On Bishops Who Refused to Sign Henry VIII's Oath of Succession?
score:3
Possible referents of "two others"
The Wikipedia article on the 1534 Act Respecting the Oath to the Succession also mentioned only one bishop (Bishop John Fisher) and grouped him with two others (that could be the possible referents of the My Catholic Life article):
- Sir Thomas More (canonized by the Catholic Church) and
- John Houghton, O Cart. ("Catholic priest of the Carthusian order and the first martyr to die as a result of the Act of Supremacy")
The Wikipedia article, in the final paragraph, says that the acts went against their Catholic beliefs:
Refusal to take the oath led to the arrests of Sir Thomas More, Bishop John Fisher and John Houghton, O.Cart. under the Treasons Act 1534. They refused to take the oath because it included the abjuration of the pope and claimed the marriage between King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon was annulled and it went against their Catholic beliefs. More, Fisher and Houghton were beheaded in 1535.
Only one bishop
The 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Apostolic Succession by Joseph Wilhelm confirms there was only one bishop:
The bishops, instead of swearing allegiance to the Pope, now swore allegiance to the King, without any saving clause. Blessed John Fisher was the only bishop who refused to take the new oath; his martyrdom is the first witness to the breach of continuity between the old English and the new Anglican Church. Heresy stepped in to widen the breach.
Grammatical error?
This is far fetched, but is it possible that the My Catholic Life article could have been phrased better grammatically (bold text is my edit):
All the bishops of England save Fisher, plus two others, lost their courage and acquiesced, without a fight, to Henry VIII’s takeover of the Catholic Church in England. Their weakness brought to a sudden, crashing end a thousand years of Catholicism in England.
to mean that only 3 prominent Catholic figures were initially courageous to the end, but only one of them is a bishop.
Other possible referents of "two others"
According to this list of martyrs, these were executed in 1535:
- John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, 22 June 1535 (beatified 1886, canonised 1935)
- Sir Thomas More, layman, 6 July 1535 (beatified 1886, canonised 1935)
- John Houghton, Prior of the London Charterhouse, 4 May 1535 (beatified 1886, canonised 1970)
- Robert Lawrence, Prior of the Beauvale Charterhouse, 4 May 1935 (beatified 1886, canonised 1970)
- Richard Reynolds, Brigittine monk of Syon Abbey, 4 May 1535 (beatified 1886, canonised 1970)
- Augustine Webster, Prior of the Axholme Charterhouse, 4 May 1535 (beatified 1886, canonised 1970)
- William Exmew, Carthusian monk, 19 June 1535 (beatified 1886)
- John Haile, priest, 4 May 1535 (beatified 1886)
- Humphrey Middlemore, Carthusian monk, 19 June 1535 (beatified 1886)
- Sebastian Newdigate, Carthusian monk, 19 June 1535 (beatified 1886)
Conclusion
I admit this is just pure speculation; a natural reading clearly implies there were 2 other bishops. Even if my speculation is correct, when reviewing the list above there is also no clear reason why Wikipedia singled out John Houghton as one of the early 1535 martyrs.
The list also clearly showed there was only one bishop martyred. Maybe the other unnamed 2 bishops initially rebelled but later acquiesced and therefore were not executed. If that is so, we need to find a scholarly reference to uncover the names.
More post
- 📝 What did Thomas Merton mean by cartesian when it comes to modern christianity?
- 📝 What did the fathers of the early church think of Tertullian?
- 📝 Why do Daily Office readings in the BCP 1928 sometimes repeat?
- 📝 Anah contradictions in Genesis
- 📝 What is the reason to genuflect when the Incarnation is mentioned?
- 📝 Quote about judging "a man by his post" from the City of God, according to Alain de Botton
- 📝 What is the meaning of a Catholic Saint being "Raised to the Altar"?
- 📝 What is a "Pentecostal Catholic"?
- 📝 Is a bishop in Roman Catholic tradition equal in authority with the apostles?
