The members of the established church and Roman
Catholics adhered to the state church as it had been for them in
the past. Atheism had a bad reputation. In 1662, the Jews
established the first synagogue in London. The Privy Council
recognized their religious status as long as they were peaceful
and obeyed the laws. They engaged in pawn-broking as well as
money-lending.
There were various statutes enacted over the course of time
regarding religion, as follows:
All ministers, school teachers, mayors and other town officials,
including magistrates, were required to take the oaths of
allegiance and supremacy [of the King over the church] or be
removed from office.
A great number of people refused to come to their parish church or
other public place where common prayer and sacraments were
administered and the word of God was preached according to the
established church. The morning and afternoon Sunday services with
sermons, sometimes by guest preachers, continued. So factions and
schisms developed. In response, the king changed the Book of
Common Prayer and its prayers were required by statute in 1662 to
be read by some priest or deacon in all the churches and places of
public worship wherever and whenever there was any preaching or
lecturing. Attendance at one's local parish church was never again
required.
As of 1665, no nonconformist minister, i.e. one who endeavored any
alteration of government either in church or state, was allowed to
live or visit within five miles of any corporate town or any place
where he had acted as minister or forfeit 40 pounds.
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