In conclusion, the pope seemed to favor provincial council; and that it was fitter to the king's excusatory plea, upon which the judge it in England, than anywhere else: Imperialists made great complaints. But and that by his coronation oath he was bound this amounted to no more, than that the king to maintain the dignities of his crown, and was not bound to appear in person; there- the rights of his subjects; and not to appear fore the cardinals, who were in his interest, before any foreign court. Sir Thomas Elliot advised the king to send over a proxy for was, therefore, sent over, with instructions answering to the merits of the cause. Bon- to move that the cause might be judged in ner was also sent to England to assure the England. king, that the pope was now so much in the French interest, that he might confidently refer his matter to him.

THE KING MARRIES ANNE BOLEYN. Soon after this, the king married Anne At that time the king sent for the speaker Boleyn; Rowland Lee (afterwards bishop of of the house of commons, and told him he Coventry and Lichfield) officiated, none found the prelates were but half subjects; for being present but the duke of Norfolk, and they swore at their consecration an oath to her father, mother, brother, and Cranmer. the pope, inconsistent with their allegiance It was thought that the former marriage and oath to him. By their oath to the pope, being null, the king might proceed to anthey swore to be in no council against him, other: and perhaps they hoped, that as the nor to disclose his secrets; but to maintain pope had formerly proposed this method, so the papacy, and the rights and authorities of he would now approve of it. But though the the church of Rome, against all men. In pope had joined himself to France, yet he their oath to the king, they renounced all was still so much in fear of the emperor, that clauses in their bulls contrary to the king's he dared not provoke him. A new citation royal dignity, and swore to be faithful to was therefore issued out, for the king to anhim, and to live and die with him against all swer to the queen's complaints; but Henry's others, and to keep his counsel; acknow- agents protested, that their master was a ledging that they held their bishoprics only sovereign prince, and England a free church, of him. It was evident they could not keep over which the pope had no just authority; both those oaths, in case of a breach between and that the king could expect no justice the king and the pope. But the plague at Rome, where the emperor's power was so broke off the consultations of parliament at great. this time. Soon after, Sir Thomas More, seeing a rupture with Rome coming on so fast, desired leave to lay down his office, which was, upon that, conferred on Sir At this time, the parliament met again, Thomas Audley. More was satisfied with and passed an act, condemning all appeals to the king's keeping up the laws formerly Rome; and enacting, that thenceforth all made in opposition to the papal encroach- causes should be judged within the kingdom, ments, and so had concurred in the suit of and that sentences given in England were the præmunire; but now the matter went to have full effect: and all that executed farther, and not being able to keep pace with any censures from Rome, were to incur the the king's measures, he returned to a pri- pain of præmunire. vate life.

INTERVIEW OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND

AND FRANCE.

THE PARLIAMENT CONDEMNS APPEALS TO
ROME.

CRANMER MADE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTER

BURY.

Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, havAn interview soon followed between the ing died the preceding year, was succeeded kings of France and England; in which, by Cranmer, who was then in Germany, Francis promised Henry to second him in disputing in the king's cause with some of his suit; encouraged him to proceed to a the emperor's divines. The king resolved second marriage without delay; and assured to advance him to that dignity, and sent him him of his assistance and support: meantime, word of it, that so he might make haste over: the pope offered to the king, to send a le- but a promotion so far above his thoughts, gate to any indifferent place out of England, had not its common effects on him: he had a to form the process, reserving only the giv- true and primitive sense of so great a ing sentence to himself; and proposed to charge; and instead of aspiring to it, feared him, and all princes, a general truce, to be it; and, returning very slowly to England, followed by a general council. used all his endeavors to be excused from

The king answered, that such was the that advancement. Bulls were sent for to present state of the affairs of Europe, that Rome, in order to his consecration, which it was not seasonable to call a general coun- the pope granted, and on the 30th of March, cil; and that it was contrary to his preroga- Cranmer was consecrated by the bishops of tive to send a proxy to appear at Rome; that Lincoln, Exeter, and St. Asaph. The oath by the decrees of general councils, all causes to the pope was of hard digestion to him. ought to be judged on the place and by a He therefore made a protestation, before he

took it, that he conceived himself not bound the various courts of Europe, to justify what

up by it in any thing that was contrary to his duty to God, to his king, or to his country; and this he repeated when he took it.

