2 - Laud, the Bishops and Royal Policy in Scotland, 1633–37

Summary

On 3 July 1634, Laud was at his desk in Lambeth Palace, writing one of his regular letters to Thomas Wentworth, Lord Deputy of Ireland. He was accustomed to penning lengthy missives to Wentworth, but this particular letter was uncharacteristically short, for which Laud apologised. He explained that he could not immediately attend to Irish business because ‘I was fain to write nine letters yesterday into Scotland.’ The archbishop then added, ‘I think you have a plot to see whether I will be universalis episcopus, that you and your brethren may take occasion to call me Antichrist.’ One of Laud's frequent attempts at humour, this comment nevertheless confirms his active engagement in the religious affairs of Scotland, which will be the topic of this chapter. Historians of Caroline Britain have shown that a policy of religious ‘uniformity’ or ‘congruity’ was pursued across the Stuart multiple kingdoms and that Laud was a constant source of ecclesiastical advice for the king in English and Irish church affairs. Still, the role of Laud in Scotland remains relatively under-explored. This chapter seeks to redress the balance by exploring the archbishop's interactions with the Scottish episcopate, the men tasked with the practical implementation of royal policy, without whose assistance and co-operation nothing would have been possible. The discussion will be broken into four key themes. The chapter will begin with an assessment of the Caroline episcopate in Scotland to identify the calibre of the men appointed to the episcopal bench under Charles I and what, if any, were their associations with Laud. The second section will consider episcopal agency in affairs beyond the church, to establish how and why the Scottish bishops’ powers were enhanced during the 1630s. The third section will consider, in brief, the key aspects of ecclesiastical policy in which Laud and the Scottish bishops were deeply involved, prior to the development of the prayer book and canons, which will be discussed in detail in chapter 3. A final section will discuss the measures deployed to enhance the material and financial position of the Scottish church.