Submission of the Clergy
Encyclopedia
The Submission of the Clergy was a process by which the Church of England
gave up their power to formulate church laws without the King's licence and assent. It was first passed by the Convocation
of Canterbury
in 1532 and then by the Reformation Parliament in 1534. Along with other Acts passed by the Parliament, it further separated the Church from Rome.
The Convocation of Canterbury met on the 12 April 1532 after its last session ended in March. On the 10th May Edward Foxe
, the Bishop of Hereford
, presented the Convocation with a schedule of three articles which King Henry VIII
had sent to the Convocation for ratification. These articles said this:
After this was presented, William Warham
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
, immediately adjourned the Convocation to the remote chapel of St. Catherine, part of Westminster Abbey
infirmary, where the articles were read again. Warham prorogued the formal session of the Convocation for three days and led the prelate
s to St Dunstan's chapel for a private conference on how to respond to the articles. John Fisher
, the Bishop of Rochester
, was not present so a delegation was sent to Rochester to ask him what he thought of the articles. Fisher, taking into account of his previous views, most probably argued firm resistance to the King's demands.
The Convocation was to meet again but the King, accompanied by his councillors in Parliament, made a speech attacking the clergy on the 11th May. The chronicler Edward Hall
recorded the King's speech:
Warham and the rest of the Convocation, after debate, suggested a compromise on the articles which consisted of the Convocation not making new canons without the King's consent and would submit all previous canons to the King himself for assent or rejection and not to a committee and that their legislative power would be ended 'during the King's natural life' only.
The King abruptly decreed that Warham should end the session and when the prelates met for the last time on the 15th May Warham informed them of the King's decision and prorogued the Convocation until the 4th November. Some of the King's most prominent councillors then arrived to demand that the clergy should agree to the articles without amendment. The councillors were the Duke of Norfolk
, the Marquess of Exeter
, the Earl of Oxford
, the Earl of Wiltshire
and William Sandys
. After this confrontation, which lasted about an hour, the nobles left and the inferior clergy went to vote on the King's three articles. Eighteen of them voted 'no' to renouncing legislative authority, nineteen against the canons committee and to the third article. On receiving news of this rejection, Warham then advised the inferior clergy to retire because he thought the councillors might return at any moment. The Duke of Norfolk and a few others did return a few hours later but left after talking with Warham.
The Upper House of the Convocation voted on the articles with John Longland
, the Bishop of Lincoln
, Dr. Henry Standish
, the Bishop of St. Asaph and John Stokesley
, the Bishop of London
speaking in favour of the articles but with some reservation. John Clerk
, the Bishop of Bath and Wells
was strongly opposed. A majority voted for the articles, and the Convocation was prorogued.
On the 16th May, the Submission of the Clergy, as the three articles became to be known, was officially signed by representatives of the clergy and the bishop
s. The historian Michael Kelly, noting the scarce attendance of the vote, has written that the Submission was enacted by a "rump Convocation".
argues that the possible need for parliamentary legislation for this may have came from a proposal from the Commons, rather than Thomas Cromwell. The parliamentary procedure for this Act resulted in a conference between the King and Parliament in which the Speaker
addressed the King. In 1536 Parliament was asked again to re-enact the Submission of the Clergy, although the reasoning behind this decision is not known since the 1534 Act did not include an expiry date.
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...
gave up their power to formulate church laws without the King's licence and assent. It was first passed by the Convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
of Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
in 1532 and then by the Reformation Parliament in 1534. Along with other Acts passed by the Parliament, it further separated the Church from Rome.
Convocation
The Convocation of Canterbury met on the 12 April 1532 after its last session ended in March. On the 10th May Edward Foxe
Edward Foxe
Edward Foxe was an English churchman, Bishop of Hereford. He was the most Lutheran of Henry VIII's bishops, and assisted in drafting the Ten Articles of 1536....
, the Bishop of Hereford
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.The see is in the City of Hereford where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Ethelbert which was founded as a cathedral in 676.The Bishop's residence is...
, presented the Convocation with a schedule of three articles which 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...
had sent to the Convocation for ratification. These articles said this:
- the Church of England was to renounce its authority to make church law (canons) without royal licence;
- the Convocation was to submit all existing canons to the scrutiny of a committee, which would be appointed by the King. Half of the members would be from Parliament (eight from each house) and half from the clergyClergyClergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
. This committee would proclaim void all canons it found offensive; - the Convocation was to retain the remaining canons with the King's consent.
After this was presented, William Warham
William Warham
William Warham , Archbishop of Canterbury, belonged to a Hampshire family, and was educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford, afterwards practising and teaching law both in London and Oxford....
, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
, immediately adjourned the Convocation to the remote chapel of St. Catherine, part of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
infirmary, where the articles were read again. Warham prorogued the formal session of the Convocation for three days and led the prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
s to St Dunstan's chapel for a private conference on how to respond to the articles. John Fisher
John Fisher
Saint John Fisher was an English Roman Catholic scholastic, bishop, cardinal and martyr. He shares his feast day with Saint Thomas More on 22 June in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and 6 July on the Church of England calendar of saints...
