Charles I: Divisions over religion -> Arminianism and Laudianism

Question 1

What religion made up the majority of the political nation?

Answer 1

Conservative Calvinists, Anglican in religion

Question 2

Were the political nation tolerate of other denominations?

Answer 2

They were at the centre of the Jacobean balance so were able to tolerate both moderate Puritanism and Arminianism

Question 3

What ultimately triggered Britain’s wars of religion?

Answer 3

Ultimately, it was Charles’ favouring of Arminianism, and specifically Laudianism, in the 1630s that triggered Britain’s wars of religion by forcing a reaction from the Puritans and over time, alienating the moderate Calvinist majority

Question 4

What was Charles’ personality and approach to ruling?

Answer 4

• Charles could not stand ambiguities unlike James
• Charles’ rule was active - in all areas of the state; esp from 1629
• Followed that he would attempt to strengthen the unity between church and state
• believed its unity was under threat from the ‘hotter sort of Protestants’ and responded aggressively

Question 5

Who do ‘Laudians’ refer to?

Answer 5

anti-Calvinist Arminians

Question 6

What were the 3 overall aims of Laudianism?

Answer 6

• Rejection of predestination: Laud and Arminians believed in the chance of salvation through faith rather than God predestining whether you’re saved or not
  -> vehicle for people to be granted power, giving Laud more power
• Less emphasis on the Bible and preaching and more emphasis on ritual and ceremony
• Uniformity: to bind the kingdoms and country together through the uniformity of the Church with themes of order, obedience and authority

Question 7

What was the most visible sign of Charles’ favour to Arminianism?

Answer 7

The rise of Arminians’ most forthright, dogmatic ideologue, William Laud

Question 8

Who was Laud?

Answer 8

Laud was connected with Buckingham from 1623 and was his chief religious adviser by the time of James’ death in 1625

Question 9

What role did Laud play in the forced loan?

Answer 9

Laud and Arminians played a key role in justifying Charles’ forced loan of 1627 by referring to Charles’ divine right to rule as he saw fit and the duty of the subjects to accede to their monarch’s requests

Question 10

What did Laud do as he became Archbishop?

Answer 10

Goes on a rampage to remove any last remnant of Puritanism through brutal means, wanting to prop up the King’s power which moved Charles

Question 11

What did Charles’ support of Laud demonstrate?

Answer 11

Charles’ support given to Laud, esp when combined with his lack of enthusiasm for penal laws against Catholics convinced many people that Charles both wanted to move the Church of England closer to Catholicism

Question 12

When did Laud become a privy councillor?

Answer 12

In 1627, following the York House Conference (February 1626)

Question 13

When did Laud become Bishop of London and chancellor of the University of Oxford?

Answer 13

1628

Question 14

When did Laud become Archbishop of Canterbury?

Answer 14

In 1633

Question 15

How did Laud enforce his ideas when he became Archbishop?

Answer 15

Laud at once set about enforcing his ideas on conduct of worship in the diocese of London, and as member of the Star Chamber, had begun to persecute Puritan ideas, and worked to ensure that they were not published

Question 16

What was the reality of Charles’ religious policy?

Answer 16

• Charles’ religious changes would not unite people -> created division
• Eager to overturn the Elizabethan compromise
• By the late 1630s, divisions were rife

Question 17

What did Charles comment in 1638?

Answer 17

‘People are governed by the puplit more than the sword’

Question 18

Which phrase describes the most notable aspect of Laudian influence on the appearance of Churches

Answer 18

‘the beauty of holiness’

Question 19

How did Laud impact the Communion table?

Answer 19

Communion table moved and railed off as an alter in the east end of the Church
- giving more power to the priest and promoting division

Question 20

How did rituals between Laudians and Puritans differ?

Answer 20

Laudians focused on ritual, ceremony and the ‘other worldliness’ of the service and the church while Puritans placed the church service in amongst the people, emphasising the participation of people rather than the priest

Question 21

How did D Cressy in Travesties and Transgressions in Tudor England (2000) describe Charles’ approach to enforcing Laudianism?

Answer 21

‘Charles I’s reign proved yet again that one man’s godly devotion could be another’s blasphemous transgression’

Question 22

Where did opposition from moderate Anglicans actually stem from?

Answer 22

• Laud and Charles’ insistence of uniformity in the style of worship
• Their preparation to enforce their changes
• the reforms that were accompanied by an aggressive assertion of the authority and the status of the clergy

Question 23

How did Puritans oppose Laudianism?

Answer 23

Opposed how Laud’s ideas aligned with Catholicism i.e. the distance between parishes and clergy which were Catholic customs and seen as deepening and entrenching clergy power

Question 24

How did Laud exercise total control of the church?

Answer 24

Placed his ally Bishop William Juxon in the treasurership and was the principal link with Sir Thomas Wentworth in Ireland
- replaced Buckingham in power not favouritism

Question 25

How was emphasising the role of the clergy received?

Answer 25

Looked too Catholic when combined with re-introducing ostentation and ceremony

Question 26

How were Laudian measures enforced?

Answer 26

Through visitations and the ecclesiastical courts

Question 27

What was imposed when enforcing Laudianism?

Answer 27

Visitations that focused on inspecting the physical aspects of the churches and the performance of the minister demonstrated 'thorough' being imposed and centrally organised - led to growing anxiety about the nature of Charles' rule in the periphery

Question 28

What did Laud and Charles reissue in 1633?

Answer 28

The Book of Sports

Question 29

What did the Book of Sports outline?

Answer 29

It outlined what sports people could do after the Sunday service possibly in response to Puritan demands to keep the Sabbath for prayer and worship

Question 30

What did Laud ultimately aim to do?

