The Religious Situation in England

During the 1500's, the Roman Catholic Church was shaken by the Reformation. Protestant churches came into existence all over Europe, including England. In England's case, the final breach with Rome came after the pope refused to grant the request of King Henry VIII to have his first marriage dissolved. The English church separated from Rome, and in 1534 the English Parliament officially recognized Henry as the "Supreme Head on earth, immediately under God, of the Church of England." His daughter Elizabeth, born in 1533, was brought up a Protestant, and after becoming Queen Elizabeth I, she gave the Anglican Church a strong Protestant character. Nevertheless, there were smaller Protestant groups that did not agree with the prevailing Anglican Church. Many of these came to be called Puritans because they wished to purify the Anglican Church of any vestige of Roman Catholicism. One Puritan group was held to be especially radical, as they broke away from the church hierarchy of bishops and priests. They considered their congregation to be completely independent, under the rule of their own elders.

Queen Elizabeth feared that she would lose her grip on the people if the Puritans were not held in check. She therefore introduced severe legislation against them. In spite of this, the various Puritan groups continued to meet, but secretly, in private homes. The Puritans also distributed many religious pamphlets expounding their beliefs. The London Puritans appointed their own body of elders, consisting mostly of suspended Anglican ministers. The groups that gave up on reforming the Anglican Church and broke away from it were referred to as Separatists.

King James I, Queen Elizabeth's successor, followed her religious policy, threatening to "harry [the Puritans] out of the land." At the same time, he commissioned a new English translation of the Bible--the King James Version, completed in 1611. This new version motivated many people to examine the Bible. The result? Even more people began to differ with the State church. What would you have done if you had lived in those days? Do you think that under the threat of persecution, you would have adjusted your religious beliefs? Would you have held to your convictions firmly, regardless of the cost? Many Puritans did and refused to compromise.


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