Religious
Settlement
The Impact and Implications
of the Religious Settlement
Introduction
•Elizabeth hoped the Religious Settlement would
appeal to most people but in reality it probably
created more problems than it solved.
Major
Problems
Catholic
Opposition
Which resulted
in Elizabeth
making
concessions
Protestant
Concerns
Over the omission
of a statement
of faith in the
Settlement
Issues that determined
Catholic support or opposition
Foreign
Policy
Succession
Marriage
Pope’s
Reaction
Problems Arising from the
Religious Settlement
1563-1572
Problems
Quality of the Clergy
• Poorly educated
• Poorly trained
• Catholic clergy who
conformed lacked
conviction
Confusion over Doctrine
• Protestants concerned
the Settlement did not
include an enunciation
of Protestant doctrine
Government’s
Response
Key Appointments
• Matthew Parker as
Archbishop of Canterbury
• Key Protestants and
Marian exiles to bishoprics
Key Publications
• Injunctions
• 39 Articles
• Commissioners also
investigated breaches of
the Prayer Book
Puritan Opposition
Failed to Make Concessions
• Led to Vestments
• Clergy resigned
controversy (see p 198)
• Resulted in Puritanism
• Turned to Presbyterianism
Catholic Opposition
• Opposition to Elizabeth
as Supreme Governor
•Northern Rebellions
•Restoration of Mary
& Catholicism
Quashed Opposition
• Put down rebellions
• Executed rebel leaders
• Imprisoned Mary
The Northern Rebellion
1569
Was the Northern Rebellion
a serious threat
to Elizabeth?
It’s Significance
 The first in a series of rebellions.
 Conspiracy centred around Mary Queen of Scots.
 Ushered in a turbulent period in foreign affairs.
Elizabeth’s Concerns
• That her failure to marry and produce an heir
to the throne would open the way for a legitimate
Catholic claimant to the throne of England.
• When Mary Queen of Scots arrived in England in
1568 she became the focal point and catalyst of
Catholic Opposition.
Thomas Percy
(Earl of Northumberland)
Thomas Howard
(Duke of Norfolk)
Rebels
De Spes
(Spanish Ambassador)
Earl of Sussex
Charles Neville
(Earl of Westmorland
What factors caused the
rebellion?
17.6: Opposition
to the reformation
& support of Mary
17.5: ‘contrarie
to God word’
17.8: Fight
against evil
Reasons
for the
Rebellion
17.12:
Resentment
towards
Elizabeth’s
authority
17.7: Business
matters
17.8: Forced to
rebel
17.11:
Protestantism
a threat to the
realm
• Haigh believed the Northern Rebellion was a major
threat to Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s response shows how
seriously she took the rebellion. She….
 Had 450 people executed.
 Land confiscated.
 Catholic supporters of the rebellion punished.
 The Council of the North was restored under the
leadership of the Puritan Earl of Huntington.
Problems Caused
by the
Settlement
• Up until 1568 Elizabeth’s middle-of-the-road, broadbased church was a success.
The
Success of the Settlement
Settlement
Refined
•Injunctions
&
39 Articles
Introduced
Catholics
Conformed
Outwardly
Northern
Rebellion
Quashed
• From 1568 Elizabeth encountered significant
Catholic Opposition.
Religious
Settlement
Catholic Opposition
Introduction
• Purpose of the Religious Settlement was to…..
 Establish
outward conformity.
• Not to…..
 Examine
inward reality.
Traditional View
(A.G. Dickens)
• By 1558 majority of Englishmen were….
 Receptive to a Protestant national Church
 Ready to become loyal Anglicans.
• That a minority group of Catholics continued in their
support of the Pope and Mary, Queen of Scots, which
resulted in them……
 Being branded traitors.
 Becoming the target of repressive measures.
• Traditional historians argue that Elizabeth was more
concerned with countering any political threat than
punishing someone for religious non-conformity.
• Revisionists have raised serious questions about
the Traditional view however.
Revisionist View
• England was still largely Catholic, particularly
outside of London and in the north in 1559. This
would suggest that…….
 The majority of the population was Catholic.
 Catholic opposition was not restricted to a
minority group of extremists.
• Catholic opposition in the House of Lords supports
this view. This also explains Elizabeth’s concessions
to Catholics in the Religious Settlement. She retained
some of the outward symbolism of the old faith in an
attempt to win them over to Protestantism.
Why was Elizabeth so
accommodating of Catholics?
• To have enforced the Religious Settlement with
heavy-handed tactics would have led to….
 The outbreak of civil war.
 Isolating Catholic gentry – and she needed their
support to enforce the law and govern the
localities.
Who were these Catholics?
