Note 244 — Chapter IX

I do not forget that even Henry VIII. wrote to the Clergy of the province of York, saying, “Christ is indeed unicus dominus et supremus, as we confess him in the Church daily: it were nimis absurdum for us to be called Caput Ecclesiæ, representans Corpus Christi mysticum.” And I am prepared to admit that the theory of the National Church is that the Sovereign is simply supreme ruler in temporal things; but certainly in practice Sovereigns have gone beyond this, especially in the case now before us.