men rejoiced when he received his reward, the usual reward of men who stoop to be instruments of unscrupulous rapacity and despotism, that of being kicked away by the tyrants who use them.

But one thing is quite certain, and it is important to remember this in view of future events -the power taken from the Pope was not given to Parliament but to the King. The Parliament, as the voice of the temporalty, transferred the power, but neither created it nor claimed it.

And amidst all the changes the spiritualty still maintained its own legislative body—the Convocation-called together and sitting by royal permission, in the same manner as the Parliament of the temporalty. Throughout the reign of Henry VIII. laws affecting the doctrine and discipline of the Church were passed by Convocation and confirmed by Parliament.

6

For instance, The Institution of a Christian Man,' or the Bishops' Book, was set forth by Convocation in 1537; the Six Articles were passed by Convocation in 1539, and afterwards by Parliament; the translation of the Bible was authorised by Convocation in 1541; in 1542 it was ordered that a lection from Holy Scripture should be read after Te Deum and Magnificat

on all Sundays and holy days; but the 'Necessary Erudition of a Christian Man,' a modification of the Institution,' was issued by royal authority, still, we observe, not by parliamentary authority.

CHAPTER VIII

THE CHURCH SUBJECT TO THE STATE

FROM 1544 to 1547 Convocation did nothing but grant subsidies. But in the reign of Edward vi. attempts were made to make the Church a mere department of State, after the manner of Germany and Switzerland, and to take away its inherent spiritual rights. It had experienced government by royal power acting directly, and by royal power acting through a vicar-general: it was now to experience government by a Council of State. The ideas of Edward's councillors were purely Erastian, and they wished to treat the Church as a religious department of State. So instead of consulting Convocation and legislating on its advice, they took the initiative, and legislated directly on all matters-doctrinal, disciplinary, and financial.

The bishops were no longer the ordinaries of the Church, but merely State officers, acting on the instructions of the council. Those who, like

Gardiner, had defended the doctrine of the personal supremacy of the King, objected strongly to the working of that power through the council, and Gardiner contended that no further alterations should be made until the King came of age, but all to no purpose.

There was an evident tendency from the first to add to the anti-Papal legislation of Henry further legislation in the directions of doctrinal change. The Injunctions' were issued in the first year, ordering periodical preaching against the 'Bishop of Rome's usurped power and jurisdictions,' and the destruction of images, shrines, pictures, and monuments of superstition. The Gospels and Epistles were to be said in English, and the Litany was no longer to be sung in procession, but kneeling. The Book of Homilies was issued, solely on the authority of the council. Parliament met in November 1547, and quickly repealed all heresy Acts passed since the time of Richard 11. It dealt also with the question of treason, and ordained that nothing should be accounted treason that was not defined as such in an Act of Edward III.

An Act was passed also against irreverent speaking of the Blessed Sacrament, which was becoming common on account of the influx of German Lutherans and Swiss Calvinists, ordering also the

administration of Holy Communion in both kinds. The same Parliament also abolished the congé d'élire, ordering that bishops should be appointed by letters-patent.

The Convocation also met, and recommended the abolition of the Act of the Six Articles, which was done. Convocation also asked that the commission for inquiry into the ecclesiastical law, according to the act of the late King, should be carried out, and a vote was taken on the celibacy of the clergy, fifty-three voting for the repeal of all prohibitory enactments, and twenty-two voting against any change. A petition was also sent up to the council that the books made by certain prelates and doctors by command of Henry VIII. might be submitted to them. But very little notice was taken of these recommendations and petitions, as it was the policy of the council to ignore, or at least to belittle, the Convocation.

An Order of Communion, in English, the precursor of the First Prayer Book, was issued by royal proclamation in 1548, and a committee of bishops and learned men was formed to draw up a Liturgy in English. This was the First Prayer Book, which came into use in 1549.

There has been much dispute as to whether this Prayer Book had Church authority or only