Full Answer
What was the purpose of the religious settlement?
The Religious Settlement was an effort by Elizabeth I to unite the country. It was intended to resolve the dispute between Catholics and Protestants. As a Protestant, Elizabeth had to tread carefully between both faiths to maintain unity.
What was the first religious settlement in North America?
Protestants discontented with the Church of England formed the earliest religious settlements in North America. Soon, the colonies became a focal point for religious immigration as separatist Puritans and others established themselves in what were to become the 13 colonies. The non-separatist Anglicans became entrenched in Virginia.
What is Elizabethan Religious Settlement?
Elizabethan Religious Settlement is the name given to the religious and political arrangements made for England during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603) that brought the English Reformation to a conclusion.
Why was the religious settlement of 1559 necessary?
As a Protestant, Elizabeth had to tread carefully between both faiths to maintain unity. Why was the Religious Settlement of 1559 necessary? England was in religious turmoil and there were several problems Elizabeth needed to face when tackling the issue.
What is a Religious Settlement called?
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement is the name given to the religious and political arrangements made for England during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603).
What was in the Religious Settlement?
The Religious Settlement aimed to ease the tensions created by the religious divisions of the previous 25 years. It tried to take elements from both Protestantism and Catholicism, but since many Protestants had become MPs, the Settlement was perhaps more Protestant than Elizabeth would have liked.
When was the Religious Settlement?
Debating the Elizabethan religious settlement The first act passed by the House of Commons in February 1559 joined together a bill of supremacy, establishing Queen Elizabeth I as head of the church, with one of uniformity, dealing with the type of faith and service.
Did the Religious Settlement work?
All members of the Church had to take the oath of supremacy under the Act of Supremacy if they were to keep their posts. 8,000 priests and less important clergy did so. There were 10,000 parishes in England at this time so this shows that the religious settlement was largely successful.
Who challenged the Religious Settlement?
The Catholic challenge to the Settlement was in part fuelled by the position of Mary, Queen of Scots. With a legitimate Catholic heir to the throne they had reason to believe that Catholicism would return and some were inclined to plot or continue Catholic ways based on this.
How was the Religious Settlement enforced?
The Church was responsible for helping to enforce the religious settlement. Visitations were inspections of churches and clergy by bishops to ensure that everyone took the oath of supremacy and were following the terms of the religious settlement.
Why was the Religious Settlement a problem for Elizabeth?
The Act of Supremacy This made Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church. The term 'Supreme Head' was avoided because Christ was seen as Head of the Church. There was a strict prohibition of foreign leadership in the English church, so denying Elizabeth's position in the Church was considered treason.
Why did people oppose the Religious Settlement?
Many Catholics in England were not happy with Elizabeth's Settlement. They had enjoyed religious freedom under Queen Mary, Elizabeth's sister, and they were now being asked to change or deny their beliefs. Many couldn't make this compromise and left to live in exile abroad.
Why did puritans challenge the Religious Settlement?
Puritans wanted all aspects of Roman Catholicism removed from the English Church. One of the major conflicts with Puritans came in the form of the Vestment Controversy during the 1560s. Vestments are the clothing that Priests wear in the Protestant and Catholic Churches when celebrating the church service.
What is the Elizabethan society?
Elizabethan England had four main classes: the Nobility, the Gentry, the Yeomanry, and the Poor. A person's class determined how they could dress, where they could live, and the kinds of jobs people and their children could get. This resource is free to everyone.
How successful was Elizabeth Religious Settlement?
EXP:Therefore because Elizabeth made large compromises with Catholics, many accepted the new church and so Elizabeth's Religious settlement appeared successful indeed. However Elizabeth's religious settlement was not successful in the eyes of the Puritans who challenged her actions.
What religion was the first settlers?
The earliest colonies of New England were founded between 1620-1638 by separatists and Puritans seeking to establish religious communities in which they could worship freely.
What was the main religion in the 13 colonies?
By the eighteenth century, the vast majority of all colonists were churchgoers. The New England colonists—with the exception of Rhode Island—were predominantly Puritans, who, by and large, led strict religious lives.
What role did religious freedom play in American settlement?
What role did religious freedom play in American settlement? Religious freedom attracted settlers to America. English Protestants sought to structure their society so that every part of life experienced the renewal of the Reformation. Quakers, Roman Catholics, and others came to America to escape persecution.
