The Church of England is referred to as the "established church" of England. At the time of the American Revolution, it was a legal requirement in England that all public officials, including university professors, take an oath to uphold the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. This is what the Constitution is referring to when it says in Article VI that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States" and in the Bill of Rights when it says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." | The Church of England is referred to as the "established church" of England. At the time of the American Revolution, it was a legal requirement in England that all public officials, including university professors, take an oath to uphold the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. This is what the Constitution is referring to when it says in Article VI that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States" and in the Bill of Rights when it says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." |