Unlike how history remembers Elizabeth I, she was brutal oppressor of the church. She was very much influence by the renaissance and was much more a child of that than of the reformation.
In the 16th century, it was such a brutal time, and there were more wars and massacres in Europe than at any time in mankind.
When Bloody Mary died on November 17th, (should be a national holiday I think!) after a wretched, miserable life. On the day she died, Elizabeth was at home in her garden sat under an oak tree reading, and William Cecil fell down at her feet and addressed her as “your majesty” to denote she was now Queen of England and pledged his allegiance. In reply she said, “It is the Lord’s doing. It is marvellous in our eyes.” To paraphrase the use of the Words from the Gospel. It sounded pious and humble at first glance, but it was anything BUT.
Many people remember the fuss when Nancy Regan consulted an astrologist regarding her husband’s career. Yet, Elizabeth I did this to know the date on which she would be crowned Queen of England.
As well as this being the time of the Reformation it was also the time of the Renaissance, and there was a revival or paganism and witchcraft.
The Reformation was a revival of Augustinianism.
The Renaissance was taking Thomas Aquinas thoughts which went along the lines of, you needed the Bible to understand some things in life. But not all things. Which gave room of course for the following thought of if you don’t need the Scriptures for all things, you don’t need it for anything. That man is master of his own destiny. Man was both a slave and master of the universe.
Elizabeth was truly a creature of the age and strongly influenced in the Renaissance.
History likes to remember Elizabeth I kindly, as Good Queen Bess, who almost single handedly defeated the Spanish Armada. But exactly who is the enigmatic Queen?
Otto Scott in his book which title currently escapes me(!) wrote of this age:
The printed page filled with the English language instead of Latin, swept away the medieval age in culture. Extraordinary energies were released, most strikingly in the theatre but in every branch of literature and knowledge. Discoveries in navigation were printed in English such as Sir Walter Raleigh’s monumental book, history of the world.
These changes ushered in Instrument makers and special craftsmen who laid the basis for the Industrial revolution. These were all changed that came with the Reformation of the church.” The religious faith of the reformation, lifted the people from the decadence of the Renaissance into levels higher than mankind had ever known.
When Queen of England she clung to many doctrines and idols of the Catholic Church though by her lips she professed Protestantism. She oppressed any objection to her religion – guarding it jealousy for her freedom to dictate England’s religion believing to not do so, would be giving up her rights as Queen.
In Cambridge University in 1595, William Barrat was the first person that stood up to challenge the doctrine or Predestination.
And laws regarding criticising Church of England dogma were viciously curtailed, with the forming and sitting of the High Commission. A bench of prelates who sat in judgement over what were considered crimes against religion.
For the first time during her reign, books were published in English and not in Latin But she was a GREAT PERSECUTOR of the church and persecuted and oppressed Puritanism as much as she did popishness.
Many plots were devised against her, and after one she took particular offence about, devised by Roman Catholics; she took to despising them with a vengeance, and put 11,000 people in prison as a result of it. She couldn’t stand the thought of giving any foreign power the right to intervene in England’s religion, seeing it as a direct threat against her crown.
However, Elizabeth openly siding with Protestantism was not through any religious reasons. It was merely she hated the Catholics more.
She oppressed the true church as much as she did popishness however. She was neither a papist or a protestant, she hated and despised all religion and hated preaching. She held to the divine right of kings, and she saw herself as head of the church.
The high commission oppressed and tortured both Catholics and Protestants alike. It was all the same to Elizabeth. She gave the head of the High Commission permission to use torture if necessary.
She sought to suppress parliament because many of the politicians were of the reformed faith, and many others either for political or material gain supported those who were Reformed. She suppressed Parliament because the puritans who were being so oppressed by her turned to Parliament for help. Petitions were drawn up and delivered but Elizabeth forbade them from interfering with the work of the High commission, which also had a spy network. Mail would be intercepted and read and other such invasions of privacy.
Elizabeth eventually came to the Elizabeth settlement/compromise which some of it read as:
The Church of England was to follow certain portions of its service in English and the rest would be in Latin.
She adopted Thomas Cramners first Edition of The book of Prayer, (which had many popish things that his later version omitted)
She said the church was to be united and have uniformity.
All ministers of it were to wear the same vestments and have the same rituals.
To disobey any of her wants in her settlement was to be deprived of ones office of preaching and thrown into destitution.
William Hetherington on History on the Westminster Assembly and Divines records such at this time:
Threats, persuasions and a dread of poverty induced some to conform but many who refused to conform were immediately suspended from office, some of whom were the best and ablest preachers in London and in England, Many churches were closed. Many of the most pious and most able men were ejected from the churches and cast upon the world in a state of utter destitution. Even forbidden to preach to others that Gospel which has been to their own souls glad tidings of great joy. Many of these people, churches and pastors were driven from their homes and the pastors driven from their weeping congregations and exposed to reproach and poverty because they would not consent to disfigure their person with the gaudy vestments characteristic of Romish superstitions.
But the puritans held to the belief of: The Truth is not negotiable.” So they were not likely to bow down and obey Elizabeth’s rules no matter what it may cost them. Many of them did pay the cost of being stripped of being able to preach and thrown into destitution, Miles Coverdale and John Foxe being just two names among many.
But the puritans saw the oppression and persecution against them as the refining fire. And God used that reefing fire to establish its first presbytery in Wandsworth, London On Nov 20, 1572, around a hundred years before the first Presbyterian church.
Elizabeth of course was outraged at it being done without her sanction and believed allowing independent preaching or teaching of the Word would fan the flames of discontent by people being able to think for themselves. She demanded she made head of this presbytery, which of course the Puritans involved refused, and by the time she caught up with them, other presbyteries had also been formed, so she was now up against even more opposition.
The Anglicans portrayed Puritanism which still continues to his day as being Fanatical extremists, and unhinged and unbalanced.
Yet who was it who never wavered in their beliefs? (The Puritans) And who was it who changed their doctrine every time a monarch demanded the do so? (The Anglicans)
But many puritans were round up and tortured and many others driven underground.
On April 23rd, 1603, after 45 years on the throne of England, Elizabeth breathed her last. (do I hear cheering?) As she lay on her deathbed, unable to speak because of her incapacity, those around her asked who was to be her successor. She couldn’t speak by this time, but when someone said the name James, she put her hands around her head in the shape of a crown to signify her assent.
So, Good Queen Bess, may be remembered fondly by historians, and the media as she sure makes a good story. But she was a cruel, brutal tyrant and oppressor of the church who hated preaching, and believed herself as Queen as head of the church, and Lord help anyone who tried to ever step on her divine right.
