Hampton Court Conference

Overview

The Hampton Court Conference was held in January 1604 at Hampton Court Palace, near London, England. King James I summoned bishops of the Church of England (part of today's Anglican Communion) and clergy of Puritan sympathies to discuss reforms of worship and church order. Most of the reforms the Puritans requested were not adopted. However, the conference resolved to undertake a new English translation of the Bible, and the result was the King James Bible, published in 1611.

Background

Under Elizabeth I, the Church of England embraced the theology of the Reformation while retaining much of the episcopal system and traditional ceremonies. The Puritans were Reformed Protestants who sought to "purify" the church more thoroughly, and their name derives from this aim. Regarding the remaining ceremonies as having weak scriptural warrant, they had long pressed for reform.

In 1603 James VI of Scotland succeeded to the English throne as James I. Because Scotland had a strong Presbyterian tradition, the Puritans placed their hopes in the new king. That year, as the king traveled to London, Puritan clergy presented him with the so-called Millenary Petition. Claiming the support of a thousand ministers, the petition sought changes in the following matters:

• The sign of the cross in baptism
• The rite of confirmation
• The wearing of clerical vestments
• The problem of non-preaching clergy

Proceedings

The conference is reported to have met over three days, on January 14, 16, and 18, 1604. On the first day the king met separately with the bishops. On the second day the Puritan representatives attended, among them John Rainolds of Oxford and Laurence Chaderton of Cambridge. The established church was represented by John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Richard Bancroft, Bishop of London.

During the discussions Rainolds proposed a new translation of the Bible, and the king accepted the proposal. The king is said to have disliked the marginal notes (commentary printed alongside the text) of the Geneva Bible, which was then widely read by Puritans and ordinary believers. He reportedly felt that some of these notes could be taken to justify disobedience to royal authority. The king directed that the new translation carry no partisan marginal notes.

When the Puritans advanced arguments suggestive of Presbyterian church polity, the king is said to have defended the episcopal system with the words "No bishop, no king." The phrase is often quoted as expressing his conviction that episcopacy upheld royal authority.

Results and Influence

• Bible translation: Following the conference's decision, scholars undertook the translation, and in 1611 the King James Bible, also known as the Authorized Version, was published. For centuries afterward it served as the standard Bible of English-speaking Protestantism.
• Revision of the Prayer Book: The Book of Common Prayer (the official service book of the Church of England) received some revisions in 1604. One example is the addition of questions and answers on the sacraments to the catechism (the question-and-answer manual for instruction in the faith). Nevertheless, the ceremonies to which the Puritans objected were largely retained.
• Enforcement of conformity: After Whitgift died following the conference, Bancroft became Archbishop of Canterbury. The Canons of 1604 were enacted, requiring clergy to observe the prescribed ceremonies, and some Puritan ministers who refused lost their positions.

Assessment

The conference has traditionally been regarded as a defeat for Puritan demands for reform. According to one interpretation, tensions between the Puritans and the established church deepened afterward, eventually leading some Puritans to leave the Church of England. Other historians, however, view the conference from the outset less as a head-on confrontation than as a forum for moderate accommodation. They also point out that some demands, such as strengthening the preaching ministry, were partially met.

The King James Bible left a profound mark on the faith and literature of the English-speaking world, and the conference is remembered as its starting point. The translation is also frequently mentioned in the Korean church, which was influenced by English-speaking churches and missionaries. In particular, within the Bible translation debate, where some hold the King James Bible to be the only authoritative translation and others criticize that position, the conference is cited in connection with the translation's origins.