August 24, 1662, This Day in Christian History: The Act of Uniformity was an Act passed by the Parliament of England. It prescribed the form of public prayers, administration of sacraments, and other rites of the Established Church (Anglican) of England, following all the rites and ceremonies and doctrines prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer. Adherence to this was required in order to hold any office in government or the church, although the edition of the Book of Common Prayer prescribed by the Act was so new that most people had never even seen a copy. It also required episcopal ordination for all ministers which had been abolished by the Puritans after the English Civil War along with many other formal features of the Church. Two thousand Puritan pastors who do not accept this Act had to vacate their pulpits, becoming known as non-conformists. Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Posted on: Sat, 24 Aug 2013 11:10:04 +0000