2D Religious conflict and the Church in England, c1529– c1570 – The establishment of the Church of England, 1558–c1570 (A-level only) — AQA A-Level History
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2D Religious conflict and the Church in England, c1529– c1570 – The establishment of the Church of England, 1558–c1570 (A-level only) explained
Upon Elizabeth I’s accession in 1558, England was fractured by religious divisions.
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The Catholic majority, bolstered by Marian bishops in the House of Lords, desired continued allegiance to Rome. Conversely, returning Protestant émigrés, who had fled to radical centres like Geneva, demanded a thoroughly Calvinist settlement. However, divisions existed even among those supporting a Protestant restoration; some favoured the moderate 1549 Prayer Book, while others demanded the radical 1552 version. These domestic tensions were complicated by the need to secure peace with Catholic France. The Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559) required Elizabeth to tread carefully to avoid provoking a Franco-Scottish Catholic alliance against her fragile regime.
The re-establishment of the Church of England: Elizabeth’s religious beliefs and aims; attempts to reconcile the conflicting groups; the role of Parliament and the passing of the Acts of Supremacy; uniformity and the new Book of Common Prayer
The 1559 Religious Settlement re-established the Church of England, reflecting Elizabeth I’s personal Protestant beliefs and her political aim to achieve stability. To reconcile conflicting groups, the settlement offered a 'via media' (middle way). The role of Parliament was crucial; after initial resistance from the Catholic House of Lords, the Act of Supremacy was passed, naming Elizabeth 'Supreme Governor' rather than 'Supreme Head' to appease both Catholics and misogynistic Protestants. Concurrently, the Act of Uniformity enforced a new Book of Common Prayer. This book cleverly amalgamated the moderate 1549 and radical 1552 wordings of the Eucharist, allowing both Catholic transubstantiation and Protestant memorialism interpretations, thereby enforcing outward conformity while tolerating inward belief.
Supporters and opponents of the Settlement: consolidation of the Settlement through Visitations; the Vestiarian Controversy; the acquiescence of Catholics
Elizabeth I’s 1559 Religious Settlement faced immediate scrutiny from both supporters and opponents. To consolidate the Settlement, royal injunctions were enforced through Visitations (inspections by Protestant commissioners), resulting in the removal of around 400 Marian clergy who refused the Oath of Supremacy. However, radical Protestant supporters soon became opponents over clerical dress, sparking the Vestiarian Controversy (1566). Archbishop Parker’s 'Advertisements' demanded conformity to the surplice, leading to the deprivation of 37 London clergymen. Meanwhile, most Catholics demonstrated acquiescence, attending Anglican services as 'Church Papists' while privately maintaining their faith, largely because early fines were lenient.
Maintaining the Settlement: the threat posed by Mary Queen of Scots; the re-emergence of a Catholic party and the Rising of the Northern Earls; the end of consensus and the condition of the Settlement by 1570
Maintaining the Settlement became increasingly difficult in the late 1560s. The arrival of Mary Queen of Scots in England in 1568 provided a legitimate Catholic figurehead, catalysing the re-emergence of a Catholic party at court. This factional tension culminated in the 1569 Rising of the Northern Earls (Westmorland and Northumberland), who sought to restore Catholicism and marry Mary to the Duke of Norfolk. Although the rebellion was crushed, it marked the definitive end of consensus. By 1570, following Pope Pius V’s papal bull Regnans in Excelsis excommunicating Elizabeth, the condition of the Settlement had shifted from uneasy compromise to entrenched division, forcing the government to adopt harsher penal laws against Catholics.
Your focus
- Identify the main religious factions present in England upon Elizabeth's accession.
- Explain the differing aims of the returning Protestant émigrés and moderate Protestants.
- Analyse how the need for peace with France influenced Elizabeth's approach to religious reform.
Show all 12 objectives
- Describe Elizabeth I's personal religious beliefs and her primary political aims for the Church.
- Explain how the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity were navigated through a divided Parliament.
- Analyse the specific compromises within the 1559 Book of Common Prayer designed to reconcile Catholics and Protestants.
- Analyse the methods used to consolidate the Religious Settlement, specifically the role of Visitations.
- Explain the causes and consequences of the Vestiarian Controversy.
- Evaluate the reasons for the initial acquiescence of the Catholic population to the Settlement.
- Assess the political and religious threat posed by Mary Queen of Scots' arrival in England.
- Analyse the causes and consequences of the Rising of the Northern Earls.
- Evaluate the condition of the Religious Settlement and the reasons for the end of consensus by 1570.
2D Religious conflict and the Church in England, c1529– c1570 – The establishment of the Church of England, 1558–c1570 (A-level only) exam tips
Marking Points
- Assess the strength of Catholic opposition, particularly the Marian bishops in the House of Lords who initially blocked Protestant legislation.
- Evaluate the influence of returning Marian exiles (Protestant émigrés) who expected a radical Calvinist church model based on their experiences in Geneva and Frankfurt.
- Analyse the internal Protestant divisions, specifically the debate between adopting the moderate 1549 Book of Common Prayer versus the more radical 1552 version.
- Explain how the ongoing war with France and the subsequent Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559) constrained Elizabeth's early religious policies to avoid provoking Catholic powers.
- Analyse Elizabeth's personal religious beliefs, noting her preference for Protestant theology combined with a liking for traditional, ornate church ceremony.
