The American Founders were familiar with the historic situation in Scotland during the Reformation and before the Act of Union with Great Britain. The Presbyterian Church led by John Knox (1514–1572) had ruled as a virtual theocracy, enforced conformity throughout the land, persecuted Catholics, burned heretics, and had even manipulated the effective deposition of Mary Stuart (Queen of Scotts; 1542–1587), who was beheaded by Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603).
Moreover, in England the Civil War (1642–1649) was a dark chapter in the history of Great Britain as well as a lesson on the evils of war, particularly religious wars. It also emphasized the incendiary role that state religions play in war, religious zeal, and savagery.
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