Church of England its role in society

• preach the governments message 


  priests needed a government license to preach this ensured the clergy preached Elizabeths political and religious message
• provided guidance to communities

  the church helped people in times of hardship and uncertainty
• enforced Elizabeths religious settlement of 1559
• legitimised Elizabeths rule 


  the church encouraged people to remain loyal to and not rebel against there monarch
• visitations 


  bishops carried out inspections of churches and clergy to ensure they obeyed the religious settlement these took place every 3-4 years these also included checking the license of physicians midwives and surgeons
• responsible for church courts

  these dealt with marriage sexual offences slander wills and inheritance
• in all parishes the clergyman was a huge figure in the village community and conducted church services including baptism weddings and funerals in villages
• the clergy offered spiritual and practical advice and guidance to people especially when times were difficult {poor harvest}in villages
• the clergy were funded by taxes or tithes or by other sources of income the gentry funded some parishes while others remained undefended of local land owners in villages
• parish churches in towns contained a much wider collectionof people in towns
• in towns the role of the clergy carried within towns or between them In London a wide variety of parishes existed some very wealthy while others relatively poor
• in towns due to over crowding parish clergy had a wider range of issues to deal with