Religious dissent and non-conformity

define a radical.

favouring drastic political, economic, or social reform, often described as extreme

define dissenter.

a person who dissents, as from an established church, political party, or majority opinion (an english protestant dissenting from the CoE)

define non-conformity.

refusal to conform to the CoE, encompasses catholics too

define seperatist.

the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental, or gender separation from the larger group

what is a sect?

a subgroup of a religious, political, or philosophical belief system; usually an offshoot of a larger group

what is an anglican?

elating to or denoting the CoE

give 3 ways non-conformity grew under Charles I rule.

1. number of key MPs were puritan - they had influence in government

2. burton, prynne, bastwick - sentences declared illegal by long parliament and they were released

3. relative freedom of press (esp during civil war)

give 3 ways non-conformity was repressed under Charles I rule.

1. prerogative courts and star chamber - violent consequences for dissenters

2. archbishop laud placed restrictions on preaching

3. there were only 1000 active separatists in a city of 350,000 on the brink of civil war

give 3 reasons as to why religious non-conformity and puritanism survived under charles I.

1. commitment to their beliefs

2. support from sympathisers

3. mistakes by opponents; increasing sympathy through harsh punishments

why would puritans oppose charles I?

• worried about absolute monarchy/catholicism

• dislike his actions during personal rule (e.g. illegal tax collection)

give 4 examples of suppression of puritans during charles I reign.

1. restrictions on preaching

2. william laud + laudinianism

3. star chamber (henry jacob, america)

4. prynne, bastwick, and burton branded and ears cut off → only most extreme challenged charles

what did latitudinarians believe?

they wanted a broad, flexible protestant church

why was a new definition of treason established in 1629? what is this an example of from a religious perspective?

john eliot holds down speaker in parliament - puritan resistance in parliament

what role did john pym play in puritan resistance to arminianism and charles I?

• bill of attainder (wentworths execution)

• 19 propositions

• grand remonstrance

what role did john hampden play in puritan resistance to arminianism and charles I?

• opposition to personal rule e.g. illegal tax collection

• encouraged others not to pay ship tax

• 5/12 king appointed judges actually agreed with hampden

what did puritans dislike about arminianism?

• beautification of churches

• vestments

• bishops

• head of church being monarch

how did puritans challenge charles I religiously through passing acts?

• root and branch petition, 1640

• solemn league and covenant, 1643

when was the root and branch petition and what was it?

1640 → called on parliament to abolish episcopacy from the 'roots' and in all its 'branches'

episcopacy = government of a church by bishops

when was the solemn league and covenant and what did it say?

1643

• scots agreed to support parliamentarians

• unite 3 kingdoms under a presbytarian parliamentary system

why were the baptists a problematic radical religious group?

refused to swear oaths of loyalty → hard to control them

why were the conservative protestants a problematic radical religious group?

• strict + wanted to purify the church

• at odds with cromwell e.g. naylor case

why were the catholics a problematic radical religious group?

• devotion to pope rather than king

• fear of popish plots

• seen as corrupt

• associated w belief in DROK

why were the diggers a problematic radical religious group?

• seen as a threat to social order

• middle-class and gentry worried they would dig into private property

• associated (wrongfully) with the levellers

why were the quakers a problematic radical religious group?

• refused to swear oath of loyalty - hard to control

• refused to pay tithes

• reputation of being aggressive

• dont believe it authority figures

when was the james naylor incident and what happened?

1656 → quaker, james naylor, rode into town naked on a donkey as he believed he was christ incarnate and was recreating christ’s return to jerusalem

he was tried for blasphemy

why were the fifth monarchists a problematic radical religious group?

• believe jesus would return to earth

• heavy on DROK - challenged cromwells authority

• attempted to assassinate cromwell multiple times

when was and what was the venner rising?

1660

• small group of 5th monarchists revolt

• wanted to overthrow king as they believed Jesus’ return was imminent and he was going to run the country

• they even left a place for him in the rump parliament

why were the ranters a problematic radical religious group?

• believe sin was created by god - if you sin you’re godly

• difficult to control

• lack of order in their beliefs

give 3 reasons for the growth in radical religious groups during the interregnum.

• breakdown of normal restraints which allowed separatist groups

• more active ministers were able to take on responsibilities

• relative freedom of press

what was charles II’s approach to dissenters in the restoration?

whether he persecuted them fluctuated depending on how far they threatened the religious order

what code did charles II put forward concerning persecution of dissenters and give 2 acts it included.

• clarendon code (1660-67) - made up of 4 acts

  • corporation act (1661) - had to swear an oath of loyalty to monarch

  • conventicle act (1664) - forbade religious meetings that were not related to CoE

what was the five mile act?

intended to prevent nonconformist ministers from coming within five miles of any corporation that returned members of parliament

when and what was the titus oates plot?

1678 → titus oates lied about his plots to overthrow charles and replace him with james + oates’s allegations that catholics were plotting to seize power (non-conformist)

what was the situation of dissenters actually like after the restoration?

• religious disunity seen to threaten political disunity

• dissenters often protected by local community → sympathisers

in which 2 ways did persecution change under charles II after his restoration?

1. increase in persecution against non-conformists

2. number of people considered to be non-conformist increased (due to anglicanism being declared national religion)

what 3 factors did the survival of dissent rely on?

1. commitment of dissenters

2. level of support by sympathisers (including charles)

3. mistakes made by government

what is the difference between levellers and diggers (aka true levellers)?

diggers were more like communists = more in favour of common ownership of land than levellers