NONCONFORMISTS. - During the reign of Elizabeth of England (1558-1603), the name of N. was given to those who had not conformed to the doctrine and ritual practice of the Anglican Church. It was applied at first to the Puritans, then it extended to the Independents and Congregationalists, and at present all those who dissent (v. DISSIDENTI) from the official Church of England are included under this name (e.g., Baptists, Methodists, Adventists). Catholics, on the other hand, were called rather by the derogatory name of papists and sometimes, in more recent times, by the more exact one of Roman Catholics. But in a stricter sense the name of N. was given to the Presbyterian and Independent ministers who, having received ecclesiastical benefices and offices during the English Revolution (1643-60), refused to conform to the new decrees for the re-establishment of the Anglican Church and were subjected to very severe laws.
Between 1643 and 1660, the era of the triumph of the Puritans and Independents, enemies of the episcopal system and of Anglican doctrines, the bishops and ministers of the Anglican Church were driven from their sees and replaced with Puritan ministers. Once the monarchy and the official Church were re-established in 1660, Parliament decreed (25 Dec. 1660) that the Anglican ministers driven out by the revolution be restored to their offices and benefices; and by another decree of Aug. 1762, called the Act of uniformity, all ministers had to accept the doctrines of the Prayer book (v. BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER), conform to its liturgy and be consecrated by Anglican bishops. All those who did not adhere to these decrees were expelled from their parishes and deprived of their benefices. According to some, there were 2000 ministers who refused to submit, according to others they did not exceed 800. In 1665, by another decree, the Five-Mile Act, nonconformist ministers were ordered to live five miles away from the place where they had been ministers, or from the cities that had representation in Parliament. These draconian laws were mitigated first by the Declaration of indulgence of King James II and, after the revolution of 1688, abolished for Protestants, remaining in force for Catholics until 1829 and for Jews until 1858.
Bibliography2 works
Camillo Crivelli