The Obedience of a Christian Man
Encyclopedia
The Obedience of a Christen man, and how Christen rulers ought to govern, wherein also (if thou mark diligently) thou shalt find eyes to perceive the crafty convience of all iugglers. is a 1528 book by the English Protestant author William Tyndale
. Its title is now commonly modernised in its spelling and abbreviated to The Obedience of a Christian Man. It was first published by Merten de Keyser
in Antwerp. It is best known for advocating that the king of a country was the head of that country's church, rather than the pope, and to be the first instance, in the English language at any rate, of advocating the divine right of kings
, a concept mistakenly attributed to the Catholic Church.
It is believed that the book had a great influence in the process that led Henry VIII of England
to declare the Act of Supremacy, by which he became Supreme Head of the Church of England, in 1534. However, Tyndale's opposition to Henry VIII divorce from Catherine of Aragon
and his Protestant views earned him the king's enmity and he would eventually be arrested and executed for heresy.
William Tyndale
William Tyndale was an English scholar and translator who became a leading figure in Protestant reformism towards the end of his life. He was influenced by the work of Desiderius Erasmus, who made the Greek New Testament available in Europe, and by Martin Luther...
. Its title is now commonly modernised in its spelling and abbreviated to The Obedience of a Christian Man. It was first published by Merten de Keyser
Merten de Keyser
Merten de Keyser was a 16th-century French printer and publisher working mainly in Antwerp, who printed the first complete French and the first complete English Bible translations as well as a number of works by English Protestant authors.- Life :Not much is known about his life...
in Antwerp. It is best known for advocating that the king of a country was the head of that country's church, rather than the pope, and to be the first instance, in the English language at any rate, of advocating the divine right of kings
Divine Right of Kings
The divine right of kings or divine-right theory of kingship is a political and religious doctrine of royal and political legitimacy. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving his right to rule directly from the will of God...
, a concept mistakenly attributed to the Catholic Church.
It is believed that the book had a great influence in the process that led Henry VIII 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...
to declare the Act of Supremacy, by which he became Supreme Head of the Church of England, in 1534. However, Tyndale's opposition to Henry VIII divorce from 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...
and his Protestant views earned him the king's enmity and he would eventually be arrested and executed for heresy.