Nonjuring schism

Split in the Anglican church of the 17th and 18th centuries over whether William III and Mary II could legally be recognised as sovereigns

The Nonjuring schism refers to a split in the established churches of England, Scotland and Ireland, following the deposition and exile of James II and VII in the 1688 Glorious Revolution. As a condition of office, clergy were required to swear allegiance to the ruling monarch; for various reasons, some refused to take the oath to his successors, William III and II and Mary II.