1. Reasons for and impact of religious change
Background:
Condition of the church
Traditional historians: Dickens and Elton -> the pre reformation church was in serious need of
reform. Henry’s political reformation was successful because his attacks on the church
coincided with decline in support of the catholic church and protestant beliefs.
Revisionists: Scarisbrick and Haigh have argued opposite. Traditional religion was no exhausted
but adapting itself to meet new changes and conditions.
Opposition to the church
Lollards Lutherans Humanists Tyndale’s English Bible
▪ John Wycliffe’s ▪ Based on ideas of ▪ Laymen and clergy ▪ Opposed
ideas from 1300s Martin Luther ▪ More and Erasmus: weakness and
▪ Bible in English and ▪ Strong opposition leading humanists failings of the
reduced church to catholic tradition ▪ Wanted subtle church
power reform of church. ▪ Published his
▪ No longer an ▪ They opposed English Bible in 1525
influential force radical ▪ Executed in 1536 by
▪ Pockets of Protestantism catholic agents
Lollards in rural
southern areas
Key people:
Thomas More
▪ Lawyer and humanist minister, Lord chancellor who denied Henry’s authority over the
church
John Colet
▪ Humanist priest who pushed to reform the catholic church
Hugh Latimer
▪ Bishop of Worcester, executed in 1555 for protestant beliefs
William Tyndale
▪ Humanist scholar, translated the Bible into English: executed in 1536 by catholic agents
The king’s great matter:
During the first years of Henry’s reign he was a committed Roman catholic.
Defended the catholic faith against Protestantism -> pope rewarded title of ‘Fidei Defensor’
meaning defender of the faith.
Causes for the break from Rome
Henry’s desire for a male heir Henry’s conscience
▪ Annul marriage with Catherine of A ▪ He believed his marriage was against
▪ Pope did not grant this annulement God’s law
▪ He wanted a male successor
, ▪ Leviticus said ‘if a man should take his
brother’s wife… they will be without
children’
Role of Anne Boleyn State of the church
▪ She refused to be his mistress and fell ▪ Replaced Wolsey with layman Thomas
pregnant 1536 More
▪ Henry wrote Anne a series of ▪ Influenced by Anne Boleyn’s
passionate love letters which give us a association with reformist writers
sense of his growing infatuation with such as Tyndale and Simon Fish, who
Anne advocated the role of the state in
controlling the church and criticized its
corruption
Henry’s desire for revenue
In 1525 Henry wanted to invade France but had no money.
If he could gain control of the church then new funds would be available for foreign policy.
Religious ;legislation in the 1530s and 1540s
The reformation parliament 1529-1536
Described as most important parliament in the nation’s history.
▪ Parliament met in November 1529.
Parliament did little for 2 years
Arguments for this failure:
▪ Some say king was unable to find a solution due to indecisions and that he lacked a
determined and clear thinking Chief Minister (Cromwell came after 1532)
▪ Other argue Henry needed to prepare for the break from Rome by developing the
concept of sovereignty (independence) and testing the resistance of the clergy
▪ Of the 22 statues passed only 3 dealt with ecclesiastical affairs and the others were
concerned with matters of land tenure and trade.
Attacking the church to weaken resistance
January 1531: Henry used the statute of praemunire against the clergy of southern England
▪ Threat was lifted when in seeking a general pardon they promised to pay a grant of
£100,000
The clergy had requested a clearer statement of their liberties when asking for a pardon,
but Henry responded by demanding to be recognised as the Sole Protector and Supreme
Head of the English Church.
▪ Convocation refused to accept this claim
Act of restraint of Annates 1532
Passed allowing only 5% of money normally remitted to Rome.
Purpose: to put pressure on the Pope
This was set to stop the payment of Annnates – first year’s income from a bishopric to the
pope
,Submission of the clergy was passed in convocation.
Terms:
▪ Only meet at the king’s command
▪ Could enact no ecclesiastical legislation without royal consent
▪ Royal assent was to be sought for existing legislation
The Royal Supremacy
The independence of the church of England from papal authority was established in a
series of Acts of parliament in 1533 and 1534.
Date Event & Description
April 1533 Act in Restraint of Appeals:
No appeals to be made from England to Rome in any matters concerning
wills, marriage, or payments to the church
March 1534 Act of Dispensations:
Ordered an end to any payments to Rome.
Act for the Submission of the Clergy:
Repeated details of the Submission of 1532.
First Succession Act:
Declared the succession of the throne lay first with the male heirs of
Anne Boleyn and then of any following wife. After them the crown would
go to the Princess Elizabeth and finally to their daughters that may be
born.
Autumn 1534 The Act of Supremacy:
Declared that Henry was the supreme head of the church in England,
thereby severing any links with Rome.
