Religious Divisions in 1558

• Religion was central to life in England. Religious teaching and practices guided people’s morals and behaviour as well as their understanding of the world. Birth, marriage and death were all marked by religious ceremonies
• People believed that going to church, attending pilgrimages and confessing sins reduced time in purgatory where the soul was purged of sin using 'spiritual fire' before reaching heaven.
• Protestants tended to be found in northern Europe, especially in the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Germany
• Protestants emphasized a direct relationship with God through the Bible and prayer, rejecting the authority of the Pope
• Catholics believed in seven sacraments and transubstantiation, while Protestants recognized only two sacraments (baptism and Holy Communion) and rejected transubstantiation.
• Transubstanciation - Idea that when consuming the bread and wine, it would become Jesus's blood and body when consumed
• Protestants were primarily in the South-East of the UK
• Puritans were often found in London and East Anglia
• Catholics priests wore vestments, while Protestants and Puritans favored simpler clothing.
• Puritans aimed to eliminate any practices not in the bible and simplify decoration of the Church