1629-49: RELIGION

Question 1

Line of arg

Question 2

laudianism examples

Answer 2

• Laud appointed to Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633
• advanced this Catholic conspiracy as changes such as the ‘Altar Policy’ in 1635 ensured order and uniformity and removed ‘puritanical’ excesses. He focused on the ‘beauty of holiness’.
• Laud enhanced the power of church hierarchy- e.g. prerogative courts increasingly used to judge religious cases- worried Parl and was clearly of concern because later they passed the Bishops exclusion act in. 1642.
• Fear of Catholicism increased: population of English Catholics said to have increased by 50% from 1603-40

Question 3

lauding opposition

Answer 3

• increasing concerns about the new direction the Church of England compelled Puritans to challenge the imposition of Laudianism in number of ways.:
  –> Created opposition: John Bastwick, William Prynne and Henry Burton-
  –> published pamphlets- most prominently Prynne in 1632- subject to life imprinsonment and ears mutilated.
  –> The fact these 3 men, all professionals (doctor, lawyer, cleric) received degrading punishment for those of lower class was shocking to PN- potentially signifying the lengths Charles was willing to go to implement Laudian policies and enhance Catholicism.

Question 4

significance of laudianism

Answer 4

• Charles’s decision to pursue Laudian policies and impose a new and more restrictive religious uniformity broke the ‘Jacobethan balance’ and would gradually unite most Protestants against the King as the 1630s went on.
• enhanced crown-parl divisions: Parl was angry about the enforcement, and then Puritan opposition to Laudian policies (Prynne, Bastwick, Burton and also Lilburne, 1638) meant Charles believed he faced a Puritan conspiracy, esp In the absence of Parliament, this group (leading puritans linked by families and business partners) formed the core of political opposition to the King, using meetings of two colonial ventures – the Providence Island Company and the Saybrooke Venture – as a forum for secret political discussions.

Question 5

laudian opposition in Scotland+ its signif

Answer 5

• Charles + foreign policy: in Scotland, Charles imposed 3 new canon laws upon the Kirk (1636): e.g. improvised prayer was banned- ministers told they must only read from the new prayer book written by Laud- these measures were interpreted as an attempt to return Scotland to Catholicism. What made matters worse was the fact they had been imposed by royal prerogative.
• Provoked a reaction: Scottish Prayer Book reaction (1637)- riot led by influential Presbyterian nobles
• SIGNIF: opposition to Laudianism: interpreted as puritan backlash that ended in a revolution against the King- contributed to onset of CW- Charles’/Laud’s policy created Catholic conspiracy’s which led to opposition. As it was implemented during PR, it lead most Puritan to conclude Charles was trying to establish both Catholicism and absolutism, and that these 2 were inextricably linked.

Question 6

laudian opp in ireland

Answer 6

• Sent Wentworth in 1631- he conducted a policy of ‘Thorough’ which was good financially, whereby Irish MPs granted 10 subsidies for the King, but not successful in religion. His policy created controversy against Irish Archbishop James Ussher.
  –> his success came at an enormous political cost. Wentworth’s alienation of every section of society gained him widespread hatred. This was partly because he was seen by many as a (highly effective) tool of royal absolutism

Question 7

reason for main opposition by the Bishops Wars (really est by Charles tho)

Answer 7

• Laudian Principles established opposition by the Kirk- led to The National Covenant, which swore Presbytarianism as religion in Scotalnd and Opposed charles’ policies- led to Bishops wars as charles wanted to face the Covenanters- esp bc of their attack on Bishops
• First Bishops war in 1639 was unsuccessful by Charles- weak army of 15,000 versus strong army led by Leslie, so Ch I negotiated Treaty of Berwick, June 1939
• Second Bishops War, 1640: led to calling of Short Parl (April ’40). Charles was worried bc Covenanters continuting their invasion, so he was forced to agree to the Treaty of Ripon, oct ’40, which meant king would pay the Scots/Covs £850 a day until this settlement was finalised. Signfi: charles’ religious policy led to his demise because it created physical opposition, which worsened his financial predicament, and then made Parl opposition.

Question 8

catalyst of Catholic conspiracy

Answer 8

• Irish Rebellion: 1641: brutal massacre of around 3,000 Protestants in Ulster by Irish Catholics and due to a forged royal commission, Charles was put at the centre of this Catholic conspiracy and marked official religious fear.