Religious Legislation in the 1530s-1540s

• Between 1529 and 1532, what measures did Henry apply?


  Those designed to pressurise the clergy into supporting his case for a divorce
• What book had Henry written in the 1521?


  In Defence of the Seven Sacraments
• What did Henry's book, written in the 1520s, state?


  It showed support for the Pope's authority in Rome, and as a result, had been labelled as the 'Defender of the Faith' by the Pope
• What book did William Tyndale write in 1528?


  The Obedience of the Christian Man
• What did William Tyndale state in his book, published in 1528?


  • That Kings had authority from God which gave them responsibility for the souls and bodies of their subjects, and that royal power was supreme- above any power within or beyond the boundaries of the kingdom.
  • Although it was banned in England, Anne Boleyn had a copy sent to her from France and brought it to Henry's attention, as did Cromwell
• What took place in 1529 (relating to Henry taking control of the church)?


  • MPs attacked the widespread abuses they claimed existed in the church
  • This allowed Henry to claim that the church needed reform
  • As a result, clerical legal privilege was removed so the clergy were now subject to trial in the same way as everyone else
• In 1530, what was the church charged with?


  Praemunire
• When did the Submission of the Clergy take place?

  1532
• What did the Submission of the Clergy state?

  That the church had to surrender the right to enact new clerical laws
• When was the Act in Restraint of Annates?

  1532
• What did the Act in Restraint of Annates state?

  It banned the payment of most clerical taxes to Rome
• When was the Act in Restraint of Appeals?

  February 1533
• What did the Act in Restraint of Appeals state?

  It prevented any appeals to any authority outside England (the Pope) on issues mentioned in the Act, including divorce. This meant that foreign powers could not interfere in England's affairs
• When was the Second Act in Restraint of Annates?

  January 1534
• What did the Second Act in Restraint of Annates state?

  It stopped all the payments of clerical taxes to Rome, and gave Henry the power to appoint bishops
• When was the Act of the Submission of the Clergy?

  March 1534
• What did the Act of the Submission of the Clergy state?

  It gave Henry control of convocation (the church Parliament) and prevented the church from making contact with Rome
• When was the Act of Succession?

  March 1534
• What did the Act of Succession state?

  It ended Catherine of Aragon's claim to be Henry's wife and declared Mary to be illegitimate. His marriage to Anne was declared legal and the throne would pass to their male heirs. It was treason to criticise or question the marriage.
• When was the Dispensations Act?

  March 1534
• What did the Dispensations Act state?

  It stopped all payments to Rome and gave the Archbishop of Canterbury (Thomas Cranmer) the right to decide all legal cases that departed from church law
• When was the Act of Supremacy?

  November 1534
• What did the Act of Supremacy state?

  It made Henry head of the church in England, including the right to make decisions about doctrine and beliefs
• When was the Act for First Fruit and Tenths?

  December 1534
• What did the Act for First Fruit and Tenths state?

  It transferred the taxes on ecclesiastical income from the Pope to Henry
• When was the Treason Act?

  December 1534
• What did the Treason Act state?

  It became a crime to criticise the changes to the church, including the Royal Supremacy, the marriage to Anne Boleyn, or the succession
• When was the Act for the Dissolution of the Smaller Monasteries?

  1536
• What did the Act for the Dissolution of the Smaller Monasteries state?

  It led to the closure of smaller monastic houses (worth less than £200) in England
• When was Anne Boleyn beheaded?

  May 1536
• When did Henry marry Jane Seymour?

  May 1536 (the day after the beheading of Anne Boleyn)
• When was the Act of Ten Articles?

  1536
• What did the Act of Ten Articles state?

  It rejected four of the seven sacraments of the Catholic belief and confirmed belief in only three (baptism, the Eucharist, and penance)
• When were the Royal Injunctions to the Clergy?

  1536
• What did the Royal Injunctions to the Clergy state?

  • The English Bible was to be used in every church
  • The clergy were ordered to defend the Royal Supremacy from the pulpit in sermons
  • Children were to be taught the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in English
  • Pilgrimages were to be abandoned
• When was The Bishop's Book (also called The Institution of a Christian Man) published?

  1537
• What did the Bishop's Book state?

  It confirmed the Act of Ten Articles, but kept the statuses and roles of priests, mass, and purgatory vague (reducing their importance)
• When was the Thomas Matthew Bible produced?

  1537
• What was the Thomas Matthew Bible?

  A distinctly Protestant Bible
• When was Henry excommunicated by the Pope?

  December 1538