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Chapter 10 RELIGIOUS REFORM IN THE ENGLISH CHURCH.

Word Count: 5613    |    Released on: 01/12/2017

they then were. I venture to say, it was impossible: the idea involves an historical contradiction. For the doctrine too had been moulded into shape under the influence of the s

tion, if a form had been found under which to do it, but to reject the lat

to play a leading part in Henry's court and army, was in close alliance with Queen Catharine Parr, and like her cherished Protestant sympathies. But the Norfolks with their Catholic sympathies who had previously so long exercised a leading influence on the government, would not give way to him. Norfolk's son, the Earl of Surrey, adopted the immoral plan of ensnaring the King, who though dying was yet supposed to be still susceptible to woman's charms, by means of his sister, in order to draw him back to the side of his family and the strict Catholics: a plot which failed at once when his sister refused to play such a part. The ambitious announcements into which he allowed himself to be hurried away could only bring about the opposite result: he himself was ex

, in which a special hierarchic sacredness was given to the Anointing through its connexion with Thomas Becket? Becket's shrine had been destroyed. The present Archbishop of Canterbury went back to the earliest times of human history: he brought forward the example of Josias, who likewise came to the government in tender years and extirpated the worship of idols: so might Edward VI also completely destroy image-

n to regard not outward observances but fulfilment of duty as the real 'good works,' and had laboured to diminish feast-days and pilgrimages. Above all, images to which superstitious reverence was paid were at last to be actually removed: the young were to be really taught the chief points of the faith in English, a chapter of the Bible should be read every Sunday, and Erasmus' Paraphrase employed to explain it. In place of the sermon was to come one of the Homilies which had been published under the authority of the Archbishop and King. For this last ordinance also authority was found in an injunction of Henry VIII. Archbishop Cranmer, whose work they are, establishes in them the two principles, on which he had already proceeded in 1536, on

n the Parliament elected under the influence of the new government it needed little persuasion to procure their repeal. The P

the conviction that doctrine and authority were too closely akin for the separation from Rome to be maintained witho

the alteration was approved, which almost more than any other characterises those Church f

but everywhere also made changes. The Reforming tendencies obtained the upper hand in reference to its doctrinal contents; thus even one of the rubrics previously in favour by which auricular confession was declared to be indispensable was now omitted; it was left to every man's judgment to avail himself of it or not. At times they again sought out what had been disused in later ages: they recurred to Anglo-Saxon usages. The Common

as he had set them forth many years before and had at the last again proclaimed them, so now Somerset under

rotestant kingdom had thus made its appearance in the world and could never again be set aside. The ambition to realise it filled the soul of Somerset. When, before the end of the summer of 1547, he took up arms, he hoped to bring about an acknowledgment of England's old supremacy over Scotland, to prepare the way for the future union of both countries by the marriage, and to annihilate the

nt victory. Not a little did this victory contribute to establish his consequence in the world: even in Scotland some districts on the borders took the oath of fidelity to King Edward. But in general the antipathies of the Scotch to the English were all the more roused by it; they would

e still in existence that had once set themselves in opposition to King Henry with such energy. When an attempt was

is movement owed its peculiar character to yet another motive. The enclosures of the arable land for purposes of pasture, of which the peasantry had been long complaining, did not merely continue; the nobility, which took part in the secularisation of the church-lands in an increasing degree, extended its grasp also to the newly-gained estates. So it came to pass that a rising of the peasants against the nobles was now united with tendencies towards church restoration, as in previous times with ideas of quite a different kind. East and West were in revolt at one and the same time and for different reasons. On a hill near Norwich, the chief leader, a tanner by trade, called Ket, took his seat under a great oak which he called the Oak of Reformation; he had the mass read daily after the old use: but he also planned a remodeling of the realm to suit the views of the people. The wildest ex

to him. He too had that jealousy of power, which always directs itself against those who stand nearest to it. There is no doubt that his brother, Thomas Lord Seymour, impelled by a restless ambition, hoped to overthrow the existing government and put himself in possession of the highest place, and committed manifold illegal acts; he-the Lord Admiral of the realm-even entered into alliance with the pirates in the Channel.[145] But despite this it was thought at the time very severe when the Protector gave his word that the vengeance of the law should be executed on his brother. His reason was that Lord Seymour would not submit to sue in person for mercy to him the injured party and possessor of power. Such were these men, these brothers. The one died rather than pray for mercy: the other made the bestowal of it depend on this prayer, this confession of his supreme authority.[146] The Protector took all affairs, home and foreign, exclusively into his own hand. Without asking any one, he filled up the ministerial and civil posts: to the foreign ambassadors he gave audience alone. He erected in his house a Court of Requests,[147] which encroached not a little on the business of Chancery. The palace in

its own interests, was a defeat for Somerset. Even those who did not believe that he had any personal share in the movement, nevertheless reproached him with having allowed conditions to be prescribed to himself and his government by the people; the common man would be King. Financial difficulties arising from an alteration in the coinage, and ill success in the war against France, contributed to give his opponents the ascendancy in the Privy Council. Somerset once entertained the idea of setting the masses in movement on his own behalf: one day he collected numerous bands of people at Hampton Court, under cover of summoning

sult could be more displeasing to this sovereign than that Protestantism, which he was putting down in Germany, should have gained at the s

directly a renunciation of the proposed marriage between the King of England and the Queen of Scotland. And this treaty was greatly to the Emperor's disadvantage, since it now set the French free to renew the hostility against him which had been broken off some years before by an agreement all in his favour. They allied themselves for this purpose with the German princes who found the Emperor's yoke

