Why did protestant reformation meet so much opposition during the sixteenth cenrury?

However, the Protestant religion outlawed Mass, and effectively replaced it with the

Sermon as the central feature of the service. Not only did this mean that Catholics were

unable to participate in Mass, the imposition of the Sermon also enforced a change in the

structure of the service. Previously services had been conducted in a ritual language of

gestures and symbols that the laity could understand and relate to. Instead ‘Protestantism

was above all the religion of the printed word and the preached word’, which stressed

salvation through reading scripture, attending sermons and personal devotion. This may

have been fine in the major cities. However, in the rural areas such as the North East,

where ‘literacy must not have exceeded 30%’, it was often impossible to understand the

finer points of Protestantism even if the laity wanted to. The idea of personal

devotion was also an alien concept, and one which was hard for an uneducated individual

to grasp.

It is also important to note the quality of the sermon played a factor. James talks about

the ‘charismatic sermon’ which Bernard Gilpin was frequently able to produce.

However, such charismatic sermons were ‘few and far between’. This is suggested by

the fact that when Bishop James Barnes visited the North in 1578 he found that the

majority of vicars were ‘theologically illiterate’ and Watts claims ‘very few of the

clergymen Barnes examined were the educated men who could preach the inspiring

sermons demanded by advanced reformers’. As a consequence of this, the sermons were

often dull and uninspiring, which prompted many people to continue to practice

Catholicism. Furthermore, after the visitation of Barnes, ‘pressure was placed on the

parish clergy in view of their preaching role to become more articulate and better

educated’. This extra work load may have resulted in despondency among the

preachers of the new religion, and played a considerable part in many of them becoming

recusants.

 

It is also obvious that the sermon was not the only aspect of Protestantism that was dull

in relation to Catholicism. The ‘Rites of Durham’ describes the decoration in Durham

Cathedral, a central place for Catholic worship in the North East. The ‘Rites’ suggest a

religion of ‘visual images expressed through the gorgeous relics and works of art’. The

banner of St Cuthbert is described as ‘one of the most sumptuous monuments in all of

England’, whilst it is known that religious events were often depicted in colourful stain

glass windows. In contrast, part of the Second Commandment in the Protestant religion

was ‘thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image’. In short, the ‘emphasis was on the

word, the internalised verbal image’. Accompanied by the fact that services changed

from Latin to English, these factors may have meant that Protestantism appeared very

ordinary and even boring, which may have meant that it failed to catch the imagination of

much of society.

It is also important to understand how these changes in decoration were enforced. In

‘Family, Lineage and Civil Society’, written by James, he states that alters were ‘thrown

down’, and cathedrals were ‘swept bare’. He also writes that when coming to Durham

Cathedral, Dean Whittingham ‘destroyed’ much of the décor, whilst his wife was credited

with burning the banner of St. Cuthbert. The language James uses suggests that there

was a complete lack of respect for Catholicism, whilst burning the banner, such an

important symbol, simply emphasises this point. Similarly Collinson claims that scripture

songs often made ‘attacks on mass’. This attitude may have strengthened the resolve of

many Catholics and prompted them to become recusants.

 

The social impact of Catholicism must also be considered. Festivals, ceremonies and

pilgrimages not only gave individuals an opportunity to show their religious belief,

but they were also important for socialising and giving order to life. By removing many

dates from the Sarum calendar, and eventually banning all festivals and ceremonies, the

Crown was taking this important piece of life away. Unsurprisingly, the laity who relied

so heavily upon such social occasions were not prepared to give this up without a fight.

There were also other social changes. Collinson claims that ‘culturally speaking the

reformation was beyond all question a watershed of truly mountainous proportions’, 

with drama, literature and decoration changing considerably. This emphasises the huge

changes in many aspects of life that were required. The Reformation was more than just a

change in religion, and it was a change that some were not prepared to make.

 Numerous Priests also became recusants, even though they may have ‘conformed’ in

public. As previously suggested this may have been because of the pressures imposed

upon them to increase their religious education. A further reason may have been that

Protestantism played down the ‘extent to which the church through its priesthood

controlled the power of eternal life’. This obviously decreased their individual power.

However, they also had a considerable influence over the gentry and nobility who may

otherwise not have become recusants; persuading them that any form of rebellion was

‘justifiable’ as it ‘advanced the cause of religion’. One such example was William

Holmes, who in 1566 addressed a congregation at Durham Cathedral, telling them that he

had the authority to unite them with the Church of Rome. The impact of these recusant

priests is perhaps shown most vividly when considering the Northern Rising of 1590. The

revolt saw Protestant symbols such as prayer books and bibles destroyed, and the support

of Priests such as Anthony Salvin and William Carter, provided some credibility to their

actions. In turn this inspired the gentry to take part.

