The division of churches caused problems in Parliament for Elizabeth that she needed to overcome. Being the only Protestant in the Parliament, Elizabeth had to find a way to balance out these divisions not only for her sake but for her people as well.
Henry's religious conflicts threatened to split the country in two. When Henry had divorced Catherine of Aragon, he also had separated from the Catholic Church. Henry then made himself head of the Church in England. He made his officials take an oath of loyalty and go public about the split with the church to the people. Later after his reign his daughter Mary tried to turn the country back to Catholicism.
RULES~
-government officials must swear an oath to the royal supremacy or lose their positions ----absence from Sunday church service was punishable by a fine
-had no interest in probing the inward convictions of her subjects, provided that she could obtain public uniformity and obedience,
-private beliefs of the heart remain hidden
-government officials must swear an oath to the royal supremacy or lose their positions ----absence from Sunday church service was punishable by a fine
-had no interest in probing the inward convictions of her subjects, provided that she could obtain public uniformity and obedience,
-private beliefs of the heart remain hidden
This policy was consistent with her own survival strategy. Elizabeth herself believed in toleration of all religions, however she was forced to find harsh punishments for Catholics due to the "rival" of the two religious groups.