The Elizabethan Settlement
Protestantism Reforged
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement was a defining moment in the establishment of the Church of England, shaping the religious landscape of England for centuries. This settlement, enacted under Queen Elizabeth I, sought to end the religious turmoil that had plagued the country since the reigns of her father, Henry VIII, and her half-siblings, Edward VI and Mary I. From an Anglican perspective, the settlement represents a crucial compromise between the radical Protestant reforms and the Catholic traditions that had previously divided the nation.
The religious upheaval in England began with Henry VIII's break from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534, after the Pope refused to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. This led to the establishment of the Church of England, with the king as its supreme head. However, Henry's reforms were relatively conservative, maintaining many Catholic doctrines and rituals.
Under Edward VI, the Church moved further towards Protestantism, influenced by the teachings of figures such as Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer was a key document of the Reformation, standardizing worship in English and reducing the influence of Catholic excess. However, when Mary I ascended the throne in 1553, she sought to restore Catholicism and reunite England with the papacy, leading to the persecution of Protestants in what became known as the Marian Persecutions.
When Elizabeth I became queen in 1558, the country was deeply divided along religious lines. The challenge she faced was not only personal, as the daughter of Anne Boleyn, whose marriage to Henry had been declared illegitimate by Catholic authorities, but also political. A settlement was needed to bring peace to a kingdom weary of religious conflict.
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement was essentially a middle way, a via media, between Roman Catholicism and the more radical Protestant reforms that had been pushed by Edward VI’s regime. This compromise was codified in two key acts passed by Parliament in 1559: the Act of Supremacy and the Act of Uniformity.
The Act of Supremacy restored the monarch’s position as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Elizabeth, unlike her father, chose the title "Supreme Governor" rather than "Supreme Head" to appease those who believed that Christ alone was the head of the Church. The act required an oath of loyalty from clergy and officials, affirming the monarch's authority over religious governance in England.
The Act of Uniformity established a new version of the Book of Common Prayer, which was a slightly modified version of the more Protestant 1552 edition. This act mandated the use of the Book of Common Prayer in all church services, setting the standard for worship in the Church of England and effectively outlawing Roman Catholic mass. At the same time, the language of the Prayer Book was deliberately ambiguous, allowing for both Protestant and Catholic interpretations in certain areas, such as the nature of the Eucharist.
Elizabeth’s settlement was designed to appeal to a broad spectrum of English society, but it also reflected her personal religious convictions, which leaned towards Protestantism. However, she retained certain elements of Catholic tradition, such as the episcopal structure of church governance (with bishops) and the ceremonial aspects of worship, including the wearing of vestments by clergy.
Several key figures played pivotal roles in shaping and defending the Elizabethan Settlement. One of the most important was Matthew Parker, whom Elizabeth appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1559. Parker had been a chaplain to her mother, Anne Boleyn, and was a moderate Protestant. He was instrumental in guiding the church through its formative years and defending the middle way that Elizabeth sought to establish.
Parker and other moderate reformers faced opposition from both Puritans, who wanted further reforms to eliminate any trace of Catholicism, and Catholic recusants, who refused to conform to the Church of England. Parker’s leadership helped maintain stability and unity within the Church, even as it navigated these tensions.
The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, first issued in 1563, were another key element of the settlement. Drafted by a committee of bishops, including Parker, the Articles provided a doctrinal foundation for the Church of England. They affirmed core Protestant beliefs, such as justification by faith and the rejection of transubstantiation, while also allowing for certain traditional practices, like infant baptism. The Thirty-Nine Articles helped to clarify the theological identity of the Church, marking it as distinctly Protestant while maintaining some ties to its Catholic heritage.
Although the Elizabethan Settlement brought a measure of stability to England, it did not end religious conflict. Catholic recusants, who remained loyal to the Pope, were a constant source of concern for Elizabeth’s government. The Papal Bull of 1570, issued by Pope Pius V, excommunicated Elizabeth and absolved her subjects from loyalty to her, deepening the divide between Catholics and the state. This led to increased persecution of Catholics, who were viewed as potential traitors.
On the other side, Puritans, who sought to "purify" the Church of all remaining Catholic elements, also posed a challenge. Figures like Thomas Cartwright and John Field advocated for a more radical reformation, which included the abolition of bishops and further changes to worship practices. Elizabeth, however, resisted these demands, seeing the episcopal structure as essential to maintaining order and authority within the Church.
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement laid the foundation for the Anglican Church, which would evolve into a distinctive tradition, blending elements of both Protestant and Catholic practice. The Church of England became known for its emphasis on Scripture, reason, and tradition, drawing from the best of both Protestant and Catholic worlds. As historian Diarmaid MacCulloch notes, “Elizabeth and her advisers… aimed at an inclusive Protestantism, Protestant enough for most of the godly, Catholic enough for the conservative laity.”
From an Anglican perspective, the settlement represents a crucial moment of balance and compromise. It affirmed key Protestant doctrines, such as salvation by faith and the authority of Scripture, while also preserving a sense of continuity with the historic Church through its liturgy, sacraments, and hierarchical structure.
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement was a bold and pragmatic response to the religious strife of the 16th century. By crafting a middle way, Elizabeth I and her advisers created a church that could accommodate a wide range of religious beliefs within a unified national framework. The settlement set the stage for the development of Anglicanism as a tradition that values both unity and diversity, holding together the tensions between Protestant reform and Catholic tradition that continue to shape its identity today.