Church Papists
Recusants
Catholic
Opposition
Seminary Priests
Jesuits
The Threat of
Mary, Queen of Scots
• Historians are divided in their assessment of Mary.
Assessment of Mary
Tragic, Misguided
Figure
Calculating
and Dangerous
• They are also divided over the wisdom of Elizabeth’s
decision to have her executed in 1587. Was it a…..

Serious blunder
or a
Political Necessity?
Why was Mary a problem for
Elizabeth?
 Legitimate claimant to the English throne.
 She was both half-French and Catholic.
•This threatened England’s political independence and
Protestant religion.
Elizabeth didn’t help her
cause….
 By
Failing to Marry
or
Name a Successor!
• Most Catholics in England placed their allegiance for
Elizabeth before that of the Pope. In other words
they were….

Englishmen before they were Catholics!
 They supported Elizabeth but…...
 They wanted Mary recognised as Elizabeth’s heir.
• When relationships between England and Spain
soured in 1569 Spain began supporting Mary’s claim
to the English throne.
Mary’s Claim
to the
Throne of England
Was it real or imagined?
• There is no doubt that Mary’s hasty and untimely
arrival in England after her abdication in 1568
created a serious problem for Elizabeth;
Problems
 To support Mary would be to reject those who
deposed her ( Protestant nobles in Scotland)
 To insist Mary be restored to the throne could
result in making enemies of potential allies
Elizabeth’s Options
#1
• She could return Mary to Scotland to face
trial and possible execution.
 Elizabeth rejected this option because of her belief in
the
Sanctity of Princes!
#2
(see source 18.9, p 183)
• She could return Mary to her family in
France.
 Elizabeth rejected this option because it might revive
the old Franco-Scottish connection. The Guises
could intervene in Scotland and this would pose an
even greater threat to Elizabeth.
#3
• She could permit Mary to stay in England.
 This is exactly what Elizabeth did. She permitted
Mary to stay in England as her prisoner.
• The problem was that during her 18 years
imprisonment Mary remained a constant threat as
she became the…
 Symbol of Hope for Disenchanted Catholics
in England.
 Rallying-point for Catholic Opposition!
•Until her execution in 1587 Mary was linked with
a number of Catholic plots to assassinate Elizabeth.
Northern
Rebellion
1569
Bull of
Excommunication
1570
The Northern Rebellion
Catholic
1569
Threats
The Babington
The
Ridolfi
Plot
• Court conspiracy to have Norfolk
marry
Mary
Key Events
Plot
Papal
Bull of Excommunication
• MaryThe
to be
proclaimed
heir to English1571
throne
1586
• Catholicism restored1570
–Elizabeth & Cecil ousted
The
Ridolfi
PlotElizabeth
•
Pope Pius V excommunicates
1571 Response
•
Pius V considers
Elizabeth
a heretic
Privy Council’s
The
The
Babington
Plot Elizabeth
After
plans
•• Pius
calls
on Catholics
to Norfolk
depose
•excommunication
Demanded
Norfolk's
execution
Throckmorton
1586 PlotPlot
uprising The
Throckmorton
1583
Walsingham’s
agents
a the
letter
from
• • Plan
included
Philip
II intercept
of
Spain &
Pope
1583
Parliament’s
Response
Mary
endorsing
the
murder
of Elizabeth
•• •French
Cecil
the
plan
forces
to called
invade
England,
freematter
Mary
• discovered
Increased
security
of Elizabeth
Parliament
not
to
discuss
the
and created popular Catholic uprising
PrivyCouncil’s
Council’sResponse
Response
Privy
Privy
Council’s
Response
Elizabeth’s
Response
Persuade
Elizabeth
bring
Mary
to trial
• Demanded
execution
of Norfolk
Privy
Council’s
Response
••• Wanted
Increases
security
totoensure
the
safety
Mary
restored
to Scottish
throneof
•• Push
Elizabeth
toElizabeth
sign
Mary’s
death
warrant
Parliamentary
Bills&against
Mary
• Throckmorton
tortured
executed
• Initiated
Sent
force
to subdued
Mary’s
supporters
• Spanish Ambassador, De Mendoza expelled
Parliament’s
Response
Parliament’s
Parliament’sResponse
Response
Parliament’s
Response
•
Demands
execution
of
Mary
Passed expelled
two
Bills:from
1.ACTS
Prohibited
the
Papal
Priests
England
• •• Introduce
TREASON
that make
it an from
being
intoaEngland.
