Relationship between the monarch and the Kirk in the reign of King James VI Flashcards
(8 cards)
The Black Acts of 1584
The Black Acts of 1584 were the attempts of James VI to assert power and authority over the Kirk.
This was a reason for the difficult relationship between the monarch and the Kirk because it is an example of James trying to assert royal authority over Kirk, which made priests dislike him.
Where the General Assembly’s took place
James would have the General Assembly meetings take place in Perth or Aberdeen.
This was a reason for the difficult relationship between the monarch and the Kirk because James would choose places where he expected to have more support from ministers. The blatant manipulation from James at general assemblies made other ministers dislike him.
1597 Riot
1597 riot in Edinburgh after a sermon preached against the King. James VI had the ministers briefly imprisoned.
The King ordered that not minister was to be appointed without his consent, which went against the beliefs of the people within the Kirk, which made them dislike him.
Andrew Melville
In 1597, Andrew Melville was deposed as rector of St Andrews. He had been a harsh critic of James.
This made the relationship between the monarch and the Kirk difficult because his forceful removal of critics made priests turn against him.
Divine Right of Kings
The Divine Right of Kings was the belief James VI held that stated that he was appointed by God to rule Scotland and any insult against him was an insult against God. This also included that he was born to rule the church.
This made the relationship between the monarch and the Kirk difficult because it clashed with the Kirk’s belief of ‘the ministry of men’- the belief that Christ himself is in charge of the Kirk, not the King.
Second Book of Discipline
The Second Book of Discipline set out the vision of a Presbyterian Kirk. It established that the Kirk, not the King would run the Church.
This made the relationship between the monarch and Kirk difficult because it meant that James had less control over the Kirk, which angered him.
December 1596
As a result of the rebellion in December 1596, James fled from Edinburgh, which made him more determined to control the Kirk.
James realised the Kirk had enough power to challenge his authority, which created more tension between the monarch and Kirk.
James’ attendance to General Assemblies
James attended every General Assembly from 1597 to 1603.
This was a reason for the difficult relationship between monarch and Kirk because his overlooking at General assemblies pressured ministers to make the assemblies more agreeable to the King’s aims.
