What Was the Restoration Church of England?

The article examines the intense ecclesiological controversy within the Church of England during the 1680s, sparked by two prominent sermons in 1680, which revealed deep divisions over the Church’s nature, authority, and relationship to the state. One faction, including figures like John Tillotson and Edward Stillingfleet, viewed the Church as a national society of Christians subject to civil authority, advocating for comprehension and accommodation of dissenters. In contrast, the so-called "High-Church-Men," such as Samuel Parker, Henry Dodwell, and George Hickes, argued that the Church was a divinely instituted, autonomous corporation with authority independent of the state, essential for salvation through episcopal succession and adherence to catholic norms. These theological and ecclesiological disputes predated the Glorious Revolution and influenced the later non-juror schism, as some clergy refused to accept state-imposed changes to episcopal authority. The controversy highlighted fundamental disagreements about the Church’s identity, governance, and soteriology rather than merely political factionalism.