Acts of Supremacy
Encyclopedia
The first Act of Supremacy was a piece of legislation that granted King Henry VIII of England
Royal Supremacy, which means that he was declared the supreme head of the Church of England
. It is still the legal authority of the Sovereign
of the United Kingdom
. Royal Supremacy is specifically used to describe the legal sovereignty
of the civil laws over the laws of the Church
in England
.
under King Henry VIII
declaring that he was "the only supreme head on earth of the Church in England" and that the English crown shall enjoy "all honours, dignities, preeminences, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity.". By the wording of the Act, it was made clear that Parliament was not granting the King the title (thereby suggesting that they had the right to later withdraw them) but rather it was stated as a recognized fact. In the Act of Supremacy, Henry abandoned Rome completely. He thereby asserted the independence of the Ecclesia Anglicana
. He appointed himself and his successors as the supreme rulers of the English church. Henry had been declared "Defender of the Faith" (Fidei Defensor
) in 1521 by Pope Leo X
for his pamphlet accusing Martin Luther
of heresy
. Parliament later conferred this title upon Henry in 1544.
The 1534 Act is often taken to mark the beginning of the English Reformation
although it had been brewing for more than a century. There were a number of reasons for this act. Among them was the need for Henry to get an annulment
of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
, because Henry had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn
. Pope Clement VII
still refused to grant the annulment, due to the familial connections Catherine had with the Holy Roman Emperor at the time. The Treasons Act
was later issued saying that to disavow the Act of Supremacy and to deprive the King of his "dignity, title, or name" was to be considered treason
. The most famous public figure to resist the Treason Act was Sir Thomas More.
This act was repealed in 1554 by king Henry's eldest daughter, Queen Mary I
.
Sir Thomas More, was trapped between conflicting loyalties. He was the king's humble servant more than anything, but he was also a devout Catholic. His personal crisis reached a climax in the spring of 1534. This was the time when the king demanded his subjects to take an oath to obey the Act of Succession, and he was asking more than More could give. More did not protest; he remained mute. He didn't condemn the oath or anyone who had taken it, but he remained loyal to the crown. He refused to renounce Rome, which was a devastating silence since Henry was taking such an enormous risk. In the end, Henry did not ever gain the support of his humble servant. More had already opposed Henry's marriage to Anne and refused to attend her coronation. Any further tolerance by Henry would be interpreted as weakness, especially since the former chancellor, garlanded with royal honours was the most influential man in English public life. The king could be merciless or he could forfeit his crown, and for this king that was no choice. More was then charged with treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London. At his trial More finally spoke out. Splitting the Church was a tragic crime, he said; and he could not be an accomplice to it. Nor could he bring himself to believe that, "any temporal man could be the head of spirituality." The hearing was merely a formality because the verdict had already been decided. He was condemned to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
Henry was declared "Defender of the Faith" (Fidei Defensor
) in 1521 by Pope Leo X
for his pamphlet accusing Martin Luther
of heresy
. Parliament later conferred this title upon Henry in 1544. The 1534 Act made official the English Reformation
that had been brewing since 1527. The main purpose of this act was so that Henry could get an annulment
of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
, because Henry had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn
; however, Pope Clement VII
still refused to grant the annulment, due to the familial relations Catherine had with the Holy Roman Emperor at the time. The Treasons Act
was later issued saying that to disavow the Act of Supremacy and to deprive the King of his "dignity, title, or name" was to be considered treason
.
. It was reinstated by Mary's Protestant half-sister, Elizabeth I, when she ascended the throne. Elizabeth declared herself Supreme Governor of the Church of England
, and instituted an Oath of Supremacy
, requiring anyone taking public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state. Anyone refusing to take the Oath could be charged with treason. The use of the term Supreme Governor as opposed to Supreme Head
pacified Catholics and those Protestants concerned about a female leader of the Church of England
. Elizabeth, who was a politique
, did not prosecute layman nonconformists
, or those who did not follow the established rules of the Church of England
unless their actions directly undermined the authority of the English monarch, as was the case in the vestments controversy
.
The consolidation of church and state under Royal Supremacy, as established by the Tudors, instigated political and religious strife in the succeeding centuries. This strife, along with similar struggles in Europe, is one reason there is a constitutional separation of church and state in many jurisdictions now. In the United Kingdom
, however, the state, in the guise of the Crown, still retains a significant involvement in the established Church of England
.
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
Royal Supremacy, which means that he was declared the supreme head of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. It is still the legal authority of the Sovereign
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Royal Supremacy is specifically used to describe the legal sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
of the civil laws over the laws of the Church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
First Act of Supremacy 1534
The Act of Supremacy of November 1534 (26 Hen. 8 c. 1) was an Act of the Parliament of EnglandParliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
under King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
declaring that he was "the only supreme head on earth of the Church in England" and that the English crown shall enjoy "all honours, dignities, preeminences, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity.". By the wording of the Act, it was made clear that Parliament was not granting the King the title (thereby suggesting that they had the right to later withdraw them) but rather it was stated as a recognized fact. In the Act of Supremacy, Henry abandoned Rome completely. He thereby asserted the independence of the Ecclesia Anglicana
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. He appointed himself and his successors as the supreme rulers of the English church. Henry had been declared "Defender of the Faith" (Fidei Defensor
Fidei defensor
Fidei defensor is a Latin title which translates to Defender of the Faith in English and Défenseur de la Foi in French...
