the Regent against the “Lords of the Congregation,” or Protestant nobles, who were now becoming very powerful, and were much under the influence of John Knox and Earl Murray, Mary’s half-brother.
At this time great struggles were going on in Europe between Roman Catholics and Protestants. Philip II. of Spain was the most powerful ruler in Europe, and he was, with great cruelty, trying to crush out a rebellion in the Low Countries for political and religious freedom. In France a fierce struggle was going on between the Huguenots, or French Protestants, and the French king. So when Elizabeth became queen, the eyes of all Europe were upon her to see whether she would be a Protestant or a Roman Catholic.
At first she would not take the side of either religious party. The Protestants hoped she would be their friend, knowing the religious belief of Anne Boleyn, her mother; while the Roman Catholics were encouraged by her apparent hesitation. Her first task was to free England and herself from the control of Spain. She made peace with France. Philip, who wished to marry her, and the Pope, who tried to get her to espouse his cause, were put off with excuses. At length, when Parliament met, it was ordered that the Prayer-Book of Edward VI, with some slight changes, should be restored to the Churches, and that the clergy should recognize the Royal Supremacy of Elizabeth. Roman Catholics and people of other creeds were not to be molested, provided they attended the service of the English Church. If any refused to attend they were made to pay a heavy fine.
The Bishops, being Roman Catholics, would not take the oath of supremacy, and were, therefore, removed from their offices and moderate Protestants put in their places. Elizabeth did not like the extreme Protestants, and she chose for her chief adviser in Church affairs Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, a man of the same moderate views as her own. In the beginning of her reign, the Roman Catholics were more than half of the population, and Elizabeth had to be very careful, knowing that many of her subjects looked to Mary, Queen of Scots, who was a strong Roman Catholic, as the rightful queen.
3. Elizabeth and Scotland.—To offset Mary’s influence in
