Religious Radicalism and Separatism under Charles I Flashcards
Range of Puritans
Some wanted emphasis on individual prayer etc whilst others wanted a fully fledged Presbyterian church - Puritans fully emerged after the breakdown of normal controls in 1642
What did Civil war do to Puritan ideas
Encouraged separatist groups to emerge - Parliaments victory showed God’s approval of them
What impact did these religious ideas have on political thought
- Produced effective soldiers and confident political leaders
- Freed men from the acceptance of a rigid social hierarchy enabling them to think the unthinkable
What was Separatism
A political act which threatened the government and created a society which believed that religious uniformity was an essential part of political unity
What impact did Separatist ideas have on MPs
- Frightened Conservative MPs into supporting the King’s power as the guaranteed authority
What was the threat of the Solemn League and Convent
Threat of Presbyterian uniformity
Levellers
- Sought political, economic and social reform - Result of economic distress caused by the war
- Leader = John Lilbourne
Believed: - MPs elected in proportion to the size of their constituencies
- Parliaments elected biannually
- Right to vote for all men
- Produced 250 pamphlets and had a newspaper called the moderate
How much support did the Levellers get
- Lower ranks of the army = worried about being sold short in the heads of the proposals - Therefor supported the Levellers which divided the army - Later re-united at the start of the second civil war
Levellers impacts on events
- Putney debates - discussed how England should be run in the future. - Led to the Levellers first agreement of the people in October 1647
Diggers
- Created by Winstanley
- Known as the true Levellers
- Had commune outside London - the movement appeared more ominous than it actually was
- Spread their ideas through pamphlets and the establishment of communes in Kent etc - Example of early Communism
How much Support did the Diggers get
Relatively small follower base - Communes only lasted a year
Fifth Monarchists
- Strand of Puritanism and influenced Levellers and Diggers
- Expected Christ to take charge on earth
- Most support came from lower ranks of the new model army
