24 May 1689

The English Parliament passes the Act of Toleration protecting dissenting Protestants but excluding Roman Catholics.

This act, formally known as the “Act for Exempting Their Majesties’ Protestant Subjects Dissenting from the Church of England from the Penalties of Certain Laws,” was passed by the Parliament of England in 1689. It was enacted in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution and aimed to address the religious conflicts that had long plagued England. The Act granted religious freedom and toleration to dissenting Protestant groups who were not members of the Church of England, such as Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Baptists. It allowed these dissenters to worship in their own chapels and hold their own religious services, although they still faced certain restrictions and had to register their places of worship. The Act did not extend tolerance to Catholics or Unitarians, and it maintained the Church of England as the established church.