Laud's policies and religious uniformity
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- Created on: 14-04-20 20:38
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- Laud's policies and Religious Uniformity
- Before Charles' reign
- Anglican church had been established by Elizabeth I as a 'middle way' between Catholicism and Protestantism
- Many traditional features of Catholic worship had been retained, such as priests' vestments and incense, but Anglican beliefs reflected the teachings of the Swiss reformer John Calvin.
- The 'middle way' was an uneasy compromise, but it ensured religious peace for many years.
- Many traditional features of Catholic worship had been retained, such as priests' vestments and incense, but Anglican beliefs reflected the teachings of the Swiss reformer John Calvin.
- Anglican church had been established by Elizabeth I as a 'middle way' between Catholicism and Protestantism
- Divisons within Anglicanism 1625
- Within the Church, there were growing divisions about their beliefs and practices.
- Arminianism was a set of beliefs which promoted church services involving rituals and formal ceremony.
- Followed the traditional Catholic belief in free will.
- Puritains were Anglicans who opposed rituals and priestly vestmets.
- Wanted to 'purify' services by promoting simplicity, rather than ceremony.
- They were also concerned about people's moral improvement.
- Thus, supported action against immoral acts, eg. adultery and drunkenness.
- Believed in the Calvinist doctrine of predestination(God has already chosen those who would be saved, regardless of their behaviour).
- Arminianism was a set of beliefs which promoted church services involving rituals and formal ceremony.
- Within the Church, there were growing divisions about their beliefs and practices.
- William Laud
- Laud was a prominent Arminian.
- Appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633.
- He worked to impose greater religious uniformity on church services.
- Included:
- The communion table was moved to the east end of the church, and was railed off from the congregation.
- Vestments and incense were to be used in services, and hymns and sacred music were encouraged.
- Stained-glass windows were to be installed in churches.
- Angered Puritains because they stressed the outward forms of worship.
- They belived Laud was moving the church in the direction of Catholicism.
- He further offended Puritains by issuing the Book of Sports in 1633, which allowed people to participate in traditional sports and pastimes on Sundays.
- Many people welcomed Laud's reforms because they imposed fewer demands on those who attened Sunday services.
- People also approved of the reduction in the number of sermons, which was unpopular with the Puritains.
- Included:
- He worked to impose greater religious uniformity on church services.
- Appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1633.
- The imposition of Laudianism
- To ensure his measures were imposed, visitations by the agents of bishops in their dioceses were done more thoroughly.
- There is evidence on records that the records of these vists were reviewed by Laud and Charles themseleves.
- He also used the church courts, notably the Court of High Commission, to punish those who refused to implement Laudianism.
- Punishments were fines or imprisonment.
- Opposition
- Many Puritain clergy couldn't accept the changes to church services.
- After 1633, thousands of clergy, with many of their followers, emigarted to the American colonies to worship freely without fears of persecution.
- Many of the gentry also opposed Laud's actions.
- They were often strongly Calvinist.
- Felt it disrupted Elizabeth's middleway.
- Their opposition grew after the trial of Prynne, Bastwick and Burton in 1637.
- They wrere middle-class professionals charged with smuggling anti-Arminian leaflets from abroad and publishing attacks on the bishops.
- They were sentenced to have their ears mutilated and were imprisoned for life.
- Laud's opponents felt that the harsh sentences were out of proportion to their offences.
- Led to attacks on Laud to be prominent in the Long Parliament in 1640.
- Laud's opponents felt that the harsh sentences were out of proportion to their offences.
- Many Puritain clergy couldn't accept the changes to church services.
- To ensure his measures were imposed, visitations by the agents of bishops in their dioceses were done more thoroughly.
- Laud was a prominent Arminian.
- Before Charles' reign
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