Catholicism in Eighteenth-Century England
February hath XXVIII Days
Rouze, Protestants, the Year of Wonder’s gone,
Great George is now establish’d on the Throne;
A Mighty Prince, by God for us prepar’d,
Us to preserve from Dangers greatly fear’d;
From Popery the Devil’s great Master Fear,
Where Men are Slaves, and Priests their Gods do eat . . .
(Mullan and Reid 2000, 173)
This poem, published in John Partridge’s almanac Merlinus Liberatus for 1717, shows the common feeling amongst the English Protestants towards Catholics. The term “Popery” was actually a hostile term for anything relating to Catholicism (Popery). Although many other countries in Europe were moving toward more modern, secular governments, the English were not prepared to let go of old prejudices so easily.
One of the problems between Protestants and Catholics in England was that the “self-image of the protestant elite comprised not only religious doctrine and providential history, but constitutional theory and a concern for cultural and economic improvement; the Catholic case represented a challenge in each of these areas” (McBride 2003). During the eighteenth century, Protestants in England felt that they had endured persecution from the Catholics and so justified their resentment and intolerance. This sentiment can be seen in anti-Catholic literature published during this period. The Kalendar, of the Cruelties of the Papists to Protestants also from 1717, reports:
July. Altho the Weather in this month was hot, yet the Persecution of poor Protestants by the Papists was much hotter, as you may see by following List of Martyrs who underwent fiery Trials, because they would not turn Papists and ...
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Jeanne de Jussie, a dedicated Catholic nun, recorded events that took place in Geneva during the Reformation as the official chronicler for the Saint Clare convent. Although littered with biases, Jeanne de Jussie’s experiences reflect broader trends during the Reformation; therefore, The Short Chronicle is a valid source and not merely a personal attack against the Protestants. Her experiences and beliefs, including those concerning celibacy, reflected those of many members of the Catholic Church during the Reformation. Also, her categorization of Protestants as ‘heretics’ was consistent with the practices of the Catholic Church. Although biased, her fears about Protestant views on celibacy and marriage were legitimate and consistent with
In The Voices of Morebath: Reformation and Rebellion in an English Village, renowned scholar Eamonn Duffy investigates the English Reformation. Duffy pears through the eyes of the priest of a small, remote village in Southwestern England. Using Sir Christopher Trichay’s records of the parish, Duffy illustrates an image of Reformation opposite of what is predominantly assumed. Duffy argues the transformation that took place between 1530 and 1570, through the transition of four monarchs, was much more gradual that many interpret. Even though state mandate religious change affected the community of Morebath, the change did not ensue the violence that is often construed with the Reformation. Sir Christopher Trichay’s leadership and his portrayal of community life, the development and removal of St. Sidwell, and the participation in the church through stores develop Duffy’s argument of appeasement rather than violence during the English Reformation.
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, vicars were under direct authority from Rome, and controlled the Roman Catholic Church of England. It was not until the early nineteenth century, under Pope Pius IX, that the Church decided to split England into several smaller districts, each headed by a bishop. London papers began following the growth and leadership change of the Roman Church in England. One article in The Times stated that "Rome had mistaken the High Church renewal, the Oxford Movement, within the Church of England for a Romeward move" (qtd. in Bowen 148). Several bishops tried to explain to The Times and its readers that the new hierarchy was simply a matter of church government and had nothing to do with politics or national life in England. The Roman Catholic Church thought that it would be better for their congregations to have a local bishop they could rely on, rather than having nearly all of the control in Rome.
In 1534, King Henry VIII formally instigated the English Reformation. He therefore passed the Act of Supremacy, which outlawed the Catholic Church and made him “the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England” (Roark, 68). Puritans were looking for a more Protestant church and received what they wanted. Along with it, came the King’s total control over the Church. This is what the Puritans didn’t want. Puritans believed that ordinary Christians, not a church hierarchy, should control religious life. They wanted a distinct line between government and the Church of England. Puritans also wanted to eliminate the customs of Catholic worship and instead focus on an individual’s relationship with God developed through Bible study, prayer, and introspection (Roark, 68).
2 Thessalonians was written to a group of Christians who were enduring persecutions and trials because of their faith. It was written to assure the Thessalonians that they would be given relief of all their suffering when Christ returned, if they remained faithful. Also, After receiving 1 Thessalonians, many members of the church believed that the Lord’s return would occur immediately so they “quit their jobs” and “those who kept their jobs were having to feed those who had not”(Ehrman, 268). Even more, it was written to underline that “the end was not yet to come”(Ehrman, 267). 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written bearing the name of the apostle, Paul. Even though 1 Thessalonians is an undisputed work of Paul, scholars are divided on the authenticity of authorship of 2 Thessalonians. Many scholars believe that 2 Thessalonians is a pseudepigrapha. However, its acceptance into the canon, the eschatological theme, and its similarity in context to 1 Thessalonians supports authenticity of the Pauline authorship.