Answer 30

To protect the kingdom from the polluting tide of Puritanism and to strengthen the relationship between the church and the state

Question 31

How was Laud's role as a highly influential political power broker received?

Answer 31

This looked rather Catholic to many as it mirrored the situation in Spain and France, where secular roles were regularly taken by appointed Bishops

Question 32

What did the extent of Laud's influence increase?

Answer 32

The extent of Laud's influence therefore significantly increased fears that Charles was intending to install a continental-style absolutism in England

Question 33

How did Puritans respond to the Book of Sports?

Answer 33

Puritans regarded the Book of Sports as a direct attack on Sabbatarianism - in their eyes Sunday was for worship and prayer, not for entertainment and ribald activities - saw it as a direct attack on the Puritans control of local areas -the book about religious conformity so an intensely political act

Question 34

What was St Gregory's case?

Answer 34

When parishioners of St Gregory's Church in London challenged the moving of their communion table to the east end of the church

Question 35

How did Patrick Collinson condemn Laud?

Answer 35

"the greatest calamity ever visited upon the English Church"

Question 36

What behaviours of Laud were contemptible?

Answer 36

- Laud was willing to trample on anyone who got in his way - He would brook no opposition nor shrink from any challenge - He hauled people who opposed him before the Star Chamber and the Court of High Commission and punished them severely - he was totally ruthless

Question 37

Which 3 well-respected Puritans were brought before the Star Chamber in 1637?

Answer 37

Bastwick, Burton and Prynne

Question 38

Why had these 3 been brought before the Star Chamber in 1637?

Answer 38

They had been critical of Church policy and found guilty of criticising Laud's measures - fined £5000 and imprisoned for life

Question 39

How did people react to their fines and imprisonment?

Answer 39

- the vile treatment they received at the hands of the state earned the three men sympathy - this treatment of respectable professional men turned many people against the king

Question 40

When did radical Protestants grow in number and influence?

Answer 40

In the upheavals of the 1640s

Question 41

What ideas did these radical Protestants develop?

Answer 41

- Ideas about how society should be organised and even viewed Charles as the anti-Christ - trying to establish Satan's rule on earth - rejected uniformity - became a political act as in rejecting religious conformity they also reject Charles

Question 42

What was partly the reason for Charles' support for Arminianism?

Answer 42

Due to his fear of Puritanism, its seeming threat to order and unity in the Church as well as in his monarchy

Question 43

What was passed in 1640 to codify Laud's measures?

Answer 43

Canon laws were passed in 1640 to codify Laud's measures

Question 44

What evidence is there of Puritan opposition to Charles' personal rule in 1633?

Answer 44

St Gregory's case in 1633

Question 45

What happened to John Williams?

Answer 45

John Williams was imprisoned in 1637 due to his published criticism of the alter policy in the 'Holy Table, Name and Thing' - Williams suggested the word 'alter' was regarded as Catholic

Question 46

How did Charles' policies and style of rule alienate the Scottish?

Answer 46

The Scottish population was mostly Presbyterian in faith

Question 47

How did the Scottish respond to the imposition of Laudianism?

Answer 47

Their form of Puritanism meant that Charles' imposition of Laudianism was even more infuriating

Question 48

How did Charles and Laud feel towards the Scottish kirk?

Answer 48

Charles and Laud had long resented the independence of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland

Question 49

What did they want to do to the Scottish Church?

Answer 49

Charles and Laud wanted to align the Scottish church with the Laudian Church of England and reform its practices and prayer book

Question 50

When was the Act of Revocation passed?

Answer 50

1625

Question 51

What was the Act of Revocation?

Answer 51

Charles exploited a feudal right to take land from the Scottish elite to support the Church in Scotland, setting the tone for Charles' approach to Scotland

Question 52

What was the immediate outcome of the Revocation?

Answer 52

It united the landowners against Charles, as he posed a great threat to their power

Question 53

When did Charles visit Scotland?

Answer 53

1633

Question 54

What did Charles do in Scotland?

Answer 54

Went to be crowned as king of Scotland

Question 55

What impression did Charles make in Scotland?

Answer 55

- not a positive one - The fact that it had taken him eight years to visit Scotland sent a clear sign to Scots of his priorities

Question 56

What did Charles announce his intention to do in 1633?

Answer 56

In 1633, Charles announced his intention to introduce a new prayer book which would eventually lead to rebellion in Scotland and the start of the British civil wars

Question 57

What did Charles impose on Scotland in 1636?

Answer 57

In 1636, Charles imposed new canons based on the Articles of Perth

Question 58

What did the 1636 Canons include?

Answer 58

- The alter had too be placed against the east wall of the chancel - ministers had to wear a surplice when they celebrated communion - improvised prayer was banned; ministers had to read from the new prayer book

Question 59

How were the 1636 Canons interpreted in Scotland?

Answer 59

As an attempt to return to Catholicism, made worse by these reforms being imposed under the royal prerogative

Question 60

What prayer book was introduced into Scotland in 1637?

Answer 60

The new Laudian prayer book was introduced into Scotland in 1637

Question 61

How did the Scots respond to the 1637 prayer book?

Answer 61

They were antagonised by the fact that it was imposed with no consultation with the Scottish Kirk or Parliament and how it leaned clearly towards Catholicism, threatening their religious independence

Question 62

What did the new Laudian 1637 prayer book ultimately trigger?

Answer 62

A conflict in St Giles Cathedral which started the Scottish Rebellion and thus the British Civil Wars lasting from 1637 to 1660