This introduction covers Setting the Scene within Religious Settlement for GCSE History. Revise Religious Settlement in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 2 of 15 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📖 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.
Practice questions for Religious Settlement
Approximately how many ministers were ejected from the Church of England by the Act of Uniformity 1662?
What did the Conventicle Act 1664 ban?