Charles I: religion and religious divisions

Question 1

how was religion an issue of the royal prerogative?

Answer 1

• the King was the Supreme Governor of the Church of England (not of the Scottish Kirk)
• the Church of England had an episcopal structure which the king had the prerogative of appointing

Question 2

how did royal personality affect religious policy?

Answer 2

their personal preferences influenced religious policy and their personality influenced how religious policy was implemented

Question 3

what was the biggest difference between James and Charles’ approach to religion?

Answer 3

• James tried to establish a religious half way house between Catholicism and Protestantism, hoping that a display of tolerance for his Catholic subjects would be rewarded with Papal concession
• Charles was not committed to being a royal peacemaker and adopted an aggressive pro-war stance

Question 4

how was Charles’ approach to religion similar to James?

Answer 4

Like James, he was committed to tolerating Catholics but was down to the obligations he had incurred due to Buckingham’s negotiations for his marriage to Henriette Maria

Question 5

what did people become suspicious about Charles’ sympathies?

Answer 5

He became widely suspected of sympathy with the Catholic faith when this was fatal in English Catholics

Question 6

what did Charles seek to do within the Church of England?

Answer 6

Charles sought to bring about a far-reaching reform of the Church of England - a matter which caused grave disquiet not just amongst Puritans, but amongst the political nation as a whole

Question 7

what was Charles’ attitude to Arminianism?

Answer 7

Charles was impressed by the body of thought associated with Arminianism and immediately gravitated to this form of Protestantism

Question 8

where was Arminianism derived from?

Answer 8

a Dutch theologian Jacobus Arminius

Question 9

what were the three core tenets of Arminian beliefs?

Answer 9

• emphasis on ceremony and ritual (Holy Communion)
• rejection of predestination and emphasis of free will
• supports of hierarchy and the royal prerogative

Question 10

were bishops important in Arminian beliefs?

Answer 10

the office of bishops was an essential belief:
- for ensuring that the Church was governed appropriately
- for providing an effective support system to the king

Question 11

why did Puritans fear government by bishops?

Answer 11

Puritans believed that government by bishops was dangerous because they have no scriptural authority, as they are not mentioned in the Bible and have too much power over parish ministers, especially through the Church courts

Question 12

what did Arminians believe about the Reformation?

Answer 12

Whilst the Catholic doctrine contained errors, the Reformation went too far in denying the worth of the contribution the Catholic Church made to Christianity

Question 13

what did Arminians believe the Church of England could safely appropriate from medieval Catholicism?

Answer 13

• a love of the ‘beauty of holiness’ which could be found in the surviving Catholic rituals used in the Church of England - needed to be revived and strengthened
• ceremony, order and ritual are important in ensuring the continued existence of a divinely-sanctioned social order based on rank and privilege

Question 14

what did Puritans believe about the Arminian celebration of mass?

Answer 14

The Commons could see that mass as being openly celebrated at court and it seemed only logical that Arminianism was the first step toward tyrannical Catholicism

Question 15

what did Arminians believe about Calvinist ideas on predestination?

Answer 15

The Calvinist belief in predestination was both harsh and mistaken; salvation was open to all who choose to follow Christ

Question 16

what did Arminians believe about minister’s preaching?

Answer 16

The minister’s ability to preach as they saw fit at the parish level must be curbed (there needed to be a sense of uniformity)
- trying to eradicate divisions and create a democracy

Question 17

what is the link between religion and politics?

Answer 17

politics was inseparable from the religious realm, both factors becoming closely intertwined

Question 18

how did Puritans view Arminianism?

Answer 18

In the context of the ongoing struggle in Europe from 1618 between Catholics and Protestants, the growth of Arminian ideas had greatly worried Puritans - viewed Arminians as crypto-Catholics

Question 19

was James open to Arminians?

Answer 19

Whilst James was too much of a Calvinist to be enthused by Arminian ideas, by the end of his reign, he had comet o value the Arminians much more because of their loyalty to him as the head of the Church of England and their lack of hostility towards the Catholic Church

Question 20

how did people view Charles’ marriage with Henriette Maria?

Answer 20

his marriage to the Catholic French Princess Henriette Maria led Puritans to regard her as influencing Charles towards Catholicism and absolutism
- she looked with favour on Arminian churchmen who questioned the Calvinist doctrine of predestination

Question 21

who introduced a petition against the growth of Arminianism and when?

Answer 21

In the Parliament of 1624, the MP John Pym introduced a petition against the growth of Arminianism

Question 22

what did Montagu write in 1624?

