Reform of the Church Flashcards
Who assisted Henry between 1532-1540 in withdrawing the English Church from the jurisdiction of the papacy?
Archbishop Cramner
Thomas Cromwell
Briefly, between 1532-1540 what did Henry, Archbishop Cramner and Thomas Cromwell achieve? (3)
- established the king as supreme head of the church
- dissolved the monasteries
- began to alter the Church’s doctrines and practises
What were the 3 main weaknesses of the Church?
1) corruption
2) Anti-clericalism
3) Decline of monasticism
What were 3 signs of corruption in the Church?
- Pluralism
- Simony
- Absenteeism
What is Pluralism ?
receiving profits of more than one diocese
What is Simony?
the purchase of church offices
What is Absenteeism ?
receiving profits of a diocese but not being present to perform the duties associated to it
Who is the most prominent corrupt clergyman ?
Cardinal Wolsey
How did Wolsey commit absenteeism?
he was Bishop of York yet had never entered the diocese
What position was held by 4 Italian bishops in exchange for services to Henry at the vatican?
the see of Worcester (seat )
Which 2 people prominently pluralist ?
Magnus and Wolsey who both claimed more than one set of wages
Which was known for the practise of Simony? (2)
Bishop John Fisher and Wolsey
What is the worst example of an instance where clerical misconduct came under considerable criticism ?
case of Richard Hunne 1514
- refused to pay mortuary fees for dead child
- Found dead in his cell in the Bishop of London’s prison
- suspected murder from the clergy
What was the ‘Supplication of the Beggars”, written by Simon Fisher
Simon Fisher was an early English Protestant convert dedicated to Henry V111 and viciously and powerfully attacked many aspects of the Catholic Church , portrayed in exaggerated terms of being greedy, corrupt and treacherous
What was bad about local priests? (3)
- poorly educated
- inadequate spirituality and dubious lifestyles
- Couldn’t speak latin at mass
In 1520’s how many monks and nuns were there?
c12,000
Which catholic monasteries remained strict? (3)
Franciscans, Carthusians, Brigettines
What was secularisation which many monasteries were accused of?
that the monasteries were too involved in the world rather than being places of prayer and contemplation
Which gave a sermon in 1511 attacking the ambition and worldliness of the clergy and their greed for wealth and power?
John Colet
Who gave a similar sermon which commented on the ignorance and rude behaviour of priests, similar to that of John Colet’s in 1511?
Melton, Chancellor of York Minister
When was the case of Richard Hunne ?
1514
Due to corruption, what happened to many abbots?
Their wealth from land rents meant they were living lives of country gentlemen
What was the privilege of the church which cause anticlerical sentiments ?
“benefits of the clergy”
What did “benefits of the clergy” mean?
this allowed members of the clergy who had committed serious crimes to escape trial of normal court, this system of immunity was open to abuse and led to miscarriages of justice
Instead of normal courts, where were the clergy brought to trial as a “benefit of the clergy”?
brought under their own courts using Canon Law
What was an effect of the case of Richard Hunne 1514?
led to several years of anti-clerical feeling in London where he was held under the Bishop of London’s prison cell
How did the common people show their devotion to the church ?
through bequests of money in their wills
Where is an example of when common people gave bequests in their wills?
In Suffolk, 50% of parish churches were remodelled due to their generosity of the people
What were the most popular books in 1510/20’s?
religious texts which firmly upheld the Catholic Church
What is an example of a popular religious text which was a bestseller?
“The Pilgrimage of Perfection”
What book did Henry write ,in english and latin in 1521?
In defence of the 7 sacraments
Assertio Septem Sacramentorum
What is a point that demonstrates Wolsey was not wholly corrupt ?
He conducted visitations on the Monasteries to try and get rid of corruption and used the money to set up Cardinal college in Oxford
How many monastic houses had Wolsey dissolved in the 1520’s?
20
What sparked anti-papal feeling?
Wolsey’s position as legate as he brought papal authority into England which had always been limited
On which 2 occasions had Henry refuse Wolsey’s preferred candidates for key jobs?
1518 and 1528 when Wolsey tried to have his son made bishop of Durham
What 3 positives did Wolsey do to improve the church?
- improved clerical education
- used Church wealth to fund educational initiatives
- encouraged the preaching of sermons in English
How is the lack of anti-papalism shown ? (2)
through the lack of support for the vernacular Bible and the popularity of denunciations of Luther’s work
Why was anti-papalism limited in England compared to other places in Europe such as Spain?
the Pope was seen as a remote figure who did not have much control over the day-to-day running of the Church
What idea did a lot of people prefer over the papacy?
many people supposed the idea of Erastianism , the idea that the king should be in charge of the Church rather than the pope
What showed that the king was not powerless in the face of the church?
both Henry V11 and henry V111 had begun to reduce the rights of the clergy through canon law and “benefits of the clergy”
What case in 1515 led to a debate regarding the position of the clergy?
The Standish Case
What happened in the Standish Case 1515 briefly?
Bishops appealed to the king to maintain their privileges and protection of the clergy from the civil law
Henry ruled that he ‘never had any superior but God alone”
After Henry’s book “Assertio Septum Sacramentorum” what did the Pope name Henry , english & latin in October 1521?
rewarded Henry with the title Fidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith) in October 1521
When was Henry rewarded with the title “Fidei Defensor” (defender of the faith)?
October 1521
What book did German, Martin Luther write?
“Justification by Faith Alone”
Who was the most outspoken Lutheran in England?
William Tyndale
When was William Tyndale’s accurate translation of the bible published ?
1525
What restrictions did Henry place on the vernacular bible?
if you were caught you would be executed
What group challenged the Church, although not radical enough to be named heretics?what did they want?
Humanists who wanted an improvement in the standards of the clergy
Who were the Lollards? (who’s work did they follow)
a heretic group who followed a 14th century theologian John Wynclif
What did the Lollards want? (5)
- English bible
- closure of monasteries
- belief priests should be treated as any other man
- described as Protestant before it was created
- underground organisation , difficult to gauge numbers
When were 5 Lollards publicly burned for heresy ?
1511-12
Why was the fact England is an island a positive for Henry?
this prevented most of Luther’s work circulating and spreading ideas into the country
Who were the White Horse Group ?
a group of Cambridge scholars
Who were the group of 5 scholars of Cambridge known as the White Horse Group ?
Cramner, Ridely , Coverdale , Barnes , Latimer
When did Martin Luther’s (a monk)attack on the Catholic Church begin?
1517
Where is there evidence of German reformers in the 1520’s? (2)
in London and the east-coast ports
Who was the leading figure in the White Horse Group and who was the most influential ?
Richard Barnes
-(most influential) Thomas Cramner
Who were the 2 most influential humanist individuals in the royal circles?
Sir Thomas More
Bishop Fisher
Which 2 humanists went along with reforms in which they did not believe in order to maintain their lives and positions?
- Bishop Gardiner
- Bishop Tunstall
What was important about Erasmian reformers?
they were in a position to influence policy-making during the reign of Henry’s successor
