The Acts of Supremacy are two acts passed by the Parliament of England in the 16th century that established the English monarchs as the head of the Church of England; two similar laws were passed by the Parliament of Ireland establishing the English monarchs as the head of the Church of Ireland. The 1534 Act declared King Henry VIII and his successors as the Supreme Head of the Church, replacing the pope. This first Act was repealed during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I. The 1558 Act declared Queen Elizabeth I and her successors the Supreme Governor of the Church, a title that the British monarch still holds.
The act declared that the king was "the only supreme head on Earth of the Church of England" and that the Crown shall enjoy "all honours, dignities, preeminences, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity."[3] The wording of the act made clear that Parliament was not granting the king the title (thereby suggesting that they had the right to withdraw it later); rather, it was acknowledging an established fact. In the Act of Supremacy, Henry abandoned Rome completely. He thereby asserted the independence of the Ecclesia Anglicana. He appointed himself and his successors as the supreme rulers of the English church. Earlier, Henry had been declared "Defender of the Faith" (Fidei defensor) in 1521 by Pope Leo X for his pamphlet accusing Martin Luther of heresy.[4] Parliament later conferred this title upon Henry in 1544.[5]
The 1534 Act marks the beginning of the English Reformation. There were a number of reasons for this Act, primarily the need for a male heir to the throne. Henry tried for years to obtain an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and had convinced himself that God was punishing him for marrying his brother's widow.[6]Pope Clement VII refused to grant the annulment because, according to Roman Catholic teaching, a validly contracted marriage is indissoluble until death, and thus the pope cannot annul a marriage simply because of a canonical impediment previously dispensed.[7] The Treasons Act was later passed: it provided that to disavow the Act of Supremacy and to deprive the king of his "dignity, title, or name" was to be considered treason.[8] The most famous public figure to resist the Treasons Act was Sir Thomas More.
In 1537, the Irish Supremacy Act (28 Hen 8 c. 5, An Act authorising the King, His Heirs and Successors, to be supreme Head of the Church of Ireland) was passed by the Parliament of Ireland, establishing Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of Ireland, as had earlier been done in England.[9]
An Acte restoring to the Crowne thauncyent Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall, and abolyshing all Forreine Power repugnaunt to the same.
Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy was repealed in 1554 during the reign of his staunchly Roman Catholic daughter, Queen Mary I. Upon her death in November 1558, her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth I succeeded to the throne. The first Elizabethan Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy 1558,[nb 1] which declared Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, instituted an Oath of Supremacy, requiring anyone taking public or church clergymen to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state. Anyone refusing to take the oath could be charged with treason.[12]
The use of the term Supreme Governor as opposed to Supreme Head pacified some Roman Catholics and those Protestants concerned about a female leader of the Church of England. Elizabeth, who was a politique,[citation needed][13] did not prosecute nonconformist laymen, or those who did not follow the established rules of the Church of England unless their actions directly undermined the authority of the English monarch, as was the case in the vestments controversy. Thus, it was through the Second Act of Supremacy that Elizabeth I officially established the now reformed Church of England. This was a part of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement.[13]
Historian G. R. Elton argues that, "in law and political theory the Elizabethan supremacy was essentially parliamentary, while Henry VIII's had been essentially personal."[14] The royal supremacy was extinguished during the British Interregnum from 1649, but was restored in 1660. The Stuart kings used it as a justification for controlling the appointment of bishops.[citation needed]
The conflation in the Crown of supreme slay authority over church and state made every secular subject of the Crown a spiritual subject of the Church as well; the Church was co-extensive with the State. Contemporary English theologian Richard Hooker described the situation thus:
There is not any man of the Church of England but the same man is a member of the Commonwealth, nor a member of the Commonwealth which is not also a member of the Church of England.[15][16]
An Act restoring to the Crown, the auncient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall, and abolishing all forreine Power repugnant to the same
In 1560, the Parliament of Ireland passed "An Act restoring to the Crown, the auncient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall, and abolishing all forreine Power repugnant to the same".[17][18]
^The Act of Supremacy was passed in April 1559, so many sources refer to it by the year 1559.[10] However, all but three Acts of Parliament prior to 1793 were ex post facto laws that came into effect on the first day of the session. The first Parliament of Elizabeth I met three months earlier in January, which was still in 1558 because the next year began on 25 March 1559. Therefore, the Act of Supremacy is officially dated 1558.[11]
References
^Kinney, Arthur F; Swain, David W; Hill, Eugene D.; Long, William A. (2000). Tudor England: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 132. ISBN9781136745300.
^Stillingfleet, Edward (1689). A discourse concerning the illegality of the late ecclesiastical commission in answer to the vindication and defence of it : wherein the true notion of the legal supremacy is cleared, and an account is given of the nature, original, and mischief of the dispensing power. p. 14.
