Elizabeth frames coercion through acts rather than private belief

Elizabeth's public justification for coercion differed from the reputation attached to Mary I's religious persecution. Elizabeth may have killed more people, but her government sought allegations of outward conduct that could be presented as political or criminal acts. The evidence behind those allegations was not always secure. That higher public burden of proof helped separate the queen's image from the label of religious persecutor. Legal framing and political storytelling supported Elizabethan legitimacy without making the coercion itself benign.