James I - Religion

Question 1

What are the different sectors of Christianity during Stuart dynasty?

Answer 1

Presbyterian - Popular in Scotland - no bishops ruled and refused to recognise the monarch as the head of state
Puritan - Fiercely Prod - wanted reforms and anti-Catholic - resented bishops and focussed on sermons
Catholics - <5% of population and linked to treason. Targeted by recusants for not attending prod church
Arminian - Anti-Calvinist - elaborate services focussed on communion with belief of bishops being descendants of God - free will.
Church of England - middle way - Prod but appeared Catholic - 39 Articles of Faith, organised by Archbishops
Anglicans - Majority of England members - moderate Calvinists accepting bishops and worship around communion

Question 2

What did Elizabeth do regarding religion?

Answer 2

Compromised between Catholics and Prods and unified the CofE articles

Question 3

Why did James like the CofE?

Answer 3

Agreed with DRK

Question 4

What was the Catholic style of faith?

Answer 4

Stained glass windows, confessionals, unmarried priests and a Pope as the head of church

Question 5

What was the prod way to do so?

Answer 5

More simple, vicars could marry

Question 6

What were the problems of the CofE?

Answer 6

Lack of resources and income of clergy was only £10/year
Struggled maintaining families
Relied on a tithe which declined over the years

Question 7

What was Pluralism? Why did it occur?

Answer 7

In charge of many parishes at once and this was the best out of the worst situation to support income

Question 8

What were the problems with Pluralism?

Answer 8

Couldn’t serve parishioners because they were understaffed and overworked

Question 9

What were the Puritans critical about?

Answer 9

Having poor services and lack of educated clergy.

Question 10

What was the Millenary Petition? When was it? How many signed?

Answer 10

1603, 1000 signatures
They wanted to reform the church in multiple ways.

Question 11

What was the Hampton Court Conference? What did ask for?

Answer 11

A meeting between Puritans and King over reforms of the church in 1604
They wanted plainer songs etc
New translation of the Bible into England (hard for commoner to understand because it was in Latin)
Wanted to respect the Lord’s Day with no sports on Sunday
Ministers not allowed to wear surplice and cap
Issues on shorter services and an end to Pluralism
Reform Court and reduce bishops power

Question 12

What was James’ attitude to the Puritans in Hampton Court?

Answer 12

Hostile but did compromise on some issues
Concerned with his DRK if bishops power reduced
Prepared to compromise to win over moderates, eg pluralism and reform of Court of High Commission
39 Articles of Faith was clarified
New Translation was published in 1611

Question 13

What was the conference verdict?

Answer 13

Can be seen as a success because there was positives that came out of it
Negative because Pluralism was hard to limit because the lack of money to replace it.
Reform of CHC led by Coke
Defined jurisdiction to heresy; crimes on holy grounds
James Issued Canons in 1604 - Supreme Governor etc
Bishops and Prayer Book agreeable to the word of God
Wearing surplice and cap would continue
Parishioners received holy communion kneeling because it aligned with DRK
Attitude to the bishops agreed with a moderate approach - no antagonising.
Clergies left alone if all but 1 was followed.
Many used Curates to perform all the tasks they did ot want to do
300 silenced brethren resigned
2 Ministers resigned for non conforming which was a minor concern realistically.

Question 14

What was the context to Catholics in England?

Answer 14

Anti-Catholic sentiment because Mary I burned 300 prods and Spanish Inquisition tortured prods
Spanish leader killed Calvinists
French Catholics killed 5k Hugenots
EI faced many plots
Spanish Armada tried to conquer England
Puritans distrusted them
Concerned at similarities between Arminians and Catholics.

Question 15

What was the Bye Plot 1603?

Answer 15

4 Priests involved
Tried to hold James ransom and imprison the Privy Council
Those involved were tried and hanged
“Statutes against Catholics Act” introduced

Question 16

What was the Main Plot 1603?

Answer 16

4+ people tried to kill James and replace with a Catholic leader - his cousin
They were imprisoned for 13 years

Question 17

What punishments did Catholics face?

Answer 17

They faced recusants fines which were heavy fines for not attending prod churches - 5560 convicted.

Question 18

What was the Gunpowder Plot 1605?

Answer 18

Robert Catesby devised the plot - tried to kill MPs and James
13 people involved were under oath in conspiracy
Tried to kill James via explosion
Hoped his daughter would be married to a catholic nobleman.
5th November - Parliament was to be blown up
Tried to tunnel under Parliament - changed when one got a cellar downstairs
Very suspicious to the conspiracy theory because of the fact they were Catholics
Filled gunpowder barrels in the Cellars - all prepared by in April so they had to wait
Covered up using firewood

Question 19

How did the gunpowder plot fail?

Answer 19

Plot failed due to Francis Tresham indirectly incited something would happen when writing a letter to Lord Monteagle
The plot could kill his friend and brother in law
Monteagle would tell James - shows loyalty that he had under his subjects - goes back to his philosophy that a good king had to be good to his subjects.
Plotters ran away to Holbeche House in Staffs

Question 20

What happened in the gunpowder plot a few days later?

