Religious developments and the 'Golden Age' of Elizabethan culture

• Argues that in Mary's reign, Catholicism suppressed the people both religiously and artistically. As well as religion, the Catholic Church dictated art, literature and poetry.
• On the other hand, when there were new Protestant movements and the period of toleration under Elizabeth, there was more freedom - this was one of the key reasons for the 'Golden Age of Enlightenment'. It also meant that intellectual ideas could develop, independently from religion.

• From the Queen's perspective, the state of religion by 1563 was positive - she had achieved the Settlement she largely desired. So, she had to an extent dealt with the tensions between Catholics and Protestants.
• The issue she now faced was the under-reformed nature of the Church. There was concern amongst the Church of England clergy about further reforming the doctrine of the Church. 
• The key issue was whether the Settlement was regarded as complete or whether there was scope for further change. It's against this uncertainty that Puritanism emerged, as they considered this Settlement to be incomplete.

• One of the biggest religious movements of the 1560s and 1570s. They posed just as much of a challenge to the Elizabethan Settlement as the Catholics did.
• Tensions began between the Queen and Puritans over the Vestiarian Controversy. The Queen liked certain parts of the Catholic Church, like clerical dress or vestaments - this was her personal preference. Puritans wanted rid of these 'superstitious practices' because in the Bible, there is no mention of clergymen wearing clerical dress. Several clergymen decided they could not obey the rules on clerical dress laid out in the Settlement. This created conflict with the Queen who showed a desire to enforce the Settlement by dismissing prominent bishops.

The Presbyterian movement

• One aspect of the broader Protestant movement. It was influenced by the reformer John Calvin's views on Church organisation and discipline. The Church of England was Calvinist in its doctrine but Presbyterians believed that it should be reformed in its structure and its forms of worship. 
• Some Presbyterians started to question the scriptural basis for the authority of bishops and other aspects of the Church. Criticisms were voiced in two pamphlets know as the two Admonitions:Subsequently, there was a pamphlet war between two conservative academics: Thomas Cartwright, the spiritual leader of the Presbyterian movement, and John Whitgift. 
  • The first Admonition attacked the Book of Common Prayer and called for the abolition of bishops.
  • The second Admonition described a Presbyterian system of Church government. 
• This movement was geographically limited, but it attracted some high-ranking support e.g. the Earl of Huntingdon, the Earl of Leicester and even Lord Burghley saw the advantages of Presbyterianism as a protector against Catholicism. All three defended clergy who were punished by the law for their sympathy for the Presbyterian movement. 
• This movement grew in the 1580s - ideas developed about Church government running through local assemblies and synods, Church councils which would exist outside the Church hierarchy. Although, attempts to bring change through Parliament failed e.g. Peter Turner and Anthony Cope introduced bills which would replace the Book of Common Prayer with a new prayer book not containing the remaining 'popish' elements. Both bills failed to gather support. 

Whitgift's Articles and the attack on Presbyterianism

John Whitgrift, the Archbishop of Canterbury, wanted to destroy Puritanism. He issued three Articles that the clergy had to agree to:

1. Acknowledgement of the royal supremacy.
2. Acceptance of the prayer book as containing nothing 'contrary to God's word'.
3. Acceptance that the Thirty-Nine Articles conformed to the word of God.

The second article created a conflict in many clergy as they believed some parts of the Bible lacked scriptural justification. Whitgift had to back down under pressure and he reduced this article to the simple acceptance of the prayer book - most clergy accepted this. Whitgift's campaign had some success - Cartwright's licence to preach was taken away. By the late 1580s, Presbyterianism was in decline. Very few Presbyterian clergy were willing to break from the Church by going against the three Articles. 

Radical Puritans (Separatists)

• Separatism = the most extreme form of Puritanism. They wanted to separate from the Church of England as they believed that it was incapable of reforming so much so that there would no longer be any 'popish' or 'superstitious' practices. They were opposed to the Queen being Supreme Governor.
• It emerged in the late 1580s. 
• Robert Browne became the leader of a significant congregation in Norwich but his challenge petered out and he went into exile in the Netherlands. 
• Henry Barrow and John Greenwood led Separatist movements in London but their activities caused alarm with the authorities - they were tried and executed 'for devising and circulating seditious books'. 

