were the threats to the
CoE?
,1625-49
Threat To what extent was it a significant threat to the CoE “middle way”? To what extent did the CoE overcome its challenges?
Arminianism/ 1625 - Charles I took Richard Montagu under his personal protection after he published 1628 - Petition of Right
Laudian an attack on Calvinist doctrine entitled ‘A New Gag for an old Goose’ - General opposition to Charles challenged the religious beliefs he had - the role of
Reforms Henrietta Maria in court etc.
- The fact Charles I involved and creating Arminian royal court = influence as Head of - Eval - limited impact and caused him to dissolved parliament leading to Personal
the CoE therefore direct impact on changing church. Rule 1629-40 (when threat of Arminianism became more significant)
Beliefs that - As well as creating changes to the church it provoked a reaction from the Calvinists
were different to
and Presbyterians who Montagu attacked - root cause for rise of another threat (link to John Bastwick published a satirical Litany that criticised the Laudian reforms.
Anglicanism: Presbyterian paragraph) - direct challenge to the changes to the church
- shifted the - Eval - Richard Montagu was one individual. Therefore did not create significant levels - Limited impact - 1637 Burton, Bastwick and Prynne trial - failed to end reforms.
Anglican of change to the church.
‘middle way’ 1640 - The Root and Branch Petition
more towards 1626 - Charles issued a proclamation that forbade the public discussion of sensitive - Significant because supported by a majority in the City of London - opposed the
the Catholic religious doctrine Laudian reforms and asked for abolition of episcopacy
Church - Eval - this led to another threat - Puritan threat because Puritans have more power
ceremonies - Direct change because Head of CoE is changing the law = preventing individual faith - Eval - this attempt failed and was blocked by conservative Anglicans to abolish
and hierarchy and prayer that Anglicanism included to allow a personal relationship with God. episcopacy so Long parliament and Anglicans had limited impact on reversing
- they believed - Root cause for Calvinist threat - Attacking Calvinists preaching = leading to reaction changes.
from them to oppose Arminianism - Eval - only London not widespread opposition to the reforms.
the Catholic - By opposing independent preaching, Charles enforced formal prayer which was
Church was a aligning with the Catholic beliefs of a church hierarchy, in which only an ordained (HOWEVER Scots had set up Presbyterian government and 1st Bishops War in
sister church priest could preach. opposition to Laudian changes = widespread).
- Priesthood - Eval - the CoE middle way did have a church hierarchy or episcopacy - public
with special discussion was not an integral part therefore this was not a significant challenge or 1641 - Abolition of the Star Chamber
status as threat. - This meant Charles I could not enforce religious beliefs in prerogative courts -
opposed to reducing the enforcement of Arminianism
authority of 1627 - George Abbot (AoC) was temporality suspended for refusing an Arminian sermon - Successful because overcame threat of the King’s power. (Link to 1637 - abuse of
the Bible power).
- Bishops - direct impact because its effecting senior clergymen and the church government =
less Anglican influences 1645 - opposition to Laud led to his execution
appointed by - removed the driving force behind the Arminian changes. Therefore having a direct
God as
Close advisors to Charles are Arminian = Duke of Buckingham, William Laud (1627 impact on tackling this threat.
opposed to becomes Bishop of London - most important diocese), Queen Henrietta Maria is - Eval - However absence of Laud as an authority = Puritan threat (link)
by the Catholic and has a Catholic court
monarch 1646 - Resolutions confirming the collapse of episcopacy
- Privy Council advises the King and makes decisions for the monarchy. Therefore have - After Root and Branch gained the support to remove all Catholic elements in the
influence to change the church = significant threat. church.
1933 - Laud becomes AoC and enforces Laudian Reforms 1628-40
- Direct impact as AoC = in charge of the church (leader of the church threatening
Anglican beliefs)
- Statues returned to the churches = threat because Anglicans did not believe in idols/
saints like the Catholic Church did. Therefore changing the faith.
- Beautification/organ playing = root cause for Puritan dissent. The changes were
reversing the Reformation that Puritans already believed was too moderate = the
Elizabethan middle way disrupted = religious tensions and Puritan backlash.
, Threat To what extent was it a significant threat to the CoE “middle way”? To what extent did the CoE overcome its challenges?
- Greater emphasis on the communion service because it was moved to the east end of
the church = eluding to transubstantiation of Catholics (not Anglican)
- Widespread support/threat = support from King, AoC and people agreed with
reduction in sermons (that puritans would emphasise)
- Eval - these were only visible changes (limited changes to the actual Anglican faith
therefore less significant)
- Widespread change - visible changes effecting the entire country - church layout
altered.
- Eval - short term because Laud executed in 1645 and Laudian reforms revoked in
1640.
1637 - 3 Puritan writers (Burton, Bastwick and Prynne) were sentenced under the Star
Chamber
- enforcing laws that persecute other religions = attempting to make Arminianism a
confessional state.
- Using Court of High Commission - church courts to enforce new religion = changing
national church away from CoE
- Power and influence given to Laud and the Church courts under Arminian influence
- Eval - short term because Star Chamber was abolished in 1641
1637 - Anglican Prayer Book forced onto the Scots
- showed a widespread implementation of Arminianism and Laudian reforms
- Eval - was not actually implemented because of First Bishops’ War that it provokes
- Root cause for Presbyterian influences in Civil War
Long term impact because Laudian reforms inspired Gilbert Sheldon and other
Arminians in the Cavalier parliament in 1660.
Eval
- Presbyterian MP’s exaggerated the changes - in actual fact Charles did not believe in
Arminianism but resonated with the hierarchy and beautification. Thus, not an actual
direct threat to the church.
- Threatened Puritanism not majority of Protestants and the CoE (Arminian attacks on
Calvinist doctrine was main threat - not a threat to CoE).