What was distinctive about the early Reformation in England?
… not only secure the divorce he so desperately required but also make him the most powerful king England and ever known. Nevertheless, Henry’s Reformation was not merely an act of State. It went beyond issues of jurisdiction and administration. The royal supremacy gave the king not only the power but the duty before God to advance true religion within his realm. This was a duty Henry took seriously, and official interest soon turned to the question of popular religion. Henry VIII never wavered in his determination to secure and enforce uniformity within his domains. Richard Rex suggested that as long as Henry remained committed to Rome and Catholicism, the impact of these doctrines was limited. But once he departed from Rome, the innovators were encouraged to hope that he might go further, and gave enthusiastic support to his policies. His need for support over the divorce and the supremacy led him …
