Religious Policy, 1660-67
- Created by: Clodagh
- Created on: 28-05-14 12:31
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- Religious Policy 1660-67
- Religious Toleration
- Charles II was very lax and court life didn't uphold much Christian teaching
- The king took great personal interest in scientific experiments
- Religion was still important in politics
- Work on the origins of Civil War has shown that for many people religious differences were the most important factor in choosing sides
- In 1660 the strength of the Church of England was uncertain
- Many had been opposed to Archbishop Laud's church and many fought against it in the Civil War
- In the Declaration of Breda in April 1660 the king had promised 'liberty to tender consciences'
- Laud had alienated many by his narrow-based church in the 1630s
- Many former members of the church, who found themselves excluded, established their own religious sects
- To win back former members Charles would have to establish a broad-based church in order to not alienate anyone
- Many former members of the church, who found themselves excluded, established their own religious sects
- Laud had alienated many by his narrow-based church in the 1630s
- The Worcester House Declaration, October 1660
- There was a large number of Presbyterians elected into the Convention parliament. These were the sort of Protestants that Laud had driven out and could potentially be opposition to the king
- A full meeting between Presbyterian and Anglican clergy resulted in the Worcester House Declaration
- It offered large concessions to moderate Presbyterians both on the function of bishops and on the nature of Prayer Book
- The power of bishops would be balanced with Presbyterian input
- By the end of the year the Church was largely Anglican
- Bishops were being appointed, cathedral chapters were being revived and the Elizabethan Prayer Book was being used again
- It had been relatively unsuccessful
- Bishops were being appointed, cathedral chapters were being revived and the Elizabethan Prayer Book was being used again
- The Declaration was only temporary
- Charles' aim had been to hold out hope to as many people as possible, certainly until he was secure on the throne
- A few concessions might have been sufficient to quell any doubts, but these were only temporary as Charles disliked Presbyterians, especially when his alliance with the Scottish Presbyterians failed
- Charles' aim had been to hold out hope to as many people as possible, certainly until he was secure on the throne
- There was a large number of Presbyterians elected into the Convention parliament. These were the sort of Protestants that Laud had driven out and could potentially be opposition to the king
- Charles II was very lax and court life didn't uphold much Christian teaching
- The Strength of Anglicanism
- The disbanding of the army and the dissolution of the Convention removed much of the pressure on Charles II for compromise
- The election of the Cavalier Parliament ended any hope for a broad based church - it saw the return of a large number of royalists which were also strong supporters of the Anglican Church
- The parliamentary Anglicans found a more than reliable and able ally for their approach in Gilbert Sheldon, Archbishop of Canterbury (1663-7)
- He developed a political alliance with the gentry and also ensured restoration of church government and adoption of a new prayer book
- Sheldon even gave up the clergy's right to tax themselves and agreed that in the future they would be subject to parliamentary taxation
- This ensured that if parliament was trying to deny the king supply he would be unable to turn to the bishops for financial assisstance
- This made him appear an ally against the royal prerogative
- This ensured that if parliament was trying to deny the king supply he would be unable to turn to the bishops for financial assisstance
- Sheldon even gave up the clergy's right to tax themselves and agreed that in the future they would be subject to parliamentary taxation
- He developed a political alliance with the gentry and also ensured restoration of church government and adoption of a new prayer book
- The Clarendon Code and the Quaker Act
- 1. The Corporation Act, June 1661
- This established a commission to take oaths from all town officials
- In the oath they had to renounce (reject) Presbyterianism and accept the Anglican sacrament - this gave Anglicans political domination in local government
- This established a commission to take oaths from all town officials
- The Quaker Act, January 1662
- Meetings between Quakers were banned and instead they had to swear an oath of allegiance to the king
- Quakers could be fined, imprisoned or transported to a colony if they refused to swear the oath
- Meetings between Quakers were banned and instead they had to swear an oath of allegiance to the king
- 2. The Act of Uniformity, May 1662
- It marked the formal end of attempts at conciliation between Anglicans and Presbyterians
- It required all clergymen to declare their assent to everything in the Prayer Book, which in future would be used for all services
- The clergy had to renounce the Solemn League and Covenant which had established Presbyterianism
- It required all clergymen to declare their assent to everything in the Prayer Book, which in future would be used for all services
- This was the most important piece of legislation in re-establishing the Anglican Church
- It marked the formal end of attempts at conciliation between Anglicans and Presbyterians
- 3. The Conventicle Act, April 1664
- It placed severe restrictions on dissenting activity. It banned any group of people from meeting together for a religious service unless it was authorised by the Anglican Church
- Penalties included fines and transportation
- The Act was targeting Nonconformists but lapsed in 1668
- A new one was later introduced
- It placed severe restrictions on dissenting activity. It banned any group of people from meeting together for a religious service unless it was authorised by the Anglican Church
- 4. The Five Mile Act, October 1665
- This Act also placed severe restrictions on dissenting activity
- It banned ministers who had lost their positions in the Anglican Church for their refusal to accept the Act of Uniformity from residing within five miles of their former living
- This Act also placed severe restrictions on dissenting activity
- 1. The Corporation Act, June 1661
- By 1680 Anglicanism was flourishing because of an alliance with the gentry
- The gentry were placed at the head of local community
- The Anglican Church appealed to many ordinary Englishmen because of its order and discipline. Others found an attachment to the church's doctrine that was deep and long lasting
- The disbanding of the army and the dissolution of the Convention removed much of the pressure on Charles II for compromise
- Religious Toleration
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