Opposition to, and impact of, Reformation, 1534-40

Opposition from Elizabeth Barton (the Nun of Kent) 

1. In 1525, Elizabeth Barton, an unknown 16 year old, claimed that the Virgin Mary had appeared to her in a vision and miraculously cured her.  

2. She entered a convent in Canterbury, where she continued to have visions, and thousands flocked to see her. 

3. From 1527, she starting attacking Henry’s plans to divorce Catherine of Aragon, and Protestant ideas in general. In a face-to-face meeting with the King in 1532, she warned him that, if he married Anne Boleyn, he would die a villain’s death within a month.  

4. Whether Barton was a fraud or genuinely believed her prophesies, it does seem that she was exploited by a group of clergymen who opposed the King’s policies. Her spiritual advisor was a monk called Dr Edward Bocking, and he made links with leading opponents of Henry’s reforms, like Fisher and More and published a collection of her prophesies called the Nun’s Book. 

5. The visions were embarrassing and dangerous for Henry, and in 1533 he ordered Cromwell to act.  

6. In July 1533 Barton was arrested and taken to the Tower of London for interrogation. All 700 copies of the Nun’s Book were destroyed.  

7. In November she was forced to confess to lying about her visions, and in April 1534 she was executed. Her execution was on the same day that all Londoners were required to take the Oath of Succession.  

Opposition from John Fisher 

1. John Fisher was appointed Bishop of Rochester in 1504, and he had a Europe-wide reputation as a scholar.  

2. He had tutored Henry as a young prince.  

3. However, he became an outspoken critic of the divorce from Catherine. He also opposed that by claiming the Pope’s power as his own, Henry was committing a mortal sin.  

4. Henry grew to hate Fisher, but could not do anything to stop him, as he had not broken any laws. However, when Elizabeth Barton was arrested in 1533, Fisher’s links with her meant he could be charged with treason.  

5. Perhaps because of his high status, he escaped just with a fine of £300, and continued to oppose Henry’s religious reforms.  

6. In April 1534, Henry demanded that Fisher take the Oath of Succession. When Fisher refused, he was sent to the Tower of London.  

7. In May 1535, the Pope announced that Fisher would be made a Cardinal. The Pope hoped this would encourage Henry to be lenient, but in fact it made him even more determined to show his power, and Fisher was executed for treason in June 1535.  

Opposition from Thomas More  

1. Sir Thomas More was one of Europe’s leading scholars, and was famous for his novel Utopia.  

2. More was appointed Lord Chancellor in 1529, following the fall of Wolsey. He was a devout Catholic, and he banned all Protestant books and personally hunted out and interrogated suspected heretics.  

3. During his Chancellorship, six people were burnt for their Protestant beliefs.  

4. In 1532 More could no longer work for Henry, as his Catholic principles went against Henry’s wish to divorce Catherine and break with Rome. However, he was a loyal subject, so he resigned the Chancellorship, claiming he was ill.  

5. He wished to retire from public life and remain silent about the break from Rome, but Henry would not allow this, and in April 1534 Henry asked More to take the Oath of Succession.  

6. When More refused, he was sent to the Tower of London. He remained there for a year, and repeatedly refused to explain why he would not take the oath; if he had explained the reason, he would have been committing treason.  

7. He was put on trial in July 1535, and evidence (possibly fabricated) was produced to show he had criticised the break from Rome. He was executed under the new Treason Act.  

8. More became a martyr for the Catholic cause. His excommunication outraged many and discredited Henry; the Pope threatened to excommunicate Henry. 

Impact of the Reformation on the English Church 

1. Although the Act of Supremacy cut links with the Pope, in reality the Pope had often been a distant figure, and so for most people this had no impact on the way they worshipped.  

2. However, from 1534-40, reformers increasingly tried to persuade Henry VIII to move the Church in a more Protestant direction in other ways, too.  

3. To be openly Protestant could be dangerous; despite splitting with Rome, Henry was still a Catholic and opposed many aspects of Protestantism. For example, in 1533, the priest John Frith was burned at the stake for denying transubstantiation.  

4. However, despite this, Cromwell, who had Protestant beliefs, was able to make some important changes to the English Church, that moved it in a more Protestant direction:  

1. In July 1536 the Act of Ten Articles said there were only three sacraments.  

2. In August 1536 a set of Royal Injunctions was issued (in Henry’s name, but on Cromwell’s orders), which ordered the clergy to speak in favour of the Royal Supremacy and Ten Articles. They were ordered to discourage pilgrimages. Many Catholic practices seen as superstitious were attacked.  

3. In 1537 the Bishops Book was published. This stated that the priests’ main duty was preaching (teaching God’s word), which reduced their importance. However, it did re-instate the four sacraments that had been removed by the Ten Articles, so was a set back for reformers.  

4. In 1538 a second set of Royal Injunctions was issued, which said an English translation of the Bible had to be placed in all churches. Religious images and statues were to be removed from churches. It was much more detailed than the 1536 Injunctions, and it had a big impact on the day-to-day experience of worship for many people.  

5. Another key figure in the move towards reform was Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, who helped Cromwell draft the Ten Articles and Bishops Book.  

6. However, Cranmer was loyal to the king, and prepared to be flexible in his beliefs – including allowing Protestants to be burnt to death.  

7. In 1538, Henry decided to return to traditional Catholic values. To prove this, he had the priest John Lambert repeatedly plunged into flames for denying transubstantiation, while Henry looked on.  

8. In 1539 he published the Six Articles, which re-confirmed Catholic beliefs, including transubstantiation and the special role of priests (which was proved by them having to remain celibate). Cranmer, who was married, sent his wife and children abroad as a result.  

9. Failure to agree to the Six Articles could lead to imprisonment and death.  

10. However, despite Henry’s opposition, some reformist ideas had made progress by 1540. Pilgrimages and worshipping images were gradually stopping, and it was not possible to re-call the many copies of the English Bible that were now in circulation.