Treason to
Treason
to become
Catholic 2.
priest
offense
to:brought
Elizabeth’s
Response
deny
Elizabeth
as
Queen
• 1. Death
penalty
for aiding
Catholic
priests
Challenge
legitimacy
ofrightful
Elizabeth
as Queen
• Introduce
Orders Babington
and
plotters
to be in
hanged
Response
2.
orElizabeth’s
publish
any
Papal Bulls
England
• Wanted Concerned
anElizabeth’s
alternative
punishment
forResponse
James
futurefor Mary
• Signed
afterexecution
initial indecision
Agreedwarrant
to Norfolk’s
to placate the
• Blamed
her
secretary William Davidson
House of
Commons
• Refused to sign Mary’s death warrant
Was Mary Stuart a Genuine Threat?
Yes!
No!
• Legitimate heir to
the English throne
• Henry VIII excluded
Stuart succession
•Viewed as a foreign
threat
• Natural leader of
English Catholics
• English Catholics were
loyal to Elizabeth
• Upset at Darnley
scandal
• Cause of the
Northern Rebellion
• Little support elsewhere
• France preoccupied with
Civil War – 1562-93
• Supported by Guises •Spain preoccupied with
Netherlands & Turks
of France, Philip II of
• Papal Bull issued too
Spain & the Pope
late to cause a Catholic
uprising
• Instigated the
Babington Plot to
Murder Elizabeth
• English Catholics upset
by Mary’s involvement
in the plot & opposed
foreign intervention
Why The Delay in Executing Mary?
 Mary’s execution would increase Catholic
opposition at home and in Europe.
 Using Mary as a hostage ensured France would
not act aggressively toward England.
 It almost guaranteed Philip II of Spain would not
attempt to dethrone Elizabeth. If he did it would
only serve to strengthen Mary and French political
ambitions for England.
It was a more merciful, wise and courageous
decision.
Conclusion
• While Mary remained alive concerns over Catholicism,
succession and national security would remain.
•
But most historians agree that while the plots
against Elizabeth never developed into a
serious threat, the execution of Mary Stuart
was a political necessity.
Religious
Settlement
Puritan Opposition
Introduction
• While most historians agree that Elizabeth’s main
opposition came from Catholics it is important to
consider the threat posed by Puritans (Puritan Choir).
Who are the Puritans?
 Most were Marian exiles had been influenced by the
reformer John Calvin and his Godly society in
Geneva.
The word ‘Puritan’ comes from the word ‘pure.’
They wanted the faith of the Church of England to
be rid of mediocrity and its forms of worship to be
simple, biblical and free of the influences of
Catholicism.
 They were considered fanatical, left wing and very
religious’, ‘Godly
Protestants’ or
‘Hotter sort of Protestants.’
Their religious ideas, actions and practice, along
with their views on Church organization led to
conflict with the Church of England.
Why such a radical approach?
• They were concerned about:
 Influence and impact of Popular Religion.
 Ongoing influence of Catholicism.
 Ignorance of the people on matters of religion.
 Parish Anglicans who were more concerned about
outward conformity than inward reality.
Was Puritanism at this stage a
‘mindset’ or a ‘movement?’
A Mindset or Movement?
• Initially Puritanism was a ‘mind-set’ rather than an
organized movement independent of the Church of
England. By the reign of Charles I however, it had
become a highly organized and influential
movement that worked in opposition to the King
Some historians have identified THREE strands of
Puritanism. All three offered Elizabeth a challenge.
The Three Strands of Puritanism
•Worked outside the Church and
Moderates
Presbyterians
Separatists
wanted
reforms that
would see:
 The national church disbanded
 Each parish determine its
own direction.
(Read p 201-203 for additional
notes-particularly those on
prophesying & Classical
Presbyterianism.
• Upset at imposition of Religious Settlement
• Small influential group.
without consultation.
•Wanted Church government reformed.
•Reluctantly accepted the established church.
• Used their position in Parliament to initiate
• Wanted Doctrine and Prayer book to be more
change.
Calvinistic.
• Thomas Cartwright key person.
•Worked within the Church to initiate change.
(Read p 199-200 for additional notes)
(Read p 196-198 for additional notes,
Particularly on the Vestments/Vestarian
Controversy)
How Successful was
the Puritan Opposition?
• While most historians agree that major opposition
came from Catholics it would be a mistake to
discount entirely the threat of the Puritan Choir.
 If the Puritan Choir was a threat it certainly
was not on the same scale as the threat posed by
the
Catholics.
Government Suppression
• Elizabeth viewed the Puritans with a great deal of
suspicion. As a result she attempted to moderate
their influence by:
 Her policy of religious uniformity
 John Whitgift’s commitment to enforcing this
policy
 The execution of Puritan extremists
whose opposition was considered
Seditious!
• This forced Puritan’s to leave the Church of England
to establish their own Separatist Church. While some
believe Whitgift broke the back of Puritanism the fact
that were instrumental in bringing about the
downfall of Charles I in 1640s suggests otherwise.