Treason Act:
Made it high treason to threaten Henry, Anne or his heirs in words, writing
or to deny him his titles or to accuse him of being tyrant or heretic.
Acts of First Fruits and Tenths:
The first year’s income from church offices and a tenth of all clerical
income was to be paid to the king. This system established a permanent of
high taxation for the clergy.
February Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser monasteries:
1536 The smaller monasteries (worth under £200) were closed down.
July 1536 Act of Ten Articles:
The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic doctrine were rejected, leaving a
belief in only three: baptism, the Eucharist and penance. A clear move
towards Protestantism.
Religious changes
Religious changes that took place between 1530 and 1534:
Date & event Description
1530
May – William Tyndale’s vernacular Bible burnt An attack on heresy against Catholicism
, December- Clergy as a whole accused of Attacked the power of the Catholic church
Praemunire to exercise power through ecclesiastical
courts.
1531
February- clergy pardoned of Praemunire Henry was paid a fine of £119,000 in return
Charges for his pardon
Convocation of Canterbury Marked how far the church was willing to go
recognised Henry as head of in allowing Henry more power.
the Church
1532
March- First act of Annates Banned the payment of annates to Rome.
Supplication of the Ordinaries • Clergy were to enact no church law
without royal permission.
• Existing church law to be examined by
a royal commission.
May- Submission of the Clergy The clergy accepted the king and not the
Pope as their lawmaker. Thomas More
resigned the following day.
1533
February- Act in Restraint of Appeals to Began the work of transferring papal
Rome powers to the king.
1534
January- Second Act of Annates Confirmed the First Act of Annates &
Abbots and Bishops to be appointed by king
not pope.
Act to Stop Peter’s Pence Abolished the payment of taxation to Rome.
March- Act for the Submission of the Ecclesiastical matters now to be handled by
Clergy the king’s court of Chancery.
First Act of Succession This registered Henry’s marriage to
Catherine as invalid and replaced it with his
marriage to Anne.
April- Execution of Elizabeth Barton This is evidence of Henry’s lack of toleration
of religious diversity.
November- Act of Supremacy Henry justly and rightfully is Supreme Head
of Church of England.
December- Treason Act Listed key treasonable crimes e.g. calling the
king or queen heretic.
Act for First Fruits and Tenths Clerical taxes now to go to the king and not
the pope
The dissolution of the monasteries
Monastic orders
Background:
Condition of the church
Traditional historians: Dickens and Elton -> the pre reformation church was in serious need of
reform. Henry’s political reformation was successful because his attacks on the church
coincided with decline in support of the catholic church and protestant beliefs.
Revisionists: Scarisbrick and Haigh have argued opposite. Traditional religion was no exhausted
but adapting itself to meet new changes and conditions.
Opposition to the church
Lollards Lutherans Humanists Tyndale’s English Bible
▪ John Wycliffe’s ▪ Based on ideas of ▪ Laymen and clergy ▪ Opposed
ideas from 1300s Martin Luther ▪ More and Erasmus: weakness and
▪ Bible in English and ▪ Strong opposition leading humanists failings of the
reduced church to catholic tradition ▪ Wanted subtle church
power reform of church. ▪ Published his
▪ No longer an ▪ They opposed English Bible in 1525
influential force radical ▪ Executed in 1536 by
▪ Pockets of Protestantism catholic agents
Lollards in rural
southern areas
Key people:
Thomas More
▪ Lawyer and humanist minister, Lord chancellor who denied Henry’s authority over the
church
John Colet
▪ Humanist priest who pushed to reform the catholic church
Hugh Latimer
▪ Bishop of Worcester, executed in 1555 for protestant beliefs
William Tyndale
▪ Humanist scholar, translated the Bible into English: executed in 1536 by catholic agents
The king’s great matter:
During the first years of Henry’s reign he was a committed Roman catholic.
Defended the catholic faith against Protestantism -> pope rewarded title of ‘Fidei Defensor’
meaning defender of the faith.
Causes for the break from Rome
Henry’s desire for a male heir Henry’s conscience
▪ Annul marriage with Catherine of A ▪ He believed his marriage was against
▪ Pope did not grant this annulement God’s law
▪ He wanted a male successor
, ▪ Leviticus said ‘if a man should take his
brother’s wife… they will be without
children’
Role of Anne Boleyn State of the church
▪ She refused to be his mistress and fell ▪ Replaced Wolsey with layman Thomas
pregnant 1536 More
▪ Henry wrote Anne a series of ▪ Influenced by Anne Boleyn’s
passionate love letters which give us a association with reformist writers
sense of his growing infatuation with such as Tyndale and Simon Fish, who
Anne advocated the role of the state in
controlling the church and criticized its
corruption
Henry’s desire for revenue
In 1525 Henry wanted to invade France but had no money.
