Question 5

Why Elizabeth 1’s religious settlement survive despite opposition from the Puritans and Catholics?

• The Settlement itself – the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity - had many positive qualities.
• There was the invention of the title of Supreme Governor and proclamation of a moderate Protestant position, together with the lenient pursuit of Catholic recusants.
• Its popularity was strengthened by the improving foreign situation in the 1560s – particularly in neutralising French influence in Scotland – and by a run of good harvests over this same period.
• Catholics objected strongly to Elizabeth’s legislation.
• The Act of Uniformity was the main bone of contention as far as the Catholics were concerned.
• A minority of Catholics could not accept that Elizabeth’s policies towards them were quite lenient.
• No-one liked Elizabeth’s settlement so they all objected to it.
• Catholics wanted Philip II to invade and turn the country Catholic again.