Christianity was the only recognised religion in Elizabethan England. Until the end of Henry VIII's reign, England was also Catholic; but, by a series of measures culminating in the Act of Supremacy in 1534, the Pope was replaced by Henry VIII as head of the church of England. Changes in doctrine followed and by Shakespeare's time a new faith had clearly emerged, which we now call Protestant, Anglican or Church of England. Not surprisingly, many of those brought up as Catholics were not able completely to abandon the old faith, but, as long as they made no obvious display of their doubts, were generally left alone. However, those who publicly declared their loyalty to Catholicism (by refusing, for example, to attend church) were labelled 'papists' and risked regular fining; and when conspiracies and threats of foreign invasion compromised national security, they could be actively persecuted. At the other end of the spectrum was an increasing vocal and troublesome body of 'Puritans' who wished to do away with the sovereign's role in church affairs, together with the bench of bishops.