Revival of the Heresy Acts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Act of Parliament |
|
|
|
| Citation | 1 & 2 Ph. & M. c. 6 |
|---|---|
In November 1554, a new law called the Revival of the Heresy Acts was passed. This law brought back three older laws that were against heresy. Heresy means believing things that go against the official teachings of a religion.
The three old laws were:
- One from 1382 by King Richard II.
- Another from 1401 by King Henry IV.
- And a third from 1414 by King Henry V.
These three laws had been cancelled earlier by King Henry VIII and King Edward VI.
Why was this law needed?
Queen Mary I became queen after her brother, Edward VI. Mary was a strong Roman Catholic. She believed that Protestants, who had different religious views, were heretics.
During the reigns of her father, Henry VIII, and her brother, Edward VI, England had started to change its official religion. This change was called the Reformation. Queen Mary wanted to bring England back to the Roman Catholic Church.
She felt there were too many people with different religious beliefs. She also felt she didn't have enough power to deal with them. So, she needed this new law to help her enforce her religious policies.
What did the law say?
The Revival of the Heresy Acts made it clear that the three old laws were active again. It said that these laws would be fully in force from January 20, 1555, and would stay that way forever. The main goal was to stop and prevent "errors and heresies" that had become common in England. It also gave religious leaders the power to act against people who held these different beliefs.
When was the law cancelled?
This law did not last "forever" as it stated. The Revival of the Heresy Acts was cancelled just five years later, in 1559. It was repealed by a new law called the second Act of Supremacy.
See also