What religious freedom did the Pilgrims want?
In short, they wanted to return to worshipping in the way the early Christians had. Because these people wanted to purify the church, they came to be known as “Puritans.” Another group, considered very radical, went even further. They thought the new Church of England was beyond reform.
What was the name of the religious settlement that led to the Reformation?
Part of England's switch to Protestantism. Queen Elizabeth I. The Elizabethan Religious Settlement is the name given to the religious and political arrangements made for England during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603) that brought the English Reformation to a conclusion. The Settlement shaped the theology and liturgy of the Church ...
What was the name of the religion that was forced out of the Church of England after the Restoration?
After the Restoration in 1660, the Settlement was restored, and the Puritans were forced out of the Church of England. Anglicanism became defined by the via media or middle way between the religious extremes of Catholicism and Protestantism; Arminianism and Calvinism; and high church and low church .
What was the dominant theology within the Church of England?
Throughout the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, Calvinism was the predominant theology within the Church of England. The Settlement failed to end religious disputes. While most of the population gradually conformed to the established church, a minority of recusants remained loyal Roman Catholics.
What were the thirty nine articles of religion?
The Thirty-nine Articles were not intended as a complete statement of the Christian faith but of the position of the Church of England in relation to the Catholic Church and dissident Protestants. In 1571, Convocation finalised the Thirty-nine Articles. It was given statutory force by the Subscription Act, which required all new ministers to affirm their agreement with this confessional statement.
What was the Elizabethan settlement?
The Elizabethan Settlement, sometimes called the Revolution of 1559, was an attempt to end this religious turmoil. The Act of Supremacy of 1558 re-established the Church of England's independence from Rome, and Parliament conferred on Elizabeth the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Act of Uniformity of 1559 re-introduced the ...
When did the royal visitation begin?
In the summer of 1559, the government conducted a royal visitation of the dioceses. The visitation was conducted according to injunctions based on the Royal Injunctions of 1547. These new royal injunctions were meant to fill in the details of the settlement and were to be enforced nationwide by six groups of clerical and lay commissioners. All of the leading clergymen were Protestants and former exiles ( Robert Horne, Thomas Becon, Thomas Bentham, John Jewel, Edwin Sandys, and Richard Davies ), and they interpreted the injunctions in the most Protestant way possible.
When was the prayer book made illegal?
In 1645 , the Prayer Book was made illegal and replaced by the Directory for Public Worship. The Directory was not a liturgical book but only a set of directions and outlines for services. The Restoration of the monarchy in 1660 allowed for the restoration of the Elizabethan Settlement as well.
What were the religious settlements in the 13 colonies?
Soon, the colonies became a focal point for religious immigration as separatist Puritans and others established themselves in what were to become the 13 colonies.
What religious groups settled in Pennsylvania?
Contemporaneous with the founding of the English Quaker settlements, German groups such as the Mennonites and Moravians, who were affiliated with the Quakers, also founded communities in Pennsylvania. In the early 18th century, German Lutherans and Calvinists likewise settled ...
Where did the Puritans settle?
Those Puritans who separated from the Church of England were known as separatists, and a group of separatist Puritans known as Pilgrims founded Plymouth Plantation in Cape Cod Bay in 1620. Although it was not the first English colony in North America, Plymouth Colony was the first religious settlement. Within a decade, at least 20,000 separatist Puritans and non-separatist Congregationalists left England for the American colonies, primarily in Massachusetts and New England. In 1691, Plymouth joined the larger Massachusetts colony.
What colony was established in 1621?
The Dutch West India Company formed the New Netherlands colony in 1621. A few years later, its major settlement became established at New Amsterdam. By 1640, New Amsterdam, later known as New York, had become a focal point for international trade. Because of its international flavor, New Amsterdam developed into a sanctuary for religious tolerance ...
What religious groups were there in the colonies?
The rest of the colonies developed diverse religious settlements such as Quaker communities in Pennsylvania, Catholics in Maryland and Jews in New Amsterdam.
Why was New Amsterdam important?
