The aim of this research is to examine the nature of Charles I’s ideal church in 1630s by analysing the Scottish Book of Common Prayer imposed upon the kirk in 1637. We have no better key to the nature of Charles’s ecclesiastical policies of 1630s in their British context than the Scottish prayer book of 1637. Charles introduced the book without any discussion with the Scottish general assembly which had been regarded as the final authority over the kirk since the Reformation. The Scottish Book of Common Prayer contained many Catholic elements even though it resembled to the English common prayer in its outfit and content structure. The Scottish liturgy inclined more to Catholic practice than the English liturgy did. What Charles wanted was to establish a british ‘uniformitie and decencie’ in the worship and eucharist. In order to achieve this aim, he wanted to restore altar in the east end of every churches, and establish the Eucharist ceremonies based upon the theory of transubstantiation. Charles found the Catholic practice of rites and ceremonies more acceptable in order to establish ‘uniformitie and decencie’. The king shared his ecclesiastical vision with William Laud, the archbishop of Canterbury from 1633. We have no clear evidence that Charles had these ecclesiastical policies to gain any political benefit. He was a deeply committed religious person. The king clearly explained in the preface to the Scottish prayer book that he intended it to lead to British uniformity. The king had a plan of British uniformity which envisaged Scotland and England being brought into conformity with his own ideal, not to the Church of England. We cannot rule out the possibility that the king would have imposed the new prayer book on England, if it had not been rejected by the Scots. All these explain why Charles I had to face the armed opposition from the Scots.

The aim of this research is to examine the nature of Charles I’s ideal church in 1630s by analysing the Scottish Book of Common Prayer imposed upon the kirk in 1637. We have no better key to the nature of Charles’s ecclesiastical policies of 1630s in their British context than the Scottish prayer book of 1637. Charles introduced the book without any discussion with the Scottish general assembly which had been regarded as the final authority over the kirk since the Reformation. The Scottish Book of Common Prayer contained many Catholic elements even though it resembled to the English common prayer in its outfit and content structure. The Scottish liturgy inclined more to Catholic practice than the English liturgy did. What Charles wanted was to establish a british ‘uniformitie and decencie’ in the worship and eucharist. In order to achieve this aim, he wanted to restore altar in the east end of every churches, and establish the Eucharist ceremonies based upon the theory of transubstantiation. Charles found the Catholic practice of rites and ceremonies more acceptable in order to establish ‘uniformitie and decencie’. The king shared his ecclesiastical vision with William Laud, the archbishop of Canterbury from 1633. We have no clear evidence that Charles had these ecclesiastical policies to gain any political benefit. He was a deeply committed religious person. The king clearly explained in the preface to the Scottish prayer book that he intended it to lead to British uniformity. The king had a plan of British uniformity which envisaged Scotland and England being brought into conformity with his own ideal, not to the Church of England. We cannot rule out the possibility that the king would have imposed the new prayer book on England, if it had not been rejected by the Scots. All these explain why Charles I had to face the armed opposition from the Scots.