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

The establishment of the Church of England between 1558 and c1570 marks the definitive consolidation of the English Reformation following the volatile pendulum swings under Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. This option examines the legislative foundation of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, evaluating the Queen's personal motives alongside parliamentary resistance, foreign threats, and theological compromise.

Furthermore, the topic tracks the practical enforcement and early testing of the Settlement up to the papal bull 'Regnans in Excelsis' in 1570. By analyzing the challenges posed by Marian loyalists, the Vestiarian Controversy, and the Northern Rebellion of 1569, students understand how Elizabethan England forged a Protestant national identity while struggling to maintain social and political order.

• →The 1559 Legislative Settlement: The Act of Supremacy (restoring royal authority as 'Supreme Governor') and the Act of Uniformity (restoring a modified 1552 Book of Common Prayer, reimposing 1548 ornaments, and introducing 12d recusancy fines).
• →Royal Injunctions (1559) and Thirty-Nine Articles (1563/1571): The administrative instructions enforcing Protestant church furniture and the definitive theological framework reflecting moderate Calvinist predestinarian theology alongside episcopal governance.
• →The Puritan Challenge and the Vestiarian Controversy (1566): Clerical resistance to compulsory surplices and vestments (adiaphora), leading to Archbishop Matthew Parker's Book of Advertisements and the suspension of non-conforming ministers.
• →Catholic Resistance and the Crisis of 1568-1570: The transition from passive Catholic survivalism ('church papistry') to overt political threat, sparked by the arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots (1568), the Northern Rebellion (1569), and Pope Pius V's bull 'Regnans in Excelsis' (1570).

• 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.

• 💡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.
• 💡Explicitly differentiate between doctrine and ceremonial practice; Elizabeth was conservative regarding ceremonial elements (music, crucifixes, vestments) but her episcopate and the Thirty-Nine Articles were firmly Calvinist on salvation and sacraments.
• 💡Use precise dates and names: refer specifically to Matthew Parker, the 1563 Convocation, the 1566 Advertisements, and the papal bull 'Regnans in Excelsis' rather than vague phrases like 'the Queen and her bishops made laws'.

• 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.
• Believing Elizabeth called herself 'Supreme Head' like Henry VIII and Edward VI: Elizabeth intentionally adopted 'Supreme Governor' to placate Catholics who recognized the Pope as spiritual head and Calvinists who held that Christ alone headed the church.
• Assuming the 1559 Prayer Book was identical to Edward VI's 1552 book: Elizabeth deliberately combined the 1549 and 1552 Communion words of distribution to allow for both a symbolic and real presence interpretation, intentionally fostering theological ambiguity.
• Thinking all Catholics were aggressively persecuted from 1559: In the first decade of Elizabeth's reign, the Crown pursued a policy of deliberate moderation; recusancy fines (12d) were poorly enforced, and harsher penal laws were only introduced after papal excommunication in 1570.

1. 1Day 1-3: Map out the 1559 Settlement legislation, detailing the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity, the Injunctions, and the parliamentary struggle in the House of Lords.
2. 2Day 4-6: Examine internal religious factions; analyze the Vestiarian Controversy, the 1563 Convocation, and early Puritan agitation.
3. 3Day 7-9: Assess Catholic compliance and opposition, including church papists, the arrival of Mary Queen of Scots (1568), the 1569 Northern Rebellion, and the 1570 Papal Bull.
4. 4Day 10-12: Write timed comparative essays addressing the extent of religious change versus continuity across 1558-1570.

• 📋Component 2 Essay Questions (25 marks): Evaluative questions assessing causes, consequences, or extent (e.g., 'To what extent was the Religious Settlement of 1559 a compromise?').
• 📋Source Analysis Questions (30 marks): Compulsory questions evaluating three primary historical extracts for their value and limitations concerning a specific issue, such as the enforcement of uniformity or the Puritan challenge.