The Curse on the Crown

1. The Curse on the Crown King Henry VIII

2. King Henry VIII

3. England’s Break with Rome Under Henry nothing changed doctrinally, England simply rejected the authority of Rome By doing this it made Christian beliefs a mostly private affair and considered the practice of religion an instrument of the state The succession of the throne was the primary reason for the split from Rome and the move from the Church in England to the Church of England

4. England’s Break with Rome King Henry had no male heir with his first wife Catherine. Prior to being married to King Henry, Catherine had been married to his brother Arthur, so Henry believed there was a curse on the marriage. (Leviticus 20:21) The pope had found grounds to marry them anyway, but now King Henry applied for an annulment on this. The pope stalled because he did not want to offend the emperor of Spain, Catherine’s nephew

5. England’s break with Rome Henry brought his case to the Universities for their opinion, got backup for his case, and ended up secretly marrying Anne Boleyn. An English church court declared Henry’s marriage to Catherine void. The Pope then excommunicated King Henry VIII

6. Henry’s Dual Policy • Henry intended no break with the old faith • He liked the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church and kept that in his Church of England • It appears he wanted an English Catholic Church, rather than a Roman one. • There are only two differences between the Church of England and the R C Church • No monastaries – monks were given the choice to transfer to another order or go secular – over half went secular • Instituted the use of the English Bible

7. William Tyndale’s Bible Like Wycliffe, Tyndale translated the Bible into English. Wycliffe translated from the Catholic latin version while Tyndale translated from the original Greek and Hebrew. Tyndale was forced to flee England to be able to work on the New Testament. After completing the New Testament he began with the old testament.

8. William Tyndale’s Bible Eventually church official caught him and burned him at the stake in 1536. However more and more versions kept appearing – including Cloverdale’s, who was a friend of Tyndale. The Matthew Bible is a compilation of Tyndale’s and Cloverdale’s translations. The Matthew Bible is the version King Henry used for the Church of England

9. The Swing to Protestantism • After King Henry VIII died his son from his third wife, Edward VI takes the throne at 10 years old. • Edward VI relied heavily on his royal advisors • Protestant royal advisors convinced him to move in their direction so the Church of England takes on a more protestant role • The Six Articles repealed • Priests allowed to marry • Latin service replaced by Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer in English. • The Forty-Two articles define the faith of the Church of England along Protestant lines

10. The pendulum swings back Six years later Edward VI dies Mary, Catherine’s daughter, takes the throne She attempts to return the kingdom to Catholicism and reinstates everything Edward VI took away. To force the people to convert back, in four years she has nearly 300 Protestants burned at the stake.

11. The Book of Martyrs The Book of Martyrs by John Foxe records accounts of these martyrs and gives Mary the nickname of Bloody Mary. The book is an instant best seller and an inspirational work for Protestants suffering under Queen Mary.

12. The pendulum lies still Mary dies and Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn’s daughter, takes the throne Elizabeth the I negotiates a compromise between protestant and Catholic groups .

13. Via Media The Church of England remains under the control of the monarch She accepts the Bible as the final authority, not the “Supreme Governor” who is the head of the Church of England Baptism and Holy Eucharist remain as Christ instituted sacraments Articles are worded to appease both Protestant and Catholic Groups This compromise is known as Via Media – the middle way between Protestant and Catholic