HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH - ( CHAPTER 2 ) - { PT. 28 }


 ( CHAPTER  2 )  -  { PT.  28 } - They agreed to enact no new canons, constitutions or ordinances without the king's consent, that those already passed should be submitted to a committee consisting of clergy and laymen nominated by the king, and that the laws adopted by this committee and approved by the king should continue in full force. Sir Thomas More, who had worked hard in defence of the Church, promptly resigned his office of Lord Chancellor that he might have a freer hand in the crisis that had arisen. In March 1532 another step was taken to overawe the Roman court and force the Pope to yield to Henry's demands. An Acts was passed abolishing the Annats or First Fruits paid to Rome by all bishops on their appointment to vacant Sees. If the Pope should refuse to appoint without such payments, it was enacted that the consecration should be carried out by the archbishop of the province without further recourse to Roman. Such a measure, tending so directly towards so directly towards schism, met with strong opposition in the House of Lords from the bishops, abbots, and many of the lay lords, as it did also in the House of Commons. In the end, it was passed only on the understanding that it should not take effect for a year, and that in the meantime if an agreement could be arrived at with the Pope, the king might by letters patent repeal it. Henry instructed his ambassador at Rome to inform Clement VIII. that this legislation against Annats was entirely the work of the Parliament, and that if the Pope wished for its with-drawal he must show a more conciliatory spirit towards the king and people of England. 

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