5) The Case of England

A number of events took place in England during the 16th century, like Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries in 1536; Edward VI's introductions of a new prayer book, the demolition of the Virgin Mary shrines, and the removal of paintings and stained glass in parish churches etc beginning in 1547; Mary I's reversal to Catholicism in 1553; and finally, Elizabeth I's Act of Uniformity in 1558-9.

Elizabeth I was seen as having a 'middle' approach, but her approach was clearly just Protestantism.

A. G. Dickens in 1982 suggested the reformation had already begun before Elizabeth I's reign. But, from the 1980s, there was a recognition that popular reformation only really gathered force from Elizabeth I's reign and onwards (Collinson).

Print and the adaptation of Catholic sentiments after 1600 was hugely important. Popular conformity (Marsh) and 'charitable hatred' (Walsham) also shouldn't be overlooked. Charitable hatred is the duty many people felt to report others for not going to church, illegitimate children, and fornification etc, all in the good interests of the people in question. They believed they were saving them from hell.

Reading aloud and pictorial representation were also fairly important as, as Scribner pointed out for example, only 1 in 40 Germans could read.

The King James' Bible of 1611 was written in English and based on the Bishops' Bible. Tessa Watt also highlighted that biblical imagery was also in popular culture with English Godly ballads, wall paintings and 40% of embroidery samples in c.1600 having Old Testament themes.

By the middle of the century, English popular culture had become suffused with the language and imagery of the Bible. Godly parliamentarians as well as royalists could directly quote it to articulate views and justify policies. From the early 17th century, anti-Catholicism was increasingly an important part of the national culture.

Attempts at 'magisterial counter-reformation' by Charles I, Charles II and James II failed. In the 17th century, the question had changed from whether England would be Protestant or Catholic, to what the boundaries of Protestant toleration would be. James II's Declaration of Indulgence in 1687 to tolerate Catholic woship ended in revolution.