History of the Puritans under King James I facts for kids
The reign of King James I of England (1603–1625) was a time when the Puritan movement in England kept growing. This movement had started during the rule of Queen Elizabeth (1558–1603). Puritans often disagreed with the leaders of the Church of England. These disagreements eventually caused more tension between Anglicans and Puritans in the 1600s, especially during the time of King Charles I (1625–1649). This tension eventually led to the English Civil War (1642–1651). After the war, Oliver Cromwell, a Puritan leader, ruled England for a short time (1653–1658) during the English Commonwealth (1649–1660). These events helped lead to the political, religious, and civil freedoms that are celebrated today in English-speaking countries.
King James grew up in Scotland with strict teachers who were Calvinists. They wanted him to support the Protestant faith in Scotland. When he became King of both England and Scotland, James wanted to keep the Church of England firmly under his control. He believed in the Divine right of kings, which meant he thought his power came directly from God. He even wrote a book about it! Because of this, he tried to stop some parts of the Puritan movement, like their ideas about how the church should be run (called Congregationalist and Presbyterian views).
However, King James also knew he needed the Puritans. They were important for making England a strong Protestant nation and for its success. So, he supported many Puritan pastors, scholars, and wealthy families, just like Queen Elizabeth had. He did this as long as they were willing to work with the Church of England under the bishops' authority. This helped the Puritan movement grow a lot during King James's reign. Three Archbishops of Canterbury, who were top church leaders, also played a role. Archbishop John Whitgift (1583-1604) tried to stop the Puritans. Archbishop Richard Bancroft (1604–1610) also tried to limit them but had to rely on them more because of threats from Catholics. Archbishop George Abbot (1611–1633) often supported the Puritans and their ideas for change. He even helped them get important church and school jobs. People sometimes called him "the Puritan Archbishop."
One of the greatest achievements during King James's time was the translation of the King James Bible (1611). This Bible was a huge effort by both Puritans and Anglicans. It is considered one of the most important books in Western history and literature. Puritans and Anglicans also worked together at the Synod of Dordt (1618–1619). This was an international meeting of Protestant thinkers who wrote the Canons of Dordt. These canons defended key ideas of Calvinism against other beliefs. During King James's reign, a group of Puritans called the Pilgrims decided to leave the Church of England. They started a new colony in America called the Plymouth Colony (1620). Their leaders were William Bradford and William Brewster. These events show how influential the Puritans were and how they found different ways to live under the King's rule. Some worked within the system, while others, like the Pilgrims, left England entirely.
The Puritan movement wanted to make the Church of England more pure. They wanted to remove any remaining influences from the Roman Catholic Church. They also aimed to strengthen England as a Protestant nation, following the Bible and Reformed Christian teachings. This Puritan vision eventually led to the Westminster Assembly. This group created important documents like the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Shorter Catechism, and the Larger Catechism. These documents shaped Protestant beliefs for many years.
Under King James I, Puritans and the Church of England generally co-existed. They were both part of the Protestant religion, which was led by bishops. However, things started to change towards the end of James's reign. New ideas came from the Synod of Dort, and political discussions about the Spanish Match (a possible marriage alliance) during the Thirty Years War caused tension. Also, some views within the Church of England began to shift away from Calvinism. Some Puritans, called Separatists, who never fully accepted King James's religious rules, began moving to the New England colonies in America. They came from both the Netherlands and England.
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The Millenary Petition and Hampton Court Conference
Queen Elizabeth I died in March 1603. Her successor was James VI of Scotland, who had been King of Scotland since he was a baby. James had been raised in the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. This church was similar to what the Puritans wanted in England. In a book he wrote in 1599, James had criticized some Puritans. However, his words seemed aimed at the most extreme ones. This made it seem like he might agree to some moderate changes.
Throughout 1603, Puritan ministers gathered signatures for a request called the Millenary Petition. It was named this because about 1,000 Puritan ministers signed it. The petition was careful not to challenge the King's power over the Church of England. It asked for several church reforms to remove ceremonies that Puritans thought were too much like Catholic practices. The Millenary Petition was given to King James in Leicester, so he couldn't talk about it with the bishops first.
The petition asked for changes such as:
- Stopping the use of the sign of the cross during baptism. Puritans thought this was superstitious.
- Ending the rite of confirmation. Puritans said it wasn't found in the Bible.
