Supporters and opponents of the Settlement

• The consolidation of the Settlement through Visitations (1)

  • Elizabeth's 1559 Church Settlement aimed to create a broadly Protestant Church that retained some elements acceptable to moderate Catholics.
  • Initially, there was calm, but pressure grew from more extreme Protestants, especially in London and the south-east.
  • Visitations (inspections) were set up by a Commission for the province of Canterbury to enforce the 1559 Injunctions.
  • Though the Injunctions were moderate, the Visitations were harsher — carried out mostly by Protestant reformers.
  • Visitors examined clergy beliefs and practices, often taking immediate action, including destroying altars, images, and vestments.
• The consolidation of the Settlement through Visitations (2)

  • Many bishops believed the 1559 Settlement was temporary and sought to embed Protestant theology firmly.
  • Between 1559 and 1564, around 400 clergy resigned or were removed for refusing the Settlement.
  • Conflict arose when Elizabeth demanded crucifixes be retained in churches; bishops Jewel and Grindal threatened to resign.
  • Elizabeth eventually backed down, showing the divide between her moderate stance and her bishops’ Protestant convictions.
• The vestiarian controversy (1)

  • In January 1565, Elizabeth ordered Archbishop Parker to ensure conformity with the Settlement and 1559 Injunctions.
  • Likely prompted by widespread non-compliance with clerical dress codes, either reported by Parker or discovered independently by Elizabeth.
  • Parker issued the 1566 Advertisements, outlining rules on doctrine, sacraments, and clerical dress:
  • Baptism must use a font, not a basin.
  • Communion given while kneeling.
  • Surplice to be worn for services.
  • Biretta to be worn outside church (hat allowed for long travel).
  • Cathedral clergy to wear vestments appropriate to rank.
  • These rules were a compromise — not as strict as the queen wanted, but still controversial for many radical Protestants.
• The vestiarian controversy (2)

  • In March 1566, Parker summoned 110 London clergy to demonstrate correct dress — 37 refused to comply and were suspended.
  • Objections were theological — radical clergy rejected any clerical dress that implied separation from the laity or retained Catholic symbolism.
  • Pamphlets soon circulated citing biblical opposition to surplices.
  • The core issue became monarchical authority in religious matters — Puritans questioned if the monarch could dictate religious practices.
  • Threat of a Church schism emerged, with some radicals considering separation.
• The vestiarian controversy (3)

  • Anabaptists (radicals who rejected state authority over the Church) posed a growing threat:
  • Believed only the “Elect” were saved (predestination).
  • Rejected tithes, monarchy, military service, and private property.
  • Practiced adult baptism and polygamy.
  • Known for violent takeover of Münster in the 1530s.
  • Parker urged Elizabeth to formally enforce the Advertisements — she refused.
  • Possible reasons for refusal:
  • Avoid escalation with extreme Protestants.
  • Formal enforcement would require trials by Queen or Privy Council — politically risky.
  • Parker, having already compromised with radical clergy, was left to manage the controversy alone.
• The acquiescence of Catholics (1)

  • Catholicism was not eradicated after the 1559 Settlement.
  • The original enforcement Commission only covered Canterbury province — many areas went untouched.
  • Although Marian bishops and some London clergy were removed, many parish priests (out of ~8000) retained Catholic sympathies.
  • Nicholas Sander claimed fewer than 1 in 100 English were truly Protestant (possibly exaggerated).
  • Different types of Catholics post-1559:
  • Traditional priests retaining pre-Reformation rites.
  • Church papists — loyal to Catholic beliefs but attended Anglican services.
  • Recusants — refused to attend Anglican services and supported papal authority.
• The acquiescence of Catholics (2)

  • Evidence of ongoing Catholic practices:
  • In East Riding (Yorkshire): Masses for the dead, religious images, Five Wounds banner (linked to Pilgrimage of Grace).
  • Lancashire and Cheshire: Rood lofts retained, English Bibles lacking, sacrament still placed in mouths.
  • Catholicism survived in remote areas and places with conservative traditions or poor Church infrastructure.
  • Local support was crucial:
  • Justices of the peace sympathetic to Catholicism often avoided charging recusants.
  • Noble and gentry influence mattered (e.g. Percys in Durham, Earl of Arundel in Sussex).
• The acquiescence of Catholics (3)

  • Most Catholics conformed outwardly — they didn’t openly challenge Elizabeth or refuse attendance unless necessary.
  • Elizabeth herself helped preserve this situation:
  • Refused to administer second Oath of Supremacy, avoiding death penalties.
  • No one executed for saying Mass, despite it being illegal.
  • Lacked resources to crack down on widespread Catholicism, especially in the north.
  • Heavy - handed action could have caused political unrest.
  • Foreign diplomacy also influenced leniency:
  • Pope Pius IV (1559–65) believed England could return peacefully to Rome.
  • Spain urged the Pope not to intervene directly.
  • Turning point: Mary, Queen of Scots fled to England in 1568.
  • Her presence as a Catholic alternative to Elizabeth shifted the landscape, increasing concerns about Catholic loyalty.