If he could gain control of the church then new funds would be available for foreign policy.
Religious ;legislation in the 1530s and 1540s
The reformation parliament 1529-1536
Described as most important parliament in the nation’s history.
▪ Parliament met in November 1529.
Parliament did little for 2 years
Arguments for this failure:
▪ Some say king was unable to find a solution due to indecisions and that he lacked a
determined and clear thinking Chief Minister (Cromwell came after 1532)
▪ Other argue Henry needed to prepare for the break from Rome by developing the
concept of sovereignty (independence) and testing the resistance of the clergy
▪ Of the 22 statues passed only 3 dealt with ecclesiastical affairs and the others were
concerned with matters of land tenure and trade.
Attacking the church to weaken resistance
January 1531: Henry used the statute of praemunire against the clergy of southern England
▪ Threat was lifted when in seeking a general pardon they promised to pay a grant of
£100,000
The clergy had requested a clearer statement of their liberties when asking for a pardon,
but Henry responded by demanding to be recognised as the Sole Protector and Supreme
Head of the English Church.
▪ Convocation refused to accept this claim
Act of restraint of Annates 1532
Passed allowing only 5% of money normally remitted to Rome.
Purpose: to put pressure on the Pope
This was set to stop the payment of Annnates – first year’s income from a bishopric to the
pope
,Submission of the clergy was passed in convocation.
Terms:
▪ Only meet at the king’s command
▪ Could enact no ecclesiastical legislation without royal consent
▪ Royal assent was to be sought for existing legislation
The Royal Supremacy
The independence of the church of England from papal authority was established in a
series of Acts of parliament in 1533 and 1534.
Date Event & Description
April 1533 Act in Restraint of Appeals:
No appeals to be made from England to Rome in any matters concerning
wills, marriage, or payments to the church
March 1534 Act of Dispensations:
Ordered an end to any payments to Rome.
Act for the Submission of the Clergy:
Repeated details of the Submission of 1532.
First Succession Act:
Declared the succession of the throne lay first with the male heirs of
Anne Boleyn and then of any following wife. After them the crown would
go to the Princess Elizabeth and finally to their daughters that may be
born.
Autumn 1534 The Act of Supremacy:
Declared that Henry was the supreme head of the church in England,
thereby severing any links with Rome.
Treason Act:
Made it high treason to threaten Henry, Anne or his heirs in words, writing
or to deny him his titles or to accuse him of being tyrant or heretic.
Acts of First Fruits and Tenths:
The first year’s income from church offices and a tenth of all clerical
income was to be paid to the king. This system established a permanent of
high taxation for the clergy.
February Act for the Dissolution of the Lesser monasteries:
1536 The smaller monasteries (worth under £200) were closed down.
July 1536 Act of Ten Articles:
The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic doctrine were rejected, leaving a
belief in only three: baptism, the Eucharist and penance. A clear move
towards Protestantism.
Religious changes
Religious changes that took place between 1530 and 1534:
Date & event Description
1530
May – William Tyndale’s vernacular Bible burnt An attack on heresy against Catholicism
, December- Clergy as a whole accused of Attacked the power of the Catholic church
Praemunire to exercise power through ecclesiastical
courts.
1531
February- clergy pardoned of Praemunire Henry was paid a fine of £119,000 in return
Charges for his pardon
Convocation of Canterbury Marked how far the church was willing to go
recognised Henry as head of in allowing Henry more power.
the Church
1532
March- First act of Annates Banned the payment of annates to Rome.
Supplication of the Ordinaries • Clergy were to enact no church law
without royal permission.
• Existing church law to be examined by
a royal commission.
May- Submission of the Clergy The clergy accepted the king and not the
Pope as their lawmaker. Thomas More
resigned the following day.
1533
February- Act in Restraint of Appeals to Began the work of transferring papal
Rome powers to the king.
1534
January- Second Act of Annates Confirmed the First Act of Annates &
Abbots and Bishops to be appointed by king
not pope.
Act to Stop Peter’s Pence Abolished the payment of taxation to Rome.
March- Act for the Submission of the Ecclesiastical matters now to be handled by
Clergy the king’s court of Chancery.
First Act of Succession This registered Henry’s marriage to
Catherine as invalid and replaced it with his
marriage to Anne.
April- Execution of Elizabeth Barton This is evidence of Henry’s lack of toleration
of religious diversity.
November- Act of Supremacy Henry justly and rightfully is Supreme Head
of Church of England.
December- Treason Act Listed key treasonable crimes e.g. calling the
king or queen heretic.
Act for First Fruits and Tenths Clerical taxes now to go to the king and not
the pope
The dissolution of the monasteries
Monastic orders