THE KING'S MARRIAGE CONDEMNED BY THE

CONVOCATION.

he had done: he sent also to queen Catharine, charging her to assume no other title but that of princess dowager; but to this she refused obedience, saying, she would not take that infamy on herself; and so resolved, that none should serve about her who did not treat her as queen.

The convocation had then two questions before them; the first was, concerning the At Rome the cardinals of the Imperial lawfulness of the king's marriage, and the faction complained much of the attempt made validity of the pope's dispensation; the other on the pope's power, and urged him to prowas, of matter of fact, whether Prince Ar- ceed to censures. But there was only senthur had consummated the marriage. For tence given, annulling all that the archbishop the first, the judgments of nineteen univer- of Canterbury had done; and the king was sities were read; and after a long debate, required, under pain of excommunication, to there being twenty-three only in the lower place things again in the state in which they house, fourteen were against the marriage, formerly were; and this notification was seven for it, and two voted dubiously. In affixed at Dunkirk. The king sent an emthe upper house, Stokesly, bishop of London, bassy to the French monarch, who was then and Fisher, maintained the debate long: the setting out to Marseilles, to meet the pope; one for the affirmative, and the other the their errand was to dissuade him from the negative: at last it was carried nemine con- journey, unless the pope promised Henry tradicente, (the few that were of the other satisfaction: Francis said, he was engaged side, it seems, withdrawing) against the mar- in honor to go on; but assured them, he riage, 216 being present. The other ques- would mind the king's concerns with as tion was referred to the canonists; and they much zeal as if they were his own. ali, except five or six, reported, that the presumptions were violent; and these, in a matter not capable of plain proof, were always received in law.

BIRTH OF THE PRINCESS ELIZABETH.

In September the queen brought forth a daughter, afterwards the renowned queen The convocation having thus judged in Elizabeth; and the king having before dethe matter, the ceremony of pronouncing clared lady Mary princess of Wales, did now the divorce judicially was now only wanting. the same for her: though, since a son might The new queen being pregnant, was a great exclude her from it, she could not be heir evidence of her having preserved her chas- apparent, but only heir presumptive to the tity previously to her marriage. On Easter crown. eve she was declared queen of England; and

The eventful moment was now at hand, soon after, Cranmer, with Gardiner, who when the incident should take place that had been made, upon Wolsey's death, bishop would cause the separation of England from of Wincester, and the bishops of London, the church of Rome. There was a secret Lincoln, Bath, and Wells, with many divines agreement between the pope and Francis, and canonists, went to Dunstable; queen that if king Henry would refer his cause to Catharine living then near it, at Ampthill. the consistory, excepting only the cardinals The king and queen were cited; he appear- of the Imperial faction, as partial, and would ed by proxy, but the queen refused to take in all other things return to his obedience to any notice of the court: so after three cita- the see of Rome, the sentence should be tions she was declared contumacious, and given in his favor. When Francis returned the merits of the cause were examined. At to Paris, he sent over the bishop of that city last, on the 23d of May, sentence was given, to the king, to tell what he had obtained of declaring the marriage to have been null the pope in his favor, and the terms on which from the beginning.

CORONATION OF ANNE BOLEYN.

it was promised: this wrought so much on the king, that he presently consented to them: upon which, the bishop of Paris, Some days after this, another judgment though it was now in the middle of winter, was given, confirming the king's marriage went to Rome in consequence. Upon his with queen Anne, and on the first of June arrival there, the matter seemed agreed: for she was crowned. All people admired her it was promised, that upon the king's sendconduct, who, during so many years, man- ing a promise under his hand, to place things aged the spirit of so violent a king in such in their former state, and his ordering a a manner, as neither to surfeit him with too proxy to appear for him, judges should be many favors, nor to provoke him with too sent to Cambray for making the process, and much rigor. They that loved the reforma- then sentence should be given. Upon the tion, looked for better days under her protec- notice given of this, and of a day fixed for tion; but many priests and friars, both in the return of the courier, the king dispatchsermons and discourses, condemned the king's ed him with all possible haste; and now the proceedings. Henry sent ambassadors to business seemed at an end. But the cour

