Book of Advertisements facts for kids

The Book of Advertisements was a set of rules for the Anglican Church in England. These rules were created by Matthew Parker, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 to 1575. He worked with other important church leaders like Edmund Grindal, Robert Horne, Richard Cox, and Nicholas Bullingham. The main goal of these rules was to solve a big argument about what church leaders should wear during services. This argument was known as the "vestments controversy."

This book is important because it led to the start of Nonconformism in England. Nonconformists were Protestants who did not agree with the rules of the Church of England. The Book of Advertisements was one of several documents from that time that caused long discussions about church practices.

What was the Book of Advertisements?

The Book of Advertisements was a collection of rules for the Church of England. It was created in the 1560s to bring order to church services. The rules mainly focused on how priests should dress and how services should be performed.

Why was it needed?

When Elizabeth I became Queen in November 1558, England was using Latin church services. Many Catholic traditions were still in place. However, many Protestants who had left England during earlier times were now returning. These Protestants had strong ideas about how church services should be. They wanted to remove anything that seemed too Catholic.

The Church in Elizabeth's Time

Queen Elizabeth's government wanted to find a middle ground. They passed the Act of Uniformity 1559. This law made it mandatory to use the Elizabethan Book of Common Prayer. This prayer book was mostly based on an earlier version from 1552. That earlier book said that communion should be held at a simple table. It also said the minister should wear a simple white robe called a surplice.

However, the new 1559 prayer book also had a rule that allowed older Catholic church ornaments to be kept. This was confusing because it seemed to go against the simpler style of the rest of the prayer book. Many church reformers were very upset by this.

The Problem with Church Clothes

The reformers, who were often called "Puritans," wanted church worship to be very simple. They wanted to get rid of anything that reminded them of the Catholic Church. They especially disliked certain church clothes, like the cope, which they called "rags of the Roman Antichrist." They believed these clothes were too fancy and not pure enough.

How the Rules Changed

Queen Elizabeth wanted the church to be unified. She started to make changes to bring more order.

Elizabeth's "Injunctions"

Queen Elizabeth issued her own rules, called "Injunctions." These rules became the standard for the Anglican Church. They went against some of the older rules about church ornaments. To make the reformers happier, many Catholic vestments (church clothes) and symbols were destroyed in 1559.

The Bishops Try to Agree

In February 1560, a meeting of bishops was held. They tried to find a compromise. They decided to get rid of the crucifix (a cross with Jesus on it). But they kept the cope, which was a long cloak worn by priests. This decision still bothered the extreme reformers, who wanted a church free from all "popery" (Catholic influences). These reformers became known as "Puritans."

Making the "Advertisements" Official

By January 1564, Queen Elizabeth strongly told the bishops to bring back order. Archbishop Parker, along with Grindal and others, wrote a "Book of Articles." He sent it to William Cecil, a powerful advisor to the Queen.

Parker's Efforts

At first, the Queen did not approve Parker's rules. This made him very annoyed. But after many delays and changes, the rules were sent to Cecil again in March 1566. They were then published with a long title. It meant "Advertisements, partly for proper order in public prayers and using holy sacraments, and partly for the clothing of all church people."

What the "Advertisements" Said

Queen Elizabeth did not officially sign or support the "Advertisements." Instead, she told the bishops to use their own authority to enforce the rules. This meant the bishops had to take all the blame for any anger the rules caused.

The "Advertisements" recognized that it was impossible to make priests wear the cope for every communion service. So, they settled for making sure priests wore the surplice (a white robe) for all services in parish churches. The cope was still required for communion services in larger cathedral churches. Even this was too much for many reformers.

What Happened Next?

The church forced priests to follow these rules. If they didn't, they would lose their jobs. This led to strong disagreements and made Archbishop Parker's later years difficult. It also caused the first clear separation of Nonconformists from the Church of England.