I tell people the Church of England endorses gay marriage now. They used to be against homosexuality. But they also used to execute witches. People say that's just not true. But it is. Henry VIII formed the Anglican Church in 1534. And in 1541 Henry passed the Witchcraft Act (33 Hen. 8. c. 8 ), which made witchcraft punishable by death. (The act was finally repealed in 1736).