had the sea and the Alps to pass, and in win- stood him to his face, and reckoned himself ter it was not easy to observe a limited day not inferior to him. If the dignity of a perso exactly. The appointed day came, and son left any authority with the city in which no courier arrived; upon which the Impe- he sat, then Antioch must carry it as well as rialists gave out, that the king was abusing Rome; and Jerusalem, where Christ sufferthe pope's easiness; and pressed him vehe- ed, was to be preferred to all the world, for mently to proceed to a sentence: the bishop it was truly the mother-church. The other of Paris requested only a delay of six days. privileges ascribed to St. Peter, were either But the design of the Imperialists was to only a precedence of order, or were occahinder a reconciliation; for if the king had sioned by his fall, as that injunction, "Feed been set right with the pope, there would my sheep," it being a restoring him to the have been so powerful a league formed apostolical function. St. Peter had also a against the emperor, as would have frus- limited province, the circumcision, as St. trated all his measures: and therefore it Paul had the uncircumcision, of far greater was necessary for his politics to embroil extent; which showed that Peter was not them. Seduced by the artifice of this in- considered as the universal pastor. triguing prince, the pope, contrary to his Several sees, as Ravenna, Milan, and ordinary prudence, brought the matter be- Aquileia, pretended exemption from the fore the consistory; and there the Imperial- papal authority. Many English bishops had ists having the majority, it was driven on asserted that the popes had no authority with so much precipitation, that they did, in against the canons, and to that day no canon one day, that which, according to form, the pope made was binding till it was reshould have occupied three. ceived; which showed the pope's authority They gave the final sentence, declared was not believed to be founded on a divine the king's marriage with queen Catharine authority: and the contests which the kings good, and required him to live with her as of England had had with the popes concernhis wife, otherwise they would proceed to ing investitures, bishops doing homage, apcensures. Two days after this, the courier peals to Rome, and the authority of papal came with the king's submission in due bulls and provisions, showed that the pope's form; he also brought earnest letters from power was believed to be subject to laws Francis in the king's favor. This wrought and custom, and so not derived from Christ on all the indifferent cardinals, as well as those of the French faction, so much that they prayed the pope to recall what was done. A new consistory was called; but the Imperialists urged, with greater vehemence than ever, that they would not give such The next point inquired into was, the scandal to the world as to recall a definitive authority that kings had in matters of resentence past of the validity of a marriage, ligion and the church. In the New Testaand give the heretics such advantages by ment, Christ was himself subject to the civil their unsteadiness in matters of that nature; powers, and charged his disciples not to afit was therefore carried, that the former sen- fect temporal dominion. They also wrote to tence should take place, and the execution the churches to be subject to the higher of it committed to the emperor. When this powers, and call them supreme, and charge was known in England, it determined the every soul to be subject to them: so in scripking in his resolution of shaking off the ture the king is called head and supreme, papal yoke, in which he had made so great and every soul is said to be under him, a progress, that the parliament had passed which, joined together, makes up his concluall the acts concerning it, before he received sion, that he is the supreme head over all the news from Rome; for he judged that the Jest way to secure his cause was to let Rome see his power, and with what vigor he could make war.

ARGUMENTS FOR REJECTING THE POPE'S
POWER.

and St. Peter; and as laws had given them some power, and princes had been forced in ignorant ages to submit to their usurpations, so they might, as they saw cause, change those laws, and resume their rights.

persons. In the primitive church the bishops only made rules or canons, but pretended to no compulsive authority, but what came from the civil magistrate. Upon the whole matter, they concluded that the pope had no power in England, and that the king had an entire dominion over all his subjects, which extended even to the regulation of ecclesiastical matters.

In England the foundations on which the papal authority was built, had been examined with extraordinary care of late years; These questions being fully discussed in and several books were written on that sub- many disputes, and published in several ject. It was demonstrated that all the apos- books, all the bishops, abbots, and friars of tles were made equal in the powers that England, Fisher only excepted, were so far Christ gave them, and he often condemned satisfied with them, that they resolved to their contests about superiority but never comply with the changes the king was redeclared in St. Peter's favor. Si Paul with-solved to make.

MENT.

