• The Thirty years war
  

  • 1621 - pushed by House of Commons
    

  • Fought to resist the expansion of Catholic power - belief that Catholics in power would aspire to the eventual destruction of Protesantism
    

  • Led by Luther and Calvin - regarded as evil
    

• Excommunication of Elizabeth 1
  

  • Led to a minority stopping attending parish church and embarking in private worship.
    

• Other Events↓
  

  • Mary Queen of Scots - Led to a wide spread feeling of Catholicism
    

  • Massacre of Protestants - in the low country and France 
    

  • Spanish attempt to invade England 1588
    

  • The Gunpowder Plot - 1605
    

  • Hapsburg Assault on Protestants in Central Europe - culminated in the outbreak of war in 1618
    

• Charles Actions
  

  • Policies reforming the church on Arminian Lines
    

  • Marriage to Henrietta Maria of France - allowed to bring her catholic clergy to France.
    

• Complaints about Catholics→in London 1624-5 about Catholics in court - clear that high profile gentry catholics were in the city - as the survival of Catholicism rested on the funds to employ a priest in residence.

• Lack of enforcement→In Lancashire and parts of the North - in the pocket throughout the country - recusancy laws and restrictions on Catholic meetings were only enforced intermiteently

• Effect of the Marriage→Henrietta was a strong personality, encouraged others to join her, allowed priests to officiate outside her private chapel.

• Examples of Autocratic power→forced loan, petition of right, linked with Catholicism

• Other examples of catholicism in court
  

  • Catholic painter Rubens decorated the ceilings and murals at the new Banqueting House at Whitehall 
    

  • By the mid-1930s High profile members of the Privy Council - Windebank and Cottington had catholic wives.
    

  • Royal children worshipped in queen's catholic chapel
    

• Catholicism outside court
  

  • Puritans were harassed - Catholics left largely undisturbed
    

  • Group of Catholic courtiers were making large profits from a lucrative soap monopoly
    

Punishment→Brutal punishment by Bishops and Privy Councillors - staffed the Prerogative courts of high commission and star chamber in the Kings name - further link between catholicism and absolutism.

• Religious toleration→offered by rump parliament - automatically excluded catholics - Toleration Act of 1650 removed requirement to attend Anglican church - but catholics not given freedom

• Calls for complete tolerance→From Puritan theologian roger Williams

• First law against catholics→Long Parliament Aug 1643 - Oath of Abjuration (forcing all catholics over 21 to deny their basic beliefs - if refused had two thirds of their land and goods confiscated. Aldo required to pay assesment tax at twice the normal rate

• Amendment to laws against catholics
  

  • The oath reissued in 1656 with stricter terms 
    

  • Act of Parliament that accompanied it calling for the closing of Catholic chapels in foreign embassies - fine of £100 for any caught worshiping in them 
    

  • Catholics had their estates confiscated after the Civil war - some left with no option but to conform.
    

• Cromwell's views→Not prepared to grant Catholics toleration - even Henry Vane (wrote pamphlet calling for catholic religious freedoms in 1652) said would not extend it to idolaters

• Reasons for catholic persecution→the use of statues and reverence of saints

• Cromwell's actions→issued an order in Jan 1654 - stated the laws against Catholics under Elizabeth 1 and James 1 to continue. But also maintained friends with catholics e.g. Sir Kenelm Digby

• Response of Catholics to Cromwell's actions
  

  • Met to plead for restraint - Cromwell gave impression he would resist further calls to limit catholics - but in April 1655 a proclamation demanding that laws against Catholic influence in priesthood to be adhered to
    

• Public response→992 people refused in 1655 to take the Oath of Abjuration in Lancashire - far more than in any county

• Shift in focus→between first civil war and fall of Clarendon in 1667 Catholic influence was not the major focus of political battles and religious tension. Existance of monarchy was an immediate threat. Catholics managed to worship if they were discreet about it.

• Irish catholics→further invasion in 1649 - Drogheda and Wexford - but evidence of local records shows few civilian deaths - population suffered more from the ensuing land settlement.

