4. Moral effects = them in their daily life. But the new owners had no interest in their tenants. They did not live in the old house. The monastic buildings fell to ruin, and a steward exacted rents which were spent elsewhere. Often indeed the new owners turned out the old tenants and threw the whole estates into pasturage, which needed but few men. upon These results of the Dissolution were plain to see. But the worst result was one which is beyond all power to estimate. So wide a measure of destruction, based such foul charges, struck a staggering blow at the Church, so that religion and blow to religion. morality itself reeled under the shock. For many years tc come England was marked by widespread irreligion and ignorance. a, Destruction of Meanwhile the wealth of the Monasteries slipped like water through Henry's fingers. Royal as he was in his vices and his crimes, he was royal in his extravagance. In 1544 he had to apply to Parliament to release him from his debts. In 1545 he attacked the Chantries, which were side-chapels in cathedrals and other churches, endowed by men and women in the past so that prayers might always be said for their souls. Many beautiful buildings had been destroyed and there had 5. Material effects: been much pillaging of shrines: thus many monuments rich in historical associations disappeared. They were said to be used superstitiously, but they were certainly valuable, often being Shrines. set with gold and silver and precious stones. It is quite certain that Henry in removing the superstition did not overlook the valuables. There is a story that the tomb of Becket, the great archbishop who had dared to oppose a King, was plundered with a strange mockery. Becket, dead 350 years before, was solemnly summoned to take his trial for treason, and when he did not appear his tomb was declared to be forfeited. buildings. b, Pillaging of (2.) Doctrinal a, Henry a "Protes tant test against Papal power. The rich and famous shrines of Our Lady at Walsingham and of S. Cuthbert at Durham were among those which were pillaged. The shrine of Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey was afterwards restored, with diminished splendour, by Mary. Henry had no sympathy with the Doctrines of the Reformers. Reforms. They protested against the power of the Pope, and thus came in carrying to be called Protestants; they, naturally, exalted the power into effect the pro of the Sovereign in religious matters, for it was the only power which in those days was effective. Of all this Henry heartily approved, and greedily grasped to himself as much authority, b, But made few religious and political, as he could. With doctrinal changes it was different. Henry knew there was nothing vital to the Church in the power of the Pope, but he had no sympathy with those who wished to carry through changes in matters of Faith. doctrinal changes. (Swift 63-77). Yet when men saw him ruthlessly pillaging sacred things, and destroying much that had been held holy, the impression was bound to spread that changes of doctrine must follow. Henry was determined that nothing of the kind should follow in his day. (Swift 78-84.) (Gairdner's Hist. 188 etc., 226 etc.) He soon made it plain how far he would go in the direction of the Reformers. The Bible in an authorised translation was 1. Translation of Bible 1539. issued under the title of the "Great Bible." The Bible of course had been quite well known, although the copies in circulation had been in Latin, just as the laws of the land were known, though they were written and administered in French. Ten Articles dealing with various points of doctrine were 2. Ten Articles. drawn up about the same time, and were next year expanded and defended in The Bishops' Book, or the Institution of a Christian Man. This in turn was revised in the King's Book, or the Necessary Erudition of any Christian Man, which, as its name implies, received the personal supervision of Henry. When the arguments contained in these proved insufficient 3. Act of Six Articles to restrain the more extreme of those who were desirous of change, Henry carried through Parliament the Act of Six Articles. It asserted the truth of six stated points of doctrine ii. and practice, some of which were expressed in their crudest form and all of which were exceedingly distasteful to the Reformers. The most extreme penalties were inflicted on those who refused to assent, and many were executed. C, i. iii. 1539. to restrain extreme reformers. tion. Transubstantia- of Communion in one kind. bacy. Celi Clerical iv. Vows of Chastity were binding. v. Private Masses. VI. Private Confession. Crumwell's at tempt to influence Henry towards reform by marriage with Anne of Cleves. 