Explain the motives behind the Elizabethan religious settlement
Katie Taylor 12S April 13th, 05 Explain the motives behind the Elizabethan religious settlement One of Elizabeth’s first priorities having ascended the throne of England in 1558, was to reach a suitable religious settlement and thus end the religious divisions and confusions that had defined England since the Reformation. It was likely to be a Protestant settlement; both on a personal and political level. Firstly because Elizabeth herself had been raised as a protestant and secondly because she could see immense power and advantage in being head of the Church. Therefore, though the general direction of the settlement was easy to define, the exact form it was to take and why it took the form it did was much more complex. Elizabeth had retained her divided Privy Council and this was intentionally maintained throughout the drawing up of the settlement. Cecil and Dudley in common with many of the other Councillors were convinced Protestants, but others were deeply conservative. Elizabeth’s own inclination therefore, as the head of this council was not to push religious conformity to extremes, as Mary and Edward had done before her. Provided the gentry acknowledged the establishment of the Church of England she did not wish to “make windows into men’s souls”. Matters of religion were at the heart of the state and Elizabeth was well aware that she needed to