Religious issues: Laud and Arminianism in England and Scotland; the growth…

The idea

Religious issues were central to the breakdown of Charles I’s Personal Rule. William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633, enforced Arminianism across England, emphasising the 'beauty of holiness', clerical authority, and the altar policy, which moved communion tables to the east end. In Scotland, Charles and Laud disastrously attempted to impose a new English-style Prayer Book in 1637, sparking the National Covenant and the Bishops' Wars. These Arminian reforms alienated many, fuelling the growth of opposition from Puritans who viewed the changes as a covert return to Catholicism. Prominent Puritans like Prynne, Bastwick, and Burton were mutilated by the Star Chamber for their vocal resistance, which only amplified public sympathy and solidified anti-Laudian sentiment.

What earns the marks

• Define the key features of Laudian Arminianism in England, including the altar controversy, emphasis on sacraments, and the 'beauty of holiness'.
• Explain the specific religious policies imposed on Scotland, notably the 1636 Book of Canons and the 1637 Prayer Book.
• Analyse the growth of Puritan opposition, referencing the pamphleteering of figures like Prynne, Bastwick, and Burton.
• Evaluate how the enforcement of Arminianism through the Court of High Commission heightened fears of a Catholic conspiracy.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Using the terms Arminian and Catholic interchangeably.

  Put it right: Arminians were Protestants who rejected Calvinist predestination and favoured ceremony, though Puritans feared they were crypto-Catholics.

• Assuming the Scottish rebellion was purely political.

  Put it right: The Scottish resistance was fundamentally religious, driven by Presbyterian opposition to the imposition of the Laudian Prayer Book.

• Claiming Puritans were a small, insignificant minority during the 1630s.

  Put it right: Puritanism had a broad and growing influence among the gentry and merchant classes, forming the core of the opposition to Charles.

Exam tips

• Connect Laudian religious policies directly to the outbreak of the Scottish rebellion to show how religious issues triggered the collapse of the Personal Rule.
• Use the punishment of Prynne, Bastwick, and Burton to illustrate the severity of Laudian enforcement and the resulting public backlash.
• Distinguish clearly between the religious context of England, which was Anglican and Puritan, and Scotland, which was Presbyterian, when discussing Laudian reforms.