Page:Church and State under the Tudors.djvu/311

 incidentally: 'As to the supremum caput, she considered the King as her sovereign, and would therefore serve and obey him. He was also sovereign in his realm as regards temporal jurisdiction: but as to the spiritual, it was not pleasing to God either that the King should so intend, or that she should consent; for the Pope was the only true sovereign and vicar of God who had power to judge of spiritual matters, of which marriage was one.'

8.

State Papers, June 13, 1531.—Cranmer to the Earl of Wiltshire, concerning Reginald Pole's book against the divorce.

Recapitulating Pole's arguments, he says, 'As to the people, he thinks it impossible to satisfy them by learning or preaching; but as they now begin to hate priests, this will make them hate learned men all the more.'

9.

Spanish Despatches, 460. October 15. The King has called together the clergy and lawyers, to ascertain whether, in virtue of the privileges possessed by this kingdom. Parliament could and would enact that, notwithstanding the Pope's prohibition, the cause of the divorce be decided by the Archbishop of Canterbury. They have answered in the negative, and the King has prorogued Parliament to February. The King has told the Nuncio that, if the Pope would not show him more consideration, he would show the world that the Pope had no greater authority than Moses, and that every claim not grounded on Scripture was mere usurpation; that the great concourse of people present had come solely and exclusively to request him to bastinado the clergy, who were hated by both nobles and people.

10.

Spanish Despatches, 492. November 13. The King has told the Ambassador that the Convocation of Councils, except on matters of faith, was the province of secular princes, not of the Pope; and also that it would be doing God service to take away the temporalities from the clergy.