Henry VIII break from Rome

-The timeline and chronology in the Break From Rome -Key figures in the Break with Rome, including Henry, Cromwell and Cranmer and Pilgrimage of Grace - Motives of the Break with Rome - Anticlericalism and the reformation Parliament - Protestantism

1529-

The reformation parliament is created and begins to sit.

1530-

William Tyndale's vernacular bible burnt- attack on anti-Catholicism

1530 (from Cranmer and Foxe)-

The Collectanea Satis Copiosa was produced.

Collectanea Satis Copiosa

It supplied the ideology/ historical precedent behind royal Supremacy

1532 (religious)-

Submission of the clergy to Henry VIII.

1532 (economic)-

First Acts of Annates- stopped church tax payments going to Rome.

1533-

Act of Restrain of Appeals to Rome- confirmed Henry’s power.

1534-

Act of Supremacy

1535 (monks)-

18 Carthusian monks e.g. Thomas More executed.

1536-

Act for dissolution of lesser monasteries.

1537-

The Bishop's Book and the Mathew Bible were produced. Denied transubstantiation.

1538-

English bible mandatory

1538-

Trial and execution of John Lambert for his rejection of transubstantiation.

1539-

Act of Six Doctrines (reaffirms transubstantiation).

1539-

Publication of the great bible (protestant).

1543-

Act of the advancement of the true religion and publication of the king’s book- reinforced Catholicism.

1546-

Named Protestant regency council, however, burns Anne Askew for denying transubstantiation.

Motives for break with Rome:

• Power

• Finance

• Doctrine

• Divorce

Power-

• Convocation of Canterbury

• Act in restraint of appeals

• Act of Supremacy

• Second Act of annates (controlled bishop appointment).

Finance-

• Henry given £119,000 after pardoning clergy of Praemunire.

• Acts of first fruits and tenths.

• First Act of annates.

• Valor Ecclesiasticus.

Doctrine-

• Act of 10 articles.

• Matthew bible/ Vernacular bible.

• Act of Supremacy

• Treason Act

• Cromwell made Vice-gerent in spirituals.

Divorce-

• Collected opinions from 7 universities.

• Collectanea.

• Act in restraint of appeals.

• First Act of succession.

Opposition-

• Pilgrimage of Grace.

• Thomas Moore

• The Aragonese faction

• John Fisher

• Elizabeth Barton (nun of Kent)

• Monastic resistance (Carthusian monks).

Pilgrimage of grace-

1. In Lincolnshire. Rising began in Louth- had the third tallest spire in Europe. They were worried what would happen to their church, as they were collecting gold, jewels and wealth from the monasteries.

2. In York- generally seen as the pilgrimage of Grace, led by Robert Aske. 30,000 people.

3. Sir Francis Bigod's revolt and the Cumberland rising. 178 common, gentry and nobles were executed. Duke of Northumberland had to hand over land to the crown.

Main complaints for opposition-

York

• Suppression of religious houses (dissolving monasteries). Worried about who would look after the poor. (religious).

• A tax on sheep and cattle- they were already very poor and suffering. (socio-economic).

• That Henry's council had opportunistic people of low birth, Cromwell and Sir Richard Riche- who did not support the people. Too young/ had poor reputation- complaining about the lack of nobility in the council (political).

Thomas Moore-

• Most famous opponent of reformation

• Appointed Lord Chancellor after the fall of Wolsey.

• He resigned in 1532 since he was morally against the King's divorce, following the submission of the clergy.

• He was called to swear the oath of succession, he refused and would not give a reason why.

• He was imprisoned in the tower and interrogated three times, he was also a devout catholic.

• He was a Christian humanist, and opposed the reformation. He opposed Protestants when in power.

• The government could not give him a charge under the new Treason act since he remained silence.

• Richard Riche then went to have a conversation with him, he was the General solicitor. What Moore supposedly said was used against him at his trial.

