The English Reformation
Introduction Took place in 16 th century England Explains the origins of the Anglican Church (the Church of England) The Reformation in Europe was sparked by a number of factors, but the English Reformation was primarily the result of turmoil within the English government
Henry VIII Became King in 1509 at age 17 Married his brother s widow (Catherine of Aragon) for political reasons He was an observant Catholic under the oversight of Cardinal Wolsey, but also influenced by his younger advisors In 1521, he df defended ddthe Cthli Catholic Church h against Luther and was awarded the title Defender of the Faith by Pope Leo X
Henry VIII at 18
Henry VIII
Henry VIII By the late 1520s, he wished to annul his marriage to Catherine (since no male heir, only a daughter named Mary) He claimed it was an illegitimate marriage to begin with and asked the Pope to annul The Pope refused on the basis of canon law and also out of fear of Charles V, the king of the Holy Roman Empire and nephew of Catherine
Catherine of Aragon
Henry VIII Henry convinced Parliament to side with him against the Pope Under him, they passed laws distancing England from Rome and naming Henry the Supreme Head of the English Church Thomas Cranmer, the new archbishop of Canterbury, granted the annulment In 1533, Henry married Anne Boleyn; shortly thereafter she gave birth to Elizabeth
Anne Boleyn
Tyndale executed in 1536
Henry VIII Henry s reforms were met with support in some circles Luther s ideas had made an impact in England; as had Wycliffe before him Tyndale s translation had made the Bible much more accessible The men of the White Horse tavern (including Hugh Latimer) had gained influence in promoting Reformation ideas
Thomas Cromwell
Henry VIII Both Thomas Cromwell, Henry s chief minister, and Anne Boleyn were influenced by Protestant ideas Henry was also interested in maintaining good relations with the Protestant princes of Germany (in case Charles V decided to attack Henry to avenge his aunt) Thomas Cranmer, too, was very sympathetic to the Protestants
Thomas Cranmer
Henry VIII But when unrest begin to develop as a result of the reforms Henry reacted strongly In 1539, he reinstated a number of Catholic practices (including forbidding priests to marry) In 1540, Cromwell was executed In 1543, Henry restricted the reading of the Bible to the nobility
Henry VIII Henry had Ann executed in 1536, and his marriage to her annulled He then married Jane Seymour who did give him a son (Edward VI) Seymour died, and Henry would marry another three times before his death Henry VIII died in 1547 after swinging the pendulum back toward Roman Catholicism
Jane Seymour
Anne of Catherine Catherine Cleves Howard Parr Henry s final three wives
Edward VI In 1547, Henry s 9 year old son became king, under the guardianship of his uncle Further Protestant reforms were made; images were dismantled and clergy were allowed to marry In 1549, Thomas Cranmer published a Book of Common Prayer In 1550, altars were replaced with wooden communion tables; priests with pastors
Edward VI
Edward VI But Edward died very young, in July 1553 During his reign, the monarchy had shifted to support the Protestant Reformation But not all of Edward s reforms had been well received by the general population As a result, Mary (a Catholic) had herself appointed Queen; beating out the claim of her cousin, Lady Jane Grey (a Protestant)
Jane Grey
Mary I
Mary I Mary worked to undo the Protestant reforms of Edward and restore unity with the Roman Catholic Church She married Philip II of Spain in an effort to produce an heir (but to no avail) Though she reigned for only five years, she put to death nearly 300 Protestants and earned herself the title, Bloody Mary as a result
John Foxe
Foxe s Book of Martyrs His concluding remarks about Mary: We earnestly pray that the annals of no country, Catholic or pagan, may ever be stained with such a repetition of human sacrifices to papal power, and that the detestation in which the character of Mary is holden, may be a beacon to succeeding monarchs to avoid the rocks of fanaticism!
Elizabeth I When Mary died, Elizabeth became Queen She undid Mary s Catholic legislation and undertook the work of reform In 1559 she was appointed the Supreme Governor of the Church of England She brought about sweeping reforms, including requiring Anglican church attendance each week She reigned for 40 years (lasting impact)
Elizabeth I
The Puritans During Elizabeth s reign, a group known as the Puritans arose They were Protestants who wanted the Anglican Church to take reforms farther They generally opposed the Book of Common Prayer, as well as the episcopacy (or church governance) of the Anglicans They would became important in the English Civil War and the American church
The Scottish Reformation John Knox (c. 1510 1572) Protestantism (1546 47) French Galleys (1548 49) Exile in England (1549 55)
The Scottish Reformation Time in Frankfurt and Geneva (1554 59) Rf Reform in Scotland (1559 61) Conflict with Mary (1561 64) Final years (1564 72)
Knox preaching (above) Knox confronting Mary, Queen of Scots (left)
Henry Cowan, John Knox The influence of Knox upon Scotland has been signal and enduring. His assertion bold in that age of the lawfulness of opposing and even deposing rulers who transgress the laws or oppress the people, fostered among his countrymen that opposition to royal despotism which culminated in rebellion rebellion which history has vindicated and posterity has ratified. To Knox's ministry, also, was largely due the growth of an intelligent and earnest-minded middle class, whom his preaching and writings educated and enlightened; inspiring them with strong religious convictions, and imbuing them with a sense of national responsibility. Under his training the smaller landowners, along with the merchants and upper tradesmen the most loyal and zealous supporters s of the Reformation began o to occupy a distinct place in the national life and councils.
Cowan continued To the educational sagacity of Knox Scotland owes, further, in great measure, that parochial school organization which during subsequent generations, when most other countries lagged behind in this regard, provided for the poorest in the land a sound religious and secular education. We have only now, moreover, begun to realize some of the Reformer's educational ideals. Knox was an ardent disciple of Calvin, and he propagated in Scotland that grand... recognition of the absolute sovereignty of God, which is the chief basis of Calvinism. It was the realization of this great truth which afterwards sustained the Scottish Covenanters, as it had already upheld the Huguenots of France and the burghers of the Netherlands, in protracted struggles against oppression....
Cowan continued Nowhere is the influence of Knox, more fully recognized than in the United States and in the Dominion of Canada. The Scottish Presbyterians whom persecution drove, or colonizing enterprise drew, to North America in the seventeenth century, carried with them the sturdy spirit it of civil il and religious i independence which they had inherited from Knox and his successors; and the Presbyterian churches which they founded comprising, a population now more than double that of the Presbyterians in the United Kingdom hold the foremost place alike in the past historical development and in the present theological activity of American Christendom. (pp. 378 82)
Peter Hume Brown, John Knox As a preacher in England, in Frankfort, and Geneva, it will further appear that more than any other single person he helped to give form and substance to the great religious movement that came to be known as Puritanism. (p. x) Ii Iain Murray, A Scottish Christian Heritage One thing stands out above all else in the life of John Knox. At many different points in his life we have the comment of individuals who saw him, and the testimony most frequently repeated has to do with one point, namely, the power of his preaching.... The only true explanation of Knox's preaching is in words he applied to others of his fellow countrymen, 'God gave his Holy Spirit to simple men in great abundance.' To read Knox is to be convicted of the smallness of our faith in the power of the Word of God.
Marion Harland, John Knox What afterward became Parliament Square comprised the cemetery [where Knox was buried] within its area. The mortal remains of Scotland's greatest Statesman and Divine lie beneath the stones of the street dividing St. Giles from the Houses of Parliament, now no longer used as such. A worn flat slab let into the pavement is lettered "I. K. That is all. The thunder of traffic goes on above his head all day long, and far into the night. " Lord! give me Scotland, or I die! " That prayer answered, what matter where the deaf dust lies?