Debated in Parliament in May-June 1714, and becoming law on 1 August 1714, the Schism Act was a High Tory attempt to prevent Catholics and Dissenters from running their own denominational schools. Under the Act all teachers had to apply for a licence to teach, and the grant of such a licence would be conditional upon their taking Holy Communion in an Anglican church at least once each year, abjuring transubstantiation and swearing the Oath of Allegiance. Fortunately perhaps, Queen Anne died on the day the Act came into force and George I did not enforce it. It was repealed in 1719.
98 words
Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Schism Act". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 February 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1709, accessed 23 November 2024.]