The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol. I., Part C.: From Henry VII. to Mary
David Hume · en
The great expense of these two wars maintained by Henry, obliged him to
summon a new parliament. The commons granted him a subsidy, payable in
two years, of two shillings a pound on land.[*] The spirituality voted
him six shillings a pound. But the parliament, apprehensive lest more
demands should be made upon them, endeavored to save themselves by a
very extraordinary liberality of other people’s property; by one vote
they bestowed on the king all the revenues of the universities, as well
as of the chauntries, free chapels,[**] and hospitals. Henry was pleased
with this concession, as it increased his power; but he had no intention
to rob learning of all her endowments; and he soon took care to inform
the universities that he meant not to touch their revenues. Thus
these ancient and celebrated establishments owe their existence to
the generosity of the king, not to the protection of this servile and
prostitute parliament.
The prostitute spirit of the parliament further appeared in the preamble
of a statute;[***] in which they recognize the king to have always
been, by the word of God, supreme head of the church of England; and
acknowledge that archbishops, bishops, and other ecclesiastical persons,
have no manner of jurisdiction but by his royal mandate; to him alone,
say they, and such persons as he shall appoint, full power and
authority is given from above to hear and determine all manner of causes
ecclesiastical, and to correct all manner of heresies, errors, vices,
and sins whatsoever. No mention is here made of the concurrence of a
convocation, or even of a parliament. His proclamations are in effect
acknowledged to have not only the force of law, but the authority of
revelation; and by his royal power he might regulate the actions of
men, control their words, and even direct their inward sentiments and
opinions.
* Those who possessed goods or money above five pounds, and
below ten, were to pay eightpence a pound; those above ten
pounds, a shilling.
** A chauntry was a little church, chapel, or particular
altar in some cathedral church, etc., endowed with lands or
other revenues for the maintenance of one or more priests
daily to say mass or perform divine service, for the use of
the founders, or such others as they appointed: free chapels
were independent on any church, and endowed for much the
same purpose as the former. Jacob’s Law Dict.
*** 37 Henry VIII. c. 17.