39. Chapter 35: The Conflict Between Catholics and Protestants Continues, 1667-1690

CHAPTER 35 The Conflict Between Catholics and Protestants Continues, 1667-1690

1. Political Motives Are Now Up­permost The various wars which raged in Europe between 1555 and 1648 were religious wars. Although po­litical motives had by no means been lacking, the main issue in these wars was the religious issue between Catholics and Protestants. The wars after 1648 were politi­cal wars, because from that time on political motives were uppermost. However, the religious issue be­tween Catholics and Protestants was still very much alive.

2. Louis XIV Persecutes the Hugue­nots By 1648 Spain had lost its place as the most powerful country in Europe. The Dutch Republic was enjoying its golden age, and the Dutch and English were keen rivals for supremacy in commerce and sea power. Germany was exhaust­ed by its Thirty Years War. The foremost power in Europe at this time was France.

France, a Catholic country, had in Louis XIV an unusually ambi­tious king. It was Louis’s life-long aim to extend the boundaries of France. He wanted especially to add to his realm Spain, the Nether­lands, and the lower Rhine valley belonging to Germany. He also wished to humble England. As a despotic ruler Louis XIV hated Protestantism, particularly Calvinism. He realized that Cal­vinism is the strongest bulwark of religious and political liberty.

King Henry IV had granted free­dom of religion to the Huguenots in the Edict of Nantes. In 1685 Louis revoked the Edict and a frightful persecution of the Protestants in France followed. Thou­sands of Huguenot families fled to Holland, Germany, England, and America. There they were received with open arms and did much to strengthen Calvinism in these coun­tries.

We shall read more about the French Huguenots in chapter 44.

3. William III Comes to the Rescue of England In the same year that Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, James II became king of England. He was a Catholic, and, as we have seen, it was his highest ambition to bring England back into the fold of the Roman Church. James plotted with Louis XIV to bring this about. The future of Protes­tantism hung in the balance. Reli­gious and political liberty were at stake. In the previous century Wil­liam I of the Netherlands, known to history as William the Silent, had been the champion of Protes­tantism and liberty against the ty­rant Philip II of Spain (ch. 32, sec. 5) . Now in this dark hour William III of the Netherlands came for­ward as the champion of Protes­tantism against Louis XIV of France. His wife, Mary was the daughter of James II. In their dis­tress the English appealed to Wil­liam. Accompanied by an army he crossed the sea from Holland in 1688 and drove out his father-in-law, James II. He and Mary were crowned king and queen of Eng­land. The next year James made an attempt to regain his throne. He landed in Ireland supported by a French army. The people of south­ern Ireland, the majority of whom were Catholics, took the side of James. The people in northern Ire­land were Protestants and stood by William. Because of this they were called Orangemen. In 1690 the de­cisive battle of the Boyne took place. James waited on a hill, watching the battle from a safe distance. When he saw that his army was utterly defeated he rushed pell-mell down the hill and fled to France. William, on the other hand, showed great courage and leadership. Although wounded, he led his soldiers in person. An Irish officer cried to one of Wil­liam’s soldiers, "Change kings with us and we’ll fight you over again." As a result of his brave and de­termined stand Dutch William had saved Holland, England, and Amer­ica for Protestantism and liberty against the Catholicism and des­potism of Louis XIV of France and James II of England. After this there were no more wars in which the religious differences be­tween Protestants and Catholics were the main issue.

4. England Enjoys a Measure of Religious Toleration When William and Mary were crowned king and queen of Eng­land, four hundred members of the clergy of the Church of England, among them seven bishops, refused the oath of allegiance to the new sovereigns. They were deprived of their office.

Religious toleration was now granted to all Protestant Dissent­ers. By the Toleration Act of 1689 freedom of worship was granted to those who were willing to: (1) swear the oath of allegiance to Wil­liam and Mary; (2) reject the ju­risdiction of the pope, transubstan­tiation, the mass, the invocation of the Virgin and saints; and (3) sub­scribe to the doctrinal portions of the Thirty-nine Articles. Various denominations of Protestant Dis­senters could exist freely and open­ly alongside the established and endowed Episcopal Church of Eng­land. The Dissenters — Presbyte­rians, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Quakers — formed about one-tenth of the population of England at this time. The Act of Toleration did not cover the Roman Catholics or those who denied the Trinity.