edral churches had long become formal, and their
appointment had since the time of the Edwards been practically made by
the papacy on the nomination of the crown. The privilege of free
election was now with bitter irony restored to the chapters, but they
were compelled on pain of praemunire to choose whatever candidate was
recommended by the king. This strange expedient has lasted till the
present time, though its character has wholly changed with the
development of constitutional rule.

The nomination of bishops has ever since the accession of the Georges
passed from the king in person to the minister, who represents the will
of the people. Practically, therefore, an English prelate, alone among
all the prelates of the world, is now raised to his episcopal throne by
the same popular election which raised Ambrose to his episcopal chair at
Milan. But at the moment of the change Cromwell's measure reduced the
English bishops to absolute dependence on the crown. Their dependence
would have been complete had his policy been thoroughly carried out, and
the royal power of deposition put in force, as well as that of
appointment. As it was, Henry could warn the Archbishop of Dublin that,
if he persevered in his "proud folly, we be able to remove you again and
to put another man of more virtue and honesty in your place." By the
more ardent partisans of the Reformation this dependence of the bishops
on the crown was fully recognized. On the death of Henry VIII Cranmer
took out a new commission from Edward for the exercise of his office.
Latimer, when the royal policy clashed with his belief, felt bound to
resign the see of Worcester. If the power of deposition was quietly
abandoned by Elizabeth, the abandonment was due, not so much to any
deference for the religious instincts of the nation as to the fact that
the steady servility of the bishops rendered its exercise unnecessary.

A second step in Cromwell's policy followed hard on this enslavement of
the episcopate. Master of convocation, absolute master of the bishops,
Henry had become master of the monastic orders through the right of
visitation over them, which had been transferred by the Act of Supremacy
from the papacy to the crown. The monks were soon to know what this
right of visitation implied in the hands of the vicar-general. As an
outlet for religious enthusiasm, monasticism was practically dead. The
friar, now that his fervor of devotion and his intellectual energy h