Spread of Protestant Ideas in the 1530s (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes

Spread of Protestant Ideas in the 1530s

The 1530s witnessed a gradual but uneven movement towards Protestant beliefs within England, driven by Henry VIII's personal needs and the actions of reformers who seized the opportunity to reshape religious doctrine. This period saw Protestant ideas gain official backing before a partial Catholic restoration attempted to halt their progress.

Henry's encouragement of reform from 1529

Beginning in 1529, Henry permitted reformers to criticise the Pope and the English clergy. This represented a strategic decision rather than genuine theological conviction. Henry needed to apply pressure on the papacy to secure his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. By allowing critics to speak openly, he created an environment where reformers could safely attack the Pope's authority without fear of persecution. For these reformers, Henry's divorce campaign offered not only safety but also the chance to shape the future direction of the English Church.

The role of Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell

Whilst Thomas Cromwell directed the parliamentary campaign against papal authority, Anne Boleyn drew Henry's attention to the writings of reformers. She protected individuals accused of heresy, such as Robert Forman in London, and actively encouraged the appointment of reformers to positions of power and influence within the Church. Her patronage resulted in the appointment of Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Shaxton to bishoprics. Shaxton had been accused of heresy in 1531, yet by 1532 he held a bishop's post. Similarly, Thomas Cranmer became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1532.

By 1536, reformers who knew about Luther's reforms had become established within government. Despite Henry's personal aversion to changes in doctrine, these individuals succeeded in influencing religious debate at court. Preachers such as John Bale, Edward Crome and Robert Wisdom spread Protestant teachings in London, whilst Cranmer encouraged comparable activities in Suffolk, Essex and Kent. The doctrinal reforms that occurred in the later 1530s emerged from the efforts of these reformers.

Government propaganda supporting the Reformation

The government actively promoted the Reformation through carefully worded preambles to parliamentary Acts. These preambles appealed to the Bible and to the early history of the Church, pointing out that temporal leaders had held political control over the early Christian Church. Roman Emperors, for instance, had exercised authority over Church matters.

Conservative propaganda: Stephen Gardiner

Following the break with Rome, some conservatives in theology sought to appeal to the King to defend the Church against Protestant heresy. They assumed that the King would fully support them. Some conservatives even published propaganda to emphasise the necessity of obedience to the sovereign. Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester and one of the King's secretaries, wrote a pamphlet titled De Vera Obedientia ('True Obedience') in 1535. In it, he stressed the necessary hierarchy of obedience in society: wives must obey husbands, servants must obey masters. All must obey the ruler whom God has placed in authority over them, and who in his person "representeth as it were the image of God upon earth". Gardiner's argument positioned Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England rather than merely Head of the realm of England. This represented a theological justification for Henry's supremacy that went beyond parliamentary statute.

Protestant propaganda: Thomas Starkey

Other writers, encouraged by Cromwell, wrote from a humanist or Protestant viewpoint. Thomas Starkey's Exhortation to Unity and Obedience (1536) used the Bible as the sole source of authority. The Bible provided clear guidance on the necessity of obeying the temporal ruler.

Doctrinal reform in the late 1530s

In the later 1530s, at the same time as the monasteries were being closed, Cromwell turned his attention to reforming the teachings of the Church. In 1536, as Vicar-General of the Church, he worked with Archbishop Cranmer to introduce some elements of Protestant beliefs. Both men had to proceed carefully, as Henry's own beliefs remained very conservative.

The Ten Articles of Faith (1536)

Cromwell issued Ten Articles of Faith, probably written by Cranmer but passed by Convocation (the parliament of the Church). The Articles stated that they had been devised by the King's authority to establish Christian agreement and unity.

They included some distinctly Lutheran ideas (similar to those proposed by Martin Luther), but retained strongly Catholic elements. On some aspects the articles were vague. The dead were to be prayed for, but there was no mention of purgatory. The wording of the Eucharist was Catholic, but Luther's views on gaining salvation by faith were also reflected.

The English Bible (1538)

In 1537, the first official translation of the Bible into English was published. Cranmer had persuaded Henry to sanction this translation. It was based very much on the work of Tyndale but with contributions from Miles Coverdale. In 1538, a royal proclamation ordered that a copy should be placed in every parish church, to be read and examined by the congregation. The translation was very distinctly Protestant and against what were seen as Catholic errors.

Swing back towards Catholicism (1538-40)

The official changes made in the years 1535-38 had been too fast for Henry. In addition, he required Catholic allies in Europe towards the end of the 1530s and needed to stress that the religious changes in England were extremely moderate. The swing back towards Catholic doctrines in 1538-40 also reflected the waning of Cromwell's influence, especially after Henry's opposition to Anne of Cleves becoming his fourth wife.

The Catholic Howard family gained influence (leading to Henry's marriage later in 1540 to Catherine Howard). The head of the family, the Duke of Norfolk, was largely responsible for getting Parliament to agree to the Six Articles of 1539, which were largely Catholic in emphasis.