^"Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy (1534)- original text" English History. David Ross and Britain Express
^Thurston, Herbert (1913). "Henry VIII" . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Defender of the Faith" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 925–926.
^David Loades, Henry VIII and His Queens (1994) p 179
^To marry Catherine in the first place, Henry had requested and received a special dispensation from Pope Julius II to allow the wedding.
^"Treason Act, 1534 Archived 9 May 2007 at archive.today" English Reformation Sources. Julie P. McFerran, 2003–2004
^"Statutes passed in the Parliaments held in Ireland ... from the third year of Edward the second, A.D. 1310 [to the fortieth year of George III, A.D. 1800, inclusive] ... v.1". HathiTrust.
^"Elizabeth's Supremacy Act, Restoring Ancient Jurisdiction (1559), 1 Elizabeth, Cap. 1". Hanover Historical Texts Project. March 2001. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
^"Act of Supremacy 1558". Legislation. The National Archives.
^Jefferies, Henry A. (1988). "The Irish Parliament of 1560: The Anglican Reforms Authorised". Irish Historical Studies. 26 (102): 128–141 – via JSTOR.
External links
Original text of the 1534 Act of Supremacy.
Text of the Acts of Supremacy as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
Image of the original 1534 Act of Supremacy
April 01, 2023
acts, supremacy, acts, passed, parliament, england, 16th, century, that, established, english, monarchs, head, church, england, similar, laws, were, passed, parliament, ireland, establishing, english, monarchs, head, church, ireland, 1534, declared, king, henr. The Acts of Supremacy are two acts passed by the Parliament of England in the 16th century that established the English monarchs as the head of the Church of England two similar laws were passed by the Parliament of Ireland establishing the English monarchs as the head of the Church of Ireland The 1534 Act declared King Henry VIII and his successors as the Supreme Head of the Church replacing the pope This first Act was repealed during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I The 1558 Act declared Queen Elizabeth I and her successors the Supreme Governor of the Church a title that the British monarch still holds Contents 1 First Act of Supremacy 1534 1 1 Irish Act of Supremacy 1537 2 Second Act of Supremacy 1558 2 1 Irish Act of Supremacy 1560 3 See also 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksFirst Act of Supremacy 1534 EditAct of Parliament Parliament of EnglandCitation26 Hen 8 c 1Status RepealedThe first Act of Supremacy was passed on 3 November 1534 26 Hen VIII c 1 by the Parliament of England 1 It granted King Henry VIII of England and subsequent monarchs Royal Supremacy such that he was declared the Supreme Head of the Church of England Royal Supremacy is specifically used to describe the legal sovereignty of the civil laws over the laws of the Church in England citation needed 2 The act declared that the king was the only supreme head on Earth of the Church of England and that the Crown shall enjoy all honours dignities preeminences jurisdictions privileges authorities immunities profits and commodities to the said dignity 3 The wording of the act made clear that Parliament was not granting the king the title thereby suggesting that they had the right to withdraw it later rather it was acknowledging an established fact In the Act of Supremacy Henry abandoned Rome completely He thereby asserted the independence of the Ecclesia Anglicana He appointed himself and his successors as the supreme rulers of the English church Earlier Henry had been declared Defender of the Faith Fidei defensor in 1521 by Pope Leo X for his pamphlet accusing Martin Luther of heresy 4 Parliament later conferred this title upon Henry in 1544 5 The 1534 Act marks the beginning of the English Reformation There were a number of reasons for this Act primarily the need for a male heir to the throne Henry tried for years to obtain an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and had convinced himself that God was punishing him for marrying his brother s widow 6 Pope Clement VII refused to grant the annulment because according to Roman Catholic teaching a validly contracted marriage is indissoluble until death and thus the pope cannot annul a marriage simply because of a canonical impediment previously dispensed 7 The Treasons Act was later passed it provided that to disavow the Act of Supremacy and to deprive the king of his dignity title or name was to be considered treason 8 The most famous public figure to resist the Treasons Act was Sir Thomas More Irish Act of Supremacy 1537 Edit Act of Parliament Parliament of IrelandLong titleAn Act authorising the King His Heirs and Successors to be supreme Head of the Church of IrelandCitation26 Hen 8 c 5In 1537 the Irish Supremacy Act 28 Hen 8 c 5 An Act authorising the King His Heirs and Successors to be supreme Head of the Church of Ireland was passed by the Parliament of Ireland establishing Henry VIII as the supreme head of the Church of Ireland as had earlier been done in England 9 Second Act of Supremacy 1558 EditAct of Supremacy 1558Act of Parliament Parliament of EnglandLong titleAn Acte restoring to the Crowne thauncyent Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall and abolyshing all Forreine Power repugnaunt to the same Citation1 Eliz 1 c 1Status AmendedRevised text of statute as amendedMain