that office, without any other suyng, procuryng, or obteynyng any bulles, breues, or other thynges from the Sea of Rome.
This is a paraphrasing from the 1533 'Act for the exoneration from exactions paid to the See of Rome' also known as 'act concerning Peter's Pence and Dispensations (or the Ecclesiastical Licences Act - 25 Henry VIII, c.21).
MarginaliaPeter pence, how they came, and how long they continued.Where is to bee noted by the waye, as touchyng these Peterpence aforesaid, that the same were first brought in and imposed by K. Inas, about the yeare of our Lord. 720. Which Inas king of the Westsaxons, caused through all his dominion in euery house hauyng a chimney, a peny to be collected and payed to the Bishop of Rome in þe name of S. Peter, & therof were they called Peterpence. MarginaliaVid. sup. pag. 170.vid. supra pag. 107. The same likewise did Offa kyng of Mercians after him, about the yeare of our Lord. 794. MarginaliaVid. sup. pag. 173.vid. pag. 173. And these Peterpence
Foxe's details are accurate. In the reign of King Alfred (c.849-99) the collection was normalized to a fixed rate of £200 a year. [See, Stanford E Lehmberg, The Reformation Parliament, 1529-1536 (Cambridge, 1970), p.191].
Foxe here refers to the 1534 'Act for the establishment of the King's succession' (25 Henry VIII, c.22).
Foxe here refers to the 1534 act.
MarginaliaStatut. an. 25. Reg Hen. 8. Degrees prohibited to mary.The sonne not to mary the mother, nor stepmother. The brother not to mary the sister. The sister not to mary his sonnes daughter, nor hys daughters daughter. The sonne not to mary his fathers daughter gottē by his stepmother. The sonne not to mary his aunte, beyng either his fa- thers, or his mothers sister. The sonne not to mary his vncles wife. The father not to mary his sonnes wife. The brother not to mary his brothers wife. No man to mary his wifes daughter. No man to mary his wifes sonnes daughter. No man to mary his wifes daughters daughter. No man to mary his wifes sister. All these degrees be prohibited by the Scripture. |
All these thinges thus beyng defined & determined in this foresayd Parlament, & also beyng in the same Parlamēt concluded, that no mā of what estate degree, or condition soeuer, hath any power to dispense with Gods lawes, MarginaliaSeparation betwene the kyng & thr Ladye Catherine by acte of Parlamēt.it was therefore by þe authoritie aforesayd agreeyng with the authoritie of Gods worde, assented that the Mariage aforetyme solemnised betwene the kyng and the Lady Katherine, beyng before wife to Prince Arthur the kinges brother, & carnally knowen by hym (as is aboue proued) should bee absolutely demed and adiudged to bee vnlawfull and agaynst the lawe of God, and also reputed and taken to be of no value nor effecte: and that the separation therof by Thomas Cranmer
This refers to the ruling (23 May 1533) of the archbishop's marriage tribunal assembled at the Priory of St Peter at Dunstable.
Duryng the tyme of this Parlament, before the Mariage of Queene Anne, there was one Temse in the Common house, whiche moued the Commons to sue to the kyng, to take the Queene agayne into his company, declaring certeine great mischiefs like to insue therof, as in bastarding þe Lady Mary þe kinges onely child, & diuers other incōueniēces: which beyng reported to the kings eares, he sent immediatly to Syr Tho. Audley Speaker thē of þe Parlamēt, expressing vnto him amongest other matters, MarginaliaThe kynges wordes to Syr Tho. Audley speaker of the Parlament.that he merueiled much, why one of þe Parlament did so opēly speake of þe absence of the Queene from him: which matter was not to be determined there, for it touched (sayd he) his soule, and wished þt Matrimony were good, for then had he neuer ben so vexed in consciēce. But the Doctors of Vniuersities (said he) haue determined þe Mariage to be voide, & detestable before God, which grudge of consciēce (he sayd) caused him to absteine frō her company, & no foolish, nor wanton appetite. For I am (sayd he) xli. yeare old, at which age the lust of man is not so quicke, as it is in youth. And sauyng in Spayne and Portugale,
Henry was referring to the marriages of Manuel I of Portugal (1495-1521), successively, to Catherine of Aragon's two elder sisters, Isabella and Maria (both Manuel's nieces).
This is the start of the manoeuvres which would eventually produce the submission of the clergy. This famous speech, of 21 May 1532, was recorded by Hall [for which, see Edward Hall, The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre & York, 2 vols., ed. by H Ellis (London, 1809), ii, p.788].
[Back to Top]The Speaker thus departed and caused the othes to be read in the Common house, the very tenor wherof here ensueth.
MarginaliaThe othe which the Clergye commonly geueth to the Pope.I Iohn Bishop or Abbot of A. frō this houre forward, shall be faithfull and obedient to S. Peter, and to the holy Church of Rome, and to my Lord the Pope, and his successours Canonically enteryng. I shall not be of coūsell nor consent, that they shal lese either lyfe or member, or shall be taken, or suffer any violence, or any wrong by any meanes. Ther coūsaile to me credited by them, their messengers or letters, I shall not willyngly discouer to any person. The Popedome of Rome, the rules of þe holy fathers, & the Regalities of S. Peter, I shall helpe & retaine, & defende against all men. The Legate of the Sea Apostolicke goyng and commyng, I shall honorably entreate. The rightes, honors, priuiledges, authorities of the Church of Rome, and of the Pope and his successors, I shall cause to be conserued, defended, augmented, and
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