The decline of Puritanism

• Declined in the late 1580s - partly became of the deaths of Leicester, Mildmay and Walsingham (its supporters at court) and partly because of the defeat of the Spanish Armada. This reduced the threat of Catholicism and so it became more attractive. 
• Also, due to the decline of Presbyterianism, Puritan attitudes became more acceptable within the Church e.g. the Lambeth Articles of 1595 were points about Church doctrine and they essentially reasserted the Calvin doctrine of the Church of England. These were accepted by both Puritans and Whitgift. And, the 1559 Book of Common Prayer was accepted by both. 

• There are two different sections to Catholicism in Elizabethan England:
  • Elizabeth's early attitude towards Catholics
  • Elizabeth's later attitude towards Catholics
• At the start of her reign, she is often quoted as not wishing to make 'windows into men's souls'. That leads many to assume that she adopted an attitude of toleration - all she wanted from Catholics was their loyalty, they could practice what religion they liked. Evidence for this is the lack of persecution and sanctions on those not following royal injunctions. 
• Then, there is the second interpretation that Elizabeth wasn't showing toleration but she hoped that by blending, Catholicism would die out naturally. Through showing this early toleration, she hoped that Catholics would disappear and so when this didn't happen, this created problems. The Northern Rebellion provoked Elizabeth into changing her attitudes towards Catholics and so in the 1570s and 1580s, more severe laws were taken against Catholics.

The penal laws against Catholics

• 1571 - publication of papal bulls was made illegal and treasonable.
• 1581 - Act to Retain the Queen's Majesty's Subjects' in their Due Obedience. This made it treason to withdraw allegiance from either the Queen or the Church. Saying Mass was punishable by heavy fine or imprisonment.
• 1585 - Act against Jesuits and Seminary Priests. This made it treasonable for priests under the Pope's authority to enter England. 
• These penal laws were tightened between 1588 and 1592. This was partly due to England's war with Spain and also due to the fear of a Catholic rebellion. 

The Catholic missions

• In 1568, a college was founded in the Spanish Netherlands. It was created to train Catholic priests to be sent to England to keep Catholicism alive - they were meant to come to England to win new converts.
• These Catholic missions posed as one of the reasons for the 1595 Act against Jesuits being passed as the government wanted to stop these priests coming over. 
• The success of these missions was limited - the priests spent more time with their already Catholic protectors/ gentry rather than mixing with other/ ordinary people. Another reason these missions didn't work was geographical - many of the priests satyed in the channel towns in the south-east of England. But, the majority of English Catholics were in the north - they would have attracted more converts in these northern towns. 

The reign of Elizabeth witnessed considerable flourishing in English culture. It was where this idea of popular culture developed - when people do what is fashionable.

Art

• English painting was one of the main areas which developed. 
• The most important aspect of Elizabethan painting was the portrait minature (a more artistic portrait of someone). English painting was very much influenced by Flemish painters.
• Architecture also developed - the Queen herself was reluctant to commission new buildings as she saw it as too much of a gamble but her courtiers were more than willing to build their own with grand designs. 

Literature

• There were more educational opportunities than there had ever been in history so more people in society had the opportunity to be literate. It also became more popular to be seen reading publicly. 
• Literature was promoted through Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe - their plays encouraged people to read. There was also a massive revival in poetry.

Music

• Music flourished in a variety of forms and again this came down to the Queen's love of the arts - Elizabeth was a skilful musician.
• There were different genres: religious music and secular classical music.
• Instruments were also developed and many of the towns in England had bands which would perfom on formal occasions.

• By the end of Elizabeth's reign, England had been transformed both religiously and culturally,
• Catholicism had unexpectedly survived.
• The Church of England was more confident and organsied.
• But more importantly, England demonstrated a great cultural flourishing which would not be achieved again for the next seven centuries.