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OVERTURES OF Gl-UMAN REFORMERS. 28
needs of those who lived far away from tlieir parish
church. Competent provision might have been made
also for increasing the income of incumbents in those
large and populous parishes, whose tithes had become
the property of monastic bodies. But no attempt
was made, no suggestion apparently offered in this
direction. The tithes got into lay hands, and the
Church of England to this very day feels the loss, and
has reason to deplore the omission. The little subsidiary
chai)els soon fell into decay. In more than
one corner of this great diocese, their ruined walls
yet remain. In others they have passed out of
existence, leaving but a name, such as " Chapel
garth," to identify the spot where their walls were
reared by the piety of a bygone age. It is true that
a few new bishoprics were subsequently founded, and
where these were established a dean and chapter
took the place of a prior and his monks, but that
was all.
The proceedings of Henry and his vicar-general
with respect to the dissolution of monastic foundations
did not pass unobserved abroad. The bull of
excommunication which Pope Paul III. had issued
against the king, was now ratified and put in force.
In the same year (1538) three divines came over
from Germany, to see if a common formula of faith
could not be framed. Some overtures of a similar
kind had previously been made (in 1534), which for
political reasons were not altogether discouraged by
the king, and it was probably thought by the German
reformers that a more favourable time had nowarrived
for coming to a cordial co-oi^eration.
Several