Henry VIII had made the Church of England independent of the Pope
(S349). His son took the next great step, and made it practically
Protestant in doctrine. At his desire, Archbishop Cranmer compiled a
book of Common Prayer in English. It was taken largely from the Roman
Catholic Prayer Book, which was in Latin (1549). The first Act of
Uniformity, 1549 (reenacted 1552), obliged all churches to use the new
English Prayer Book, thereby, (for the time) establishing a modified
form of Protestantism throughout England (S405).[2]
[2] On the Church of England, see Macaulay's "England," I, 40-42.
Edward's sister, the Princess Mary, was a most devout Catholic. She
refused to adopt the new service, saying to Bishop Ridley, who urged
her to accept it as God's word, "I cannot tell what you call God's
word, for that is not God's word now which was God's word in my
father's time." It was at this period (1552) that the Articles of
Religion of the Church of England were first drawn up; but they did
not take their final form until the reign of Elizabeth (S383).