Catholic hopes and Protestant fears : ‘toleration talk’ in Elizabethan and early Stuart England

This thesis focuses on bringing Catholic voices to the forefront of toleration history. The scope of this work examines the formulation of toleration ideas within the petitions, treatises, and other contemporary texts produced by Catholics in the reign of Elizabeth I and James I in England. Histories of toleration have tended to gloss over these periods and particularly the extent to which Catholics developed innovative approaches to the concept of toleration. A critical aspect of this thesis is examining discussions of toleration within their political and religious context. In doing so, this thesis analyses the nexus of connected words and concepts which Catholics employed in different genres and modes as they attempted to elicit toleration. Placing toleration argument within the context in which they were produced allows us to see the extent to which Catholics formulated a language of toleration malleable enough to fit the changing circumstances. Whether in times of persecution, monarchical and regime changes, or new dictates from Rome, English Catholics were much more unconventional and opportunistic than they have been given credit for. Working within the context of historical ‘moments’ rather than attempting to analyse toleration over a broad chronological scope, this thesis argues that Catholic approaches to toleration can be understood conceptually, and in some cases practically, as being malleable rather than rigid. Focusing on context and eliminating the draw towards conceptualising toleration as a singular phenomenon, this thesis broadens the toleration narrative to incorporate a spectrum of contemporary approaches to toleration. Though our view of toleration being a significant idea in these periods may be eclipsed by the violence and persecution which occurred, in such hostile and volatile moments the need for Catholics to develop nuanced and innovative ideas for eliciting toleration should not come as any shock. Rather, such realities should draw us into exploring the extent to which the history of toleration can be understood in its proper context