article Act of Supremacy 1558 Henry VIII s Act of Supremacy was repealed in 1554 during the reign of his staunchly Roman Catholic daughter Queen Mary I Upon her death in November 1558 her Protestant half sister Elizabeth I succeeded to the throne The first Elizabethan Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy 1558 nb 1 which declared Elizabeth the Supreme Governor of the Church of England instituted an Oath of Supremacy requiring anyone taking public or church clergymen to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state Anyone refusing to take the oath could be charged with treason 12 The use of the term Supreme Governor as opposed to Supreme Head pacified some Roman Catholics and those Protestants concerned about a female leader of the Church of England Elizabeth who was a politique citation needed 13 did not prosecute nonconformist laymen or those who did not follow the established rules of the Church of England unless their actions directly undermined the authority of the English monarch as was the case in the vestments controversy Thus it was through the Second Act of Supremacy that Elizabeth I officially established the now reformed Church of England This was a part of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement 13 Historian G R Elton argues that in law and political theory the Elizabethan supremacy was essentially parliamentary while Henry VIII s had been essentially personal 14 The royal supremacy was extinguished during the British Interregnum from 1649 but was restored in 1660 The Stuart kings used it as a justification for controlling the appointment of bishops citation needed The conflation in the Crown of supreme slay authority over church and state made every secular subject of the Crown a spiritual subject of the Church as well the Church was co extensive with the State Contemporary English theologian Richard Hooker described the situation thus There is not any man of the Church of England but the same man is a member of the Commonwealth nor a member of the Commonwealth which is not also a member of the Church of England 15 16 Irish Act of Supremacy 1560 Edit Act of Parliament Parliament of IrelandLong titleAn Act restoring to the Crown the auncient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall and abolishing all forreine Power repugnant to the sameIn 1560 the Parliament of Ireland passed An Act restoring to the Crown the auncient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall and abolishing all forreine Power repugnant to the same 17 18 See also Edit Christianity portalSupreme Governor of the Church of England State religion Dissolution of the MonasteriesNotes Edit The Act of Supremacy was passed in April 1559 so many sources refer to it by the year 1559 10 However all but three Acts of Parliament prior to 1793 were ex post facto laws that came into effect on the first day of the session The first Parliament of Elizabeth I met three months earlier in January which was still in 1558 because the next year began on 25 March 1559 Therefore the Act of Supremacy is officially dated 1558 11 References Edit Kinney Arthur F Swain David W Hill Eugene D Long William A 2000 Tudor England An Encyclopedia Routledge p 132 ISBN 9781136745300 Stillingfleet Edward 1689 A discourse concerning the illegality of the late ecclesiastical commission in answer to the vindication and defence of it wherein the true notion of the legal supremacy is cleared and an account is given of the nature original and mischief of the dispensing power p 14 Henry VIII s Act of Supremacy 1534 original text English History David Ross and Britain Express Thurston Herbert 1913 Henry VIII In Herbermann Charles ed Catholic Encyclopedia New York Robert Appleton Company Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Defender of the Faith Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 7 11th ed Cambridge University Press pp 925 926 David Loades Henry VIII and His Queens 1994 p 179 To marry Catherine in the first place Henry had requested and received a special dispensation from Pope Julius II to allow the wedding Treason Act 1534 Archived 9 May 2007 at archive today English Reformation Sources Julie P McFerran 2003 2004 Statutes passed in the Parliaments held in Ireland from the third year of Edward the second A D 1310 to the fortieth year of George III A D 1800 inclusive v 1 HathiTrust Elizabeth s Supremacy Act Restoring Ancient Jurisdiction 1559 1 Elizabeth Cap 1 Hanover Historical Texts Project March 2001 Retrieved 23 December 2018 Act of Supremacy 1558 Legislation The National Archives The Act of Supremacy 1559 a b Collinson Patrick January 2012 Elizabeth I Oxford Dictionary of National Biography G R Elton 1982 The Tudor Constitution Documents and Commentary Cambridge UP 2nd ed p 344 ISBN 9780521287579 David M Loades ed 2003 Reader s Guide to British History Fitzroy Dearborn pp 2 1147 John Spurr The Restoration Church of England 1646 1689 1991 Act of Supremacy Ireland 1560 Jefferies Henry A 1988 The Irish Parliament of 1560 The Anglican Reforms Authorised Irish Historical Studies 26 102 128 141 via JSTOR External links EditOriginal text of the 1534 Act of Supremacy Text of the Acts of Supremacy as in force today including any amendments within the United Kingdom from legislation gov uk Image of the original 1534 Act of Supremacy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Acts of Supremacy amp oldid 1143067993, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