Because of its international flavor, New Amsterdam developed into a sanctuary for religious tolerance and cultural diversity. For example, in 1654, the first Jewish settlement in North America situated itself in New Amsterdam after fleeing New Holland, or Brazil. Also in the 1650s, German and Scandinavian Lutheran immigrants began arriving ...
When did the Quakers settle in Pennsylvania?
In the 1680s , Quakers fleeing religious persecution in England began to settle in a colony created by William Penn (1644-1718), known as Pennsylvania. Within a decade, thousands of Quakers had immigrated to North America. Pennsylvania soon became a home for German religious communities as well. Contemporaneous with the founding of the English Quaker settlements, German groups such as the Mennonites and Moravians, who were affiliated with the Quakers, also founded communities in Pennsylvania. In the early 18th century, German Lutherans and Calvinists likewise settled in Pennsylvania.
What was the purpose of the Religious Settlement?
The Religious Settlement was an effort by Elizabeth I to unite the country. It was intended to resolve the dispute between Catholics and Protestants. As a Protestant, Elizabeth had to tread carefully between both faiths to maintain unity.
Why were the Puritans unhappy with the settlement?
Puritans were unhappy with the settlement as they believed that Elizabeth should have legislated for a truly radical Puritan church.
What was the turmoil in England?
England was in religious turmoil and there were several problems Elizabeth needed to face when tackling the issue.
What religion did England follow?
England became a more secular society. Protestantism was the official religion of England, but Catholicism was also accepted, instead of its followers being persecuted.
Was England a Catholic country?
England had been a Catholic nation under the rule of the previous monarch, Mary I. Catholics were not happy with the Religious Settlement.
Overview
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement is the name given to the religious and political arrangements made for England during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Implemented between 1559 and 1563, the settlement is considered the end of the English Reformation, permanently shaping the theology and liturgy of the Church of England and laying the foundations of Angli…
Background
Elizabeth I inherited a kingdom bitterly divided over matters of religion. This division began during the reign of her father, Henry VIII. After his wife, Catherine of Aragon, failed to produce a male heir, Henry applied to the pope for an annulment of his marriage. When his request was denied, Henry separated the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church and claimed that he, rathe…
Elizabeth's accession
Elizabeth's religious views were Protestant, though "peculiarly conservative". She also kept many of her religious views private, which can make it difficult to determine what she believed. She disliked married clergy, held Lutheran views on Eucharistic presence, and there is evidence she preferred the more ceremonial 1549 prayer book. At certain times, the Queen made her religious preferences clear, such as on Christmas Day 1558, when before Mass she instructed Bishop Ow…
Legislation
When the Queen's first Parliament opened in January 1559, its chief goal was the difficult task of reaching a religious settlement. Twenty bishops (all Roman Catholics) sat in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual, and the Lords in general were opposed to change. In February, the House of Commons passed a Reformation Bill that would restore royal supremacy as well as the 1550 Ordinal and …
Implementation
To enforce her religious policies, Queen Elizabeth needed bishops willing to cooperate. Seven bishops, including Cardinal Pole, Mary's Archbishop of Canterbury, died in 1558 and needed to be replaced. The remaining bishops were all Catholics appointed during Mary's reign, and Elizabeth's advisers hoped they could be persuaded to continue serving. Ultimately, all but two bis…
Thirty-nine Articles and the Homilies
The Elizabethan settlement was further consolidated by the adoption of a moderately Protestant doctrinal statement called the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion. While affirming traditional Christian teaching as defined by the first four ecumenical councils, it tried to steer a middle way between Reformed and Lutheran doctrines while rejecting Anabaptist thinking. The Thirty-nine Articles were not intended as a complete statement of the Christian faith but of the position of the Church of E…
Reception
The settlement of 1559 had given Protestants control of the Church of England, but matters were different at the parish level, where Catholic priests and traditional laity held large majorities. The bishops struggled for decades to impose the prayer book and Injunctions on reluctant parishes. "For a while, it was possible to sustain an attenuated Catholicism within the parish framework…
Aftermath
In 1603, the King of Scotland inherited the English crown as James I. The Church of Scotland was even more strongly Reformed, having a presbyterian polity and John Knox's liturgy, the Book of Common Order. James was himself a moderate Calvinist, and the Puritans hoped the King would move the English Church in the Scottish direction. James, however, did the opposite, forcing the Scottish …