- Stopping midwives from performing baptisms. Puritans believed this was based on a superstitious idea that babies who died without baptism couldn't go to heaven.
- No longer exchanging rings during the marriage ceremony. This was also seen as unscriptural and superstitious.
- Stopping the ceremonial bowing at the Name of Jesus during worship. Again, seen as superstitious.
- Not requiring clergy to wear a surplice (a type of robe) because it wasn't mentioned in the Bible.
- Ending the custom of clergy living in the church building.
The petition also argued that every church parish should have a minister who could preach. Instead of just reading the service from the Book of Common Prayer, Puritans wanted ministers to preach sermons. The petition also asked that ministers only had to agree to the Thirty-Nine Articles (a set of beliefs) and the King's power. They did not want to be forced to agree to the Book of Common Prayer or the use of special clothes for clergy. Finally, the petition asked to end the system of bishops and set up a presbyterian system of church leadership.
King James I enjoyed discussing religious ideas. He agreed to hold a meeting at Hampton Court Palace. At this meeting, supporters and opponents of the Millenary Petition could debate church reforms. After being delayed by an outbreak of the plague, the Hampton Court Conference was held in January 1604. The King chose four Puritans to represent their side. These included John Rainolds and Laurence Chaderton. Archbishop Whitgift led a group of eight bishops and other church leaders who opposed the Puritans.
On the first day of the conference, January 14, James met only with Archbishop Whitgift's group. On the second day, January 16, he met with the Puritans. This day ended badly for the Puritans. Rainolds mentioned the Puritan idea of creating presbyteries in England. James saw this idea, which would replace bishops with presbyteries, as an attempt to reduce his power in the church. Because of this, James famously declared, "No bishop, no king!" He then ended the meeting early. On January 18, the King first met with Whitgift's group and some church lawyers. Then, he called in the Puritans to hear his decision.
James declared that the Book of Common Prayer would continue to be used. He also did not agree to have a preaching minister in every parish. However, he did approve a few small changes in the Book of Common Prayer:
- The mention of baptism by midwives was removed.
- The word "absolution" was replaced with "remission of sins." Puritans linked "absolution" to the Catholic sacrament of penance, which Protestants rejected.
- Confirmation was renamed "laying on of hands." This was to separate it from its Catholic meaning.
- A few other minor changes were made.
James also announced that he would support the Puritan idea for a new, official translation of the Bible. This decision led to the creation of the Authorized King James Version of the Bible, which was published in 1611.
Richard Bancroft, Archbishop of Canterbury
After John Whitgift died, James chose Richard Bancroft to be the new Archbishop of Canterbury. Bancroft had argued against the Puritans at the Hampton Court Conference. His selection showed that the King would not make many more reforms. Soon after he was chosen, Bancroft presented a book of church rules (canons) to the Convocation of the English Clergy. These rules received royal approval and became part of the Church of England's canon law.
However, the Parliament of England disagreed. Parliament had passed the Act of Uniformity in 1559, approving the Book of Common Prayer. They argued that Parliament, not the Convocation, was the only group allowed to pass new church laws. Puritans argued that the bishops were trying to gain more power at Parliament's expense. In the end, James agreed with Parliament and withdrew the book of canons. The 1604 Parliament marked the first time that Puritans sided with Parliament against the bishops. Over the next few decades, this alliance became a very important part of English politics. It formed the basis for the divisions that led to the English Civil War in the 1640s.
The discovery of the Gunpowder Plot (a plan to blow up Parliament) led to a strong anti-Catholic feeling. Since Puritans were very against Catholics, they gained some popularity during this time. Still, Bancroft successfully blocked their reform ideas.
George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury
After Archbishop Bancroft died in 1610, James chose George Abbot as his replacement. James had brought bishops back into the Church of Scotland (they had been removed during the Scottish Reformation). These bishops had less power than bishops elsewhere and mainly served as chairmen of church meetings. In 1608, Abbot had impressed James while working to unite the English and Scottish churches. James then made Abbot Bishop of Lichfield in 1609. James intended Abbot's appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury to help his plan of uniting the English and Scottish churches.
While all Archbishops of Canterbury since Matthew Parker had been Calvinists, Abbot is often called "The Calvinist Archbishop" or even "The Puritan Archbishop." He was the closest the Puritans ever got to having an Archbishop of Canterbury who supported their ideas. The only major point where Abbot disagreed with Puritans was on the issue of bishops. Abbot strongly believed in the idea of apostolic succession, which means bishops get their authority directly from the apostles.
