Great Persecution
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The term "Great Persecution" can refer to two distinct historical events.
In the context of Roman history, the Great Persecution was the final and most severe persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire. Initiated by Emperor Diocletian in 303 CE, it involved the destruction of churches, seizure of sacred texts, imprisonment of clergy, and execution of those who refused to renounce their faith. This persecution lasted for about a decade in the East.1
In English history, the Great Persecution refers to the period following the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660. The Act of Uniformity in 1662 led to the ejection of nearly 2,000 Puritan ministers. Subsequent acts, such as the Conventicle Act and the Five Mile Act, further restricted religious dissenters, transforming English Puritanism into Nonconformist Protestantism.2
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PuritanismOrigins and development in England…a period known as the Great Persecution. English Puritans made a final unsuccessful attempt to secure their ideal of a comprehensive church during the Glorious Revolution, but England’s religious solution was defined in 1689 by the Toleration Act, which continued the established church as episcopal but also tolerated dissenting groups.
Read More…a period known as the Great Persecution. English Puritans made a final unsuccessful attempt to secure their ideal of a comprehensive church during the Glorious Revolution, but England’s religious solution was defined in 1689 by the Toleration Act, which continued the established church as episcopal but also tolerated dissenting groups.
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ProtestantismThe Restoration (1660–85)…entered the period of the Great Persecution. The Conventicle Act of 1664 punished any person over 16 years of age for attending a religious meeting not conducted according to The Book of Common Prayer. The Five Mile Act of 1665 prohibited any ejected minister from living within five miles of…
Read More…entered the period of the Great Persecution. The Conventicle Act of 1664 punished any person over 16 years of age for attending a religious meeting not conducted according to The Book of Common Prayer. The Five Mile Act of 1665 prohibited any ejected minister from living within five miles of…
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