Henry VIII

Chapter XII

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"THE PREVAILING OF THE GATES OF HELL."

This England never did, nor never shall, Lie at the proud foot of a conqueror, But when it first did help to wound itself.... Come the three corners of the world in arms, And we shall shock them. Nought shall make us rue, If England to itself do rest but true.

The change was analogous to that in Republican Rome from two consuls to one dictator. In both cases the dictatorship was due to exceptional circumstances. There had long been a demand for reform in the Church in England as well as elsewhere, but the Church was powerless to reform itself. The dual control was in effect, as dual controls often are, a practical anarchy. The condition of the Church before the Reformation may be compared with that of France before the Revolution. In purely spiritual matters the Pope was supreme: the conciliar movement of the fifteenth century had failed. The Pope had gathered all powers to himself, in much the same way as the French monarch in the eighteenth century had done; and the result was the same, a formal despotism and a real anarchy. Pope and Monarch were crushed by the weight of their own authority; they could not reform, even when they wanted to. From 1500 to 1530 almost every scheme, peaceful or bellicose, started in Europe was based on the plea that its ultimate aim was the reform of the Church; and so it would have continued, vox et præterea nihil, had not the Church been galvanised into action by the loss of half its inheritance.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · That victorious issue of the Tudor struggle with the power, against which Popes proclaimed that the gates of hell should not prevail, was di Note 2 · What would be the effect of this terrific anathema? The omens looked ill for the English King. If he had flouted the Holy See, he had also o Note 3 · This humiliation was deeply resented by the people, who, says Chapuys, though forbidden, on pain of their lives, to call Catherine Queen, sh Note 4 · All these circumstances, real and alleged, would be quite convincing as reasons for Henry's failure; but they are singularly inconclusive as Note 5 · The great fear of Englishmen was lest Charles should ruin them by prohibiting the trade with Flanders. "Their only comfort," wrote Chapuys, Note 6 · Henry, indeed, might almost be credited with second-sight into the Emperor's mind. On 31st May, 1533, Charles's council discussed the situat Note 7 · Charles was, indeed, afraid, not merely of Henry, but of Francis, who was meditating fresh Italian schemes; and various expedients were sugg Note 8 · This incurable jealousy between Francis and Charles made the French King loth to weaken his friendship with Henry. The English King was care Note 9 · The strength of Henry's position at home was due to a similar lack of unity among his domestic enemies. If the English people had wished to Note 10 · Convinced of his security from attack at home and abroad, Henry proceeded to accomplish what remained for the subjugation of the Church in E Note 11 · Parliament was to meet to effect this purpose in January, 1534, and during the previous autumn there are the first indications, traceable to Note 12 · Before Parliament met Francis sent Du Bellay, Bishop of Paris, to London to make one last effort to keep the peace between England and Rome.Note 13 · Another act provided that charges of heresy must be supported by two lay witnesses, and that indictments for that offence could only be made Note 14 · The final act of the session, which ended on 30th March, was a constitutional innovation of the utmost importance. From the earliest ages th Note 15 · On 23rd March, a week before the prorogation of Parliament, and seven years after the divorce case had first begun, Clement gave sentence at Note 16 · Henry's political education was now complete; the events of the last five years had proved to him the truth of the assertion, with which he Note 17 · In November Parliament[923] reinforced the Act of Succession by laying down the precise terms of the oath, and providing that a certificate Note 18 · Henry was now Pope in England with powers no Pope had possessed.[925] The Reformation is variously regarded as the liberation of the English Note 19 · Since then the Church had been governed by a partnership between King and Pope, without much regard for the votes of the shareholders. It wa Note 20 · In England the change from a dual to a sole control at once made that control effective, and reform became possible. But it was a reform imp Note 21 · Henry's dictatorship was also temporary in character. His supremacy over the Church was royal, and not parliamentary. It was he, and not Par