Charles Exclusion Crisis

• James' Catholicism became public knowledge in 1669 and was furthered when he refused to swear loyalty to the church in 1673 - violating the Test Act
• Charles was only three years older than James and there was therefore hope he would die before Charles did, leaving his protestant daughters, Mary and Anne, to be heirs
• Titus Oates came up with the popish plot in 1678, saying that there was a plan to assassinate Charles and replace him with James. It was believed France and Ireland would support this due to the expansion of France under Louis XIV
• The test act of 1678 excluded Catholics from parliament.
• Charles dissolved the cavalier parliament in January 1679 and the First Exclusion Parliament met in March 1679 as Charles needed parliament for money
• The main concerns of the exclusion parliament was the safety of parliament and the subject under a catholic ruler