Religious Threats to the Settlement

A settlement under attack

Elizabeth built a Protestant Church of England and hoped it would keep the peace, but it was threatened from two directions at once. Catholics wanted England to return to the old faith, and their threat grew through rebellion, the anger of the Pope, secret priests and plots against the queen. Puritans, on the other side, were strict Protestants who thought the new church did not go far enough. This module looks at both threats and at how the government responded to protect the settlement.

Words for the threats

Learn these four words before you sort any threat or response, because the exam expects them by name. The religious settlement faced danger from two opposite sides at once, and each of these terms belongs to one of those sides or to the way the government fought back.

Threatened from both sides

The danger to the settlement came from opposite directions. A strong answer shows both, not just the Catholic one.

How to answer on the threats

Show that the settlement was squeezed from two directions, not one. On one side, trace how the old-faith danger grew, from open rebellion, to the Pope turning against the queen, to secret priests and plots. On the other, explain the strict Protestants who wanted to strip the church back further. Then, for each danger, give the government response that met it. Link the plots to the wider religious threat rather than treating them as separate court gossip.

Match the event to what it was

What did the excommunication do?

In 1570 the Pope excommunicated Elizabeth. Why did this make the Catholic threat worse?

• It freed Catholics from obeying her, so any could be seen as a traitor.
• It crowned a new Catholic king of England at once.
• It ended all Catholic worship in Europe.
• It made peace between the Pope and the queen.

Catholic threats to the settlement

Select the TWO events that were part of the Catholic threat.

• The Northern Rebellion of Catholic nobles
• Missionary priests sent secretly to England
• Puritans demanding a purer Protestant church
• Elizabeth setting up her Protestant church

Count the plots left

There were 3 major Catholic plots against Elizabeth that a student must learn. So far the student can name 1 of them. Subtract to find how many plots are still to be learned. What is the answer?

Order how the threat grew

Put these steps in the growth of the Catholic threat in order, earliest first.

• Elizabeth sets up her Protestant settlement
• Catholic nobles launch the Northern Rebellion
• The Pope excommunicates the queen
• Missionary priests arrive and plots are hatched

Complete the story

A Catholic who refused to attend the Protestant church was a _____. In 1570 the Pope removed Elizabeth from the Catholic Church, an act called _____. Catholics sent priests secretly into England, known as _____ priests. From the Protestant side, strict reformers called _____ wanted a purer church.

Match the threat to the response

Spot the true religious threat facts

Tap the TWO statements that are true about the threats to the settlement.

• The settlement was threatened by both Catholics and Puritans
• The Pope excommunicated Elizabeth in 1570
• Only Catholics ever threatened the settlement
• The government made no response to the threats

Judge the threat

Read each case and choose the best answer.

• A priest is smuggled into England from Europe to hold secret Catholic services. Which threat is this part of?
• A strict Protestant preacher demands that bishops and old ceremonies be removed from the church. Which threat is this?
• The government fines Catholics who will not attend the Protestant church. What is this an example of?

Explain the religious threats

Explain the threats to the Elizabethan religious settlement and how the government responded to them.

• Explain two ways the Catholic threat grew, such as the rebellion and the excommunication
• Explain the role of the missionary priests and the plots
• Explain what the Puritans wanted and why they were a threat
• Explain two government responses to these threats
• Finish with a judgement on which threat was more dangerous to the settlement