, the Bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
, was not present so a delegation was sent to Rochester to ask him what he thought of the articles. Fisher, taking into account of his previous views, most probably argued firm resistance to the King's demands.
The Convocation was to meet again but the King, accompanied by his councillors in Parliament, made a speech attacking the clergy on the 11th May. The chronicler Edward Hall
Edward Hall
Edward Hall , English chronicler and lawyer, was born about the end of the 15th century, being a son of John Hall of Northall, Shropshire....
recorded the King's speech:
Welbeloved subjects, wePluralis majestatisThe majestic plural , is the use of a plural pronoun to refer to a single person holding a high office, such as a monarch, bishop, or pope...
thought that the clergy of our realm had been our subjects wholly, but now we have well perceived that they be but half our subjects, yea, and scarce our subjects; for all the prelates at their consecration make an oath to the Pope, clean contrary to the oath that they make to us, so that they seem to be his subjects, and not ours. The copy of both oaths I deliver here to you, requiring you to invent some order, that we be not thus deluded of our spiritual subjects.
Warham and the rest of the Convocation, after debate, suggested a compromise on the articles which consisted of the Convocation not making new canons without the King's consent and would submit all previous canons to the King himself for assent or rejection and not to a committee and that their legislative power would be ended 'during the King's natural life' only.
The King abruptly decreed that Warham should end the session and when the prelates met for the last time on the 15th May Warham informed them of the King's decision and prorogued the Convocation until the 4th November. Some of the King's most prominent councillors then arrived to demand that the clergy should agree to the articles without amendment. The councillors were the Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, KG, Earl Marshal was a prominent Tudor politician. He was uncle to Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, two of the wives of King Henry VIII, and played a major role in the machinations behind these marriages...
, the Marquess of Exeter
Marquess of Exeter
Marquess of Exeter is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1525 for Henry Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon...
, the Earl of Oxford
Earl of Oxford
Earl of Oxford is a dormant title in the Peerage of England, held for several centuries by the de Vere family from 1141 until the death of the 20th earl in 1703. The Veres were also hereditary holders of the office of master or Lord Great Chamberlain from 1133 until the death of the 18th Earl in 1625...
, the Earl of Wiltshire
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, KG was an English diplomat and politician in the Tudor era. He was born at the family home, Hever Castle, Kent, which had been purchased by his grandfather Geoffrey Boleyn, who was a wealthy mercer. He was buried at St. Peter's parish church in the village of...
and William Sandys
William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne
William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne was an English Tudor diplomat, Lord Chamberlain and favourite of King Henry VIII....
. After this confrontation, which lasted about an hour, the nobles left and the inferior clergy went to vote on the King's three articles. Eighteen of them voted 'no' to renouncing legislative authority, nineteen against the canons committee and to the third article. On receiving news of this rejection, Warham then advised the inferior clergy to retire because he thought the councillors might return at any moment. The Duke of Norfolk and a few others did return a few hours later but left after talking with Warham.
The Upper House of the Convocation voted on the articles with John Longland
John Longland
John Longland was the English Dean of Salisbury from 1514 to 1521 and bishop of Lincoln from 1521 to his death in 1547.He was King Henry VIII's confessor and was said to have been one of those who first persuaded the King that he should annul his marriage to Katherine of Aragon.During the English...
, the Bishop of Lincoln
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
, Dr. Henry Standish
Henry Standish
Henry Standish was an English Franciscan, who became Bishop of St. Asaph. He is known as an opponent of Erasmus in particular, and humanists in general....
, the Bishop of St. Asaph and John Stokesley
John Stokesley
John Stokesley was an English church leader who was Catholic Bishop of London during the reign of Henry VIII.He was born at Collyweston in Northamptonshire, and became a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1495, serving also as a lecturer. In 1498 he was made principal of Magdalen Hall, and in...
, the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
speaking in favour of the articles but with some reservation. John Clerk
John Clerk (bishop)
John Clerk was an English bishop. He was educated at Cambridge University, and went on to serve under Cardinal Wolsey in a variety of capacities. He was also useful in a diplomatic capacity to both Wolsey and Henry VIII of England....
, the Bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
was strongly opposed. A majority voted for the articles, and the Convocation was prorogued.
On the 16th May, the Submission of the Clergy, as the three articles became to be known, was officially signed by representatives of the clergy and the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s. The historian Michael Kelly, noting the scarce attendance of the vote, has written that the Submission was enacted by a "rump Convocation".
Parliament
In 1534 the Submission of the Clergy was confirmed by Parliament in the Act for the Submission of the Clergy and Restraint of Appeals. The historian Stanford LehmbergStanford Lehmberg
-Early life and schooling:Stanford E. Lehmberg was born in McPherson, Kansas. Lehmberg's father was a Kansas dealer in farm implements, who spent most of his life also managing a local bank. Lehmberg's mother was a teacher in Kansas public schools before Stanford was born...
argues that the possible need for parliamentary legislation for this may have came from a proposal from the Commons, rather than Thomas Cromwell. The parliamentary procedure for this Act resulted in a conference between the King and Parliament in which the Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
addressed the King. In 1536 Parliament was asked again to re-enact the Submission of the Clergy, although the reasoning behind this decision is not known since the 1534 Act did not include an expiry date.