Acts of Supremacy

The first Act of Supremacy granted King Henry VIII of England Royal Supremacy which is still the legal authority of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Royal Supremacy is specifically used to describe the legal sovereignty of the civil laws over the laws of the Church in England.

First Act of Supremacy 1534

The Act of Supremacy November 1534 (26 Hen. 8, c. 1) was an Act of the Parliament of England under King Henry VIII declaring that he was 'the only supreme head on earth of the Church in England' and that the English crown shall enjoy "all honours, dignities, preeminences, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity." [" [http://www.britainexpress.com/History/tudor/supremacy-henry-text.htm Henry VIII's Act of Supremacy (1534)- orignal text] " Englsih History. David Ross and Britain Express]

The Nation Master Encyclopedia explains that Henry was declared "Defender of the Faith" ("Fidei Defensor") for his pamphlet accusing Martin Luther of heresy, and was now confirmed as head of the Church in England through this legislation. "This made official the English Reformation that had been brewing since 1527, and caused a long-lasting distrust between England and the Roman Catholic Church".Fact|date=September 2008 The main purpose of this act was so that Henry could get an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, but Pope Clement VII still refused to grant the annulment. The Treasons Act was later issued saying that to disavow the Act of Supremacy and to deprive the King of his "dignity, title, or name" was to be considered treason. [" [http://members.shaw.ca/reformation/1534treasons.htm Treason Act, 1534] " English Reformation Sources. Julie P. McFerran, 2003-2004]

This act was repealed in 1554 by Henry's daughter, Queen Mary I.Fact|date=September 2008

Second Act of Supremacy 1559

"Henry's Act of Supremacy was repealed (1554) in the reign of his staunchly Catholic daughter, Mary I. Equally unsurprisingly, it was reinstated by Mary's Protestant sister, Elizabeth I, when she ascended the throne. Elizabeth declared herself Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and instituted an Oath of Supremacy, requiring anyone taking public or church office to swear allegiance to the monarch as head of the Church and state. Anyone refusing to take the Oath could be charged with treason." [1] The use of the term Supreme Governor as opposed to Supreme Head pacified Catholics and those Protestants concerned about a female leader of the Church of England. However, Elizabeth, who was a politique, did not prosecute layman nonconformists, 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.

As established by the Tudors, the consolidation of church and state under Royal Supremacy instigated political and religious strife in the succeeding centuries. This strife, along with similar struggles in Europe, was one reason why in many jurisdictions there is now a constitutional separation of church and state. In the United Kingdom, however, the Crown, through the government, still retains a significant involvement in the established Church of England.

ee also

* Supreme Governor of the Church of England
* Religion in the United Kingdom
* State religion
* Separation of church and state

Notes

THE ACT OF SUPREMACY (1559). [http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Documents/act_of_supremacy2.htm]

External links

* [http://www.britainexpress.com/History/tudor/supremacy-henry-text.htm Original text of the 1534 Act of Supremacy] .
*UK-SLD|1518143|the Act of Supremacy 1558