THE POPE'S POWER REJECTED BY PARLIA- About this time one Phillips complained to the house of commons of the bishop of At the next meeting of parliament there London for using him cruelly in prison upon were but seven bishops and twelve abbots suspicion of heresy; the commons sent up present, the rest being unwilling to concur his petition to the lords, but received no in making this change, though they complied answer: they therefore sent some of their with it when it was made. Every Sunday members to the bishop, desiring him to anduring the session a bishop preached at St. swer the complaints put in against him: but Paul's, and declared that the pope had no he acquainted the house of lords with it; and authority in England: before this, they had they with one consent voted that none of only said that a general council was above their house ought to appear or answer to any him, and that the exactions of his court, and complaint at the bar of the house of commons. appeals to it, were unlawful; but now they On which the commons let this particular went a strain higher, to prepare the people case fall, and sent up a bill, to which the for receiving the acts then in agitation. On lords agreed, regulating the proceedings the 9th of March the commons began the against heretics; repealing the statute of bill for taking away the pope's power, and Henry IV.; and declaring that none were sent it to the lords on the 14th, who passed to be committed for heresy but upon a preit on the 20th without any dissent. In it sentment made by two witnesses; none were they set forth the exactions of the court of to be accused of speaking against things that Rome, grounded on the pope's power of dis- were grounded only upon the pope's canons; pensing; and that as none could dispense bail was to be taken for heretics, and they with the laws of God, so the king and parlia- were to be brought to trial in open court; ment only had the authority of dispensing and if upon conviction they did not abjure, with the laws of the land; and that there- or were relapses, they were to be burnt; the fore such licenses or dispensations as were king's writ being first obtained. This was a formerly in use, should be for the future great check to the bishop's tyranny, and granted by the two archbishops; some of gave great satisfaction to the friends of the these were to be confirmed under the great reformation. seal; and they appointed that thereafter all The convocation sent in a submission at intercourse with Rome, on those subjects, the same time, by which they acknowledged, should cease. They also declared that they that all the convocations ought to be assemdid not intend to alter any article of the bled by the king's writ; and promised never catholic faith of Christendom, or of that which to make nor execute any canons without the was declared in the scriptures necessary to king's assent. They also desired, that since salvation. They confirmed all the exemp- many of the received canons were found to tions granted to monasteries by the popes, be contrary to the king's prerogative and the but subjected them to the king's visitation, laws of the land, there might be a committee and gave the king and his council power named by the king of thirty-two, the one to examine and reform all indulgences and half out of both houses of parliament, and privileges granted by the pope. This act the other of the clergy, empowered to abrosubjected the monasteries entirely to the gate or regulate them, as they should see king's authority, and put them in no small cause. This was confirmed in parliament; confusion. Those who loved the reformation the act against appeals was renewed; and rejoiced both to see the pope's power rooted an appeal was allowed from the archbishop out, and to find the scripture made the stand- to the king, upon which the lord chancellor ard of religion. was to grant a commission for a court of

After this act, another passed in both delegates. houses in six days' time without any opposi- Another act passed for regulating the tion, settling the succession of the crown, elections and consecrations of bishops, conconfirming the sentence of divorce, and the demning all bulls from Rome, and appointing king's marriage with queen Anne, and de- that upon a vacancy the king should grant a claring all marriages within the degrees pro- license for an election, and should by a mishibited by Moses to be unlawful: all that sive letter signify the person's name whom had married within them were appointed to he would have chosen; and within twelve be divorced, and their issue illegitimated; days after these were delivered, the dean and the succession to the crown was settled and chapter, or prior and convent, were reupon the king's issue by the present queen, quired to return an election of the person or, in default of that, to the king's right heirs named by the king, under their seals. The for ever. All were required to swear to bishop elect was upon that to swear fealty, maintain the contents of this act; and if any and a writ was to be issued out for his conrefused to swear to it, or should say any secration in the usual manner; after that he thing to the slander of the king's marriage, was to do homage to the king, upon which he was to be judged guilty of misprision of both the temporalties and spiritualties were treason, and to be punished accordingly. to be restored, and bishops were to exercise

their jurisdictions as they had done before. peared to her, and told her, she could not be All who transgressed this act were made well till she visited that image. She spake guilty of a præmunire.

many good words against ill life, and also against heresy, and the king's suit of divorce then depending; and by many strange motions of her body, sne seemed, to the ignorant multitude of that age, to be inwardly possessed.

