Chares I: Religion

• Charles' approach


  • He was not a royal peacemaker, but he did tolerate Catholics
  • He sought to reform the Church which annoyed the political nation
  • Charles wanted to impose religious uniformity which eventually provoked the civil wars
• Arminianism


  • Most of the political nation were conservative Calvinists Anglican in religion, they tolerated Puritanism and Arminianism
  • Within months of taking the throne, Charles became involved with Arminianism
  • Armenians believed Catholic rituals should be used and were seen by Protestants as being the closest to Catholics in beliefs
  • They thought that Catholics were secretly controlling the king
• Henrietta Maria


  Was also seen as influencing Charles into Catholicism and absolutism
• Richard Montagu


  • Charles had made his royal chaplain
  • He had put through an anti-Calvinist argument in his book in 1625
• Montagu profited from links to Charles and was appointed Bishop of Chichester in 1628
• This convinced people that Charles was leaning towards Catholicism and was becoming absolutist
• Charles

  • Favoured Arminianism and was in favour of its increasing influence
  • This decision and imposing more restrictive religious uniformity broke the 'Jacobethan balance' by 1640 most protestants were against Charles
• Reasons for fear of Arminianism

  • Fear it was like Catholicism
  • Promoted divine right of kings
  • Charles' marriage to Henrietta
  • Continued to fail English policy in Thirty Year War
  • Fear of safety for the protestant religion
• Laud

  • Was made Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633
  • Charles sympathized with Laud and his goals
• YORK HOUSE CONFERENCE (1626)


  1. Buckingham, under pressure from the Earl of Warwick, tried to ease religious tensions and convince Charles that Arminianism was wrong and move him away from anti-Calvinism such as Montagu

  2. However, Buckingham had links to Montagu and continued to support him to reinforce his political relationship with Charles
• Laud become the Bishop of Bath and started to redo church buildings to be more catholic
• Laudianism


  • "Beauty of holiness"
  • Increased use of music
  • Communion table removed
  • Increase emphasis on ceremony
  • Decorations like stained glass windows
  • These changes upset Puritans the most
  • All measures were enforced through visitations of churches. However, the extent as to which these measures were put in place depended on the local bishop, vicars and gentry
• By 1640 the authority of Charles and Laud was collapsing under a puritan backlash
• Charles' religious policy

  • AIMS: Charles promoted Laud and Armenian ideas to strengthen his rule. He was eager to overturn the Elizabethan Compromise and wanted to unite people in a church
  • REALITY: It did not unite people but dived them even more. People did not like many religious policies
• Book of Sports (1633)


  • Outlined sports you can do after service on Sunday like Morris dancing
  • Puritans did not agree with this because they argued this was a day of rest
• Puritanism

  • Covers a broad range of Protestants. They sought further reform in Churches so that all aspects of Catholicism were removed
  • They agreed with the importance of the Bible and millenarianism
  • During the 1630s many protestants became increasingly concerned at the direction Charles was going in
• St Gregory's Case (1633)


  1. Parishioners of St Gregory's Church in London challenged the moving of their communion table to the east of the church

  2. They were brough before the privy council by Charles I as a test case
• John Williams (1637)


  Imprisoned in 1637 because of criticisms of the alter policy in "The Holy Table, Name and Thing"
• Bastwick, Burton & Prynne (1637)


  1. Brought before the court of star chamber fir their criticisms of church policy

  2. They were found guilty of criticising Laud's measures. They were all fined £5000 and imprisoned for life

  3. However, it was the cropping of their ears that earned them sympathy
• John Lilburne (1638)


  1. He helped distribute Bastwick's work and was found guilty by the star chamber of printing unlicensed literature

  2. He was fined, whipped and put back into prison. However, he continued his work from prison
• It was not only what Charles did but the way he did things that created impression for many that he was undermining the Church and striving for Catholicism
• Crypto-Catholicism

  • Talked about the decry as opposed to that of ordinary lay people and reintroducing ceremonies: seen as too catholic
  • Bishops criticised the physical aspect of the church. Led to fear about Charles' rule
  • During personal rule there were high levels of emigration to North America
• Millenarianism

  • Important to English Protestantism, it was the belief in the end of the world
  • It was thought the political actions Charles was taking was going to cause Judgement Day to occur