Chapter 6 - The Reformation Parliament Flashcards
What issues did the Reformation Parliament have with Wolsey?
- He embodied what they felt was wrong with the church, he was the opposite of humble, aquiring great palaces and wealth
- Furthermore, he demonstrated issues surrounding the wealth of the clergy achieved through simony
- He was Archbishop of York but also had the livings of Winchester and Durham, despite never visiting them
- He was also the father of more than one child
When was the Reformation parliament in session?
1529-1539
What were the Reformation Parliament’s criticisms of the Church?
The main criticisms were:
* Excess fines which clergy charged for probate
* Church courts allowed the clergy to get away with crimes
* The payment of mortuary fines
* The land owned by the church restricted the peasants
* The Church’s involvement with trade
* Clergy were promotes to the households of great men, leaving the parishes without educated clergy
* Clergy often held more than one parish, leaving many parishes without educated clergy
What was the situation with Wolsey?
- They wanted to pass an Act of Attainder against Cardinal Wolsey
- He was a relatively easy target for the council as he had failed to get the annulment for Henry’s marriage and was dismisses as Chancellor and First Minister
- Henry supported this as he wanted Wolsey’s properties
- Wolsey was summoned to London, accused of treason, but he died on the way
Who was Thomas Cromwell?
- Became an MP in 1523
- Whilst in the Netherlands, he was exposed to new religious ideas
- In the late 1520s as Wolsey’s principal adviser, he helped dissolve 30 monasteries
- Harnessed the opinions of a minority of MPs in otfet to mastermind the management of Parliament’s grievances leading to the Break with Rome
What was the Submission of the Clergy?
And when did it take place?
- in 1531, Henry took the decision that 15 churchmen of England and Wales should be charged with Praemunire
- This was because they had recognised Wolsey’s authority as Papal Legate
- When convocation met in 1532, it was made clear that Henry would remove the charges of Praemunire if the church would provide £100,000 and agree to change his title to Supreme Head of the Church in England and Wales (as far as the word of God allows)
- The Catholic Church in England also gave up their power to formulate church laws without the King’s licence and assent.
- This was passed through the Convocation in 1532 and would be ensrined in an Act of Parliament in 1534
1531-34
Praemunire: to appeal to a power outside of the realm for a resolution of a situation within England that was under the jurisdiction of the Crown, established as a crime by a law passed by Parliament in 1531
convocation the governing body of clergy, the Archdiocese of Canterbury
What was the Supplication against the Ordinaries?
And when was it passed?
A petition passed by the House of Commons.
The result of grievances against the clergy for:
Gaining money at the expence of the laity
Altering mortuary fees
The number of Holy days (labourers would not work)
Petition had a particular focus on accusations of heresy that often led to severe punishment.
The clergy had too much power and control
This was all put into a petition and delivered to the King
1532
Supplication: asking for something earnestly or humbly; in this context, the list of offences with which the bishops were charged
Ordinaries: bishops who have immediate jurisdiction
What was the Act of the Conditional Restraint of Annates?
When was it passed?
- Actions up to this point had put pressure on the role of the Church and now Henry decided to pressure them financiallly
- The bill to remove the annates threatened to remove the chief source of revenue that the Church in Rome recieved from England
- Not a large sum but had been criticised in parliament
1532
Annates: A monetary payment made byt English Bishops to the Church in Rome from their first year’s income from their dicosese
What was the Act of the Absolute Removal of Annates?
And when was it passed?
- Removed payment of annates entirely
- Used as a diplomatic bargaining tool, this did not recieve full support from the House of Commons
- Therefore, Henry himself was present at the vote to ensure that it passed
Annates: A monetary payment made byt English Bishops to the Church in Rome from their first year’s income from their dicosese
What was the Act for the Restraint of Appeals
And When was it passed?
- Forbade all appeals to the pope for relifious or other matters, making the king the final legal authority
- This was achieved by claiming that England was an Empire
- Had immediate impact as it was ruled that the Marriage between Henry and Catherine could only be nullified by the court
- so Anne and Henry’s marriage became legal and therefore the child would be legitimate
1533
What was the act forbidding papal dispensation?
And when was it passed?
- Restricted an Archbishop’s right to allow departures from canon law which had allowed for pluralism
- Also prevented payment of Peter’s pence
1534
What was the First Act of Succession?
And when was it passed?
- Made Henry and Catherine’s Marriage invalid
- declared Mary to be illegitimate
- secured the succession for the children of Henry and Anne
- Made it an act of treason to deny the succession
1534
What was the Act of Supremacy?
And When was it passed?
- Stated that Henry ought to be the Supreme head of the Church of England and that he should be regarded as such
- the difficulty here was claiming that Parliament could not claim an authority that belonged to God.
- To support this role the act gave the king the right to collect taxest previously paid to Rome and made it treasonable to call the monarch a heretic
1534
When did Henry add ‘Supreme Head of the Church of England’ to his own title?
1535
But nothing really changed from the act of Supremacy