) in 1521 by Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
for his pamphlet accusing Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. Parliament later conferred this title upon Henry in 1544.
The 1534 Act is often taken to mark the beginning of the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
although it had been brewing for more than a century. There were a number of reasons for this act. Among them was the need for Henry to get an annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, because Henry had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
. Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
still refused to grant the annulment, due to the familial connections Catherine had with the Holy Roman Emperor at the time. The Treasons Act
Treasons Act 1534
The Treasons Act 1534 was an Act passed by the Parliament of England in 1534, during the reign of King Henry VIII.This Act was passed after the Act of Supremacy 1534, which made the king the "Only Head of the Church of England on Earth." The 1534 Act made it treason, punishable by death, to...
was later issued saying that to disavow the Act of Supremacy and to deprive the King of his "dignity, title, or name" was to be considered treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
. The most famous public figure to resist the Treason Act was Sir Thomas More.
This act was repealed in 1554 by king Henry's eldest daughter, Queen Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
.
Sir Thomas More, was trapped between conflicting loyalties. He was the king's humble servant more than anything, but he was also a devout Catholic. His personal crisis reached a climax in the spring of 1534. This was the time when the king demanded his subjects to take an oath to obey the Act of Succession, and he was asking more than More could give. More did not protest; he remained mute. He didn't condemn the oath or anyone who had taken it, but he remained loyal to the crown. He refused to renounce Rome, which was a devastating silence since Henry was taking such an enormous risk. In the end, Henry did not ever gain the support of his humble servant. More had already opposed Henry's marriage to Anne and refused to attend her coronation. Any further tolerance by Henry would be interpreted as weakness, especially since the former chancellor, garlanded with royal honours was the most influential man in English public life. The king could be merciless or he could forfeit his crown, and for this king that was no choice. More was then charged with treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London. At his trial More finally spoke out. Splitting the Church was a tragic crime, he said; and he could not be an accomplice to it. Nor could he bring himself to believe that, "any temporal man could be the head of spirituality." The hearing was merely a formality because the verdict had already been decided. He was condemned to be hanged, drawn and quartered.
Henry was declared "Defender of the Faith" (Fidei Defensor
Fidei defensor
Fidei defensor is a Latin title which translates to Defender of the Faith in English and Défenseur de la Foi in French...
) in 1521 by Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
for his pamphlet accusing Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. Parliament later conferred this title upon Henry in 1544. The 1534 Act made official the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
that had been brewing since 1527. The main purpose of this act was so that Henry could get an annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...
, because Henry had fallen in love with Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
; however, Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
still refused to grant the annulment, due to the familial relations Catherine had with the Holy Roman Emperor at the time. The Treasons Act
Treasons Act 1534
The Treasons Act 1534 was an Act passed by the Parliament of England in 1534, during the reign of King Henry VIII.This Act was passed after the Act of Supremacy 1534, which made the king the "Only Head of the Church of England on Earth." The 1534 Act made it treason, punishable by death, to...
was later issued saying that to disavow the Act of Supremacy and to deprive the King of his "dignity, title, or name" was to be considered treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
.
Second Act of Supremacy 1559
Henry's Act of Supremacy was repealed (1554) in the reign of his staunchly Catholic daughter, Mary IMary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
. It was reinstated by Mary's Protestant half-sister, Elizabeth I, when she ascended the throne. Elizabeth declared herself Supreme Governor of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, and instituted an Oath of Supremacy
Oath of Supremacy
The Oath of Supremacy, originally imposed by King Henry VIII of England through the Act of Supremacy 1534, but repealed by his daughter, Queen Mary I of England and reinstated under Mary's sister, Queen Elizabeth I of England under the Act of Supremacy 1559, provided for any person taking public or...
, requiring anyone taking public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state. Anyone refusing to take the Oath could be charged with treason. The use of the term Supreme Governor as opposed to Supreme Head
Supreme Head
Supreme Head of the Church of England was a title held by King Henry VIII of England signifying his leadership of the Church of England.-History:...
pacified Catholics and those Protestants concerned about a female leader of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. Elizabeth, who was a politique
Politique
Politique is a term that was used during the sixteenth and seventeenth century Wars of Religion, to describe moderates of both religious faiths who held that only the restoration of a strong monarchy could save France from total collapse. It frequently included a pejorative connotation of moral...
, did not prosecute layman nonconformists
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
, or those who did not follow the established rules of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
unless their actions directly undermined the authority of the English monarch, as was the case in the vestments controversy
Vestments controversy
The vestments controversy arose in the English Reformation, ostensibly concerning vestments, but more fundamentally concerned with English Protestant identity, doctrine, and various church practices...
.
The consolidation of church and state under Royal Supremacy, as established by the Tudors, instigated political and religious strife in the succeeding centuries. This strife, along with similar struggles in Europe, is one reason there is a constitutional separation of church and state in many jurisdictions now. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, however, the state, in the guise of the Crown, still retains a significant involvement in the established Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
See also
- Supreme Governor of the Church of EnglandSupreme Governor of the Church of EnglandThe Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Although the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
- Religion in the United KingdomReligion in the United KingdomReligion in the United Kingdom and the states that pre-dated the UK, was dominated by forms of Christianity for over 1,400 years. Although a majority of citizens still identify with Christianity in many surveys, regular church attendance has fallen dramatically since the middle of the 20th century,...
- State religionState religionA state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state...
- Separation of church and stateSeparation of church and stateThe concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....