Religious Changes
Religion Under Edward VI – The Edwardian Reformation
• Edward was a devout Protestant – he had been brought up by Catherine Parr and
Cranmer
• Somerset took a moderate approach as not to antagonise Charles V (Catholic) (did not
want to fight 2 fronts) and to appeal to as many as possible, but this was a failure
• Exiled Protestants began returning
• A relaxation in censorship led to anti-Catholic pamphlets being written
Changes Under Somerset:
• In 1547 Somerset ordered royal visitations to establish state of church affairs
• July 1547 – royal injunctions ordered superstitious images, statues, and wall paintings to
be removed
• February 1548 – all images to be removed, destruction of the rest in 1549
• 1547 Chantries Act
o Closed them down, gained money, 3000 closed
• 1547 – Act of Six Articles Repealed
o The act established key Catholic doctrine under Henry
o E.g. Transubstantiation and clerical celibacy
o This left the Edwardian church without doctrine
• Services in English and an English bible in every church
• 1547 – Book of Homilies:
o A collection of model sermons to be read out by the clergy who were unable to
preach themselves
o Were written by Cranmer
o Included the belief of justification by faith alone rather than actions
• 1547 – Erasmus’ paraphrases:
o Summaries of the New Testament
o All parishes had these books by 1549
• 1549 – 1st Act of Uniformity
o Provided an outline of the Protestant Church in England
o Ordered clergy to follow a number of practices
o The Book of Common Prayer was enforced – the book used in church services
o Clergy could marry
o All services in English including morning and evening prayer
o Singing masses for the souls of the dead banned
o Bread as well as wine for the laity – implication of transubstantiation
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, o Imposed penalties for non-attended on clergy but not on laity – Council did not want
to antagonise laity
o Needed legislation through government to be passed to change
• 1549 – 1st Book of Common Prayer
o In English
o Eucharist declaration could be held to imply transubstantiation (belief that the
physical presence of Jesus is truly in the bread and wine at communion)
o Relatively moderate – too offensive for conservatives, too moderate for radicals
o Largely a translation of Catholic rites
o Fines or imprisoned for refusing to use
o Worship of saints discourages, no prayers for the dead, traditional robes still worn,
fast and holy days remained, sacraments remained,
Changes Under Northumberland:
• Northumberland took a more radical approach than Somerset. Once he was in power; he
gave key Reformers positions:
o Nicholas Ridley became Bishop of London (Bishop Bonner imprisoned in 1549)
o Stephen Gardiner imprisoned
o John Hooper became Bishop of Gloucester in 1550
o Thomas Cranmer remained Archbishop of Canterbury
• November 1550 – removal of stone altars, instead wooden ones for eating not
sacrificing
• January 1552 – New Treason Act - now an offence to challenge the Royal Supremacy
or any articles of faith
• 1552 – 2nd Book of Common Prayer
o Removed all traces of Catholicism
o Eucharist in line with Calvinist belief of consubstantiation (belief of a spiritual
presence in communion rather than physical)
o Prayers for the dead ended
o Wearing of vestments removed
• 1552 – 2nd Act of Uniformity:
o Enforced 2nd Book of Common Prayer
o Became an offence not to attend church services (both clergy and laity)
• November 1552 – 42 Articles:
o Based on Cranmer’s ideas, strongly Protestant, Articles of Faith (Henry’s Catholic
articles in 1539), based on doctrine of justification by faith alone
The Extent of Change:
• Somerset took a more moderate approach, meaning not much change was made:
o Amount of legislation to do with removal of images shows the reluctancy and
difficulty the reformation faced
o Many churchwardens accounts do shows that reforms had been carried out – altars
replaced, new service books being used
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