The Reign Of Edward Vi :: essays research papers fc

The control of Edward VIThe reign of Edward VI saw great sacred tumult from a Protestantreligion that was Catholic in nature to a more clearly defined and radicalquasi-Calvinism. In that sense religious policy indurate. But the policies andideal never became deeply entrenched and authentic through surface the boorish andoften only existed to serve the interests of those who enacted them, and not the upcoming stance of the church. Under Somerset the changes involved merely creatinga Protestant facelift, and only infra Northumberland did sweeping radicalchanges emerge. However, policy never hardened enough, or became accepted enough,to prevent it being disintegrated when Mary came to power in 1553.The religious situation was highly unstable at the time of Edwardsascendance. Although atomic number 1 had exclusivelyowed Protestant leaning clerics to predominatein the later year of his reign, around religious statutes remained orthodox, andconservative. But low Somerset Protes tants who had previously fled to Europe afterward the six articles, such as Hooper, Becon, and Turner, all returned. Manywere writers banned under Henry VIII, along with Luther and other EuropeanProtestants. Guy points out that 159 out of 394 new playscripts printed during theProtectorate were written by Protestant reformers.Reformers predominated the Privy council under Somerset, and reform waspopular amongst the gentry of the time. But foreign London and eastern United States AngliaProtestantism was not a major force. In terms of religious hardening, it is marvellous that the surge of Protestantism had any particular long term impactoutside these areas. It was only in these areas that violent iconoclasm tookplace. Elsewhere far more tame reforms such as vernacular Bibles andservices were introduced.The legislation of the Somerset while also did little to aid a definitehardening of religious policy. The Privy council remained reluctant to make anyradical moves. The Council, pa rliament, and the convocation all wanted reform,but not of the type that would firmly thrust the country into radicalProtestantism. Moderate leanings were all that was desired, and this wasreflected in the two major pieces of legislation, the Chantries fiddle and theTreason Act, which both did little to resolve doctrinal uncertainties. The newbook of common prayer also trod a careful path betwixt Protestantism andCatholicism.Jordan states that These years ... were characterised by patience withthe bishops, almost half of whom were conservative in their views and Catholicin their doctrinal sympathies, though all, trained as they were in the reign ofHenry VIII, lent complete support to the Act mastery in all its constitutionaland political implications ... the lesser clergy and the laity were with fewer