10-The Lost Cause

Queen Elizabeth had imposed her Settlement on the Church of England in
1559. By this series of measures, she aimed to force the Church into the
mould of her own choosing, which was a uniform religion in all her realm.
Yet, although she was determined to have uniformity, what she actually
obtained was anything but. The Settlement satisfied only a minority of the
people – the Anglicans – who were very content with the middle-of-the-
road system which was neither Romish nor Reformed. The Anglicans were
also happy with Elizabeth as the Supreme Governor of the Church, and
with the Act of Uniformity, inasmuch as they, along with the queen,
wanted all Church vestments, ornaments and traditions to be identical
throughout the land. And they were avid supporters of her determination to
ensure that every citizen conformed to the Book of Common Prayer, right
down to its smallest detail.