Defining the National Church in England

With the death of Mary in November of 1558 Elizabeth wasted no time in setting her plans for England, or the Elizabethan Settlement, as it latter comes to be known, in motion. Quickly consolidating her power by installing three of her most trusted confidants, namely, William Cecil, Robert Dudley the earl of Leicester, and Nicholas Bacon as chief advisors in her convocation, Elizabeth is able to secure the support needed to pass the Supremacy Act. The first of various acts aimed at restoring the control over the organization and belief system of the church to the state of England, or rather the monarchy, the Supremacy Act destroys the episcopacy with the injection of this clause: "...your highness, your heirs and successor, kings or queens of this realm, shall have full...jurisdictions, privileges, and preeminences, in any wise touching or concerning any spiritual or ecclesiastical jurisdiction," [1] which essentially gives "Elizabeth all the power over the church". [2]

As the recently recognized Supreme Governor of the Church, Elizabeth again wastes no time and quickly moves to have the Second Act of Uniformity ratified. This act, not only requiring everyone to attend church on Sundays [3], also called "that such ornaments of the church, and of the ministers thereof, shall be retained and be in use, as was in the Church of England, by authority of Parliament, in the second year of the reign of King Edward VI." [4] Which in essence meant that the "Book of Common Prayer" would be reinstated, as would certain rules governing the way clergy should act, dress and perform their services. Essentially the Act of Uniformity operated on the idea of adiaphora, the idea that "things unnecessary for salvation could be tolerated," and that "one church could vary from another in ornamentation or liturgy as long as both agreed on the essential doctrines,"[5] thereby creating a loose conformity of the outward ordinances preformed in the church, without defining a specific belief.