1540. So far as Henry can be supposed to have been influenced by any party this Act was a triumph for the Conservative section. Crumwell's power had thus received a distinct blow, and he tried to restore his credit by arranging an alliance between Henry and the reforming Princes of Germany. Henry had soon tired of Anne Boleyn, and had executed her. Next day he had married Jane Seymour, who died after giving birth to a son, afterwards Edward VI. Crumwell now proposed a marriage with Anne of Cleves. But she proved to be utterly without attractions of any kind and Henry at once divorced her. The failure of the marriage dragged down Crumwell. Its failure secures his He had failed to follow Henry in matters of doctrine, and in his devotion to the King's service he had, like Wolsey, made many enemies. Like Wolsey he was accused of treason, and was beheaded without trial and without pity. (Gairdner's Hist. 209.) downfall. 1540. character. There is something pathetic and mysterious in Crumwell- Crumwell's the man who had been trained by Wolsey, yet who rose on his ruins and pursued a policy which his master would have abhorred who had shown exceptional nobleness when he, alone, (Froude iii. 334-341.) had dared to lift a voice in Parliament in defence of his fallen patron, yet who left behind him a name for all that is base, ignoble, and tyrannical. Henry was impartial in his matrimonial executions. The Duke of Norfolk, leader of the Conservative Party among the nobles, now had influence. Henry married his daughter Katharine Howard, but in a year she was accused of gross crimes, and followed her unhappy predecessors to the scaffold. Henry next married Katharine Parr. She, though inclining to the reformers, was careful not to offend her spouse, and so outlived him. Henry allowed certain reforms in worship. Worship. The Litany was translated into English, and a new edition of the Primer (i.e. a First Book of Prayers, Creed, Commandments, etc.) was issued. d, Reforms in V. Last years. Scotland. Solway Moss. 1542. (Froude iii. 529.532.) The closing, like the opening, years of the reign were occupied with foreign affairs. A quarrel broke out with Scotland, whose King, James V. (Henry's nephew), had refused to take sides with Henry against the Pope. Border forays, which had lately been especially frequent on both sides, helped to increase the ill-feeling, and English troops were sent against the Scots. The latter were defeated at Solway Moss, and James died soon after. Henry then proposed a marriage between his young force a marriage son Edward and the infant daughter of James. But the Scots preferred the renewal of their old alliance with France, and though Henry sent an army to try to force the marriage, and devastated the country between Berwick and Edinburgh, he failed in his object. 2. Henry tries to alliance on Scots 3. It leads to War with France. 1544-46. Capture of An army had also to be sent to France in consequence of the renewed alliance. It captured Boulogne, but added to Henry's Boulogne, 1546. debts, and Parliament was again called upon to release him. Henry also debased the coinage, and was planning the confiscation of the Chantries (see above p. 168) when he fell ill. b, Henry's last actions. c, His death, 1547. His last acts were in accordance with his life. He ordered the arrest, on the usual charge of treason, of the Duke of Norfolk, the last of the men who had served him, and Norfolk's son, the Earl of Surrey. There was as usual no real ground for such a charge, but Henry probably felt that the Earl of Hertford, being uncle of young Edward, was the natural guardian of the future King, and Hertford and Norfolk had long been leaders of the rival parties of Reformers and Conservatives among the nobility. There was therefore no further need of Norfolk: he would indeed be distasteful to the new King's guardian. So he might follow Wolsey, More, and Crumwell, and in the same way. He was saved almost by a miracle. Surrey was executed on January 27th. Next day his father was actually on his way to the scaffold when news was brought that Henry had died. EDWARD VI. 1547-1553. i. Disastrous effects of the Minority ii. Protectorate of Somerset 1547-49 a. Henry's will set aside b. Somerset's character c. War with Scots: Battle of Pinkie d. Religious changes 1. Royal Injunctions 2. Spoliation of parish Churches 3. Robbery of Chantries 4. Educational 5. Congé d'Elire suspended 6. Act of Uniformity and 1st Prayer Book of Edward VI., 1549 e. General mismanagement: enclosures