Chapter 4: Religion and religious divisions

• Church of England


  most people who identified with the CoE were of a broad Protestant faith that had developed from Calvinism. 
• Predestination

  the belief that one’s salvation was already decided upon by God and was not dependent on how that person lived. 
• Presbyterianism

  • Protestant
  • Minority; main religion of Scotland
  • English bible, plain building, salvation through predestination
• Puritanism

  • Protestant
  • An important minority in England
  • English bible, plain building, salvation through predestination
• Calvinism

  • Protestant
  • Majority
  • English bible, plain building, salvation through faith
• Arminianism

  • Protestant
  • Minority, but gained influenced under Charles I
  • English bible, decorated building, salvation through works and God’s help
• Catholicism

  • Catholic
  • Minority; majority in Ireland
  • Latin bible, decorated building, salvation through faith and works.
• Reasons for hostility towards Catholicism

  • the Reformation
  • the burning of Protestants when England briefly returned to Catholicism under the Catholic queen ‘Bloody’ Mary I (1555-58)
  • war against Catholic Spain during Elizabeth’s reign
• Politically passive


  the general position of the Catholics in 1603
• Political pragmatism


  why James I fluctuated between toleration and severe treatment of Catholics during the first 10 years of his reign
• Recusancy fines


  fines imposed on those who did not attend the compulsory Church of England service on a Sunday. 
• May 1603 recusancy fines

  James orders collection of recusancy fines
• Jesuits

  a religious order that fought to convert Protestant countries to Catholicism
• 1604 anti-Jesuits

  Parliament encourages legislation against Jesuits
• Gunpowder Plot

  November 1605, attempted assassination of James I by a group of Catholics
• Oath of Allegiance

  1606, forced Catholic recusants to declare their allegiance to James I and not the Pope
• January 1606 anti-Catholicism

  • Parliament passed 2 severe laws against Catholics
  • James did not rigorously enforce them
• 'Hotter sort of Protestant'


  A way to refer to Puritans
• Millenary Petition

  • 1603, Puritan petition
  • A list of requests calling for modifications in church services, freedom of ministers to not wear ceremonial robes, education requirements for ministers, and reform of ecclesiastical courts
• July 1603 tithes and salaries

  James I announced that all income from impropriated tithes would be devoted to paying better salaries to church ministers
• Hampton Court Conference


  1604, a religious conference James I called in response to the Millenary Petition
• King James Bible

  • Published 1611
  • Only achievement of the Hampton Court Conference
  • Was a significant political vehicle reinforcing the king's authority rather than the Pope's
• Bancroft's cannons

  • September 1604
  • Upheld many orthodox doctrines and liturgies of the Church, as well as practices that had been condemned by the Puritans in the Millenary Petition
• December 1604 archbishop of canterbury


  Richard Bancroft was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
• Silenced Brethren

  1% of ministers who were removed from their positions for not conforming to Bancroft's cannons
• Northamptonshire Puritan petiiton signnificance


  led to James publicly acknowledging the Puritans' loyalty and allowing moderate reform beyond the 1604 settlement
• Historian Barry Coward on James I's religious policy


  James I maintained a broadly defined Church so that the majority of Protestants, even Puritans, felt they could belong to the state church and would not have to oppose the king as Supreme Governor.
• Historian David L. Smith on James I's religious policy

  the key to James’ construction of a broad Church was his ability to recognise who the real radicals that might actually challenge his authority were. 
• How were anti-Catholicism tensions sparked?

  • James' foreign policy
  • the proposed Spanish Match
  • shift to favouring Arminianism
• Position of Puritans by the end of James I's reign

  James had become exasperated with their calls to support the Protestant cause in Europe (i.e. Thirty Years War). 
• Position of Arminians by the end of James I's reign

  supported James’ negotiations with Spain.
• How did James I move away from being the 'arbitrator of the church'?

  • Didn't censor Arminian tract 'A New Gag for an Old Goose' (1624) by Richard Montagu
  • Allowed Arminian clerics greater prominence in theological debates at court (i.e. William Laud)
• What caused the 'conspiracy mentality' in Charles's reign?

  • Charles I had his ‘favourites’ and not being in touch with the views of the Political Nation. 
  • outsiders to the court believed that Catholics (or Arminians) were in control or were subverting the king. 
  • Charles believed that his difficulties with Parliament between 1625-29 were an attempt by the Puritans to attack the powers of the Crown.
• Problem with Charles' marriage to Henrietta Maria

  alongside his foreign policy between 1625-29, his siding with the Arminians was seen as very politically dangerous. 
• Montagu's 1625 book

  • Had the same arguments as the 1624 'A New Gag for an Old Goose'
  • Disgusted Puritans and Protestants
• Charles' response to Parliament's attack on Montagu

  Made him royal chaplain; clear statement of his approval of anti-Calvinism
• Historian David Farr and Charles' religious policies

  Charles appeared unaware of the problems that could arise over religion.
• York House Conference

  • February 1626
  • Was an attempt to persuade Charles to move away from anti-Calvinism and Arminians such as Montagu
  • Charles' didn't even attend; clear he would not be swayed
• Historian David Farr on religion


  Religion was the most controversial issue of the Early Modern period, and it usually underpinned political conflict of the time.