Religious Policy

The religious policy of Henry VIII brought for him and for England consequences of far-ranging importance. First, the ecclesiastical independence of England was secured when Henry VIII disregarded the authority of the Pope. The king and not the Pope became the head of the church in his reign. Secondly, his religious policy raised the power and position of crown to a height unparallel before or after in English history. The king, seizing for him all the Papal powers and enormous church properties, could command enough of influence in Europe. Thirdly, many saintly bishops, great scholars, avowed monks who refuted to accept the Act of supremacy were hanged r or left to die in chains. Fourthly, the dissolution of smaller monasteries aroused wide spread discontent in Northern England. In 1536 under the leadership of Robert Aske, the people started an agitation. It was known as the pilgrimage of Grace. Their motto was "One God, One Faith is One King." The rebellion was ruthlessly suppressed; the leaders including Aske were hunted down. By the middle of 1537, the pilgrimage of Grace was no more than a memory. The failure of the agitation led to the dissolution of the greater monasteries. But the effect of the dissolution on economic life was disastrous. All the monasteries were not corrupt. Many of them used to give charitable relief to the poor and the destitutes. And now they were deprived of their maintenance. Many persons, including monks, were turned out on the roads to beg, steal or die Henery by suppressing the monasteries wanted to cut a cancer bat in doing so he destroyed many living cells. On the other hand, the wealth Henry received from the monasteries was spent on education, building, defence and strengthening the royal navy.