Protestant Divergence in the Restoration Crisis

Abstract

Recent studies of the Stuart Restoration have recovered the importance of religion as a factor in the history of the period. One provocative product of this approach is Jonathan Scott’s thesis that moves to exclude the Catholic James, Duke of York, from succession to the throne reflected a wider ‘Restoration Crisis’, characterized by shifting ideas and allegiances, which defies ‘party’ analysis. Two theological controversies which erupted in 1680 reveal tensions between three divergent and ultimately irreconcilable ecclesiological themes which were a feature of Early Modern English Protestant theology. Whilst in each Christ was acknowledged as head of the church they differed as to whether this authority was mediated through the magistrate or the bishops or whether the individual had immediate conscientious access to divine leading. In the 1680 disputes variants of these three positions were adopted by leading figures within both the Church of England and Dissent. The fissures did not, however, run neatly along expected lines. The analysis provides theological parallels to the political flux identified by Scott. Under the pressure of events, a complex polarization was occurring which suggests that examples of common cause over exclusion did not reflect theological reconciliation.