Armed with these decisions in his favor, Henry now charged the whole
body of the English Church with being guilty of the same crime of
which Wolsey had been accused (S346). The clergy, in their terror,
made haste to buy a pardon at a cost reckoned at nearly $5,000,000 at
the present value of money.
They furthermore declared Henry to be the supreme head on earth of the
Church of England, adroitly adding, "in so far as is permitted by the
law of Christ." Thus the Reformation came into England "by a side
door, as it were." Nevertheless, it came.