ruin imminent, his course became tortuous, and was marked by a constant endeavor to jHVtract the , pro- ceedings, and delay any sentence being pronounced on this question by the pope. The issue was, in con- sequence of the advice of Cranmer, an appeal to the universities, and to the learned men of Christendom, for their opinion on this point, which was git en in fa- vor, for the most part, of Henrj'. The disgrace of Wolsey followed thereon. See AVolsey'. Henry's quarrel with the pope daily became more palpable Convocation was summoned in 1531, and charged with breaking the statutes of prorisors and j^rcemunire. They humblj' offered to pay a fine. The first step to- wards a schism was made by this Convocation, but it was under the pressure of the court. They proclaimed the king of England ' only and supreme lord, and, as far as the law of Christ permits, even the supreme head of the Church of England.' In 15.33, on the elevation of Cranmer to the see of Canterbury, he pronounced sentence of divorce between Henrt^ VIII and Catha- rine ; and the marriage of Anne Boleyn to Henry was publicly notified. The pope declared this illegal, and threatened, unless these doings were undone, that he would pronounce excommunication on Henry. To prevent any such proceedings affecting the stability of his throne and his succession, in the following year Henry caused Parliament to abolish all papal author- ity in England, and to stop all payments to the Roman exchequer. After this came, under Thomas Crom- well, acting as vice-regent, a blow upon popish power in England from which it never recovered — namely, first a visitation, and then, as a consequence, the sup- pression of the monasteries, because ' they had long and notoiioush' been guilty of vicious and abominable living.' Among the bishops there were two parties; one whose sympathies were with- the pope, the other with reform ; to the former belonged Bonner and Gar- diner, to the latter Cranmer and Latimer. But it was necessar}' to have some authoritative declaration of what the Church of England held since it had rejected the pope; and hence, in 15.56, the king, as head of the Church, issued a proclamation on this subject, and in 1539 Parliament passed an act for establishing the Creed, under the rather characteristic title, 'An act for abolishing diversity of opinions.' By this the doctrine of transubstantiation was taught, iind the penalty of death by burning was attached to the denial of it. All who stood out for ' the necessity of the communion in both kinds, or for the marriage of priests, or against the observance of vows of chastity, or the propriety of private masses, or the fitness of auricular confession ; all priests who shall marry after having advisedly made vows of chastitj-, shall suffer the pains of death as felons ; and all those who main- tain the same errors under an}' other manner may be imprisoned during the king's pleasure' " (Mackintosh). Henr}' felt compelled to go on and increase the dis- tance which separated him from Rome. There was in the Church a powerful party (Cranmer, Latimer, and many others of less note) that were of progressive tendencies, and to this party Thomas Cromwell, dur- ing his continuance in power, lent all his influence. His fiivor shown to the Protestant cause was one ground of his fall. About this time, too, several edi- tions of the English Bible were printed and circulated with the permission of Henry. They were based upon Coverdale's translation. To Cranmer and Cromwell the permission to circulate them is due, and the com- mand to place them in the cathedrals for public use, and for ministers to instruct their people in them. But the tide of political power now turned in favor of the Romanist party, and these permissions were with- drawn : the Bible became again for a time a prohibited book, and many who had received enlightened views of truth suffered bitter persecution. "In 1540 Cran- mer persuaded Henrj' to appoint a commission, of which he was made a member, to draw up a formal
ENGLAND, CHURCH OF 200 ENGLAND, CHURCH OF
confession. This appeared under the title, The Erudi- tion of a Christian Man. It indicates some progress, since it only recommends prayers for the dead as ' good and charitable ; and because it is not known vliat condition departed souls are in, \vc ought only to recommend them to the mercy of (iod.' It affirms justification by faith, though it modifies this declara- tion so far as to add, 'Yet man, prevented by grace, is by his free consent and obedience a worker toward the attaining of his own justification.' It forbids the worship of images, though it allows their use to excite devotional feeling. It altered some minor matters also in tlie service. Such was the character of the Church of England's first confession. The IJeformers ' were gaining strength, and under Edward VI and the i Protector Somerset their triumph was undoubted, j Thirty commissioners were sent through the countr}- to abolish superstitious practices. Crannier drew up twelve homilies, which were appointed to be read in | the churches where the ministers could not preach. This was one of the provisions made for the diifusion of sound religious knowledge. This stqi, ami the ser- mons themselves, elicited the unqualified approbation of the Continental Reformers. Cranmor wrote also a catechism, which was generally circulated. Such the- ologians as Bucer and Peter MartA'r were invited to come and lecture in the English universities ; and the most strenuous exertions were made to provide preach- ing ; ' one sermon every quarter of tlie j-ear at least' in every church being imperative. But such was the state of the Romish clergy that even this much they could hardly accomplish. In 1547 Parliament repealed the various persecuting acts of Henrj- A'lII and earlier reigns, levelled against the new opinions, as the}^ are often called. As Convocation was inclined in favor of the Romish partj'. Parliament assumed to itself the task of reforming the Church. It passed that year acts 'concerning the sacrament,' ordaining 'the com- munion to be received in Ijoth kinds,' forbidding the priest to communicate alone, and requiring him to prepare the peojjle for worthily communicating by an exhortation on the day preceding its celebration. In 1548 there was a commission appointed for the revision of the offices of public worship. One of its first fruits was a new communion service. Confession was no longer made imperative. At the same time a new lit- urgy was compiled. At the end of it occurs the peti- tion— ' From the t3'ranny of the bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormities, good Lord, deliver us.' See CojiMON Prayer. In 1551 a farther series of emendations was made in tlie Prayer-book : in it very few alterations have since been introduced. The same year the Articles, then fort3'-two in number, were pub- lished. See Articles, Thirty-nine. The commis- sion appointed in 1552 to prepare a canon law, in con- sequence of the death of Edward, was discontinued before its work was done. Under his reign the prog- ress of reformation had been rapid, but it was to be sorely tried. ^lary ascended the throne (1553) and re-estal)lished Romanism. Bonner and Gardiner were restored; the Book of Common Prayer and Catechism were declared heretical; tlie kingdom was reconciled to the see of Rome ; a persecution of the chief reform- ers commenced — Rogers was burned at Smithfield, Hooper at Gloucester, Saunders at Coventry, Taylor at Hadley. The prisons Avcre filled with 'heretics;' many fled beyond sea; some purchased safety by an outward conformity. Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley perished in the flames at Oxford. Cardinal Pole was made primate. One benefit was conferred on the Church by Mary — she surrendered all the Church lands, as well as the first-fruits and tentiis, which had been seized by Henry. At last the death, of Mary (1558), with which that of the cardinal was all but simultaneous, delivered the Church froni its oppress- ors. Under Elizabeth (1558-1603) Protestantism was again iu the ascendant ; and by the various measures