I need to simplify the following three sentences. Can you please help me rephrase them?
1) The powerful aristocracy was replaced by a new Protestant aristocracy linked to the Tudors by thepurchase of the land confiscated from the monasteries.
2)Under the kings guidance, England stated her claim to be her own mistress in the domains of politics and religion, setting herself against thegrat Catholic powers of Europe: Fance and Spain.
3) Elizabeth I managed to steer the Church of England between the two poles of Catholicis and Puritanism (???).
1. The power of the Catholic Church was replaced by Henry VIII's new Church of England, bolstered by the confiscation of Catholic monasteries throughout England.
(This is a well done explanation of the Tudor dynasty and the Houses that came before and after: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tudor_dynasty
And ... notice the dates here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther It's no accident that Henry came up with the idea of separating from the Catholic Church.)
2. Henry VIII stated his claim to be independent of the Vatican in politics and religion, setting himself and his realm against the great Catholic powers in Europe at the time: France and Spain.
3. Elizabeth I managed to steer the Church of England between the Catholics and Puritans.
I really don't think in 3) poles is the right word. After all, they had differences...but they had a lot in common also. I would use avoid pole. I agree with Writeacher, Purians and Catholics were the opposite sides of the same same road.
1) The powerful aristocracy was superseded by a newly established Protestant aristocracy that became connected to the Tudors through the acquisition of land seized from the monasteries.
2) With the king's guidance, England asserted its independence in the realms of politics and religion, opposing the dominant Catholic powers of Europe such as France and Spain.
3) Elizabeth I successfully balanced the Church of England between the influences of Catholicism and Puritanism, navigating between the two extremes.