King Charles of England 		January 30
Charles was the second son of James VI of Scotland, who became James 1 of England. He was born in Scotland in 1600 and came to England after his father’s accession. Charles was delicate as a child, though in later life he became quite robust and a good horseman. A studious person, he had interests ranging from theology to plays; he also had a taste for music and painting.
Charles succeeded his father on 27 March 1625, becoming “Supreme Governor” of the Church of England under the Elizabethan Act of Supremacy. He found among the church leaders an Arminian party that was moving away from the strict Calvinism of the Puritans towards a theological position closer to traditional western Catholicism in doctrine and style of worship. He used and abused his power and authority to foster them and to advance and promote high churchmen, notably William Laud. Laud had become Bishop of St David’s in 1621 and was successively translated to Bath and Wells, London, and Canterbury.
One result of Charles’ politically inept championship of episcopacy was increasing political opposition, culminating in the Long Parliament of 1640 and the civil war that erupted in England in 1642. Charles’ abduction, trial and eventual execution by fanatical leaders of the army on 30 September 1649 made a martyr of an incompetent politician. Whatever may be said of his indecision, faithlessness and imprudence in public affairs, he maintained in private life a character of high moral standard, even of beauty.
In 1661 a form of prayer commemorating the execution of King Charles was drawn up for use on 30 January each year. Its inclusion in the Book of Common Prayer underlines the mind-set of the triumphant royalists and episcopalians of the Restoration. The service was removed from the Prayer Book in 1859.
For Liturgical Use
King Charles, born in 1600, succeeded to the throne of England in 1625. He staunchly resisted the rising power of parliament and incorporated in his resistance a strong adherence to episcopal control of the church. He promoted an Anglicanism more traditionally Catholic than the prevailing Calvinism. Opposition between king and parliament erupted in civil war. The king was eventually executed by the army in 1649. Although a man of high moral character and piety, Charles was a victim of his political ineptitude.
Sentence
Your kingdom, O Lord, is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures from age to age.		Psalm 145:13
Collects
Almighty God,
ruler and sustainer of all things in heaven and earth,
you gave to King Charles of England
courage patiently to endure to the end for his beliefs;
grant us a like willingness to suffer for the truth,
to the glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ, our king and our Redeemer.

Eternal God,
we remember before you Charles,
King of England;
may we prize the authority you give us
and use it wisely
Psalms 	20 	21
Readings
Wisdom 6:1-11 	Responsible authority
1 Peter 2: 13-17 	Respect your rulers
Matthew 20:20-28		True leadership
Post Communion Sentence
Let all the ends of the earth remember and turn to you O Lord, for you are the ruler over the nations. 		Psalm 22:27,28