A Brilliant, Brilliant, Suggestion

Early in the reign of Protestant Queen Elizabeth I, the English Parliament introduced The Act of Uniformity which included the Recusancy Laws that were initially aimed at the Catholics but eventually applied to all citizens. By this Act, Elizabeth I made it a legal obligation to attend church every Sunday and those who refused were fined one-shilling, which was about a weeks wages for a servant or farmhand.


Throughout the 17th Century the Recusancy Laws got tougher and tougher:

• 1593, movement of recusants was restricted to within five miles of their homes.
• 1605, convicted recusants were forced to receive Anglican communion once per year or pay a fine
• 1605, recusants barred from office and professions.
• 1678, recusants barred from parliament.
• 1692, recusants incur double land tax.
• 1699, recusants barred from purchasing or inheriting land.

Of course we are way beyond that sort of thing today. There is not a civilized person anywhere in the world who would call for a reintroduction of the Recusancy Laws and tax people who failed to attend church on Sunday - or is there?

Christian love and tolerance

More honored in the breach than in the observance