JimBowie1958
Old Fogey
- Sep 25, 2011
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Most people today have no idea what a religious test was back in those times.
Since the British monarchy, even to this day, is the head of the Church of England, you could not be a member of the government without also being an Anglican.
So often times Protestants of other varieties and sometimes Catholics too would try to fake being an Anglican so they could get the government job and keep their true religion secret.
So the government would imposes tests in the form of taking an Oath to reject the doctrine of Transubstantiation along with taking communion under the control of the Church of England.
Test Act - Wikipedia
The Corporation Act of James I provided that all such as were naturalized or restored in blood should receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. It was not, however, until the reign of Charles II that actually receiving communion in the Church of England was made a precondition for holding public office. The earliest imposition of this test was by the Corporation Act of 1661 requiring that, besides taking the Oath of Supremacy, all members of corporations were, within one year after election, to receive the sacrament of the Lord's Supper according to the rites of the Church of England.
Test Act of 1673[edit]
This act was followed by the Test Act of 1673[1] (25 Car. II. c. 2) (the long title of which is "An act for preventing dangers which may happen from popish recusants"[2]). This act enforced upon all persons filling any office, civil or military, the obligation of taking the oaths of supremacy and allegiance and subscribing to a declaration against transubstantiation and also of receiving the sacrament within three months after admittance to office. The oath for the Test Act of 1673 was:
I, N, do declare that I do believe that there is not any transubstantiation in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or in the elements of the bread and wine, at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever.
The act was passed in the parliamentary session that began on 4 February 1673; the act is dated as 1672 in some accounts because the Julian calendar then in force held that the new year did not begin until Lady Day, or 25 March. The correct date using the modern Gregorian calendar is 1673.[3]
1678 Act[edit]
Initially, the Act did not extend to peers; but in 1678 the Act was extended by a further Act (30 Car. II. st. 2[4]) which required that all peers and members of the House of Commons should make a declaration against transubstantiation, invocation of saints, and the sacrament of Mass.[5] The effect of this was to exclude Catholics from both houses, and in particular the "Five Popish Lords" from the House of Lords, a change motivated largely by the alleged Popish Plot. The Lords deeply resented this interference with their membership; they delayed passage of the Act as long as possible, and managed to greatly weaken it by including an exemption for the future James II, effective head of the Catholic nobility, at whom it was largely aimed.[6]
Taking an oath on a Bible is not the same thing as a religious test as it is entirely symbolic. Making a point to not take it ona Bible is to either display affirmation of ones traditional faith or a rejection of Christianity. In the case of secularists it is merely a rejection of any legitimacy of Christianity, something atheists tirelessly remind us of every day.Test Act of 1673[edit]
This act was followed by the Test Act of 1673[1] (25 Car. II. c. 2) (the long title of which is "An act for preventing dangers which may happen from popish recusants"[2]). This act enforced upon all persons filling any office, civil or military, the obligation of taking the oaths of supremacy and allegiance and subscribing to a declaration against transubstantiation and also of receiving the sacrament within three months after admittance to office. The oath for the Test Act of 1673 was:
I, N, do declare that I do believe that there is not any transubstantiation in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or in the elements of the bread and wine, at or after the consecration thereof by any person whatsoever.
The act was passed in the parliamentary session that began on 4 February 1673; the act is dated as 1672 in some accounts because the Julian calendar then in force held that the new year did not begin until Lady Day, or 25 March. The correct date using the modern Gregorian calendar is 1673.[3]
1678 Act[edit]
Initially, the Act did not extend to peers; but in 1678 the Act was extended by a further Act (30 Car. II. st. 2[4]) which required that all peers and members of the House of Commons should make a declaration against transubstantiation, invocation of saints, and the sacrament of Mass.[5] The effect of this was to exclude Catholics from both houses, and in particular the "Five Popish Lords" from the House of Lords, a change motivated largely by the alleged Popish Plot. The Lords deeply resented this interference with their membership; they delayed passage of the Act as long as possible, and managed to greatly weaken it by including an exemption for the future James II, effective head of the Catholic nobility, at whom it was largely aimed.[6]
Were I in Saudi Arabi and asked to take an oath on a Quran I would not hesitate to do so.
