Document B is an extract from “The causes of the English Revolution 1529 – 1642” by Lawrence Stone. Immediately we are told of how the source refers to the political and religious divide in Yorkshire at the outbreak of the Civil War, however is the county of Yorkshire representative to the ideas and beliefs for the rest of the country? This makes the superiority of the source somewhat invalid at this point. Further to the source Stone states how over one third of the Royalist Gentry were Catholic and over half of the Parliamentarians were Puritans. Although this clearly looks as if Religion is the main problem, Stone has given an example using two minority groups and argues the political lines by religious lines, and also misses out information such as the remaining 2/3 gentry were actually protestant. Yorkshire at that course in time was also far more catholic than any other county, so religiously this makes Stones argument seem more effective proving that Religion was the key factor. But Lawrence Stones information is very biased as to the information he wants to provide to make his own story for his target audience to back himself, this however means that information is very easily re interpreted in this source, and although states religion was a key factor, doesn’t provide any initial evidence to prove his accuracy.
Document C is an extract from “Revel Riot and Rebellion” by David Underdown, and at face value looks more like a Political conviction than a religious one, and this is backed by the first line,
“The Political Unity of 1640 foundered in the renewal of religious and cultural conflict.”
However we have to look deeper than the surface. The unity talked about is the Anti Court consensus of Laud, Hyde, and Wentworth, who are the group to blame for forcing the common prayer book upon Scotland, although this didn’t happen in due course. Scotland’s church was run by a committee of Presbyterian Bishops and when James was advised to force this Common Prayer Book upon Scotland, retaliation was sought after by the Scots who defeated every English advance and eventually Scotland defeated Wentworth’s army at Durham where they then demanded to be paid for staying in Durham. This clearly proves that religion was a factor into starting a Civil War, and that People were now more worried from the Scottish Puritan threat, than the standing Catholic threat from James II who looked for Absolutism. Underdown similar to Stone has also picked on one identity of a religious group, of which being the Puritans, and he uses this to show that religion is the main cause of war, however the Consensus group were the ones who originally suggested forcing the common prayer book upon a country of whom didn’t believe in the ‘common’ faith. He also states similar to Stone in source B of how the whole country is divided into communities who have strong believes for the care of politics and religion, but overall most Englishman were willing to just get on with life.
In Document D we are presented with an extract from “History of my own time” by Scottish Cleric and Bishop, Gilbert Burnet in 1687 who was a strong believer of religious tolerance. Gilbert states how the Test Acts were removed allowing the dispensing of power to Catholic individuals who were allegedly told to proceed arbitrarily against the clergy.
“…destruction of law by substitution of a dispensing power; with the institution an ecclesiastical commission, to proceed arbitrarily against the clergy…”
This begins to clearly show that James was trying to turn the country to Catholicism and supports the idea that religion was a key to causing Civil War. At this time parliament were mainly Tory, and although they knew James was Catholic, they had bigger fears for Civil war. This was because although they knew he was a crypto catholic, that he was very old and had no children to continue the reign of Catholicism and that this foreign religion would soon fade away.
Gilbert justifies that if James were to raise a standing army, that an invasion by his friend William of Orange would be completely justified and would not be treason as he would be a savour to the country. However this is political propaganda and is also an effect on the cause of the civil war as well as religion.
Document E is also an extract from Bishop Gilbert Burnets Book “History of my own time,” and begins by stating how the crusade to overturn James from William of Orange has been long awaited and that the time is right. This shows that the threat of Catholicism is high and that Britain want rid of this reinforcing the idea that religion is part of the cause for civil war. Gilbert goes on to talk about how there were many proceedings against bishops,
”…that the proceedings against bishops…”
These proceedings included the 17 Bishop Trials, where Bishops complained of how James had overthrown the Law of the Test Acts and allowed Catholics to become Officers in charge of a Protestant army, and placed Catholic officers even at sea. This shows the great resent for Catholicism and presents how James is trying to devastate the Anglican Faiths. Ironically James suddenly has a son appear form nowhere although he is very old and near the end of his reign and this further so proves that the Anglican faith is heading for the depths of Catholicism. This is an ideology that is very powerful and would have certainly aided towards the religious conviction of civil war. To reinforce this idea, Gilbert constructs his extract very carefully by linking the Catholicism and Slavery together. However Gilbert states how the whole nation is interested in politics to try and balance the argument out, but a majority of the nation didn’t follow politics at all.
