What was the Supplication against the Ordinaries and when did it originate?
The House of Commons drafted the Supplication against the Ordinaries in 1532. This petition emerged from deep dissatisfaction with how church courts operated across England.
Questions about Supplication against the Ordinaries
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who recorded the specific grievances about heresy proceedings in the Supplication against the Ordinaries?
Chronicler Edward Hall recorded that members complained bitterly about the cruelty shown during heresy proceedings. He noted that ordinaries would summon men and lay accusations before them without producing an actual accuser.
When did King Henry VIII receive the Supplication against the Ordinaries and what was his response?
On March 18th, the Speaker of the Commons appeared before King Henry VIII accompanied by knights and burgesses to present the document. The King stated it was not the office of a king to be too light of credence and declared he would hear the accused party speak before giving any sentence.
How did Convocation respond to the charges listed in the Supplication against the Ordinaries on April 19th?
Three days after William Warham Archbishop of Canterbury presented the document, Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester reacted strongly against clauses about making Church laws. Preates accepted Gardiner's arguments sending them to inferior clergy who assented on April 19th while maintaining that division stemmed from uncharitable behavior of certain evil seditious persons.
What role did Thomas Cromwell play in creating the Supplication against the Ordinaries according to historians?
Historians remain divided over whether Thomas Cromwell orchestrated the petition or if it arose spontaneously from Members of Parliament. Tudor historian Geoffrey Elton wrote that government put final form behind scenes even before issue discussed in Parliament while Stanford Lehmberg suggested other possibilities including Cromwell taking initiative drafting Supplication independently.