- 📝 Trouble finding these quotes from St. John Chrysostom
- 📝 How do the early church fathers expound upon the "exaltation of Christ" (Philippians 2:9-11) in light of the immutability of Jesus Christ?
- 📝 Why did Jesus weep when Lazarus's friends agreed to show him his body?
- 📝 Mark 5 Jesus encounter with the demons: what is their relationship to Jesus?
- 📝 What does it mean that God is the saviour of all people, especially those who believe?
- 📝 Purgatory for those who are saved outside the Church?
- 📝 St. Gregory the Great quote on how intellectual work is physically exhausting?
- 📝 What is the origin for the tradition that Judas Iscariot is the twin brother of St. Thomas the Apostle?
- 📝 What is the argument and Biblical basis that it is possible to know God from nature?
- 📝 Cardinal Cajetan and Martin Luther
- 📝 What is the "Hell's Best Kept Secret" teaching that's circulating in various Evangelical Churches?
- 📝 Is there such a thing as a 'concordat' today in the Catholic church?
- 📝 Do any of the seven ecumenical councils condemn slavery?
- 📝 What is happening and written in this illustration/artwork?
- 📝 What are the Biblical reasons for getting married?
- 📝 Does "Kehilat Bethlehem" community believe that the Law of Moses are the commandments Jesus is referring to in John 14:15?
- 📝 If you are a cardinal, does that mean that you are an immediate successor to a dead or resigned pope?
- 📝 What does TS Eliot mean by "old dispensation" in The Journey of the Magi?
- 📝 Did the Catholic Church have evidence to discredit the Gospel of Judas?
- 📝 How did Luther explain 1 Cor. 7:14?
- 📝 Has any prominent theologian ever explained why Jesus let a thief be in charge of the money?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 On Bishops Who Refused to Sign Henry VIII's Oath of Succession?
- 📝 How do Lutherans who accept apostolic succession trace theirs?
- 📝 How do sedevacantists who claim the See has been empty since Vatican II understand the legitimacy of the bishops and priests?
- 📝 Are there published testimonies from ex cessationists who became continuationists after personally witnessing or experiencing a sign gift?
- 📝 Who are the remaining Apostolic Succession lineages that are non-Rebiban Succession?
- 📝 What happens to people who have never heard about Jesus?
- 📝 Who were the "giants" mentioned in the Bible?
- 📝 Who was Pharaoh when Moses lived in Egypt?
- 📝 Who wrote the Book of Revelation?
- 📝 For Catholics who object to Vatican II, what are the key issues?
- 📝 Who said "he would be called a Nazarene"?
- 📝 Who is a Christian according to the Russian Orthodox Church
- 📝 Who was Melchizedek?
- 📝 According to Evangelicals, before the Reformation, who were Christians if “Catholics are not Christians”?
- 📝 What happens to unborn, unbaptized babies who die?
- 📝 What is the significance of Noah, after the flood, getting drunk and cursing his son who saw him Naked?
- 📝 Where did Noah find polar bears and penguins in Palestine, according to those who accept a global flood?
- 📝 Who are these people in this Catholic Reformation meme that are considered more influential than Martin Luther?
- 📝 Who was St. Joseph's Father? The New Testament seems to give two answers
- 📝 Who bought the Field of Blood, Judas or the Priests?
- 📝 Why does Jesus value leap of faith more than those who rely on direct evidence?
- 📝 Who were Jannes and Jambres?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for withholding communion from believers who are unbaptized?
- 📝 Who is the prophet Moses mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:15?
- 📝 How is it that someone who lived thousands of years ago can "represent" me?
- 📝 What does the Roman Catholic church teach about those who die having never heard of Christ?
- 📝 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - who is understood as the fourth person in the fire?
- 📝 Who never died in the Bible?
- 📝 According to LDS (Mormon) teaching, who was the first God who began the eternal progression?
- 📝 What do Protestants who deny transubstantiation do with the remainders of wine and bread after the Eucharist?