Setting the Scene
📖 Setting the Scene
Charles had promised religious tolerance in Breda, but Parliament had other ideas. The "Cavalier Parliament" (the fiercely Anglican Parliament elected 1661, keen to reverse Puritan rule) wanted revenge on Puritans who had closed churches, banned Christmas, and executed a king. The result was the Clarendon Code (four Acts passed 1661–65 that excluded non-Anglicans from public life): four acts that crushed Nonconformists (Protestants who refused to accept Church of England doctrine and worship). Catholics remained technically illegal but were usually left alone — until the Popish Plot hysteria. Charles personally wanted tolerance, but Parliament blocked his attempts.
History glossary
- What was the Clarendon Code?
- Four Acts (1661-65) persecuting Protestant Dissenters — Corporation Act (1661), Act of Uniformity (1662), Conventicle Act (1664), Five Mile Act (1665). Parliament's initiative, not Charles's — he actually tried twice to suspend it.
Earn the mark scheme marks
📝 Exam Technique: Explain Why...
Example: "Explain why there was religious tension during Charles II's reign." (8 marks)
Structure (3 developed points):
1. Memory of Civil War: Many Anglicans blamed Puritans for the chaos of Civil War and execution of Charles I. The Cavalier Parliament wanted revenge, leading to the harsh Clarendon Code which ejected 2,000 ministers in 1662...
2. Fear of Catholicism: England had been Protestant for over 100 years. Catholics were associated with foreign powers (France, Spain), tyranny, and plots. When James was revealed as Catholic by the Test Act 1673, it seemed the Crown itself was threatened...
3. Charles's policies: The King's attempts at tolerance (1662, 1672 Declarations of Indulgence) were seen as favouring Catholics. His French alliance and secret Treaty of Dover increased suspicions...
Always link reasons together: Parliament's fear of Catholicism was worsened by Charles's suspicious behaviour.
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 10
Approximately how many ministers were ejected from the Church of England by the Act of Uniformity 1662?
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