Reformation Britain: Assessing the stability of the Religious Settlements of England in 1559 and Scotland in 1560

Reformation Britain: Assessing the stability of the Religious Settlements of England in 1559 and Scotland in 1560

Introduction

This assessment will compare and contrast the long-term stability of the religious settlements in Britain through studying the Elizabethan Settlement of 1559 and the Scottish Settlement of 1560. The Elizabethan religious settlement of 1559 was an attempt by Elizabeth I to consolidate power and unite the people of England, religious grievances, resistance and persecution had caused huge religious divisions under the Tudor monarchs and Elizabeth’s aim for England now was uniformity. The settlement remained virtually untouched until her death in 1603 and represented an attempt of compromise between Catholicism and Protestantism. In contrast Scotland’s religious settlement was less of a compromise and redefined the Scottish religious national identity. This discussion will assert that although the Elizabethan settlement remained intact until her death, it perhaps wasn’t as stable as it first appears, whereas the Scottish Settlement left no room for objection and remained in control of its changes for the long-term.

The Elizabethan Settlement of 1559

The start of the Elizabethan age was a time of uncertainty and religious tension. The religious settlement of 1559 answered some of those uncertainties. Elizabeth an “odd sort of Protestant”[1] would go on to create a “protestant nation, but not a nation of protestants” as Christopher Haigh argues.  Although the Elizabethan settlement in this respect changed the doctrine and ideology of the English church on paper, it can be asserted that it didn’t change much the opinion of the populous.[2] Rather than create any new phenomena the settlement reiterated the fact that uniformity and individual worship of religion was still possible and debated amongst the common people. Many in England conformed with attendance and obedience to the monarch but were not always Protestant in their hearts. Therefore, the Elizabethan settlement in theory was in fact stable as a law and documentation, but in practice was irrelevant in changing the opinions and stability of her realm.

The Elizabethan Settlement at large can be viewed as a compromise between Catholic and Protestant ideology. Elizabeth kept many of the Catholic structures of the Church in her “half-reformed” church whilst adding new Protestant sermons and ideologies from Calvinism. This settlement was contested by both Protestants and Catholics because of this compromise rather than enhancing one religion. Fuller criticised the Elizabethan Settlement of 1559 arguing that “but halflie by your majesty hath God been honoured, his church reformed and established, his people taught and comforted.” [3] Fuller was a Puritan and therefore, his argument is valid to state that she called herself a Protestant Queen but had only half-fulfilled this commitment to Protestant belief. Puritan and Presbyterian contesting of the English settlement remained a problem for Elizabeth and the stability of her ‘protestant’ England throughout her reign and therefore it is feasible to argue that although the contract itself of the settlement was secure, the agreeability and practice of this ‘half-reformed’ church was not a reality for most in Elizabethan England, but more attributed to those who did not have the power to do otherwise.

Similarly, many of Elizabeth’s Catholic bishops opposed the settlement and Act of Uniformity in 1559. The Commons Journal kept at the time by John Seymour, although minimal in description tells historians that particular Catholic Lords had much debate over the passing focusing in particular on the opinion of Anthony Browne who argued that if this act should be passed it would in fact be almost authorising  ‘the Mass abrogated … sacramentes prophaned, holie aultars destroyed, temples vyolated, mariage of priests allowed, their children made legitimate.’[4] Therefore, it is likely that the vote itself was swayed by the Protestants, many returning from exile and the possibility of the removal of direct catholic threat to its passing.

In her reign overall, Elizabeth also faced much opposition to her rule and the settlement from both Protestants and Catholics which expresses that uniformity and agreement under this settlement was not a reality. It is obvious that neither the Catholics nor the Protestants wanted compromise or a middle ground. The problems Elizabeth faced because of certain aspects of her settlement being not ‘Calvinist’ in sense also provided more problems than it caused. In 1558 she issued her Proclamation to Forbid Preaching[5] which essentially is what Genevan Calvinism is centred to. This later caused her issues with Edmund Grindal due to his puritan sympathy and prophesying’s unauthorised by the Elizabethan settlement