Answer 20

Sheriff of Worcester found out and surrounded the house on 8th
Gunfire broke out - all killed
Tresham arrested 12 Nov
Wrote a full confession in the Tower but some historians call him a double agent
Tresham was killed mysteriously

Question 21

What is the conspiracy theory regarding the gunpowder plot?

Answer 21

Some historians believe that Cecil and Monteagle devised the plot and held Catesby to ransom
Purpose was to make England hate Catholics
Cecil to be regarded as a hero
James gave Monteagle an annuity of £500/year and £200/year
Evidence is patchy especially regarding the cellar

Question 22

What were the Catholics’ punishment for the GP 1605?

Answer 22

Forbidden to be doctors and lawyers
Homes were searched without permissions
Needed permission to travel
Fines on recusants
⅔ property seized

Question 23

What was James attitude to Catholics later on? How was Catholics benefitting?

Answer 23

Changed because of his foreign policy changed and he wanted a Spanish alliance
25 Catholics linked which was less than Elizabeth - seen as moderate
Catholics grew by 50k after the GP plot
Made Catholic pledge an oath for him in 1606 - caused resentment

Question 24

How was religion in the later years effective? What restrictions were placed?

Answer 24

Effective - Pleased the Puritans by appointing bishops
25/40 bishops were known to James - he filled up vacant positions
Toby Matthew Bishop of Durham promoted God’s word to rural areas.
Restrictions introduced 1622:
Preachings restricted to the written texts and safe subjects like 10 Commandments
Avoids royal policy criticism
Lack of religious freedom during his reign - eg Catholics and now this
6 bishops in the PC which increases power with him

Question 25

What was the Puritan Clash of 1618?

Answer 25

Puritan wanted Sabbath laws James issued a Proclamation and allowed sports on Sunday Angered Puritans - they were taunted

Question 26

What was the result to this clash in 1618?

Answer 26

Proclamations were revised to say both had to happen, church beforehand. Book of Sports 1618 (some areas 1617) - wanted people to be healthy then drinking Puritans wanted people to devote the day to the Lord but a compromise was made.

Question 27

What was the battle between Arminians and Calvinists? What happened during the Addled Parliament 1614?

Answer 27

Arminians similar to Catholics - emphasised freedom in the salvation of the individual Calvinist - Predestination Calvinists argued a biblical foundation for predestination even there was not James approved 2 bishops - Lancelot Andrews and Richard Neile Favoured because of their views of Divine Right Subjects should pay tax to him etc James did not want to deal with arguments with predestination Arminians attacked on prayer and sacraments Arminians thought the bishops could claim divine right because they were considered the ancestors of Christ This encroached James position as the King and therefore confuse the loyalty of the bishops This contributed towards an Addled Parliament 1614 Arminians reacted strongly the criticism of the clergy in the Houses of Parliament MPs wanted to consult about the impositions Neile called MPs ‘facetious’ Forced to act an apology which was embarrassing and nothing gets done Relations grew stronger because he took Neile and Andrewes to Scotland and helped in the ‘Declaration for Preaches’ to maintain the order in church

Question 28

What were religious successes for James?

Answer 28

Stopped the GP plot and had loyal advisors Relaxed laws against Catholics in the later years because he wanted a Spanish alliance for his son There were less Catholics executed during his reign then Elizabeth Promoted Armininas because he wanted a religious balance (can also be seen as a success for his religion as a whole) - Armininians favoured pro Spanish policy James made William Laud Chaplin (Charles favoured him too - Laud was a very power-hungry man, so James wanted to stop him in his tracks) He relished religious debate by allowing the Hampton Court Conference Gave concessions and compromised to the Puritans eg new translation for Bible Promised to limit Pluralism even if he could not do it practically There was flexibility in the rules to say surplice and cap was optional if the rest were met 1610-25 only 2 puritan ministers resigned for non-conformity which is very good and minor

Question 29

What were the limits towards James' religious policy?

Answer 29

Resentment high in England from Past events eg Bloody Mary, Spanish Armada and Spanish Inquisition Laws against Catholics eg Recusants for not attending prod church services 1605 Gunpowder Plot (+ Main and Bye Plot 1604) Harsh penalty laws against Catholics - eg houses searched and had to get travel permits, fines and banned from having possessions - ⅔ stuff taken. Oath of Loyalty gave from James to them above the pope Catholic numbers increased by 50k after the GP Plot 1605 Suspicious in England over their belief in free will and anti-Calvinism - favouring elaborate services like Catholics James favoured bishops like Andrewes and Neile because they advocated for DRK which caused resentment by Puritans Arminian belief that Bishops had DRK but that threatened James position Neile 1614 - escalated tensions by the ‘facetious’ insult in Addled Parliament Buckingham and Charles influence on Arminian behalf which caused tensions. Complained that the Church had popish elements Millenary Petition - 1000 signatures about the state of the CofE. Hampton Court Conference - Puritans had multiple issues over the church atp James was hostile to the Puritans because of the bishops power being reduced - threatened his own position 1604 - Canons were introduced that he was the supreme leader of the Church - Archbishop Bancroft ensured this 73-83 of Puritan ministers left - around 1% in total - very minor concern