Reaction And Challenges To The Elizabethan Religious Settlement (e.g. Puritans, Roman Catholics) - Elizabethan Early England 1558-88

Question 1

What happened in 1566?

Answer 1

In 1566, the Pope issued an instruction that they should not attend Church of England Services. Elizabeth didn’t want to create matyrs and preferred to ignore smaller examples of disobedience.As a result, England was stable in the first decade of her reign.

Other parts of the countries proved more of a challenge - particularly in the North of England where ther was a revolt in 1959

Question 2

What was the Crucifix controversy and how did Elizabeth solve this?

Answer 2

Puritans thought that crucifix’s represented idols and did not like it

To solve this, Elizabeth had to back down - ended unsolved

Question 3

What was the Vestment controversy and how did Elizabeth solve this?

Answer 3

Puritans didnt like priests wearing colourful vestments.

To solve this, Elizabeth got most priests to agree that vestments should stay on (majority of priests agree, despite a small amount of opposition)

Question 4

What were threats to the settlement from Europe?

Answer 4

• France
• Spain

Question 5

How was France a threat to the religious settlement?

Answer 5

• Religious war in 1562
• Elizabeth worried about it happening to England
• Agreed to help French protestants
• All she had acheived was further anger Philip of Spain by showing support for Protestant rebels

Question 6

How was Spain a threat to the religious settlement?

Answer 6

• Philip II strict Catholic (had been married to Mary I)
• Elizabeth’s support for Protestant rebels had worsened relations (and led to her refusal to marry him!)
• Philip banned the import of English cloth to the Netherlands
• Elizabeth was concerned that Spain and France might form an alliance against her