James I - Religion Flashcards
Religion 1603-1625
What are the different sectors of Christianity during Stuart dynasty?
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
What did Elizabeth do regarding religion?
Compromised between Catholics and Prods and unified the CofE articles
Why did James like the CofE?
Agreed with DRK
What was the Catholic style of faith?
Stained glass windows, confessionals, unmarried priests and a Pope as the head of church
What was the prod way to do so?
More simple, vicars could marry
What were the problems of the CofE?
Lack of resources and income of clergy was only £10/year
Struggled maintaining families
Relied on a tithe which declined over the years
What was Pluralism? Why did it occur?
In charge of many parishes at once and this was the best out of the worst situation to support income
What were the problems with Pluralism?
Couldn’t serve parishioners because they were understaffed and overworked
What were the Puritans critical about?
Having poor services and lack of educated clergy.
What was the Millenary Petition? When was it? How many signed?
1603, 1000 signatures
They wanted to reform the church in multiple ways.
What was the Hampton Court Conference? What did ask for?
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
What was James’ attitude to the Puritans in Hampton Court?
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
What was the conference verdict?
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.
What was the context to Catholics in England?
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.
What was the Bye Plot 1603?
4 Priests involved
Tried to hold James ransom and imprison the Privy Council
Those involved were tried and hanged
“Statutes against Catholics Act” introduced
What was the Main Plot 1603?
4+ people tried to kill James and replace with a Catholic leader - his cousin
They were imprisoned for 13 years
What punishments did Catholics face?
They faced recusants fines which were heavy fines for not attending prod churches - 5560 convicted.
What was the Gunpowder Plot 1605?
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
How did the gunpowder plot fail?
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
What happened in the gunpowder plot a few days later?
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
What is the conspiracy theory regarding the gunpowder plot?
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
What were the Catholics’ punishment for the GP 1605?
Forbidden to be doctors and lawyers
Homes were searched without permissions
Needed permission to travel
Fines on recusants
⅔ property seized
What was James attitude to Catholics later on? How was Catholics benefitting?
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
How was religion in the later years effective? What restrictions were placed?
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
What was the Puritan Clash of 1618?
Puritan wanted Sabbath laws
James issued a Proclamation and allowed sports on Sunday
Angered Puritans - they were taunted
What was the result to this clash in 1618?
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.
What was the battle between Arminians and Calvinists? What happened during the Addled Parliament 1614?
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
What were religious successes for James?
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
What were the limits towards James’ religious policy?
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
