Religious changes

Question 1

What did governments fear and what effort was made?

Answer 1

Rapid change

To explain and justify religious reforms and minimise popular instability

Question 2

What was a realistic objective?

Answer 2

To implement changes with as little disruption as possible and only to target extremists who could not be accommodated in the English church

Question 3

Who did Henry VIII persecute?

Answer 3

A minority of Catholics who would not be reconciled to the new headship and Protestant reforms

Those sects that threatened the unity of the COE

Question 4

After the POG what did Henry VIII not face and why?

Answer 4

No more religious uprisings

He decided in 1539 to halt further reforms in the face of growing iconoclasm and because few were prepared to rally to the papal cause

Question 5

What happened in 1543?

Answer 5

An Act for the Advancement of True Religion declared that ‘no woman nor artificers … husbandmen or labourers’ was to read the bible because those lower sort might acquire ‘naughty’ opinions and fall into ‘great division among themselves’

Question 6

What was there little of in Edward’s reign and why?

Answer 6

Negative reaction to the Edwardian religious reforms

Somerset and Northumberland introduced reforms slowly and cautiously

Question 7

What were Somerset and Northumberland concerned about and what happened in 1548 and 1549?

Answer 7

Iterant preachers and unlicensed printing being provocative

Banned all preaching

Censorship was introduced to prevent the printing of radical texts

Question 8

What were Edwardian reforms greeted by?

Answer 8

Apathy and indifference rather than by active opposition

Question 9

What could have deterred potential protestors by 1552?

Answer 9

Anticipation of a Catholic restoration

Legislation which made the gathering of twelve or more people a felony

Question 10

What did Mary Tudor not face and why?

Answer 10

Religious revolts

She and her council encouraged Protestants to emigrate rather than spread opposition

Question 11

How many heretics were burnt during Mary’s reign?

Answer 11

300

Question 12

What did a proclamation in 1536 attempt to do and why?

Answer 12

Bar servants, apprentices, and young people from attending burning ceromonies

Thought that public burnings might generate protests

Question 13

Who was keen to enforce a Counter-Reformation during Mary’s reign?

Answer 13

Bishops in London and dioceses such as Canterbury, York, and Winchester

Question 14

What was the effect of religious reforms in the 1550s and give examples?

Answer 14

Little impact on the spiritual condition of the people

Catholic and Protestant gentry acquired monastic and chantry

No appetite by clerics or laymen to see a restoration of the papacy

2000 priests resigned or retired

Question 15

What was Elizabeth’s principal desire?

Answer 15

To achieve outward conformity and to establish a religious settlement that was acceptable to the vast majority of the nation

Question 16

What was significant during Elizabeth’s reign?

Answer 16

A minority of English counties, notably Lancashire and Sussex, had a Catholic core but none was prepared to revolt against Elizabeth and none of these areas joined the northern earls

Question 17

What was there only a small minority of?

Answer 17

A number of Catholic priests who were unwilling to subscribe to the oaths of supremacy and uniformity

Question 18

What increased the potential for Catholic disturbances and how did the government counter it?

Answer 18

The ex-communication and the arrival of Mary Queen of Scots

Counties known to favour Catholicism had their JPs remodelled and assize judges were ordered to readminister the oath of supremacy to all JPs in 1579

Question 19

What did Walsingham’s agents do?

Answer 19

Alerted the privy council to plots linked with Mary

Question 20

What did few Catholics do during Elizabeth’s reign?

Answer 20

Sympathise with Mary’s plight or showed interest in the activities of Jesuits and missionaries

Question 21

What was the impact of Anti-Catholic penal laws from 1571?

Answer 21

Made it clear that Catholics had to choose between obeying the queen and obeying the pope

The majority of the nobility/gentry stayed loyal to the queen

Question 22

In 1571 what happened?

Answer 22

Parliament passed a bill to force Catholics to take Anglican Communion once a year of pay a £66 fine

Queen vetoed the proposal

Question 23

What was there no concerted attempt to do?

Answer 23

Force the Church settlement on Ireland

Question 24

What were English Protestants and give examples?

Answer 24

Loyal to the monarchy

A minority in 1549 wanted further reforms, none rebelled against Mary, and puritans acknowledged Elizabeth as Supreme Governor

Question 25

What was Elizabeth Protestantism?

Answer 25

Not that popular: it was too academic and unattractive to most rural people

Question 26

What was generally low and what was the impact?

Answer 26

Attendance at church

Some parishes had difficulty keeping order during services

Question 27

What were authorities reluctant to do?

Answer 27

Proceed against absentees

Question 28

What did the emergence of Protestant nonconformists in the 1580s result in?

Answer 28

Sects like the Brownists and Barrowists were forced into exile

Leading members who returned from the continent were arrested

The Court of High Commission was used to censor literature and issue licences to preachers

Question 29

What did an Act of 1593 do?

Answer 29

Restricted all recusants to a five-mile radius from their homes and imprisoned known troublemakers

Ensured that dissidents were kept under control