1533年至1540年間,英格蘭國王亨利八世從羅馬教廷手中取得英格蘭教會的控制權,這是英格蘭數十年來宗教緊張的開始。英國天主教徒在一個由新近分離並日益發展的英格蘭新教教會主導的社會中掙扎。亨利的女兒伊莉莎白一世在位時提出了伊莉莎白女王宗教解決方案(英语:Elizabethan Religious Settlement),以應對日益加劇的宗教分歧,該方案要求任命到公共或教堂辦公室任職的任何人宣誓效忠擔任教會和國家元首的君主。拒絕的處罰是嚴厲的;處以罰款以追討罪名,重犯者有可能被監禁和處決。天主教被邊緣化了,但是儘管遭受酷刑或處決的威脅,牧師仍繼續秘密地行使其信仰。
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