1105_weiss_ART_seven bishops 2_Numimatist Redo 4/12/11 3:40 PM Page 48 G R O . A I D E P I K I W . W W W

: N O I T A R T S U L L I

Badge of Intolerance

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MEDALS BY BENJAMIN WEISS ANA 1210909

Archbishop William Sancroft and seven bishops were honored on a 17th-century medal for their refusal to support religious diversity.

eligious bigotry Religion & The Monarchy has a long and sordid In 1509 Henry VIII married history, a nd to this day Catherine of Aragon, the Cath- R it remains alive and olic daughter of Ferdinand II well. It is spread verbally and of Aragon and Isabella I of through various forms of Castile. Their union was in- media, from ancient scrolls to tended to solidify an alliance Internet blogs and even with Catholic Spain. Unfortu - medallic art. While medals nately, Catherine could not promoting religious intolerance conceive the son Henry de - abound, this article focuses on a sired, and he determined to di -

specimen related to an incident vorce her. The Pope, however, for - S S I that occurred in 17th-century Eng - bade the separation. Not easily E W

N I

land during the reign of James II. deterred, Henry broke with the M A J

church in Rome in 1534 and es - N E B

:

ᮣ tablished the Church of England, L

ARCHBISHOP WILLIAM SANCROFT (obverse) A D E

and the six bishops (reverse) who supported with himself as its head. Many M his refusal to read the Declaratio n of Indul - Catholics who refused to ac - gence are pictured on a silver medal en - knowledge his “supremacy” graved by George Bower and issued in 1688. were burned at the stake. Henry Compton, bishop of London, was in - Upon Henry’s death in 1547, cluded on the reverse rendering (center), Edward VI (Henry’s son with but was not imprisoned and is not shown his third wife, Jane Seymour) in the painting at the left. Actual Size: 51mm succeeded to the throne. Ed - ward, a devout Protestant, Centuries of Intolerance died after six years of reign. Religious prejudice in Eng - He had willed the crown to land dates back as far as the Lady Jane Grey to exclude, un - reign of King Edward I, who, in successfully, his Catholic half sister, 1290, ordered all Jews expelled Mary I. (Mary, Henry’s daughter from the country. This edict re - with Catherine of Aragon, earned mained in force for almost 400 her appellation “Bloody Mary” years, until Oliver Cromwell ruled archy started during the reign by having many English Protes- the Commonwealth as Lord Pro - of Henry VIII (1509-47) and con - tants slaughtered.) tector (1653-58). tinued for more than a century. Although allegiance to the Pope The long history of conflict Unlike in France, where the domi - in Rome was irrevocably severed between Roman Catholics and nant Catholics persecuted the during Henry VIII’s reign, Eng - Protestants can be traced to the Protestants, in England the Angli - land’s more formal separation Protestant Reformation, which can Church gained the upper from Roman Catholicism took German priest and theologian hand, resulting in harsh punish - place during Elizabeth I’s time Martin Luther initiated in earnest ments for those who chose not on the throne. (Elizabeth was in 1517. The contention between to conform to the church’s reli - the daughter of Henry and his sec - the two Christian denominations gious precepts. ond wife, Anne Boleyn.) Under for control of the English mon- Elizabeth’s auspices, a new branch

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The English Parliament objected to Charles’ effort to promote religious tolerance and compelled him to withdraw the Declaration.

issued by Charles II in that it ex - empted Catholics, Protestants, Unitarians, Jews, Muslims and people of any or no faith from penalties based on their religious (or nontheist) convictions. Fur - thermore, James required his country’s bishops to read the doc - ument to their parishioners. William Sancroft (1617-93), the 79th archbishop of Canterbury, took exception to the Declaration G R O . and penned a petition against its A I D E

P reading. Sancroft and six of his I K I W

. fellow bishops signed the petition. W

W For this offense, they were con - W

: S

O fined to the Tower of London until T O H

P they eventually were acquitted and released.

