Legal Definitions - Five Mile Act

The Five Mile Act was a significant historical law passed in England in 1665. This legislation specifically targeted Puritan ministers who refused to pledge an oath affirming their loyalty to the established Church of England and promising not to seek its alteration or overthrow. Under the terms of the Act, any such non-conforming minister was prohibited from teaching in schools or coming within five miles of any city, town, or corporate borough where they had previously served as a minister. The primary goal of this law was to suppress religious dissent and prevent Puritan leaders from maintaining influence over their former congregations or communities. The Five Mile Act remained in effect for over two decades before it was officially repealed in 1689.

Here are some examples illustrating the impact of the Five Mile Act:

• Imagine Reverend Samuel, a respected Puritan minister who had served a thriving congregation in the town of Bristol for many years. When the Five Mile Act was passed, Reverend Samuel conscientiously refused to take the required oath, believing it compromised his religious principles. As a direct consequence, he was forced to leave Bristol and forbidden from residing or working anywhere within a five-mile radius of the town. This meant he could no longer preach to his former flock, teach local children, or even visit friends and family who lived within the prohibited zone, effectively severing his ties with the community he had served for decades.

• Consider the plight of Mr. Elias, a Puritan minister who, after being ejected from his parish in a market town, had begun earning a modest living by tutoring children in a nearby village. However, if that village fell within five miles of his former parish, and Mr. Elias refused the oath, the Five Mile Act would immediately make his teaching illegal. He would be forced to abandon his livelihood and seek work much further afield, potentially in an unfamiliar area, demonstrating how the Act not only restricted movement but also severely impacted the economic stability and professional opportunities of dissenting ministers.

• Picture Reverend Thomas, a Puritan minister who had been removed from his church in a small borough. Years later, a close friend and former parishioner living within that borough fell gravely ill and requested Reverend Thomas's spiritual comfort. Despite his desire to provide solace, the Five Mile Act legally prevented Reverend Thomas from entering the borough or approaching within five miles of it, because he had not taken the oath. This illustrates how the Act created significant personal and pastoral hardships, isolating ministers from their communities even in times of great need, and reinforcing the government's control over religious expression.