The Reign of James I - Religion

How was the accession of James I greeted by most of Elizabeth’s subjects?

With relief as James was a male Protestant king with several children, offering a sense of security and a stable succession. Catholics hoped that their respect for his dead mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, would encourage the king to ease the persecution they suffered whilst Puritans hoped that his upbringing in the Presbyterian Church would lead him to favour their plans for reform.

How did James want to rule?

James aimed to be ‘Rex Pacificus’, translating to mean ‘Peacemaker King’.

What was the Anglican Church (Church of England)?

A combination of Protestant and Catholic practices:

Belief in faith and predestination (P)

Church liturgy (services) and Bible in English (P)

Bowing at the name of Jesus (C)

Monarchs viewed as governors of the Church (C - suggestion the Pope is the Head, open to interpretation)

Ministers may marry (P)

Ministers don’t preform miracles (P)

Ministers wear vestments and churches are decorated (C)

Services were a combination of preaching (P) and ceremony (C)

Episcopacy - bishops are given pastoral responsibilities (C)

No confession or indulgences (C)

What was the Protestant/Calvinist Church?

A church who’s authority does not stem from the Pope (viewed as the anti-Christ). Their beliefs/practices are:

Ministers may marry.

Ministers are preachers, not miracle workers.

Ministers are plainly dressed.

There are two sacraments (bread and wine are not physically transformed during Eucharist).

The Bible and liturgy are in English.

Services are simple.

Theories/beliefs include faith and predestination.

What was the Catholic Church?

A church who’s members worship the Pope. There beliefs/practices are:

Priests must not marry.

Priests work miracles of Mass (transubstantiation).

Priests wear elaborate vestments.

There are seven sacraments.

Bible and liturgy are in Latin.

Services are highly ceremonial.

They bow at the name of Jesus.

Pope is the Supreme Head of Church.

What was the Presbyterian Church?

The Scottish church that has no hierarchy. They enforce rules and discipline as a collective presbytery.

How did James please Catholics with regards to recusancy fines (fines for refusal to attend Anglican services on a regular basis)?

He suspended their collection, but when faced with complaints in Parliament and perhaps facing the loss of income, he had reimposed them by 1604.

How did James reimposing recusancy fines lead to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605?

This encouraged extremists to look for help from Spain and led to the Gunpowder Plot in which Catholic conspirators attempted to blow up Parliament whilst the King was present on 5th November 1605.

What was the King’s response to the Gunpowder Plot?

Guy Fawkes was tortured into giving the names of the 12 other conspirators. Robert Catesby was killed leaving London and the others were hung, drawn and quartered for treason. In January 1606, two penal laws against Catholics were passed: all recusants had to take an oath of allegiance that asserted that the papal claim to depose monarchs was ‘impious and heretical’, but this was not well-enforced.

What was the Millenary Petition?

A list of requests given to James by Puritans regarding the purification of the Anglican Church. They wanted to remove bishops from the Church of England, seen as a threat to Royal Supremacy by James.

How did James respond to the Millenary Petition?

James rejected most of their ideas and warned them that he would ‘harry them out of the kingdom’ if they did not conform to the Prayer Book rules. He also appointed authoritarian Richard Bancroft as the Archbishop of Canterbury who enforced these Anglican Prayer Book rules. He also created ‘Bancroft’s Canons’.

What were Bancroft’s Canons?

Laws to defend the via media (middle way). They upheld many orthodox doctrines and liturgies, as well as practices of the Church that had been condemned by Puritans in the Millenary Petition such as bowing at the name of Jesus.

Where was the Millenary Petition discussed?

In a Hampton Court Palace conference in 1604.

Who replaced Bancroft as Archbishop of Canterbury when he died in 1611?

George Abbot who was more sympathetic and treated Puritan sensitivities with tact. He expected Puritan ministers to demonstrate obedience to the King by occasional use of signs and ceremonies that they disliked. In return, they were left largely undisturbed.

When were the ‘Book of Sport’ and ‘Articles of Perth (Scotland)’ published?

In 1618.

The Book of Sport was anti-Puritan as it allowed Britons to partake in various sports and recreations on holy days, but it also stated that recusants were unable to enjoy these benefits due to their impiousness.

The Five Articles of Perth introduced bishops to the Presbyterian Church as an attempt to unite the English and Scottish churches.