Honoring the Opposition Several medals were issued in objection to the bishops’ impris - onment. The example shown here, engraved by 17th-century medalist George Bower and titled “Arch - bishop Sancroft and the Seven Bishops,” commemorates and supports the protest staged by William Sancroft, the six bish- ᮡ ENGLAND’S ACCEPTANCE OF CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANTS usually depended on who ops and Henry Compton, the was on the throne. Clockwise, from top left: Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, Elizabeth I, bishop of London. Charles II and James II. Although James II’s Declara - tion of Indulgence was designed of Western Christianity, called Catholic recusants, that is, those to grant individuals a degree of Anglicanism, developed. By the who did not attend the Church of religious tolerance, the medal pro - mid-17th century, the Church of England, as well as Protestant dis - moted the opposite. Clergymen England was independent of the senters who did not adhere to the often wore this medal, and others Roman pontiff and comprised Church’s doctrine. The English like it, around their necks in sup - a distinct Christian tradition, with Parliament objected to Charles’ port of the bishops, who were con - theologies, structures and forms effort to promote religious toler - sidered her oes. As the medal’s of worship representing a middle ance and compelled him to with - edge inscription SI FRACTUS ILL - ground between Roman Catholi - draw the Declaration, replacing it ABATUR ORBIS IMPAUIDOS FERI - cism and Protestantism. Other re - with laws that required anyone en - ENT RUINÆ (“If the Shattered ligions were not tolerated by Eng - tering public service in England to Universe Were to Fall, the Ruins lish bishops, who constituted the take the Anglican sacrament. Would Strike Them Undismayed”) Church’s hierarchy. In 1687 Charles’ successor, the sugge sts, they were unafraid of the But, in 1672, Charles II of Eng - openly Catholic James II, issued a penalties inflicted upon them land joined France’s Louis XIV in new Declaration of Indulgence by the Crown. A similar medal issuing the Declaration of Indul - (also known as the Declaration for struck in Holland intimated that gence. This historic document Liberty of Conscience). The revised their imprisonment was a tribute, suspended all penal laws against law went even furthe r than the one not a disgrace. Apparently then,

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These convictions were made more succinct, though no less absolute, in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

as often is the case now, in some First Amendment of the United either civil or military, under us circles religious intolerance was States Constitution, which states: or under our govern ment. worn as a badge of honor. “Congress shall make no law re - specting an establishment of reli - These sentiments have their The Aftermath gion, or prohibiting the free exer - counterparts in Article VI of the Two important consequences of cise thereo f…” U.S. Constitution, which states: this incident deserve mention. Similarly, the Declaration of First, in response to James II’s Indulgence eliminated the prac - The Senators and Representa - issuance of the Declaration of tices of swearing allegiance to the tives before mentioned, and Indulgence and his subsequent sovereign and requiring religious the Members of the several State marriage to his sec - Legislatures, and ond wife, the de - all executive and voutly Catholic judicial Officers, Mary of Modena, both of the United many turned against States and of the him. The Protestant several States, shall Parlia ment aligned be bound by Oath itself with James’ or Affirmation, to

G Protestant daughter support this Con - R O . A

I Mary (child of his stitution; but no re - D E P

I first wife, Anne ligious Test shall K I W . Hyde) a nd her hus - ever be required as W W

W band, William of a Qualification to

: O T Orange, who jointly any Office or public O H P assumed the throne Trust under the of England as Wil- United States. liam and Mary in the so-called Glorious We clearly are in - Revolution. This, in debted to James II, turn, led to the 1701 who issued his Dec - Act of Settlement, laration of Indul - which established gence in 1687, ex - the law, still on the ᮡ A 19TH-CENTURY PA INTING shows the bishops greeting the public actly 100 years be- books today, that after their acquittal on June 29, 1688. fore our own Consti - only Protestants can tution was estab - succeed to the English throne. tests for government office or em - lished. And, in a perverse way, Second, the 1687 Declaration ployment by stating: we should also be indebted to of Indulgence clearly influenced Archbishop Sancroft and the the writers of the United States’ And forasmuch as we are de - bishops whose demonstration of Constitution. James’ Declaration sirous to have the benefit of religious intolerance may have proclaimed “that we will protect the service of all our loving encouraged the framers of our and maintain the archbishops, subject s… we do hereby further own Constitution to codify into bishops, and clergy, and all other declare … that the oaths com - law words that would forever our subjects of the Church of monly called, The Oaths of Su - guaranty religious neutrality in England, in the free exercise of premacy and Allegiance , and also the newly formed United States their religio n , as by law estab - the several tests and declara - of America. Ⅵ lished, and in the quiet and full tion s… shall not at any time enjoyment of all their possessions, hereafter be required to be LEARN MOR E… without any molestation or distur - taken, declared, or subscribed by If you enjoyed this article, you also bance whatsoever.” These convic - any person or persons whatso - might like to read Weiss’ “Medallic tions were made more succinct, ever, who is or shall be employed History of Religious and Racial Intol - though no less absolute, in the in any office or place of trust erance” at bit.ly/h04x8Q .

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