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Islam is not the only religion that has sought to take political power, or believed that it should be possible to create a theocracy. In the 17th century, Christians in the British Isles and North America attempted to follow the examples of 16th century European radicals of contrasting types, while attempting to learn from their mistakes - first in Scotland, and then Cromwell tried to impose just such a rule in the rest of the country. At the same time, millenarian groups planned a religious, political and social revolution to usher in the return of Christ; while others argued for something akin to communism. And even after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, there were sects, such as the Quakers, whose faith had a radical impact on their politics. Nor is Christian radicalism dead today - it has influenced politicians ever since.

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History of religions

Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	Lion Hudson
Date de parution	20 avril 2018
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780745980409
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

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"The Christian Church – particularly the Protestant bit of it – is particularly adept at bifurcation. This was never more evident than in the seventeenth-century. Whittock leads us through the luxuriant undergrowth of politico-religious fragmentation and rival sincerities. His book well deserves to be set alongside Christopher Hill’s classic The World Turned Upside Down ."
Derek Wilson, historian and author
Also by Martyn Whittock
A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages
A Brief History of the Third Reich
The Viking Blitzkrieg (with Hannah Whittock)
A Brief Guide to Celtic Myths and Legends
Christ: The First 2000 years (with Esther Whittock)
1016 & 1066 (with Hannah Whittock)
Norse Myths and Legends (with Hannah Whittock)

