How successfully did Elizabeth I solve the problem of religion?

Answer 1

Elizabeth handled problems to do with religion very rarley but she still was a protestant... ummm.... no. Elizabeth the 1ST we are talking about...

Elizabeth's religious settlement established the church of England as the official religion. However, Elizabeth was not a religious fanatic, and disliked fanatacism in others, whether Protestant or Catholic. "There is only one Jesus Christ" she declared to one French ambassador, Andre Hurault "The rest is a dispute over trifles."

When Elizabeth succeeded to the throne England was technically a Catholic kingdom under the jurisdiction of the pope. However, most people expected the royal supremacy to be restored by parliament, which it was. As far as Elizabeth was concerned, there could be only one head of the Church of England, and that was the monarch.

The Queen wanted to tread a middle road. The Protestant faith was to become the established religion of England, but her watchwords were to be caution, compromise and moderation. Care must be taken not to offend her Catholic allies in Europe, and no extreme measures were to be adopted. She herself was forced to compromise, when the Protestant bishops refused to agree to enforcing celibacy upon the clergy or allowing roods, crucifixes or candles in churches. And moderation itself was compromised when those Catholic bishops who opposed the new ideas were sent to the Tower. meanwhile, confusion reigned throughout the land, and both Catholic and Protestant services were conducted in the churches.

The bishops and some MPs expressed doubts as to whether a woman could be Supreme Head of the Church, for St Paul had stated that no woman was permitted to act as an apostle, shepherd, doctor or preacher. Eventually the Queen agreed to be styled Supreme Governor instead.

One of her chief concerns was that public worship should be conducted in the correct form, in English, and she was to insist - much to the disgust of her stricter Protestant subjects - upon retaining some forms of Catholic ritual. She kept candles as well as crucifixes in her private chapels and insisted that her clergy wore caps, copes and surplices, she nevertheless abandoned the more elaborate ceremonies and practices which smacked of papistry, such as belief in miracles, the system of indulgences, and the veneration of the Virgin Mary. Always sensitive to strong smells, she loathed the smell of incense in churches, and banned it. But the Puritans still found much to complain of in her practice of her religion.

Although the veneration of saints was abhorrent to Protestants, she encouraged the popular cult of Saint George, who was revered as a national symbol and the patron of the Order of the Garter. She continued the Maundy ceremonies. elizabeth also revived the custom of touching the sufferers of the skin diseas scrofula "the king's evil."

Although her reing saw a crule persecution of Catholics, Elizabeth had no personal antipathy towards them. Despite the ever-harsher laws against Catholics, she welcomed some recusant noblemen at court and sometimes visited them in their houses, she employed Catholics, such as the composer William Byrd, in her hosuehold, and rejoiced when her Catholic subjects demonstrated their loyalty to her, as they often did.

The perseuction for which her reign became notorious was prompted by political necessity, not religious fanaticism. The priests who were executed had committed crimes against the state, and were perceived as a very real threat to national security. As far as elizabeth was concerned, a man's conscience was his own. According to Sir Francis Bacon, she lived by the maxim "Consciences are not to be forced, and she woul dnot have "any unnecessary sifted to know what affection they had towards the old religion". Her Majesty, he wrote "had n liking to make windows into men's hearts and secret thoughts." All she wanted from her subjects was loyalty to herself and the state and outward conformity to her laws governing religion.

Outside of London and the home counties, the majority of the people were still Catholic at the beginning of Elizabeth's reign, and many people were reluctant to give up the familiar rituals of the Catholic church, the veneration of the saints, and did not want to see their images and and vestments destroyed. The aboliton of the Mystery plays, which were performed by the guilds and which told stories from The Bible, caused particular resentment. Many of the sants days and their rituals were banned.

Although there was much resistance to the changes, gradually new generations of people grew up who could not remember the old ways, and by the end of Elizabeth's reign the majority of the population were staunchly Protestant. Elizabeth, by trying to tread a moderate course, had avoided plunging England into a war of religion such as the one that happened in France. I think it is fair to say that her settlement was, on the whole succesful. But there would always be those who would regret the destruction of the old ways, and there were always Puritans who were disatsifed with the Church of England.

Answer 2

In reality, Elizabeth I did not really solve the religious issues of the day. She did allow freedom of religion, but maintained a protestant court. She was followed by her strongly Catholic sister Mary as Queen.

Answer 3

Elizabeth faced civil war unless something was done within the country. Mary had been strictly catholic and Edward v1 was protestant ruler. If Elizabeth was to marry Phillip of Spain she would eliminate the risk of France and Spain attacking as they were strictly catholic. However, she would risk rebelions by Marian exiles. if elizabth was to turn the country protestant she would risk invasion by France and Spain - two of the most powerful countries in Europe.

hope its of some use.

Answer 4

Elizabeth took a 'middle road'. She made Protestantism the official religion in England. She brought back the changes made in Edward's reign - including the new Prayer Book in English and simpler churches - and priests were again allowed to marry. However, she refused to give way to extreme Protestant ideas. She did not persecute ordinary Catholics, but she did fine them for not attending church. She kept some aspects of the old Catholic Church. For example, she kept bishops and cathedrals, allowed churches to continue using crosses and candles, and let the priests wear special VESTMENTS.

Removing the Church of England from the control of the Roman Catholic Pope was a reform of the church(Roman Catholic). Martin Luther's 95 thesis were also an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church. Like it or not the Church of England is a Protestant church, that is, it is not Roman Catholic.

That she brought back the Prayer Books after Mary's death is true, why not? We are told that she would have preserved the First Prayer Book, of 1549! This is merely a translation of the Sarum Rite, that she didn't was pointer to the strength of the Calvinist opposition and a very correct fear of a war of religion as was taking place on the Continent!

That it was a mistake to allow so much latitude to the Separatists can be seen quite clearly now, but what was the alternative to be? An Inquisition, such as in Spain or massacre as the Romans had in Paris 1580?

Elizabeth preserved the catholicity of the English Church during her reign, it could be thought a wise move? When Charles the First tried to restore it to a pre-reformation condition without medieval additions, the Calvinists and their supporters didn't hesitate to start a war of religion that brought down the Anglican Church, the hierarchy and the King! Eliza's attitude when the Calvinists attacked through parliament was that it was not their business, but the business of the Bishops.

Answer 5

she had a spy agency spying on the Spanish, French, and her own people so if they tried to plan an attack she was ready

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Answer 6

by letting everyone come to the church who ever doesnt come will be fin hope that helps bye

Answer 7

she was fair to catholics and protestants