Religion

• During Henry VII's reign, the church taught that it was a sin to oppose or rebel against him, and his opposition to anticlericalism helped him gain a valuable ally in the church
• Henry VIII ended the Pope's authority over the Church with the Act in Restraint of Appeals in April 1533, and the Act of Supremacy in November 1534 made him the Head of the Church of England
• The Act of Succession in April 1534 declared Henry's marriage to Catherine void and treasonable to deny marriage to Anne, while the Treason Act in November 1534 made it treasonable to speak or write about the King as a heretic
• In 1559, Elizabeth I's Church Settlement reconfirmed Royal Supremacy, and she took the title 'Supreme Governor', with the Act of Uniformity establishing the conduct and content of religious services in every parish
• The dissolution of the monasteries impacted the social security of the population, leading to protest and rebellion, with the conservative north resenting Cromwell's instructions and the dissolution of Chantries causing anger
• Mary I's proposal to return England to the Catholic faith was generally popular, but she lost support for the burning of heretics, leading to opposition from the Protestant minority and executions for heresy beginning in 1555
• The Church helped maintain control and encouraged good behavior, offering an opportunity to advance socially to high office in both Church and State
• Parishioners felt despair at propaganda portraying monks and priests as greedy and corrupt, leading to confusion and debate over long-accepted social norms
• London saw more enthusiasm for reform due to direct influences from European trade and travel
• The burning of heretics during Henry VIII's reign in the 1530s and 1540s encouraged Protestants to produce propaganda that undermined Mary's popularity, although there was little reaction beyond London
• Elizabeth's toleration of Catholics appeared to be conditional on obedience, with not all practices being tolerated
• The Catholic Church was administered through two provinces, Canterbury and York, each under the jurisdiction of an archbishop, with a large and powerful organization including regular clergy of 10,000 and secular clergy of 35,000
• The Printing Press increased awareness of taxes going to the Pope, leading to criticisms, while Henry VIII awarded 'Defender of the Faith' for a book against Luther and initiated the dissolution of the monasteries
• The Vestiarian Controversy challenged the rules on clerical dress, and the Counter-Reformation was a response to Elizabethan religious policy
• Over 100 priests were sent to England from European colleges in the 1570s and 1580s, with Jesuits committed to the re-conversion of England
• By 1603, a Protestant Church had been established in England, weakening opposition and reducing the level of popular Catholicism upon Elizabeth's death