed when the royal army advanced north.
Elizabeth’s Response:
- Harsh crackdown: over 450 rebels executed.
- Northumberland executed, Westmorland fled abroad.
- Norfolk was arrested (later involved in the Ridolfi Plot).
- Mary remained under close guard—not executed yet, but now seen as a serious threat.
Significance:
- First major Catholic uprising against Elizabeth.
- Showed the danger of Mary Queen of Scots as a rallying figure.
- Led to harsher control of the north and more persecution of Catholics.
- Marked a shift from tolerance to suppression of Catholicism.
when/who/actions on the Ridolfi plot ? response ?
1571 - The Ridolfi Plot
Aim: Replace Elizabeth with Mary, marry her to the Duke of Norfolk, restore Catholicism via Spanish invasion (10,000 troops from Duke of Alva).
Key People: Roberto Ridolfi, Duke of Norfolk, Mary Queen of Scots, Philip II of Spain.
Events: Ridolfi plotted with the Pope and Philip II. Norfolk’s role exposed by Walsingham’s spies. Plan depended on foreign invasion and English Catholic support.
Elizabeth’s Response:
- Norfolk executed (1572).
- Spanish ambassador expelled.
- Mary kept under tighter surveillance.
Significance: First major foreign-backed Catholic threat. Increased suspicion of Mary and foreign Catholics.
when/who/actions on the Throckmorton plot ? respons ?
1583 - The Throckmorton Plot
Aim: Assassinate Elizabeth, free Mary, trigger a French invasion backed by Spain and the Pope.
Key People: Francis Throckmorton (messenger), Mary, French Duke of Guise, Spanish ambassador Mendoza.
Events: Walsingham discovered plans and found incriminating papers. Throckmorton confessed under torture. No uprising took place.
Elizabeth’s Response:
- Throckmorton executed.
- Spanish ambassador expelled again.
- Bond of Association (1584) passed: anyone linked to a plot = death.
Significance: Revealed how central Mary was to Catholic plots. Increased fear of Catholic invasion.
when/who/actions on the Babington plot ? response ?
1586 - The Babington Plot
Aim: Assassinate Elizabeth, put Mary on the throne, and support a Spanish invasion.
Key People: Anthony Babington, Mary Queen of Scots, Walsingham (spymaster), Phelippes (codebreaker).
Events: Secret letters between Mary and Babington (hidden in beer barrels) were intercepted and decoded by Walsingham. Mary gave written consent to the plot.
Elizabeth’s Response:
- Babington and 6 others executed.
- Mary Queen of Scots tried and executed (1587) – first time Elizabeth acted against her directly.
Significance: Most serious threat. Ended Mary’s involvement permanently. Helped trigger Spanish Armada (1588).
What actions did Elizabeth take in response to Walter Strickland’s proposal to reform the Prayer Book and ban clergy vestments in 1571?
1571 - Walter Strickland and the Vestarian Controversy:
- Puritan Threat: Walter Strickland, leader of the Puritans in Parliament, wanted to reform the Prayer Book and ban clergy vestments.
- Elizabeth’s Action: Elizabeth silenced Strickland by closing Parliament to prevent discussion of his ideas.
How did Elizabeth respond to the Puritan clergy’s ‘prophesyings’ and what was the outcome for Archbishop Edmund Grindal?
1575-83 - Puritan ‘Prophesyings’:
- Puritan Threat: Some Puritan clergy organized ‘prophesyings’, prayer meetings that were not in line with Elizabeth’s instructions.
- Elizabeth’s Action: Elizabeth ordered Archbishop Edmund Grindal to ban the meetings. When Grindal protested, she suspended him, suggested he resign, and expelled 200 Puritan priests. Grindal later apologized and was reinstated.
What was the consequence for John Stubbs after publishing a pamphlet criticizing Elizabeth’s marriage negotiations with the Catholic French king’s brother in 1583?
1583 - John Stubbs’ Pamphlet:
- Puritan Threat: John Stubbs, a Puritan, published a pamphlet criticizing Elizabeth’s marriage negotiations with the Catholic French king’s brother.
- Elizabeth’s Action: Stubbs was found guilty of stirring up trouble and had his right hand cut off as punishment.
How did Elizabeth respond to Puritans who challenged her Religious Settlement?
- Elizabeth saw her Religious Settlement as final because she wanted to end the religious divisions in England.
- She believed that any attempts to change the Church further were a threat to national stability and to her authority.
- Some Puritans, called Presbyterians, wanted to abolish bishops and the Church’s hierarchy, which Elizabeth saw as a threat to the social order.
- Separatists were even more dangerous in her eyes, as they tried to create their own churches outside the Church of England.
How did Elizabeth deal with Puritan and Separatist threats to her Religious Settlement?
- In 1583, Elizabeth suspended Archbishop Grindal for supporting Puritan prayer meetings called prophesyings; he was replaced by John Whitgift, who shut them down.
- Also in 1583, John Stubbs had his right hand cut off for writing a pamphlet criticising Elizabeth’s marriage talks with a Catholic prince.
- In 1592, Separatists Henry Barrow and John Greenwood were executed by hanging for trying to form independent churches.
- In 1593, the Act against Seditious Sectaries was passed, allowing the imprisonment or execution of separatists who challenged the Church of England.
How important were the Puritans as a threat to Elizabeth I and her Religious Settlement?
- Elizabeth saw the Puritans as a threat because they challenged her authority and wanted further religious changes.
- Unlike Catholics, Puritans did not try to kill or overthrow Elizabeth, or support foreign invasions, so they posed a less direct threat.
- However, Puritans were powerful because they had support within Parliament and even the Privy Council.
- Key figures like Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) and Sir Francis Walsingham were Puritan sympathisers.
- This made the Puritan challenge to Elizabeth’s Religious Settlement more serious.
- After the deaths of Dudley (1588) and Walsingham (1590), Elizabeth began treating Puritans more harshly, showing that their influence had protected them earlier.
