The Tragedy of 1662

In these days of spiritual ignorance in the country and doctrinal laxity in the church, many Anglicans look back to former times with a certain degree of wistfulness. One date lingers in the collective Anglican memory as suggestive of a golden era: 1662. Yet 1662 was not a good year for those to whom the gospel and a good conscience were more precious than the institutional church. Hundreds of 'evangelical' puritan ministers were forced to leave the Church of England. Persecution of "dissenters" such as Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, and John Owen continued for a quarter of a century as they were banned from preaching and their like-minded congregations forbidden to meet. This study examines the reasons for the Great Ejection and Persecution, and the things modern day Anglicans and Free Churches can learn from these easily neglected events. Lee Gatiss is Associate Minister of St. Helen's, Bishopsgate in the City of London and Editor of The Theologian: The Internet Journal for Integrated Theology at www.theologian.org.uk. Having read Modern History at New College, Oxford and trained for Anglican ministry at Oak Hill Theological College he completed a curacy in Northamptonshire before moving to London. He is a member of the Latimer Trust Theological Work Group and the Editorial Board of the journal Churchman.