 When discussing the importance of priests, the role of William Allen must also be

considered. Determined to ensure Catholicism continued in England, he founded a

missionary college in Douai, Rome (1568). This was designed to produce priests which

would come to England and continue the practice of Catholicism. The importance of their

existence is obvious, and is suggested further by the fact that Catholicism was

wiped out in the Isle of Man soon after the last one left. Ann Forster also highlights

their importance, suggesting that ‘the courage of the priest from Douai evoked similar

responses on the part of many of the laity’. The Jesuits also played an important role. In

an attempt to gain Catholic worshippers they made plans for an ‘Enterprise of England’

(1576). At the ‘Synod of Southwark’ (1580) they decided that the North of England was

one of three areas that they were going to concentrate on. However, their influence can be

debated as Catholics often responded to them with ‘fear and suspicion’ and with their

slightly different views, were seen as ‘meddlesome innovators’ by some English

priests.  

The fact that the Priests and Jesuits were able to work without punishment must also be

considered. By 1581 legislation stated that recusants would be fined £20 a month or £260

a year, and that individuals could be tried for treason if they attempted to convert

Protestants. However Queen Elizabeth’s advisors ‘paid little heed to the condition of the

Church North of the Trent’.  Even after the appointment of the Earl of Huntington as

Lord Councillor of  the North, he ‘seldom troubled himself’ about large areas such as

Northumberland, whilst his successor in December 1595, Archbishop Matthew Hutton

was, ‘willing to tolerate recusants and Catholics who went quietly about their daily

affairs.’ Similarly, Churchwardens failed to report recusants who did not attend Sunday

services. This made it easier for Catholicism to continue, so much so that many noble

families actually uprooted and moved to the North so that they could continue to practice

their chosen religion. Furthermore, although the punishments were severe, many thought

that they might only be short term with dynastic change possibly brining James VI of

Scotland to the throne, who was the son of the Catholic Queen Mary. This gave people an

incentive to continue.

The importance of the noble families is also worth considering. The established families

such as the Salvin’s and the Blakinstone’s were very traditional, and as a consequence

became recusants. Their social standing meant that they were able to inspire and

influence others. This was especially the case when it came to those families who had

risen as a result of fortunes in coal and other industries. Such influence was often

achieved by intermarriages between these families. Examples of this include Edward

Lawson marrying Dorothy Constable of the established Constables, and Sir Robert

Hodgson marrying Frances Ingleby from the Ingleby’s of Ripon. The Lawson’s and

Hodgson’s were soon converted, and these two family houses became an ‘important link

point for the passage of priests between the North and South banks of the Tyne.’ Haigh

also claims that it was the wives who ‘appeared to have contributed most to the religious

reformation of the families’, as they were less easy going than their career orientated

husbands, and had the time and devotion to ensure Catholicism remained alive. The

effect of these marriages is shown by the fact that in 1606 the government introduced

legislation which penalised such unions.

 

  In conclusion, it is apparent that the reasons for the resistance of the Reformation are

complex. There were too many differences between Protestantism and Catholicism for a

true Catholic to simply conform and change. Religion was too important for this. The

considerable base of recusants was derived from the laity. However, if it had not been for

the guidance and inspiration of the gentry who in turn felt justified by the rebellion of

priests and other religious figures, it is questionable how long any form of recusancy  

would have lasted.

BIBLIOGRPAHY

Bossy, J. ‘The English Catholic Community: 1570-1850’, (London: Darton, Longman & Todd 1975)

Collinson, P. ‘The Birthpangs of Protestant England: Religious and Cultural Change in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries’, (New York: St. Martins P. 1988)

Duffy, E. ‘The Stripping of the Alters: Traditional Religion In England 1400-1580’, (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press 1992)

Haigh, C. ed. ‘The English Reformation Revised’, (Cambridge University Press 1987)  

James, M.E. ‘Family, Lineage and Civil Society’, (Oxford: Clarendon Press 1974)    

Fowler, J.T. ed. ‘Rites Of Durham’, (Surtees Society 107:1903)

Watts, S.J. ‘From Border To Middle Shire: Northumberland 1585-1625’, (Leicester University Press 1975)  

                                             

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