Lecture notes
Challenging religious changes
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- PEARSON (PEARSON)
How effective were Henry VIII's religious changes? How significant were the causes and impacts of the 1536 rebellions?
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Challenging religious changes, 1533-37How effective were Henry VIII’s religious changes?
Introduction
The English Church underwent a series of changes in the years 1533-37, which challenged the
traditional beliefs and practices.
The changes were due to Henry VIII’s break with Rome.
As a result of the rapid and radical changes, there were several popular risings.
These rebellions forced Henry and his advisors to negotiate, before using a more brutal way of
suppressing the rebels in 1537.
The impact of the break with Rome and the dissolution of the monasteries
Between 1533-37, Henry VIII renounced the authority of the Pope in Rome and created a Church in
England of which he was the Supreme Head.
The break with Rome was masterminded by Thomas Cromwell and reinforced by a number of Acts
of Parliament which legalised Henry’s actions.
The nature of the royal supremacy
The establishment of the royal supremacy changed the relationship between the English monarchy
and its subjects.
Change occurred at the centre because Henry saw this as the best way to achieve what he wanted:
the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
Reformist ideas were taking hold in London and in the South East, however traditional Catholic
practices and beliefs were still predominant in the remoter regions of England (South West & the
North).
In these regions the impact of the break with Rome was much greater as many Catholics still
believed that the Pope was the head of the Church and not Henry.
Cromwell’s changes to the doctrine and practices of the English church
Cromwell was keen to promote structural and doctrinal changes to the English Church after the
break from Rome, which reflected his own evangelical beliefs.
In 1535, Henry appointed Cromwell to be ‘Vicegerent in Spirituals’ – Henry's deputy in all spiritual
and religious matters – which gave Cromwell vast amounts of power over the Church, and he used
his power to alter the churches doctrine (the beliefs set out by the Church).
Cromwell used his position to launch a propaganda campaign in support of the supremacy through
preaching in churches.
Cromwell’s changes:
Preaching was controlled through government licenses and the clergy were ordered to give sermons
against the Pope and in support of Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn.
In April 1535, royal letters were sent to all bishops, nobility and JPs, which ordered them to imprison
clergymen who continued to preach in support of the Pope's authority.
The Act of Ten Articles in 1536 was the first attempt to define the doctrine of the new
English Church.
, Cromwell also issued a set of instructions to the English clergy in 1536, which attacked traditional
practices like pilgrimages and also banned Holy Days (feast days in honor of saints).
Although Henry VIII was no reformer, he supported these changes as they helped undermine the
authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church.
The changes also removed an alternative focus of obedience and loyalty which might rival Henry.
As a result of these changes there was increasing pressure on the localities to obey Cromwell’s
orders.
In the South most orders were followed but in the North of England these changes were met with
increasing alarm and reluctance.
Opposition to the break with Rome and Henry VIII’s response
The break with Rome had a significant impact on England politically.
Henry wanted to enforce obedience to his royal supremacy and the change made to the royal
succession (his daughter Princess Mary being made illegitimate).
Parliamentary legislation made it possible for Henry to claim the break with Rome was legal. Those
who disobeyed Henry were therefore breaking the law and were punished consequently.
The 1534 Treason Act made it possible to prosecute those who refused to swear the oath of the Act
of Supremacy.
As a result influential opponents of the supremacy were executed for treason, e.g. Sir Thomas More
and John Fisher.
At Court, a conservative faction emerged whose aim was to see the restoration of Catholicism. Some
key members were Thomas Howard, Edward Stanley, Henry Percy, Lord Darcy and Lord Hussey.
Those who wanted to see a restoration of the Catholic faith saw Princess Mary as their natural
figurehead.
Mary, who was Catholic, had been made illegitimate and barred from the succession in 1534;
restoring her to the succession would mean the promise of a return to Rome in the future.
In 1535-36, there was a Court-based plot which sought to remove Henry altogether and replace him
with Mary.
These traditional feelings of loyalty at Court were echoed in the North of England where many of the
nobles involved in the plot resided and owned estates in.
The impact of the dissolution of the smaller monasteries, 1536
Monasteries and convents formed an important part of the spiritual life of England. They also played
a valuable social and economic role in local society, especially in the North. However, the role of the
monasteries was mainly a religious one.
Monastic orders like the Benedictines (monks who follow the teachings of St Benedict) and the
Cistercians (Influenced by Benedictine teachings but mainly known as sheep farmers) followed rules
of poverty, chastity and obedience.
These orders usually lived in remote locations and would dedicate their lives to the service of God.
Becoming a monk or nun was considered a vocation or a calling from God. Monks and nuns prayed
for the souls of the dead to shorten their time in purgatory.
They also performed good works and were a important part of life in socially and economically
deprived areas where they gave support for the poor and looked after the sick and elderly.
Monasteries were also important centres of education and learning. Before the invention of the
printing press in 1440 monks were responsible for the copying and preservation of old texts and
books.
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