1642년에 시작된 잉글랜드 내전이 서서히 전개되면서 종교의 자유는 정치 및 시민적 자유 못지않게 폭발적인 논쟁의 대상으로 대두 되었다. 1640년 11월초에 장기의회가 로드 대주교의 종교일원화 정책 및 그가 세운 교회 체제들을 뿌리체 없애려고 한 시도와 함께 전쟁이 터지면서 장기의회 안에서 상당한 수의 의원들이 종교관용 정책을 핵심 의제로 삼고 여러 방면으로 노력했다. 필자는 의회 일지와 1647년 종교관용 법안 전문을 중심으로 기존 연구들에서 그동안 사용되지 않았던 이 법안과 깊은 관련이 있는 39개조 신앙 조항과 웨스트민스터 성직자 총회가 만든 신앙고백을 세밀하게 검토 하는 한편, 1647년 8월에 독립파의원들의 성공적이고 안전한 런던 재진입과 의회 장악의 일등공신이었던 신형군의 영향력을 조금 더 구체적으로 고찰한다. 이후, 이 종교관용 법안을 통해 독립파 의원들이 구상했던 종교자유의 정확한 범위를 파악하고 복잡하게 얽혀진 군과의 동맹관계가 이 과정에서 어떠한 역할을 했는지를 살펴본다. 또한, 잉글랜드의 독립파 청교도 의원들이 과연 어떠한 새로운 종교 자유의 범위를 설정하고 종교적 정체성을 만들었는가를 분석한다.

This article explores the broader issue of religious liberty during the English Revolution by analyzing in detail a toleration bill proposed and passed by the parliament in the autumn of 1647. Riding on the back of the triumphant New Model Army, the Independent MPs adopted a series of resolutions that secured generous toleration for their supporters in October of 1647. While recognizing the recently established Presbyterian Church as a national institution, the bill legally permitted the religious practice of separatists who could not conform to Church’s doctrinal, liturgical, or other requirements. Considering that no such provision was extended to nonconformists at the official level since the introduction and establishment of Christianity in England as its official religion, the bill signified a watershed in the religious history of the country. One of the crucial questions that needs to be addressed concerning the bill was whether it represented what the Independent MPs had wanted all along as their policy on toleration. Following somewhat nonchalantly the argument of Whig historians, Revisionists have argued that the bill contained provisions which the Independent MPs did not like but which were the result of a compromise with the Presbyterian MPs. Hence, the toleration bill of 1647 was a half-baked scheme, not completely meeting the demands of the majority of Independents both inside and outside the parliament. By studying in detail the parliamentary debates and contests over procedure surrounding the bill, this article seeks to demonstrate that the bill indeed represented the wishes of most Independents, who sought a moderate form of toleration. For the most part, religious liberty as envisioned by them did not entail a universal form of toleration as found in England today. This article also examines the process of alliance formation to show how the need of the majority of moderate Independent MPs to secure and sustain a working rapport with the parliamentary army necessitated the appeasement of radical soldiers and officers. By placing the doctrinal stipulations of the toleration bill under the microscope, this article suggests that the adoption of only a portion of the Thirty Nine Articles was a tactical move on the part of the parliamentary Independents. While most of them would have wanted to keep a tight rein on the more radical members of the Puritan community, the demands of the New Model Army pushed in them in a more liberal direction. The toleration bill and the English Revolution represented a key moment in the history of religious liberty in England as it set a precedent that was never irrevocably overturned subsequently.

This article explores the broader issue of religious liberty during the English Revolution by analyzing in detail a toleration bill proposed and passed by the parliament in the autumn of 1647. Riding on the back of the triumphant New Model Army, the Independent MPs adopted a series of resolutions that secured generous toleration for their supporters in October of 1647. While recognizing the recently established Presbyterian Church as a national institution, the bill legally permitted the religious practice of separatists who could not conform to Church’s doctrinal, liturgical, or other requirements. Considering that no such provision was extended to nonconformists at the official level since the introduction and establishment of Christianity in England as its official religion, the bill signified a watershed in the religious history of the country. One of the crucial questions that needs to be addressed concerning the bill was whether it represented what the Independent MPs had wanted all along as their policy on toleration. Following somewhat nonchalantly the argument of Whig historians, Revisionists have argued that the bill contained provisions which the Independent MPs did not like but which were the result of a compromise with the Presbyterian MPs. Hence, the toleration bill of 1647 was a half-baked scheme, not completely meeting the demands of the majority of Independents both inside and outside the parliament. By studying in detail the parliamentary debates and contests over procedure surrounding the bill, this article seeks to demonstrate that the bill indeed represented the wishes of most Independents, who sought a moderate form of toleration. For the most part, religious liberty as envisioned by them did not entail a universal form of toleration as found in England today. This article also examines the process of alliance formation to show how the need of the majority of moderate Independent MPs to secure and sustain a working rapport with the parliamentary army necessitated the appeasement of radical soldiers and officers. By placing the doctrinal stipulations of the toleration bill under the microscope, this article suggests that the adoption of only a portion of the Thirty Nine Articles was a tactical move on the part of the parliamentary Independents. While most of them would have wanted to keep a tight rein on the more radical members of the Puritan community, the demands of the New Model Army pushed in them in a more liberal direction. The toleration bill and the English Revolution represented a key moment in the history of religious liberty in England as it set a precedent that was never irrevocably overturned subsequently.

Toleration Bill, Long Parliament, Presbyterian Party, Independent Party, New Model Army, Thirty Nine Articles