Answer 22

Montagu’s Arminian tract ‘A gag for an Old Goose’ in response to a pro-Catholic pamphlet that had been distributed in his parish called “The Gag for the New Gospel”

Question 23

what did Montagu’s pamphlet discuss?

Answer 23

• In his pamphlet Montagu put forward an anti-Calvinist argument which caused great Puritan resentment and brought about criticism from MPs (led by John Pym)

Question 24

what was James’ reaction to attacks against Montagu?

Answer 24

James took Montagu’s side and gave him permission to produce a second tract, despite Puritan feelings on the matter

Question 25

what was Charles’ reaction to attacks against Montagu’s book of 1625?

Answer 25

Charles provocatively appointed him as his royal chaplain displaying his approval of anti-Calvinism

Question 26

what was the most visible sign of Charles’ favour of Arminianism?

Answer 26

The most visible sign of Charles’ favour was the rise of the Arminians’ most dogmatic ideologue, William Laud

Question 27

who was William Laud?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

what was James’ attitude to Laud?

Answer 28

James did not like or trust Laud as ‘He hath a restless spirit and cannot see when matters are well, but loves to toss and change.’

Question 29

when was the York House Conference?

Answer 29

February 1626

Question 30

outline the York House Conference:

Answer 30

• chaired by Buckingham, the aim of the theological debate was to reduce religious tensions
• the Puritan Earl of Warwick sought to avoid further religious pressures in parliament and persuade Charles that the Arminians were wrong
• the ideas of Montagu were discussed- and approved
• Buckingham had links with Warwick - but supported William Laud to reinforce his personal relationship with Charles
• became a catalyst for intensifying tensions

Question 31

what titles did William Laud receive?

Answer 31

Laud became the bishop of London and chancellor at the university of oxford in 1628
- rise of William Laud reflected Charles sympathy for Arminians

Question 32

what changes did William Laud create?

Answer 32

Laud set about dignifying the church buildings and conduct of worship in the diocese of London, enforced uniformity of academic dress at oxford and began to persecute Puritan ideas

Question 33

what charges did the Commons make against Laud?

Answer 33

Charges of heterodoxy were made against Laud

Question 34

what role did Laud and the Arminians play in the forced loan?

Answer 34

Laud and the 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 subjects to accede to their monarch’s requests

Question 35

what was Laud appointed as in 1628?

Answer 35

in 1628, Charles appointed Laud as Bishop of London

Question 36

what was William Laud appointed as in 1633?

Answer 36

In 1633, he was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury

Question 37

what did people start to believe about Charles because of his support of Laud?

Answer 37

the support given to Laud and Montagu - especially when convinced with Charles’ lack of enthusiasm for penal laws against Catholics - convinced many people in England that Charles both wanted to move the Church of England closer to Catholicism
- gave rise to fears that Charles would impose a continental- style form of absolutist rule

Question 38

how did the promotion of Arminians to position of influence in the Church lead to parliamentary attacks on those who were most outspoken in support of the royal prerogative? (example)

Answer 38

Roger Mainwaring was impeached, imprisoned and barred from office for supporting taxation which had no been approved by Parliament but Charles pardoned him and gave him a new living

Question 39

why were Puritans and MPs fearful of the rise of Arminianism?

Answer 39

• a fear of ‘creeping Catholicism’
• promotion of DROK through clergy
• Charles’ marriage to Henrietta Maria
• Charles’ promotion of Arminian ministers
• Laud’s position administering justice on behalf of the King in the Court of Star Chamber (persecution of those who didnt accept what he advocated)
• fears of crypto-Catholicism and continental style absolutism

Question 40

what were Arminian positions in the Church like under Charles?

Answer 40

widely suspected of being sympathetic to the Church of Rome, Arminian anti-Calvinists soon occupied positions of authority in the Church
- from 1625, only Arminians were promoted and came to dominate the Church by 1630

Question 41

how did the Commons react to Arminian positions in Church?

Answer 41

for the Commons, whose membership was almost exclusively Calvinist, this development was so alarming that many members concluded that matters of doctrine couldn’t be safely left to the king

Question 42

what did Charles’ support of Arminians force the Commons to do in 1629?

Answer 42

in 1629, it forced them, to assert a right to debate a subject which they had no previously enjoyed, laying them open to the charge that they were acting ultra vires (without legal authority)
- not a recipe for harmonious relations led alone the successful management of the Commons by the Crown

Question 43

what did MP Francis Rous say linking Arminianism with Catholicism?

Answer 43

“for an Arminian is the spawn of a papist”