Historical and Commemorative
Medals
Collection of Benjamin Weiss
ARCHBISHOP SANCROFT AND THE SEVEN BISHOPS BOWER, George: England, 1688, Silver, 51 mm In 1672, Charles II of England joined Louis XIV of France in issuing the Declaration of Indulgence, which suspended all penal laws against Catholic recusants as well as Protestant dissenters who did not adhere to the doctrine of the Church of England. The English Parliament, however, compelled him to withdraw this declaration, putting in its place laws requiring anyone entering public service in England to take the Anglican sacrament. In 1687, his successor, the openly Catholic James II, issued a new Declaration of Indulgence which exempted Catholics, Protestants, Unitarians, Jews, Muslims, and people of any or even no faith from penalties which were based on their religious (or non-theist) convictions. Further, he required his bishops to read this document to the bishops' parishioners. However, William Sancroft, (1617-1693), archbishop of Canterbury, wrote a petition against the reading of the Declaration of Indulgence. This petition was signed by himself and six bishops. For this action they were all imprisoned in the Tower of London. Henry Compton, the Bishop of London, because he opposed the policy of James II was relieved from his positions on the Council table and Deaner of the Chapel Royal and was suspended from the execution of his episcopal office. This medal commemorates the action taken by William Sancroft and his fellow bishops in refusing to read James II's Declaration of Indulgence.LINK to Biography and Portrait of William Sancroft (from Wikipedia) LINK to the Seven Bishops (from Wikipedia) LINK to portraits of the Seven Bishops Committed to the Tower in 1688 (from Wikipedia) LINK to the Declaration of Indulgence of King James II (from the Jacobite Heritage by Noel S. McFerran) LINK to article on
Medallic History of Religious and Racial Intolerance
(by Benjamin Weiss)
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