A private act passed, depriving cardinal Campegio and Jerome de Gianuccii of the bishoprics of Salisbury and Worcester: the reasons given for it were, because they did not reside in their dioceses, for preaching the laws of God, and keeping hospitality, but Soon after this, a day was appointed for lived at the court of Rome, and drew £3000 her cure; and before an assemblage of two a year out of the kingdom. thousand people, she was carried to the The last act of a public nature, though image; and after she had acted over her relating only to private persons, was con- fits, she seemed suddenly to recover, which cerning the nun of Kent and her accom- was ascribed to the intercession of the virgin, plices. It was the first occasion of shedding and the virtue of her image. She then took any blood in this quarrel, and the imposture the veil, and Bocking was her confessor. was much cherished by all the superstitious Her popularity increased daily, and many clergy who adhered to the interests of the thought her a prophetess, among whom was queen and the pope. The nun, and many of archbishop Warham himself. A book was her accomplices, were brought to the bar of also written of her revelations, and a letter the house of lords, where they confessed the was shown, all in letters of gold, pretended whole matter. to be written to her from Heaven by Mary

Sir Thomas More and bishop Fisher were Magdalen! She said, that when the king charged with having concealed their know- was last at Calais, she was carried invisibly ledge of the affair; the former wrote a long beyond sea, and brought back again; and letter upon the subject to Cromwell, giving that an angel gave her the sacrament; and him a particular account of all the conversa- that God revealed to her, that if the king tions he had had with the nun: he acknow- went on in his divorce, and married another ledged that he had esteemed her highly, not wife, he should fall from his crown, and not so much out of any regard to her prophecies, live a month longer, but should die a villain's as for the opinion he conceived of her holi- death.

ness and humility. But he added, that "he Several monks of the Charter-house, and was then convinced that she was the most the observant friars, with many nuns, and false dissembling hypocrite that had ever bishop Fisher, gave credit to this, set a great been known, and guilty of the most detestable value on her, and grew very insolent upon hypocrisy and devilish dissembled falsehood:" it; for friar Peyto preaching in the king's he also believed that she had communication with an evil spirit. More's justification of his conduct prevailed so far, that his name was struck out of the bill.

STORY OF THE NUN OF KENT.

chapel at Greenwich, denounced the judg ments of God upon him; and said, though others as lying prophets deceived him, yet he, in the name of God, told him, that dogs should lick his blood, as they had done Ahab's. The king bore this patiently, contenting himELIZABETH BARTON, of Kent, fell into some self with ordering Dr. Corren to preach next hysterical fits, and spake such things as made Sunday, and to answer all that he had said; those about her think she was inspired by who railed against Peyto as a dog and a God. The parson of the parish, named Mas- traitor. Peyto had gone to Canterbury; but ter, hoping to draw advantages from this, Elston, a Franciscan of the same house, ininformed archbishop Warham of it, who or- terrupted him, and called him one of the dered him to watch her carefully, and bring lying prophets that went about to establish him an account of what he should observe. the succession of the crown by adultery; and But it seems she forgot all that she said in spoke with so much vehemence, that the her fits when they were over. But the art- king himself was forced to command silence. ful priest would not suffer his hopes thus to So unwilling was the king to go to extremipass away, but persuaded her she was in- ties, that all that was done upon so high a spired, and taught her so to counterfeit those provocation, was, that they were summoned trances, that she became very expert at it, before the council, and rebuked for their and could assume them at her pleasure. The insolence. But the nun's confederates promatter was soon noised about; and the priest ceeding to publish her revelations in all parts intended to raise the credit of an image of of the kingdom, she and nine of her accomthe blessed virgin, which stood in his church, plices were apprehended, when they all, that so pilgrimages and offerings might be without any rack or torture, discovered the made to it by her means. He accordingly whole conspiracy. Upon this confession they associated to himself one Bocking, a monk were appointed to go to St. Paul's, where, of Canterbury, and they taught the nun to after a sermon preached by the bishop of say, in her fits, that the blessed virgin ap- Bangor, they repeated their confession in