f. Archbishop Cranmer g. Rebellions in Norfolk and Devon h. Fall of Somerset 1549 iii. Government of Northumberland 1549-53. a. Influence of Foreign Reformers b. Religious persecution c. 2nd Prayer Book 1552 d. The 42 Articles of Religion 1553 e. Edward VI.'s character f. Northumberland's conspiracy Effects of the (Wakeman 263-4.) It was most unfortunate that the new king, Henry VIII.'s I. Disastrous son by Jane Seymour, his third wife, was only a boy of 9 years of age. Henry VIII. had been arbitrary and tyrannical but had kept anyone else from being so. Now, however, lesser men who had seen him play the tyrant, often at their expense, thought their own opportunity had come. They followed his example in other ways also. He had pillaged the Church in the process of Reform, and they bettered his instruction. The government fell into the hands of greedy adventurers who urged on Reform as the mere excuse for plunder. II. Protectorate of Somerset: 1547 -49. Somerset.') aside, 1547. Henry VIII. had tried to erect a Council of Regency in (Pollard's 'Protector which the two religious parties should be equally divided, so a, Henry's will set that no extreme measures should be taken till the new King could decide for himself. But Hertford, Edward VI.'s uncle, managed to have the King's will altered in his own favour. He had Gardiner the leader of the “Conservatives" removed and himself made Protector. He was of second-rate abilities though of great ambition, and was without tact or statesmanship. Everything he undertook was a failure, and by his religious policy he paved the way for the more extreme steps which were taken under Northumberland. He became Duke of Somerset in 1547. b. Somerset's character. c, War with Scots. Somerset showed his lack of statesmanship first by his action towards Scotland. He took up Henry VIII.'s idea, and tried to compel the Scots to agree to the betrothal of their young Queen Mary to the boy Edward. An army consisting chiefly of hired foreigners was sent to add force to the arguments of policy, and, though it defeated the Scots at Pinkie, it quite failed. At Pinkie the Scottish pikemen as usual beat off (Pollard's Som. 157-9; the English men-at-arms. But artillery was brought to play Pinkie. Barnard 85.) d, Religious changes 2. Spoliation of parish churches. upon their heavy masses, and when it had shaken them the English cavalry charged with murderous effect. Mary was sent to France and betrothed to the Dauphin. In religious matters also Somerset thought he was following (Wakeman 267-8.) Henry VIII.'s lead. He had none of Henry's theological ability, and he looked upon the Church as merely a department 1. Royal Injunctions. of State. The Royal Council therefore took all Church matters into its hands. It issued Injunctions for the removal of superstitious articles from the parish churches. The result was the destruction of much that was beautiful and the confiscation of all that was valuable in them. Somerset himself was only prevented from pulling down Westminster Abbey to provide building materials for a new house, by a bribe of 20 Manors given him by the Dean and Chapter. He then tried to take S. Margaret's church close by, but the parishioners stoned his workmen. Finally he demolished a parish church in the Strand, which, with the town houses of the bishops of Lichfield, Worcester, and Llandaff, and the adjoining church of the Knights Hospitallers at Clerkenwell, provided site and materials for Somerset House. The property of the Chantries 3. Robbery of Chantries. was finally taken away. The so-called Edwardian foundation 4. Educational. (Pollard's Som.121-9; of Grammar Schools was really the sparing of a small portion Barnard 319.) of ecclesiastical property for the much-needed purpose of Education. Bishops were appointed by Royal Writ as though they were merely Civil Officers of the Crown. 5. Congè d'elire suspended. 6. Act of Uniformity and Ist Prayer The work of translating the services into English, which had Book of Edward been begun, was continued, and in 1549 the first Prayer Book of Edward VI. was issued, and was ordered by the first Act of (Wakeman 271-280.) Uniformity. VI. 1549. (Gairdner's Hist. 266-268.) The work was carried out mainly by Cranmer, with Goodrich, Bishop of Ely, Ridley, Bishop of Rochester, and Cox, Dean of Christ Church. Their aims were set forth in their Preface, which now forms the Second Preface in our Book of Common Prayer and deserves to be carefully read. The objects they had in view were : (a) to make the services uniform, simple, and easy to (b) to make them congregational and audible; and usages. |