The Aragonese Faction-

• It was a faction who support Catherine of Aragon, mainly made up of courtiers and noblemen. They do not like the fact that Mary is not recognised as Henry's heir.

• Some example are the Northern Lords, like Lord Darcey and Lord Hussey, who were also a part of the pilgrimage of Grace.   

John Fisher-

• Church opposition.

• He was the longest standing Bishop in Henry's reign.

• The Pope was going to make him a cardinal.

• He was executed by Henry as he refused to swear the oath of succession

Elizabeth Barton, the Nun of Kent-

• She had visions of Henry dying due to his marriage with Anne Boleyn.

• She had a big following of people who believed that she had visions from God.

• Cromwell arrests and interrogates her, she then confesses to lying. Threatening since she had many supporters.  

Monastic resistance, esp. the Carthusian monks-

• Opposition within the monasteries. Carthusian monks- who were executed by Henry, around 18 executed.

Why was Thomas Cromwell important?

• Cromwell was once of Henry's important advisors, previously Wolsey's lawyer/ protégé. Cromwell basically replaced Wolsey at court.

• He was given more positions between 1532-36; Lord of the Privy Seal, Master of the King's jewels and Principle secretary.

• Cromwell used his legal knowledge to create legislation, which was passed by Parliament and formalised Henry's break with Rome. Taken over attempts at divorce.

• He controls Parliament- the composition (who is there) as well as drafting laws.

• He encouraged Henry to make the church of England more Protestant- lead to the dissolution of the monasteries.

Why was Thomas Cranmer important?

• He wrote a defence for the King's divorce. Used Erastian argument- Kings = highest authority. Henry liked his moderate reformist ideas.

• 1532- Henry asked Pope to make Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury, despite no experience in church. Henry wanted an ally in the church.

• Authorised Henry's divorce and married Anne and Henry in secret.

• Had Lutheran sympathies and was close to Anne Boleyn- had been her father's chaplain.

• Works along side Cromwell to bring Protestant changes e.g. Production of English bibles.

Protestant ideas-

• Protestantism emphasized preaching and reading texts, and the relationship between the individual and God.

• Protestants placed less emphasis on priests and the clergy, and rejected the practice of traditional clerical robes and clerical celibacy.

• Protestantism in England was limited, with support from scholars at Cambridge University, including Thomas Cranmer and William Tyndale.

• Humanists like More and Erasmus became the harshest critics of Protestantism.

Protestant origins

• Protestantism originated from Luther's critique of indulgences in the '95 Theses' of 1517.

• The movement was triggered by Johann Tetzel's visits to Saxony, a salesman of indulgences.

• Luther was condemned as a heretic and issued a papal bill for his arrest and trial.

• Luther's ideas were based on two major doctrines :'sola fide' (faith alone) and'sola scriptura' (scripture alone).

• Luther challenged the religious foundations of the church, denying many sacraments and compromising on the doctrinal issue of transubstantiation.

• Radical Protestant theologians like Zwingli and Jean Calvin rejected the real presence in the Eucharist.

Historian Scarisbrick-

"hostility to churchmen was widespread and often bitter"

Anticlericalism did exist in England.

To some extent the break with Rome was influenced by anti-clericalism.

Henry proves to be anticlerical

• Dismissed Wolsey- epitome of Cardinal abuses- Hunne case.

• Replaced Wolsey with a layman, Thomas Moore, who was a reformer and connected with Erasmus.

• Summoned Parliament= known for being anticlerical.

• Influenced by Anne Boleyn faction.

• Important reformers- William Tyndale, Simon Fish, Christopher St Germain at discovering issues within the church.

1540 (dealing with opposition)-

Thomas Cromwell executed by Henry.

1544-

Revised succession act (Edward, Mary, Elizabeth).

Treason Act (1534)

883 cases accused, 308 executed.

1536 (Pope)-

Act to Extinguish the Authority of the Bishop of Rome (removed all of the Pope’s authority in England)

1534 (economic)-

1534- Act of Dispensation- (blocked all payments to Rome)