Henry John Todd: "The Life of Archbishop Cranmer, Vol.2," Ch. 2: 1547-15...

CHAPTER II. 1547 to 1548. The 1547 Convocation put a petition to Cranmer for the repeals of the Six Articles and the statutes against married clergy. Parliament concurs in Feb 1548, but not without Papist opposition. “The preamble to the Act, however, thus justified the triumphant measure: `Great filthiness of living, with other inconveniences,’ it stated, ‘had followed on the laws that compelled chastity, and prohibited marriage; so that it was better that the clergy should be suffered to marry, than to be so restrained. Therefore all laws and canons that had been made against it, being made only by human authority, are repealed; so that all spiritual persons, of what degree soever, might lawfully marry, if they married according to the order of the Church (26).’" This occasioned discussions about divorce and remarriage. Also, in the “earlier part of 1547,” Dr. Cranmer officiates at the obsequy for the French king at St. Paul’s with Dr. Ridley preaching. An act of reciprocity since the French did the same when Henry VIII passed.  Laws against Lollards back to Richard II’s days are repealed. As an aside, Todd notes that the early Reformers were tarred with the term “Lollards.” Also, all Bibles were authorized: “The New Testament of Tindal, the Bible of Matthew, of Coverdale, of Taverner, and of Cranmer, in various forms, and in abundant editions, were accordingly throughout the reign of Edward supplied to the public; and thus was encouraged as much as possible the spirit of religious inquiry, the religion of Protestants” (31). Bishops are now appointed by the king's letters patent. Chantries are given to the king, but Dr. Cranmer protests the greed of the nobility.