the age of reason
...ith understanding in 1690. In the early years of 1660 - 1700 the restoration brought many changes to England. The Anglican church became the established church and the Puritans were ousted from both government and church positions. Charles II permitted the theaters closed by the Puritans, to reopen. In 1662 Charles chartered the Royal society, through making scientific activities and investigations official. The society required the scientific method.. Not everything ran smoothly. Soon a spirit of licentiousness characterized the behavior of the court and the nobility Charles attempted to restore some of the privileges of the Catholics and himself became a Catholic on his deathbed in 1685. By his first marriage, James had two daughters, both of whom had been raised as Protestants. The elder, Mary, and her husband William were offered the throne as joint rulers, and in 1688 William crossed the English Channel with a small army. James escaped to France. As a result of this glorious revolution, William and Mary were crowned in 1689. They accepted the Bill of Rights that limited the power of the crown and reaffirmed the supremacy of Parliament. After Mary’s death, William was the sole ruler until he died in 1702. London suffered two major disasters in rapid succession. In 1665 plaque ran rampant through the city killing 70,000 of its inhabitants. Soon after the disease spread, a fire broke out in June 16...