religous legislation

• Annulment

  Trying to get the Pope to agree that a previous dispensation was wrong
• Henry VIII wanted to annul his marriage


  Tried to use Leviticus to argue it was an "unclean thing"
• Henry VIII wanted an annulment


  Appealed to universities across Europe to debate degrees of affinity and the powers of the papacy
• Henry VIII wanted an annulment


  Wanted Pope Clement VII to agree the previous dispensation was wrong
• The dispensation given by Julius II was worded incorrectly, but he didn't grant the change because he didn't want to undermine the papacy
• According to Deuteronomy, if a brother died it was the surviving brother's duty to marry the widow
• William Tyndale published "The Obedience of the Christian Man"


  1528
• Tyndale's argument


  As kings gained their authority from God, royal authority was supreme above any powers including the Pope, therefore Henry wouldn't need the Pope's approval for an annulment
• The book was banned in England but Anne Boleyn had her copy sent over from France
• Courtiers like Thomas Cromwell also supported Tyndale's ideas
• Religious legison 1529

  1529eligious legislation - Parliament encouraged to voice anti-clerical feelings, Cromwell began collecting "evidence of abuse" within the Catholic Church
• Religious legislation - Revival of the medieval law of praemunire, 15 of the upper clergy were charged with supporting Wolsey's abuse against the ming King


  1530
• Religious legislation - English clergy as a whole charged with praemunire, Henry only agreed to pardon their offense after they "voluntarily" offered a grant of £100,000, he demanded they recognise him as the Protector and Supreme Head of the English Church


  1531
• Religious legislation - Act of Parliament passed to stop the payment of annates to Rome, Cromwell introduced the Supplication against the Ordinaries with complaints about excessive costs and delays in church courts, Henry demanded the Church agree to the Submission of the Clergy giving him power to veto church laws and choose bishops


  1532
• Thomas More resigned in May 1532
• William Warham died in August 1532, Cranmer replaced him which gave Cranmer power
• Religious legislation - The Act in Restraint of Appeals, Henry had imperial jurisdiction and the final say on legal judgments, Catherine could not appeal to Rome against her marriage annulment


  1533
• Religious legislation - The Act of Succession, The Act of Supremacy, Treason Act - couldn't call Henry a heretic, schismatic, tyrant, infidel or usurper of the crown

  1534
• There was surprising weakness of opposition to the religious legislation, the papacy and Catherine of Aragon were still popular
• Cromwell had to discriminate between serious cases of opposition and mere bravado or loose talk
• Only John Fisher refused the oath of succession, other potential opponents received little help from Rome, when Clement acted decisively it was too late and may have provoked Henry into executing him sooner
• At first there was no official stance on the changes
• Changes


  • Cult of the saints
  • Creeping at cross
  • Purgatory
• Changes started to divide England
• There was confusion on who to believe and which religion to follow
• The changes affected all parts of society
• Archbishop Lee of York clashes with Croner and Cromwell


  Lee played on Henry and Cromwell's nervousness
• Lee was frustrated as there was different people preaching different ideas
• There was public acceptance of supremacy and the break from Rome
• Attacks on traditional religious practices agitated otherwise docile and obedient people
• Bishops Shatxon and latimer resigned
• Bloody whip with six strings

  Duffy: cause of reform and traditional had reached crisis