Bishop Gilbert Burnet: "Reformation of the Church of England," 1.2.101ff.

1547. Bishop Burnet gives some convoluted account of the genesis of two houses of Parliament and the two houses of Convocation which has the appearance of complexities of an intestinal system. Both are prorogued just before Christmas, 1547, and are to meet in April 1548. A lot was achieved in the 12 months following Henry’s departure. Burnet makes a note that Henry had other “reformers” in the crock-pot that were never effected. Clearly, as for government matters, advanced Reformers had every right to insist on Synodical and presbyterial reforms and, barring that, to reduce the Prelatical Poohbahs down to the level of their fellow Elders. Prelacy still had Tudor-odors of absolutism. That reform never happened. A lot of negative ink and labels have been tossed at these godly English Presbyterians. Episcopalians never matured and reformed that constipated system of prelature. Nor did they ever adopt the 1595 Lambeth Articles, the Synod of Dordt in 1619, nor the Westminster Standards, thanks to Royal Governors. Grand failures again from which Anglican HAS NEVER RECOVERED TO THIS DAY. We’ll skip Bishop Burnet’s details on the details of the origins of Parliament and Convocation. This much, as far as Dr. Cranmer is concerned, he was not free to do this-and-that without that check-or-control here-and-there. Burnet wraps up the impressive legislative agenda of both Parliament and Convocation in 1547. Also, Elders and Bishop can now marry, ditching the earlier, Poopish system that so created manifold immoralities as noted about the 13^th-16^th centuries (and earlier).