The King James Bible, 1611
In 1611, the King James Version of the English Bible was published. Work on this Bible had begun in 1604. It was mainly an official Church of England project, but many Puritans helped with the translation. It was the third English translation approved by English church leaders. The first was the Great Bible (1535), and the second was the Bishops' Bible (1568). King James I started the project at the Hampton Court Conference in 1604. He wanted a new English version because Puritans preferred the Geneva Bible over earlier translations. The King James Version slowly became more popular than the Geneva Bible among Puritans. The King James Bible is known for its "majesty of style." It is described as one of the most important books in English culture and a major influence on the English-speaking world.
The Five Articles of Perth, 1618
In 1618, King James proposed the Five Articles of Perth. These articles aimed to make the Scottish church adopt some English practices. The Five Articles required:
- kneeling during Communion.
- Rules allowing for private baptism.
- Rules allowing for keeping the sacrament for sick people.
- Only a bishop was allowed to perform the rite of confirmation.
- The Church of Scotland, which had stopped celebrating all holy days, had to accept some holy days.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland eventually accepted the Five Articles of Perth. However, a large number of Scottish Presbyterians disagreed with them. To English Puritans, the Articles of Perth seemed to be moving in the wrong direction.
The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony, 1620
In 1620, a group of Puritan separatists, known today as the Pilgrims, made their famous sea voyage on the Mayflower. They sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to settle Plymouth Colony. Their leaders were governor William Bradford and church elder William Brewster. The Pilgrims were originally part of the Puritan separatist movement in England. They faced religious persecution in their English village of Scrooby. In 1607, Archbishop Tobias Matthew raided their homes and imprisoned some members.
Because of this, the group left England in 1609 and moved to the Netherlands. They settled first in Amsterdam and then in Leiden. In Leiden, they could worship freely. However, Dutch society felt unfamiliar to them. So, they decided to prepare to settle a new colony in America. The first settlement of Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth. This location had been previously explored and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement became the capital of the colony and grew into the modern town of Plymouth, Massachusetts.
At its largest, Plymouth Colony covered most of the southeastern part of modern Massachusetts. It was one of the earliest successful colonies founded by the English in North America, along with Jamestown and other settlements in Virginia. It was also the first major permanent English settlement in the New England region. The colony was able to make a treaty with Chief Massasoit, which helped it succeed. They were also helped by Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe. By 1691, Plymouth Colony and the Pilgrim colonists joined with the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony (established in 1628 by John Winthrop) and other areas to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
Important Puritan Ministers
Many Puritan ministers and thinkers helped the Puritan movement grow in England during King James's reign. Some of the most important contributors include:
- Thomas Cartwright (1535–1603): A preacher and scholar, considered a key figure in the Presbyterian movement within Puritanism.
- Laurence Chaderton (1536–1640): The first Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and one of the translators of the King James Bible. He lived for over 100 years and was seen as a great leader of the Puritan movement.
- William Perkins (1558–1602): A very influential Puritan theologian and Bible teacher. His ideas had a huge impact on the Puritan movement.
- Richard Rogers (1550–1618): Known for his strong Bible-based preaching. His "Seven Treatises" on Christian life were very important to the Puritan movement.
- John Rainolds (1549–1607): A leading Puritan scholar who represented the Puritan side at the Hampton Court Conference. He also helped translate the King James Bible.
- George Abbot (1562–1633): The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury from 1611 to 1633. He was often seen as a protector of the Puritans and also helped translate the King James Bible.
- John Robinson (1575–1625): The pastor of the "Pilgrims" of Plymouth Colony before they left on the Mayflower. He was an early leader of the English Separatists and helped found the Congregationalist form of church government.
- William Ames (1576–1633): A strict Puritan theologian who studied under William Perkins. He was a Congregationalist who moved to Holland due to persecution and was connected with the Pilgrims.
- Richard Sibbes (1577–1633): A moderate Puritan who stayed in the Church of England. He was loved for his gentle and encouraging style of preaching. His devotional book, "The Bruised Reed," is very well-known.
- John White (1575–1648): A preacher and scholar who helped get charters for the New England Company and the Massachusetts Bay Company. These efforts led to the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a major Puritan settlement.