• Restoration
  

  • England - led to catholics gaining safety - measure of religious freedom 
    

  • Scotland - primarily concerned to restrict the power of Kirk and suppress rebelious dissenters
    

  • Ireland governed by governor and Church of Ireland restored - persecution of Catholics and dissenters with variable consistency.
    

• The Great Fire of London→1666 sparked rumours of catholci agents at work

• War with Dutch→generally popular but the disasters that followed created range of reactions. Others saw events as a judgement of God on activities of a dissolute court

• Louis XIV invasion→of Spanish Netherlands and Dutch attack in 1667 led to awarness of threat of Catholic france - Charles in talk with catholic france, visited in 1670, signed treaty of dover and took a new french mistress

• The Treaty of dover→commitment to french alliance - money for Charles announcing he was catholic as soon as appropriate

• Duke of York→converted to catholicism and became public knowledge by 1669

• Having replaced Clarendon→with a group of catholics - Clifford and Arlington

New declaration of indulgence→1672 allowed Catholics to worship in private - produced hostile reactions from parliament across the Anglican establishment

• Reasons for opposition
  

  • Dislike of King's claim to be able to dispense with the law
    

  • Catholic sympathies of King and heir were apparent
    

• Charles' Motives
  

  • Genuinely opposed persecutions - association with Latitudinarians demonstrates this
    

  • But still accepted the Test Act
    

• Rise of Catholic fears
  

  • Marriage between William of Orange and Mary, Duke of York (James) was permitted to marry the catholic Mary of Modena in 1673 
    

  • James' impending succession
    

  • Pamphlet issued by Shaftesbury in 1675 - A letter from a person of quality to his friends in the country - argued anglican bishops were promoting persecution of Protestants under guise of protecting the church
    

• Political attitudes and beliefs
  

  • Whig and Tory views beginning to form - Whig associated with Protestant, Tory sometimes tinted with Catholicism.
    

Exclusion crisis→followed by hysteria of a popish plot - claims made by Oates provided opportunity to undermine Danby, removed the threat of a catholic king, strengthen the right and independence of parliamentary government.

• Reasons why Exclusion did not take place
  

  • Charles was an asute politican - aided by French subisides could dissolved parliament at will
    

  • English conntrol of ireland and scotland - strengthend by restoration let him focus on england
    

  • Memories of upheaval and Protestant extremism made him view Whigs as possible rebels and regiciders - belief that only the Crown could guarantee stability.
    

• Rye House Plot
  

  • To assassinate Charles
    

  • For remainder of his life h focused on public fears of dissent rather than catholicism
    

Second Stuart Absolutism Period→from 1682-86 when Charles enabled the Triennial Act to be ignored and financial independence from French subsidies - this was lost through James

• Argument against catholic monarchy
  

  • Close friendship with Quaker William Penn
    

  • Actions of Louis XIV withdrawing toleration from Protestant Huguenots in 1685 sending refugees to England raised doubts that contributed to James' failure.
    

• James' Actions 1686↓
  

  • Instructions to bishops forbidding anti-catholic sermons
    

  • Court of Ecclesiastical Commission to oversee enforcement (remiscent of Preogative Courts)
    

  • Bishop compton refused to suspend a cleric for preaching a sermon - was suspended
    

  • James set up licensing office to sell permits to dissenters - exempting them from Clarendon code
    

  • Legal decision of Godden vHales case confirmed King's rights to exempt individuals from the Test and Corporation Acts.
    

  • James used Gooden V Hales to force Magdalen College, Oxford to accept a catholic president - despite the opposition of the fellows.
    

Further actions - dismissal→dismissed his Anglican advisers - Earls of Clarendon and Rochester for Sundeland and Judge Jeffrey's to question JPs and parliamentary cadidates to pack next parliament with members who would vote in favour of repealing the Acts.

Declaration of Indulgence - 1687→allowed both dissenters and Catholics to worship freely

Declaration of Indulgence 2→1688 more explicit on the rights of Catholics - allowing dissenters to meet without a specific licence - ordered to read from the pulpit of every parish church. Seven bishops protested - they were tried and acquitted.

Birth of James' son→led to letter to William of Orange.