Text copyright © 2018 Martyn Whittock
This edition copyright © 2018 Lion Hudson IP Limited
The right of Martyn Whittock to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by
Lion Hudson Limited
Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Business Park,
Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 8DR, England
www.lionhudson.com/lion
Hardback ISBN 978 0 7459 8041 6
Paperback ISBN 978 0 7459 8042 3
e-ISBN 978 0 7459 8040 9
First edition 2018
Acknowledgements
Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders and obtain permission to reproduce this material.
Scripture quotations taken from the Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved.
Extracts from The Book of Common Prayer, the rights in which are vested in the Crown, are reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Cover images: Mayflower © nicoolay/iStockPhoto.com;
map © bauhaus1000/iStockPhoto.com
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Dedication
In memory of John Whittock of Rode (Somerset) and Thomas Whittock of Frome (Somerset); accused in the Constables’ Presentments of being for "rebellion" and "riot" during the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685; perhaps the last uprising of the godly in England.
In memory of Gustaphus Adolphus Whittock, baptized at Hemington (Somerset) in May 1693; named after one who was greatly admired among the saints.
And to David Bowater and Chris Scorer, who share my interests in theology, politics, and history. With thanks for their friendship.
Martyn Whittock
Contents
Acknowledgements
Timeline of key events
Introduction
1. Roots of Radicalization
2. "The World Turned Upside Down!"
3. North of the Border: A Very Scottish Godly Rule
4. A Godly War?
5. Hunting Down the Enemies of God
6. The "Rule of the Saints" in Ireland
7. Social and Political Justice for the Common Man? The Levellers
8. A Very English Kind of Communism: The Diggers
9. "God’s People Must Be a Bloody People!" The Fifth Monarchy Men
10. Not Very Quiet Quakers!
11. Cromwell and the Rule of God
12. The End of the "Good Old Cause"
13. A New Jerusalem in the New World?
14. The Legacy of the Godly in Britain
15. The Legacy of the Godly in North America
Notes
About the author
Glossary
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Tom Morgan, David Bowater, and Chris Scorer for reading and commenting on sections of the book. I am also grateful to my alma mater, Bristol University, and also the British Library, for use of their excellent collection of books relating to seventeenth-century history and, in the case of the latter, copies of the original pamphlets. I also wish to thank Robert Dudley, my agent, and Ali Hull, Jenny Muscat, and Jessica Tinker at Lion Hudson for all of their encouragement and support. It goes without saying that all errors are my own.
Timeline of key events
1603: Death of Queen Elizabeth I; accession of King James VI and I
1604: Hampton Court Conference: monarch to continue to rule the church through bishops
1611: Authorized – or King James – Version of the Bible published
1616: First English Baptist church founded at Southwark
1618: Five Articles of Perth forced on Scottish kirk by King James
1620: Mayflower sails to North America with the Pilgrim Fathers
1625: Death of King James VI and I, accession of King Charles I
1629: Start of "Eleven Years Tyranny" (to 1640): Charles I rules without Parliament
1630: Winthrop Fleet: 700 godly colonists sail to North America
1636: Start of Pequot War in New England: massacre of Native Americans by Puritan settlers
1637: Riot in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, against royal imposition of Book of Common Prayer
1638: Signing of the Scottish National Covenant
Bishops abolished in Scotland; Presbyterianism established as national church system
1639–1640: Bishops’ Wars in Scotland
1640: Start of the "Long Parliament" (lasts until 1660)
1641: Abolition of royal Court of Star Chamber Abolition of royal right to raise Ship Money Start of Irish Uprising
1642: Start of British Civil Wars
1643: Parliament forms alliance with Scottish Covenanters Parliament promises to reform the Church of England along Presbyterian lines in exchange for Scottish military assistance
1644: Scots Army of the Covenant marches into England to fight King Charles I
Publication of Calvinist Baptist London Confession of Faith Start of witch hunts in East Anglia, led by Matthew Hopkins (lasts until 1646)
Start of laws banning Christmas festivities
1645: Execution of Archbishop Laud
Formation of New Model Army
1646: Abolition of episcopacy (bishops) in England and Wales Parliament agrees to set up a limited Presbyterian system in England (eventually fails)
Charles surrenders to Scots (who eventually sell him to English Parliament in 1647)
1647: Publication of Westminster Confession of Faith
George Fox begins Quaker movement
Putney Debates between Levellers and Parliamentary army commanders, led by Cromwell
Charles signs secret treaty to get Scottish support and promises to establish Presbyterianism in England, initially for three years
1648: "Pride’s Purge" of the "Long Parliament"; replacement with "Rump Parliament"
Cromwell defeats the Scots at the Battle of Preston Cambridge Platform establishes Puritan forms of church government in New England
1649: Execution of Charles I; House of Lords abolished; republic declared
Start of the Commonwealth (lasts until 1653)
Diggers occupy St George’s Hill, Surrey
Irish rebels place their armies under royal control
Leveller mutineers executed at Burford church
Start of Parliamentary campaigns in Ireland, led by Cromwell
Start of Ranter movement
A new Witchcraft Act becomes law in Scotland
Sieges of Drogheda and Wexford, many Irish civilians slaughtered
1650: Treaty of Breda, Charles II accepts the Solemn League and Covenant, to get Scots support
Cromwell defeats Scots at Battle of Dunbar
Last Digger community broken up by force
1651: Defeat of the Royalist-Scots alliance at the Battle of Worcester
Start of Fifth Monarchy movement
1652: Act for the Settlement of Ireland transplants huge numbers of Irish to Connacht
1653: End of British Civil Wars
John Lilburne, Leveller leader, imprisoned for life
Cromwell ends sitting of "Rump Parliament"
"Barebone’s (or "Nominated") Parliament"
Start of the Protectorate (lasts until 1659)
End of Parliamentary campaigns in Ireland; huge numbers of Irish dead
1654: Widespread Quaker preaching campaign across southern England
1655: Rule of the major-generals (lasts until 1657)
1656: Quaker, James Nayler, arrested for blasphemy in Bristol
1657: Cromwell turns down offer of the crown
Failure of Fifth Monarchist plot against Protectorate (another plot crushed in 1659)
1658: Death of Oliver Cromwell, succeeded by his son Richard as Lord Protector
1659: End of the Protectorate
1660: Restoration of King Charles II
Execution of regicides
1661: Fifth Monarchist uprising in London (Venner’s Revolt) Restoration of episcopacy (bishops) to Church of England Corporation Act bans Separatists from holding public office
1662: Act of Uniformity: all ordained clergy must accept the doctrines and liturgy of the Church of England
1665: Five-Mile Act prohibits Nonconformist ministers from living within five miles of any church they had held before the act
1673: Test Act bans Catholics from holding public office
1675: King Philip’s War in New England, deaths of many Native Americans
1676: Gerard Winstanley, Digger leader, dies as a Quaker
1680: Last Covenanter revolt crushed: the "Killing Time"
1685: Monmouth Rebellion
1691: New England Puritan colonies finally brought under royal control
1692: Start of Salem witch hunts in New England
Introduction
T his book was inspired by two particular experiences. The first occurred when I was writing my third-year dissertation at the University of Bristol over thirty years ago. Entitled "‘The Sword Drawne’: Christian Dissent and Politics 1649–1666, Particularly in the Fields of Millenarianism and Antinomianism", 1 it examined the ideas of some of the groups of Christian radicals during the period of the Civil Wars in seventeenth-century England and Wales. Ever since then I have been fascinated by these radicals who tried to impose "godliness", as they saw it, and "the rule of the saints" on a society dislocated by the upheaval of civil war and regicide. The second formative experience was co-writing Christ: The First 2000 Years with my youngest daughter, Esther. 2 In the chapter entitled, "King Jesus and the heads upon the gates!" I once more made the acquaintance of these radicals (both on the Continent and in Britain). Indeed, the chapter title was taken from a battle cry of the Fifth Monarchy Men in London,