Pastor, Ludwig. The History of the Popes from the Close of the Middle Ages: Drawn from the
The first peer reviewed paper is by Laura A. Hunter titled, Explaining Atheism: Testing the Secondary Compensator Model and Proposing an Alternative. The second peer reviewed paper is by Harvey Hill titled, American Catholicism?: John England and "The Republic in Danger". Some similarities about Atheism and Catholicism is that both have a large following. They both have morals and codes for their followers to abide by. Both are recognized as religions and celebrate holidays and traditions. Both religions have faced much hate due to their morals and followers. Both religions are extremely forgiving and knowledgeable of other religions. They both also are accepting of each
Since promoting birth control was still illegal in many states, the FDA approved the hormone pills for menstrual disorders, such as irregular periods or PMS. By 1960, the FDA had approved the first oral contraceptive tablet, Envoid, and by 1965 millions of women were on “The Pill”. That same year, the Supreme Court struck down state laws that prohibited contraception use, though only for married couples. Unmarried people were out of luck until 1972, when birth control was deemed legal for all (Seigel). The Pill was not without critics. Many people pointed to the contraceptive as the trigger that changed society. The fact that its rise coincided with feminism and the sexual revolution added fuel to the fire. “Some African-American leaders were especially critical of the Pill, claiming that it was being peddled in their community for the purpose of a “black genocide”(NIBH). However, nothing stopped the Pill from catching on. The Pill was an international revolution as well. Today, more than 100 million women worldwide use the Pill to prevent pregnancy. Yet access to safe and effective birth control still isn’t a universal privilege. A report from the Guttmacher Institute in 2012 found that 222 million women in developing countries want to use birth control, but are not currently able to access modern contraceptives (GLOWM). Even in the U.S., there has been a political push to restrict access. The rise of “religious bills” has also meant that hospital employees, pharmacists, and employer’s religious views on birth control can refuse to fill prescriptions or cover employee’s insurance coverage for contraception. History has shown that women and men will risk their lives or reputations for effective birth control. Restricted access to contraceptives does not necessarily mean that women will not be able to prevent pregnancies, but
Lack of proper benefits and healthcare also keeps many of these women from being allowed to access abortion or contraceptives and in many cases if they’re already lacking the resources to obtain those, then its going to be that much harder for them to raise a child without those necessities. This absence of healthcare and benefits covering abortion or contraceptives is because many corporations and employers with pro life political views, or who are fiscally greedy have chosen not to provide women with that type of healthcare according to recent findings (Brown, 2013) (Associated Press, 2008). These corporations have had much support from the pro-life advocates and conservative politicians. In recent years Republican politicians have voted and pushed for employer discrimination rights against female employees using contraception or who’ve had abortions regardless of what laws are in place or what public opinion is. They’ve pushed for female employees to be required to notify employers if they’ve had an abortion or intend to have one or if they are using contraceptives or other similar services,
People buy health insurance to cover their medical expenses because accidents and health problems can arise at any time. Many health services are not reaching the medical needs of women and giving them exactly what they need and people don’t realize that there is more to birth control then what it seems. There are a lot of benefits from birth control and it is not just women trying to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Some examples of these benefits include; healthier skin, stopping menstrual flow, and preventing pelvic inflammatory disease. Society needs to be more aware of these benefits so that these women start getting the medical attention that they need. Therefore, birth control should be 100% covered by all insurance companies.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XI Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company by K. Knight Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Stanley, George Edward. Pope John Paul II: Young Man of the Church. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2005. Print.
The renaissance and the reformation were two of the most significant changes in history that has shaped our world today. Both of these great time periods are strikingly similar in some ways and totally different in others. This is because the renaissance was a change from religion to humanism whether it is in art or literature; it is where the individual began to matter. However, the reformation was,” in a nutshell,” a way to reform the church and even more so to form the way our society is today. The first half of this paper will view the drop in faith, the economic powers, and the artistic and literary changes during the renaissance, while the second half will view the progresses and changes the church makes during the reformation.
1946 saw the birth of the Baby Boom era with more than 3.8 million babies born in that year alone.The baby boom lasted until 1964, when we saw a drastic decrease in births. This sudden and very beneficial decline could in part be attributed to the availability of birth control. Birth control, otherwise known as “contraceptives,” are very useful to many women (62%). While birth control is seen by many as a great advantage, those who disagree with it still view contraceptives as taboo or a violation of a sacred right. Contraceptives, not only help in healthy family planning, but also have many beneficial side effects for women’s health, there for the government should keep funding Birth Control as well as places that help women receive contraceptives
Pollen, John Hungerford. "The Jesuits During the Interim (1773-1814)." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 23 Mar. 2014 .