But as Luther said, Henry had a pope within him. The King now
proceeded to prove the truth of Luther's declaration. We have already
seen (S328) that since the Wars of the Roses had destroyed the power
of the barons, there was no effectual check on the despotic will of
the sovereign. The new nobility were the creatures of the Crown,
hence bound to support it; the clergy were timid, the Commons anything
but bold, so that Parliament gradually became the servile echo and
ready instrument of the throne.
That body twice released the King from the discharge of his just
debts. It even exempted him from paying certain forced loans which he
had extorted from his people. Parliament also repeatedly changed the
laws of succession to the Crown to please him. Moreover it promptly
attainted and destroyed such victims as he desired to put out of the
way (S351). Later (1539) it declared that proclamations, concerning
religious doctrines, when made by the King and Council, should have
the force of acts of Parliament. This new power enabled Henry to
pronounce heretical many opinions which he disliked and to punish them
with death.