The English Presbyterian Conundrum of 1660-1

Fincham, Kenneth; Taylor, Stephen

Abstract

This article aims to explain the failure of the English presbyterian programme to reform the church at the Restoration. Specifically, it analyses the period between March 1660, when the Long Parliament reaffirmed the Solemn League and Covenant, and May 1661, when the Cavalier Parliament ordered that document to be burned by the common hangman. This striking transformation is what we refer to as the ‘presbyterian conundrum’. Focusing primarily on the ‘presbyterians’ and their opponents, the ‘episcopalians’, who were court politicians, MPs and London clergy, we argue that the weakness of the presbyterian cause was apparent even before the return of the king in May 1660. While the episcopalians possessed strong and determined leadership with a clear vision for the reconstruction of the church, the presbyterians lacked the same unity, both at home and with their co-religionists in Scotland. Even in the spring of 1660, many presbyterians had demonstrated, in their negotiations with Charles and his advisers, that they were prepared to accept both modified episcopacy and a revised Prayer Book as the basis for the religious settlement. The presbyterian position was further weakened by Charles’s own clear preference for strong episcopal government, the Book of Common Prayer and a rich ceremonialism in worship. The unconditional restoration of the king cut the ground from beneath the presbyterians, and through the summer and autumn of 1660 they were left trying to negotiate on the basis of an agenda set by the episcopalians and the court. Their failed attempt to assert themselves by securing statutory status for the Worcester House declaration in November 1660 greatly offended the king, paving the way for the imposition of a narrow episcopalian settlement by the Cavalier Parliament.

Citation

Fincham, K., & Taylor, S. (2023). The English Presbyterian Conundrum of 1660-1. The Seventeenth Century, 38(6), 969-987. https://doi.org/10.1080/0268117X.2023.2276601

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 20, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 14, 2023
• Publication Date: Dec 14, 2023
• Deposit Date: Dec 1, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 15, 2023
• Journal: The Seventeenth Century
• Print ISSN: 0268-117X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 969-987
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0268117X.2023.2276601
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1965198