A Chronicle of the Kings of England from the Time of the Roman Government, Regnal history 13 · Part 3
Affaires of the Church in his time.
IN the yeer 1517. the eighth yeer of this Kings Reigne, Martin Luther of VVittemberg in Germany a Frier of the Order of the Hermisses, taking occasion from the abuse… of Indulgences, began to Preach against the Authority of the Pope, and to bring in a Reformation of Religion; for repressing of whom the Counsaile of Trent was called by Pope Paul the third, in the yeere 1542. which continued above forty yeers, but was never received in the Kingdome of France … which Counsaile, by decreeing many things to be poins of faith, which were not so accounted before, hath made no small distraction amongst P…pists themselves: against this Luther, King Henry wrote a booke with great bitternesse, and with as great bitternesse was answered; at the same time with Luther, there arose also in the same Country other Reformers of Religion, as Zuingliu…, Occloampadious, Melancthon, who differing from Luther in some few points, made the difference which is at this day of Lutherans and Protestants, so called at first Auspurg, for making a protestation in defence of their Doctrine, which soon after spread all Christendome over: King Henry in the sixth and twentieth yeer of his Reigne, had excluded the Popes Authority ou… of his Realme; but thinking the worke not sufficiently done, as long as Abbeys and Prio…ies kept their station, which were, as it were his Forteresses and Pillars; there w…s not long after me…nes found to have them suppressed, for aspersio…s being l…id upon them (and perhaps no more then truth) of Adulteries and Murther…, they by Act of Parli…ment, in his eight and twentieth yeer, at lest neere foure hundred of them suppressed, and all their lands and goods conferred upon the King. In his one and thi…tieth yeer all the rest; and lastly, in his five and thirtinth yeer, all Colledge…, Chantries and Hospitals; so as the hives being now all removed, there have never since any Bees or Drones been seen in the Country: in this Kings time, the Citty of Rome was taken and sacked by the Imperiall Army, forcing the Pope to fly to his Castle Saint Angelo, and there kept a prisoner, till he agreed to such conditions as his Adversaries propounded. In the two and twentieth yeere of this Kings reigne, a Proclamation was set forth that no person should purchase any thing from the Court of Rome, and this was the first blow given to the Pope in England. In his three and twentieth yeer the Clergy submitting themselves to the King, for being found guilty of a Praemunire, were the first that called him supream head of the Church. In his foure and twentieth yeere a Parliament was holden, wherein one Act was made, that Bishops should pay no more Annats or money for their Buls to the Pope, and another that no person should appeale for any cause out of this Realm, to the Court of Rome, but from the Commissary to the Bishop, and from the Bishop to the Archbishop, and from the Archbishop to the King, and all causes of the King to be tried in the upper Ho…se of the Convocation. In his six and twentieth yeer in Iuly, Iohn Frith was burnt in Smithfield, a…d with him at the same stake one Andrew Howet a Tailor, both for denying the Reall presence in the Sacrament; and in a Parliament holden t…is yeer, an Act was made which Authorized the Kings Highnesse, to be supreame head of the Church of England, and the Authority of the Pope to be abolished, and then also was given to the King the first fruits and tenths of all Spirituall livings; and this yeer were many put to dea…h, Papists for denying the Kings Supremecy, Protestants for denying the Reall presence in the Sacrament; and it is incredible what numbers for thes… two causes were put to death, in the last ten yeers of this Kings Reign, of whom if we should make perticular mention, i… would reach a great way in the Book of Martyrs: in his eight and twentieth yeer, the Lord Cromwell was made Vi…a… General under the King, over the Spiritualty, and sate divers times in the Convocation House amongst the Bishops as head over them; and in September thi… yeere, he set forth injunctions, commandi…g all Parsons and Curates to …each their Parishoners the Pa…er Noster, the A…e, and Creed, with the ten Commandements and Articles of the Christian F…ith in the English tongue. I… his one and thirtieth yeer, was set forth by the Bishops, the Book of the six Articles, condemning all for Hereticks and to be burnt that should hold,
1. That the body of Christ was not Really present in the Sacrament after Consecration.
2. That the sacrament might not truly …e Administred under one Kind.
3. That Priests entred into Holy Orders might marry.
4. That vowes of Chastity entred into upon mature deliberation, were not to be kept.
5. That private Masses were not to be used.
6. That Auricular Confession was not necessary in the Church.
T…is yeere also the Religion of St. Iohns in England, commonly called the Order of Knights of the Rhodes was dissolved; and on Assension day, Sir William Weston Knight, Prior of St. Iohns departed this life, for thought (as was reported) after he heard of the dissolution of his Order, for the King took all the lands that belonged to that Order into his owne hands; in his six and thirtieth …eere, the Letany or Praecession was set forth in English, with commandement by the King, to be generally used in Parish Churches.