Act of Uniformity 1662

Act of Uniformity 1662
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Short title	Act of Uniformity 1662
Long title	An Act for the Uniformity of Publique Prayers and Administracion of Sacramentes & other Rites & Ceremonies and for establishing the Form of making ordaining and consecrating Bishops Preists and Deacons in the Church of England.
Statute book chapter	14 Cha. 2. c. 4
Territorial extent	Kingdom of England
Royal assent	19 May 1662
Commencement	24 August 1662
Related legislation	Act of Uniformity 1549, Act of Uniformity 1552, Act of Uniformity 1559
Status	Repealed
Repealed	1863

Act of Uniformity 1662 was a pivotal statute of the Parliament of England that mandated exclusive use of the Book of Common Prayer in all religious services, thereby defining the doctrine and liturgy of the re-established Church of England following the Restoration of the monarchy. It required all clergy, university fellows, and schoolmasters to swear an oath of unfeigned assent to everything contained within the revised prayer book, leading to the mass ejection of those who refused, an event known as the Great Ejection. The Act was a central component of the Clarendon Code, a series of laws designed to secure the supremacy of the Anglican church and marginalize Dissenters and Puritans, profoundly shaping the religious and social landscape of England.

Background and historical context

The Act emerged from the political and religious turmoil of the English Civil War and the subsequent Interregnum, during which the Church of England was disestablished and Puritan forms of worship became dominant. Following the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, the Cavalier Parliament sought to restore a uniform national church and erase the legacy of the Commonwealth. The Savoy Conference of 1661, convened between Anglican bishops led by Gilbert Sheldon and Presbyterian ministers, failed to reach a compromise on revisions to the Book of Common Prayer, hardening the resolve of the High Church party. This failure, combined with the political influence of Lord Clarendon and a desire for revenge against Parliamentarian forces, created the impetus for a stringent legislative settlement.

Provisions of the Act

The Act's core provision was the requirement that every minister use only the revised Book of Common Prayer of 1662 in all services of public worship, with any deviation punishable by legal penalties. It demanded that all clergy, as well as fellows and tutors of Oxford and Cambridge, and all schoolmasters, publicly declare their "unfeigned assent and consent" to everything contained within the prayer book. Furthermore, the Act required episcopal ordination for all ministers, invalidating the Presbyterian ordinations conducted during the Interregnum. Clergy were also compelled to renounce the Solemn League and Covenant and swear oaths of allegiance and supremacy to the Crown.

Impact on the clergy

The enforcement of the Act on St. Bartholomew's Day 1662 precipitated the Great Ejection, where approximately 2,000 ministers who refused to comply were expelled from their benefices in the Church of England. Prominent ejected ministers included Richard Baxter, Thomas Manton, and John Howe. This purge effectively created a permanent body of Dissenters or Nonconformists, who were thereafter barred from holding any public office or teaching positions under the subsequent Conventicle Act 1664 and Five Mile Act 1665. The ejections devastated many parish communities and entrenched a religious divide that persisted for centuries.

Consequences and legacy

The Act solidified the Church of England as a exclusively episcopal and liturgical church, decisively rejecting Presbyterian and other Puritan influences. It institutionalized religious discrimination, leading to the persecution of Nonconformists under the Clarendon Code and shaping English society into a clear hierarchy of Anglican conformity versus dissenting minority. The legacy of the Great Ejection fostered the growth of organized Dissenting denominations, such as the Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists. Its restrictions were gradually lifted by acts like the Toleration Act 1689, but the Act's requirement for use of the Book of Common Prayer remained legally binding on the established church until its final repeal in 1863.

Related legislation

The Act of Uniformity 1662 was the cornerstone of the Clarendon Code, a series of punitive laws that included the Corporation Act 1661, the Conventicle Act 1664, and the Five Mile Act 1665. It followed earlier Acts of Uniformity enacted under Edward VI in 1549 and 1552, and under Elizabeth I in 1559. Its spirit of religious coercion was later mitigated by the Toleration Act 1689 following the Glorious Revolution, though full civil disabilities for Nonconformists were not removed until the Test and Corporation Acts were repealed in the 19th century.

Category:1662 in law Category:Acts of the Parliament of England Category:Church of England law Category:History of Christianity in England Category:1662 in England