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APPEALS TO THE POPE FORBIDDEN. 24
At tills court the authority of Rome was deliberately
and advisedly ignored, and Cranmer pronounced a
judgment on the 23rd May, 1533, whereby Henry's
first marriage was declared null and void. The
coronation of Anne Boleyn took place at once with
all the pomp and circumstance that could be given to
the ceremonial, Cranmer placing the crown upon her
head.
It is needless to say that these jjroceedings gave
dire offence at Rome. Clement VII., as might have
been expected, at once reversed Cranmer's sentence.
But Cromwell's policy had already followed up the
line that was indicated by Henry's forcing upon the
two convocations the acknowledgment of his head-
.ship over the Church. An Act had been passed (23
Hen. VIII., c. 20., a.d. i 531) whereby the payment of
annates or first fruits to the pope had been forbidden.
Another enactment followed (24 Hen. VIII., c. 12,
A.D. 1532)
relating to appeals. The preamble of
this statute recognized in no doubtful terms the
rightful claims of that " part of the body politic
called the spiritualty, now being usually called the
English Church," to manage its own affairs, " without
the intermeddling of any exterior person or
persons." By a further statute (25 Hen. VIII., c. 19)
the free action of the Church in her legislative capacity
was utterly crippled. Heretofore, the Archbishop
of either province could call his clergy together to
meet in synod whenever he thought fit to do so ;
the
king at the same time having the right to summon
the clergy of both provinces by a royal writ to parliament,
and likewise to direct the summoning of the
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