Early Elizabethan England (1558-1588): Protestants

Protestants are a form of Christianity which rejects the leadership of the Pope and sought to make the Church and Christian faith more accessible to ordinary people. This meant that the Bible and church services should be in English.

Protestantism was brought to Europe by Martin Luther a German cleric who pinned his 99 thesis to a church, proclaiming all the problems with the Roman Catholic faith. Protestantism was firmly established in England by Henry VIII and his Reformation during his reign.

Elizabeth herself had been born a Protestant and practiced her faith all her life. Protestants and Catholics fought to establish themselves as the one true faith. Whilst it is a form of Christianity, there are significant differences between Catholics and Protestants. In addition to the Bible and services being in English there were other core beliefs:

• The Church is led by the Monarch, not the Pope

• Sins, can only be forgiven by God, not priests

• Priests can marry

• The miracle of transubstantiation where the bread and wine become the blood of Christ does not happen - this is only symbolic

• Churches should be plain, and many were whitewashed

• Only Baptism and Holy Communion are sacraments instead of the seven in the Catholic faith