09-The Immoveable Object

Elizabeth I became queen in 1558 upon the death of her sister. At the news,
Church bells rang for joy throughout the land; the fiendish reign of the
papist Mary had ended! Wakening from the nightmare, England shook
itself and discovered that, to its own amazement, it had survived! The
ordeal was over. But in the cold light of the new day which had now
dawned, stark realities had to be faced.
Elizabeth inherited a kingdom which was grievously divided, especially
over religion. And because of the old Constantine doctrine which
continued to dominate Church and State, religious and political questions
were totally mixed up. In truth, they were virtually one and the same. So
deep-seated were the divisions among the people, with Mary’s death the
nation might easily have plunged itself into civil war, or been invaded by
powerful enemies. Or both