udies, he now turned to knightly exercises for which he also showed aptitude: he sat well on horseback, drew his bow and broke his lance as well as any other young man of his age. But with all this his learning was not neglected.[151] Edward VI not merely possessed for his years extraordinary and manifold attainments; the written remains which are extant from his hand display a rare mental growth. What he has written for instance on his connexion with the two Seymours, his uncles, indicates a clear and almost a judicial co

h churches in the old centres of Catholic worship, Canterbury and Glastonbury; John a Lasco preached in the church of the Augustines in London. With no less vigour than these foreigners did natives, sometimes returned exiles, maintain the views then prevailing on the Continent. Under these influences it was impossible, in conformity with the view taken up in 1536, to abide by the dogmas, which had been put forth by the school of Wittenberg, now completely overthrown. The difference comes out very remarkably when we compare the Common Prayer-book of 1549 with the revised edition of 1552. Originally men had held fast to the real presence in England also: Cranmer in his catechism expressly declared for it: in the formula o

nfluence in deciding the shape it took. The Articles belong to the class of Confessions, as they were then framed in Saxony by Melanchthon, in Swabia by Brenz, to be laid before the coming Council. And it is just in this that their value lies, that by them England attached herself most closely to the Protestant community on the Continent. They are the work of Cranmer, who was entrusted with their composition by the King and Privy Council, and communicated his labours first to the King's tutor, Cheke, and the Secretary of State, Cecil: in conjunction with them he next laid them before the King; with the assistance of some chaplains their final form was given them; then the Privy Council ordered them to be subscribed. The influence of the government on the nominations to the office of bishop was now still more open: the bishops were to hold office as long as they conducted themselves well,-in other words, as long as the ruling powers were content with them: the church jurisdiction was no longer administered in the name of the bishopric, but, like the temporal jurisdiction, in the King's name and under the King's seal; when they proceeded to revise the church laws, the primary maxim was, not to admit anything that contravened the temporal laws.[153] The use of the power of the keys was also derived by Cranmer from the permission of the sovereign. Against this ever-increasing dependence some bishops of the old views made a struggle; to avoid coming into direct conflict with the supremacy, which they had acknowledged, they put forth the assertion that it could not be exercised by a King under age;

iv. 515 (extracts

r ii. 220 (R

1549 in Tytler, England under

ly by the superstitious blindness of the unlearned, and partly by unsatiable avarice.-Where the old (ceremonies) may be well used there they [their opponents] cannot reprove the old only for their age. They

t and amity.' In Somerset's prayer printed, since the first edition of this book, in Froude v. 47, it is said: 'Look upon the small portion of the earth, which professeth thy holy name; especially ha

Rerum Anglicar

fs in Frou

beth tells us. Ellis

of Requests: Thomas More already appears unde

ing his nobles and gentlemen; you did comfort divers of the said rebels.' A

.' In Turnbull, Calendar of State Papers 1861 p. 47 an Instruction of the Council is mentioned, 'to acquaint the Emperor with the proceeding

zia ben amplamente, non solo faceva qualche spettacolo, per dargli pi

ng or tennis-not forgetting sometimes when you have leisure, y

mes, History of the

s, divines, civilians, lawyers) we find the n

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Contents

Chapter 1 THE BRITONS, ROMANS, AND ANGLO-SAXONS. Chapter 2 TRANSFER OF THE ANGLO-SAXON CROWN TO THE NORMANS AND PLANTAGENETS. Chapter 3 THE CROWN IN CONFLICT WITH CHURCH AND NOBLES. Chapter 4 FOUNDATION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUTION. Chapter 5 RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SUPREME POWER. Chapter 6 CHANGES IN THE CONDITION OF EUROPE. Chapter 7 ORIGIN OF THE DIVORCE QUESTION. Chapter 8 THE SEPARATION OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH. Chapter 9 THE OPPOSING TENDENCIES WITHIN THE SCHISMATIC STATE. Chapter 10 RELIGIOUS REFORM IN THE ENGLISH CHURCH. Chapter 11 TRANSFER OF THE GOVERNMENT TO A CATHOLIC QUEEN.
Chapter 12 ELIZABETH'S ACCESSION. TRIUMPH OF THE REFORMATION.
Chapter 13 OUTLINES OF THE REFORMATION IN SCOTLAND.
Chapter 14 MARY STUART IN SCOTLAND. RELATION OF THE TWO QUEENS TO EACH OTHER.
Chapter 15 INTERDEPENDENCE OF THE EUROPEAN DISSENSIONS IN POLITICS AND RELIGION.
Chapter 16 THE FATE OF MARY STUART.
Chapter 17 THE INVINCIBLE ARMADA.
Chapter 18 JAMES VI OF SCOTLAND HIS ACCESSION TO THE THRONE OF ENGLAND.
Chapter 19 FIRST MEASURES OF THE NEW REIGN.
Chapter 20 THE GUNPOWDER PLOT AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
Chapter 21 FOREIGN POLICY OF THE NEXT TEN YEARS.
Chapter 22 PARLIAMENTS OF 1610 AND 1614.
Chapter 23 JAMES I AND HIS ADMINISTRATION OF DOMESTIC GOVERNMENT.
Chapter 24 COMPLICATIONS ARISING OUT OF THE AFFAIRS OF THE PALATINATE.
Chapter 25 PARLIAMENT OF THE YEAR 1621.
Chapter 26 NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCE OF WALES WITH A SPANISH INFANTA.
Chapter 27 THE PARLIAMENT OF 1624. ALLIANCE WITH FRANCE.
Chapter 28 BEGINNING OF THE REIGN OF CHARLES I, AND HIS FIRST AND SECOND PARLIAMENT.
Chapter 29 THE COURSE OF FOREIGN POLICY FROM 1625 TO 1627.
Chapter 30 PARLIAMENT OF 1628. PETITION OF RIGHT.
Chapter 31 ASSASSINATION OF BUCKINGHAM. SESSION OF 1629.
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