A Short Report On the English Reformation

Webquest: The English Reformation
Church History
June 25, 2006
David J. Manning

The English Reformation is a perfect example of how God’s hand of providence can turn the sinful actions of one man into a source of good for a great many people. Up until the time of Henry VIII, England had been a Catholic country. At times there were dissenters, but for the most part, England’s religion belonged to Rome. Henry VIII even earned himself the title “Defender of the Faith” from the Pope for writing The Assertion of the Seven Sacraments in opposition to Luther.

Though Henry was a staunch Catholic, he was without a male heir and felt compelled to produce one. His wife Catherine of Aragon had only provided him with a female heir (Mary), which left the king in a quandry. The only way the king could marry another woman, in this case Anne of Boleyn, was to be granted a divorce. Since his wife Catherine was previously married to his older brother Arthur, Henry argued that his marriage should be declared null and he be allowed to marry Anne of Beleyn. The Pope was rather reluctant to grant the request, however, because Charges V, Catherine’s nephew, was emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1533 Henry VIII appointed Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury. The new archbishop swiftly granted Henry his divorce. In 1534 the Act of Supremacy was passed, declaring the king to be the only supreme head of the Church of England, thus solidifying England’s separation from Rome. The Protestants’ hopes were furthered by the religious convictions of Anne, who was a Catholic, but with an eye towards major reform.

Anne of Boleyn was put to death in 1536 for adultery and treason (questionable charges), but the English Reformation continued. Between 1536 and 1539, the English monastaries were dissolved and their properties confiscated. Many of these monastic properties were sold back to church clergy, thus solidifying Protestantism’s hold on England. Doctrinal development was put on hold, however, in 1539 when the Act of Six Articles was issued. This Act essentially halted doctrinal reform, though it would later be repealed under Edward VI.

Doctrinally, the Church of England did not differ much from Catholicism – at least at first. In the beginning, most changes were hierarchial, above what the average church attender would notice. The services were still very Catholic in format, though eventually they were to be performed in English. Also, every church was to be supplied with its own copy of the Scriptures. Eventually, altars, images, and even some stained glass were done away with.

One of the greatest influences on the protestant Church of England was Thomas Cranmer. Cranmer was a member of the White Horse Group (a group, named after a pub in Cambridge, which discussed and debated the various issues of Protestantism). Cranmer was named the first protestant Archbishop of Canterbury. His greatest impact on the church was the Book of Common Prayer – a book of liturgy designed for church worship. Also contained in the book were the 39 Articles – basically a detailed profession of faith.

Henry VIII married Anne of Cleaves in 1540, though the couple did not last long. Henry found her distasteful and almost immediately sought a divorce. Anne of Cleaves was hoped to be one who would push for more protestant reforms, especially from a Lutheran vantage point. This never happened, and Anne eventually converted to Catholicism under the reign of Mary.

In 1540 Henry married Catherine Howard, a Catholic. This slowed reformational progress up a bit, but did not reverse the trends altogether. This marriage lasted about two years after which, in an ironic twist, the queen was put to death for infidelity, the very thing Henry had been guilty of multiple times throughout his reign. Henry was adulterous, immoral, and religiously wanting. He used the church as a tool for his own purposes and left many in his family in disarray. The endless flip flopping between Catholic and protestant tendancies left the common people of England divided and bitter.

In 1547 King Henry VIII died. Edward VI, a firm protestant, became his heir at age ten. Edward reigned until his death in 1553. Soon after, Mary ascended the throne and attempted to return England to its Catholic roots. Her persecution of Protestants, including the burning of over three hundred of them, earned her the title “Bloody Mary.” Two most notable martyrs were Thomas Cranmer and Hugh Latimer (Bishop of Worchester and supporter of Henry’s divorce to Catherine of Aragon). She died in 1558. She was succeeded by her sister Elizabeth, whose forty five year reign became a stabilizing factor in the country, and allowed for Protestantism’s permanent grasp on England.