Why, and with what effect, did fear of Roman Catholic influence increase under the Stuart?

Question 1

What were the origins and development of anti-Catholicism in England?

Answer 1

1570 Pope excommunicating Elizabeth I, 1588 Spanish attempt to invade England, 1605 Gunpowder Plot

Question 2

Religion Anti-Catholic. Catholic to 1649 Charles

Answer 2

Charles aimed to ‘reform’ the Church of England on Arminian lines and bring together the Kingdom in a unified religion.

Married French-Catholic princess Henrietta Maria, allowed her to bring and maintain a retinue of Catholic clergy to serve at her court.

To keep receiving his dowry from the French, Charles had to appear as though he was easing Catholic repression, however at the same time he had to do the opposite to appease Parliament. - treaty of dover

Wanted to unify the Kingdom “Banding together unanimously into one faith”. scot leading to bishop war

-Elevated monarchy to a semi-religious mystique, using an imagery and approach perfected in Catholic Rome.

Question 3

How did Charles give the impression of tendencies to Catholicism?

Answer 3

Promotion of Arminians in church and court, elevation of monarchy to semi-religious mystique, almost absolutist government

Question 4

Why did fear of Catholicism increase in 1641?

Answer 4

Irish rebellion, and the King’s correspondence was discovered to reveal plans about using Irish troops in England

Question 5

When did the Long Parliament introduce the law of the c? What did the Oath of Abjuration do?

Answer 5

August 1643

Forced all Catholics to swear oath denying their basic beliefs

Question 6

When was the Oath of Abjuration reissued and with what other Act of Parliament?

Answer 6

1656, and with Act that called for closing down of all Catholic chapels with a fine of £100 for anyone caught worshiping there.

Question 7

how charles’ actions increase the fear of catholicism? (marriage,letter to pope, laudian policies , court life)

Answer 7

marriage to a catholic, henrietta Maria = catholic clergy at court

Laudian policies, arminianism e.g favoured decoration of church, more formality and ritual, greater emphasis on pwr of bishops = seen catholic

Court = papal ambassador invited and became close companion of charles. interest in european style in art and architecture seen as catholic.

letter written to pope by charles 1623 (not king yet) shows desire to tolerate Catholicism and stresses similarities bet cath and protestant faiths

Question 8

how far was charles’ execution a result of the fear of catholcisism?

Answer 8

it was an important factor - 1640 long P attacked Laudian policies and personnel, including laud himslef (impeached, executed), partly because they were seen as too catholic. However, charles’ willingness to co-operate w p and his actions in re-starting the CW were a more important reason.

Question 9

what acts and actions during this period specifically targeted Catholics? Civil war and interregnum

Answer 9

1643 - long P passed Oath of Abjuration - Forced all Catholics to swear oath denying their basic beliefs -

1650- Toleration Act - did not include catholic excluded

1656 - Oath reissued with stricter terms & catholic chapels to be closed in foreign embassies and fine if anyone found worshiping

Question 10

What was Cromwell’s attitudes towards catholics? (inlude jan 1654 order, sire Digby)

Answer 10

Against toleration for cath
Jan 1654 order - continues elizabethen and jacobean laws ( laws made during the reigns of elizabeth 1st and james I) against catholics. BUT did have a personal friendship with sir Kenelm Digby, leading catholic in Henrietta Maria’s Household. Allowed him to get back his family’s confiscated property

Question 11

Was Catholicism wiped out during the cilvil war and interregnum period?

what made it easier for Catholics to continue to worship privately?

Answer 11

catholic practices still remained in some areas, Lancashire

Fears of Catholicism were not upmost at this point. More fears about radicalism and instability. This meant Catholics could worship privately if they did so quietly.

Question 12

what events caused increasing fear of catholicism by 1671 (restoration and charles ii)

Answer 12

1666 great fire , failure of war against Dutch made some see it as a judgement of God on activities of dissolute court and the influence of Papists. e.g. actions of france against the dutch

Contacts between charles II and French Royal Family. Conversion of james to catholicism.

french alliance - treaty of dover

1672 Second declaration of indulgence - allowed catholics to worship private

Question 13

why was charles II forced to withdraw the 1672 dec of indulg?

Answer 13

P and C against it -
- Did not like the fact it meant king could make decisions outside of the law
- Growing sympathies of kings and his brother with catholicism was becoming obvious.
= Charles forced to withdraw the indulg in 1673.(he had been forced to call p due to need for grants third anglo dutch war)`

Question 14

why was catholicism facing a major threat to its existence 1678-81 (include james, Popish plot, exclusion Bills)

Answer 14

james had openly converted to catholicism. Impact on succession. = as he will be next + his wife catholic.
Gov led by the Earl of Danby had used French subsidies to control P.
Popish plot - catholics plotting murder C - used by danby’s enemies to bring down his gov, and to change succession - two exclusion bills to exclude james from he succession.

Question 15

why was catholics in a stronger position by the end of charles II reign?

Answer 15

charles had been able to block attempts to change succession. Rye house plot, 1682, showed whigs as potential rebels and regicides = less focus on catholics.

Question 16

How far was Catholicism a threat to the monarchy during Charles ii reign?

Answer 16

It was not a direct threat. However, at certain points its threat was hugely exaggerated and came close to altering the succession to the throne.

Question 17

What were james aims and actions towards Catholics?

Answer 17

aim = achieve equality for Catholics and would ignore laws and rights of P to achieve this- attempt to use R-prerogative to achieve this - 1686 issued personal dispensations to allow catholic to become army officers

Godden v Hales case = pressurised judges to declare that james could issue these dispensations = meant king could exempt individuals from the test and corporations Acts.

1687 dec of indulg

1688 dec of indulge renewed and ordered that it be read out in every church in the land.

Question 18

Why was the birth of james son a major thrat catholicsim in england?

Answer 18

it meant a catholic succession. James daughters fro his first wife, mary and Anne, both protestant. But his baby would take succession - brough up cath.

Question 19

Summary- how far was Catholicism a threat to the monarchy during James II reign?

Answer 19

the monarchy was catholic and this led James disposition. His actions were seen as a threat to Parliament, the church of england and the rule of law.

The birth of his son 1688 led to 7 key rep of the political nation writing to william of orange to prevent james taking any further actions, which ultimately led to james’ disposition.

Question 20

1) when was the fear of Catholicism

A) At its Weakest?
b) At its strongest?

2) when was the catholci faith under the greatest threat?
3) How far was catholcisim a threat to the monarchy?

Answer 20

1=
A) At its Weakest = during the interregnum where puritan extremes were a greater threat. Towards the end of carles II’s reign when again, puritan extremism seemed greater threat
b) At its strongest = during Charles I personal rule and James reign

2= During the interregnum - series of specific anti-cahtolic laws e.g oath of Abjuration. + During the popish plot when fears of catholicism were hugly exaggerated.

3= Ordinary catholics did not pose a threat. The catholic monarchy James II led to james deposition and for the law that no monarchy of England could be catholic
actions that were not actually made by Catholics but seen as catholic were a sig factor in P attack of charles I