Paul Ayris, Ph.D.: "God's Vicegerent & Christ's Vicar: Crown & ABC, 1533...

1.     God’s Vicegerent and Christ’s Vicar: the relationship between the Crown and the archbishopric of Canterbury, 1533-1553—Paul Ayris, 115-156. Dr. Ayris proposes to survey Dr. Cranmer’s archepiscopal register to assess the Crown-Primate relationship. Lambeth’s registry dates to Peckham (1279-1292). Cranmer’s Register has 437 folios (116). On 15 May 1532, Warham accedes to the Submission of the Clergy—that only the Crown could summon Convocation and could not issue new canons without the Crown. Dr. Cranmer was tooling around behind Charles V while the Crown-Primates were tussling. Boleyn pushes for Dr. Cranmer as the ABC-to-come as Warham breathed his final breaths. Ayris gives these dates on Dr. Cranmer—BA, 1511; MA, 1514; marriage, 1515; readmission to Jesus College, 1516; ordained, 1520; Doctorate, 1523; Henry’s payroll, 1529; run to Rome, 1530; translation of The Determinations of the mosste Famous and Mooste Excellent Universities of Italy. Ayris misses or omits the 1527 trip to Spain. The Boleyns push Cranmer’s name in the early 1530s—1530? 1531? 1532, assuredly. 1532-Cranmer marries Margaret in Nurnberg. “Cranmer’s promostion caused great surprise in London when it became known in the beginning of 1533” (117). Chapuy tells Clement VII and Charles V: (1) that Dr. Cranmer, as Legate, could issue the nullity-judgment without Rome; (2) Henry was bragging about the marital victories once Dr. Cranmer was consecrated; (3) that the Boleyns were “Lutherans” (and what does that tell us about Dr. Cranmer in the same period?); and, that the independence of the English Church was at hand. 30 Mar 1533—Cranmer becomes ABC in St. Stephen’s Chapel, Westminster, with his protestations. Cranmer asks Henry if he could rule on Catherine. By 23 May, according to the Royal script, Catherine’s out and Anne’s in. By 1 June, Anne’s on the throne. “The appointment of Thomas Cranmer to the see of Canterbury in 1533 was central to the government’s policy in the divorce case” (121)—Cranmer, the pliant and flexible tool for Henry’s international propaganda.