- Evaluate the strategic use of the title 'Supreme Governor' in the Act of Supremacy to bypass Catholic objections to a lay head and Protestant objections to a female head of the Church.
- Assess the role of Parliament, specifically the resistance of the Marian bishops in the Lords and Elizabeth's use of the Disputation of Westminster to overcome them.
- Explain how the 1559 Book of Common Prayer attempted to reconcile conflicting groups by combining the 1549 and 1552 Eucharistic declarations.
- Examine the Act of Uniformity's enforcement mechanisms, such as the one-shilling fine for recusancy, aimed at securing outward compliance rather than creating martyrs.
- Explain the role of the 1559 Visitations in enforcing the Settlement, noting the destruction of Catholic ornaments and the dismissal of non-compliant Marian bishops.
- Analyse the Vestiarian Controversy as a key example of early Puritan opposition, highlighting the tension between royal prerogative and radical Protestant conscience.
- Evaluate the reasons for Catholic acquiescence in the 1560s, including the leniency of recusancy fines and the phenomenon of 'Church Papists'.
- Assess the balance of support and opposition, demonstrating how Elizabeth managed early resistance from both Marian conservatives and returning Marian exiles.
- Analyse how Mary Queen of Scots' arrival in 1568 altered the political landscape by providing a viable Catholic alternative to Elizabeth.
- Evaluate the causes of the Rising of the Northern Earls, linking religious grievances to the political marginalisation of the northern nobility.
- Assess the impact of the 1569 rebellion and the 1570 papal excommunication on the end of religious consensus in England.
- Describe the condition of the Religious Settlement by 1570, noting the transition from initial leniency to a more defensive and punitive stance against Catholics.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Link domestic religious divisions directly to foreign policy concerns, showing how peace with France dictated the timing of Elizabeth's religious changes.
- 💡Use specific examples of Protestant divisions, such as the Coxian and Knoxian factions among the Frankfurt exiles, to demonstrate depth of knowledge.
- 💡When evaluating the threat posed by Catholics, differentiate between the conservative laity and the highly vocal Marian bishops in Parliament.
- 💡Use the term 'via media' to describe Elizabeth's aims, but critically evaluate whether it was a true middle way or a Protestant settlement with Catholic ornaments.
- 💡Detail the specific compromises in the 1559 Book of Common Prayer, particularly the wording of the communion, to demonstrate precise knowledge of the Act of Uniformity.
- 💡Discuss the role of the 'Puritan Choir' thesis (Neale) versus revisionist views (Jones) when analysing parliamentary opposition to the settlement.
- 💡Use the Vestiarian Controversy to demonstrate the emerging fracture between the established Church and radical Protestants.
- 💡When discussing Catholic acquiescence, use the term 'Church Papists' to describe those who outwardly conformed to avoid fines.
- 💡Link the Visitations to the broader theme of royal authority and the practical enforcement of the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity.
- 💡Connect the political threat of Mary Queen of Scots directly to the religious threat of a re-emerging Catholic party to show synoptic understanding.
- 💡Use the 1570 papal bull as a turning point to explain why the government could no longer tolerate 'Church Papists' and ended the era of consensus.
- 💡When evaluating the condition of the Settlement by 1570, contrast the outward survival of the Anglican Church with the deep internal divisions it faced.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming all Protestants wanted the same settlement; correction: distinguish between moderate Protestants who accepted a compromise and radical returning émigrés who wanted a Calvinist church.
- Ignoring the foreign policy context of the religious settlement; correction: explicitly link the timing of the religious settlement to the conclusion of peace with France at Cateau-Cambrésis.
- Overestimating the immediate decline of Catholicism; correction: acknowledge that Catholics remained a significant majority in the country and held powerful positions in the House of Lords in 1558.
- Stating Elizabeth was named 'Supreme Head' of the Church; correction: specify that the Act of Supremacy named her 'Supreme Governor' to appease critics.
- Claiming the settlement was entirely Protestant with no concessions; correction: highlight the Catholic concessions, such as the retention of vestments and the ambiguous Eucharistic wording in the Prayer Book.
- Assuming Parliament easily passed the settlement; correction: detail the significant opposition from the Catholic House of Lords that forced Elizabeth to prorogue Parliament and arrest two bishops.
- Error: Assuming the Vestiarian Controversy was a Catholic rebellion. Correction: Recognise that the Vestiarian Controversy was driven by radical Protestants (early Puritans) who objected to Catholic-style clerical vestments.
- Error: Claiming that Catholics immediately rebelled against the 1559 Settlement. Correction: Note that the majority of Catholics initially acquiesced, attending Protestant services outwardly while keeping their private beliefs.
- Error: Stating that Visitations only targeted Catholic practices. Correction: Understand that while Visitations heavily targeted Catholic relics and imagery, they also enforced strict uniformity that alienated radical Protestants.
- Error: Confusing the Rising of the Northern Earls with later plots like the Babington Plot. Correction: Ensure the 1569 Rising is specifically linked to the Earls of Northumberland and Westmorland and the initial arrival of Mary Queen of Scots.
- Error: Stating that the papal bull caused the Rising of the Northern Earls. Correction: Note the chronological reality that the papal bull Regnans in Excelsis was issued in 1570, after the 1569 rebellion had already been defeated.
- Error: Claiming the Settlement was completely secure by 1570. Correction: Argue that while the Church of England survived, the condition of the Settlement was highly insecure, marked by the end of consensus and rising paranoia.