Somerset's Religious Policy Flashcards
What religion was Edward?
Protestant - intellectually gifted and very interested in theology
Religious changes of May 1547
Somerset introduced visitations to report on the state of the clergy
Issued a proclamation against rumours that the government was bringing in religious changes
Religious changes of July 1547
Homilies and Erasmus’ Paraphrases to be in every Church (Gardiner/Bonner protested - arrested)
Moderate injunctions issued
Examples of provisions set out in the 1547 Injunctions
Sermons in English every Sunday
Reciting rosary condemned
English Bible in every Church
Religious changes of November 1547
Chantries Act (continuation of dissolution of monasteries)
Six Articles repealed
Act of Treason repealed - religion could now be discussed freely, causes mayhem
Details of the 1547 Chantries Act
Closed the last of the monasteries
Closed 2,400 chantries (including 110 hospitals and 90 religious colleges)
Raised £160,000 (much less than Henry’s dissolution)
What phrase is used to describe Somerset’s undoing of Henry VIII’s religious changes?
Negative reformation
Religious changes in 1548
Jan - Procs reasserted transubstantiation
Feb - all images removed in churches
Apr - only authorised clergy allowed to preach (to stop radical preachers who had emerged after treason laws repealed)
Sept - Proc banning ALL preaching until there is a new BCP
Religious changes in 1549
Book of Common Prayer
Jan - Act of Uniformity
Nov - Parliament met and removed all laws against clerical marriage (confirmed AofU)
Dec - Proc confirmed in Parliament which ordered destruction of all remaining images
Details of the Act of Uniformity
Services in English
5 sacraments (middle ground between Catholic 7 and Lutheran 2)
Communion in two kinds
Clerical marriage allowed
Holy days remain
Vestments remain
RC rituals (e.g. masses for the dead, worship of saints) discouraged but not banned
No statement on Purgatory
General assessment on Act of Uniformity?
Moderate - contained elements to appease Protestants (e.g. services in English) and Catholics (e.g. vestments remaining)
Details of 1st Book of Common Prayer
Very moderate, written by Cranmer - mixture of RC and Lutheran ideas
New communion service closely followed the old Latin mass
Religious changes of 1550
Jan - New Ordinal (book containing service for ordination of new clergy)
Also a compromise - radical Prots (e.g. Hooper) argued about the fact that priests still had to wear a white surplice and swear an oath to saints
How were Somerset’s religious changes enforced?
If clergy refused to follow 1549 acts, then they faced fines and imprisonment (no penalty on laity)
Bishops were encouraged to carry out visitations to ensure 1549 legislation was being enforced
