Uh, where did you say you came from?

The Reformation's Shortest Chapter

In 1547 Henry VIII died as all kings do. And his son Edward (yes he did finally sire a son after all that hard work of swapping wives around) ascended to the throne at the age of 9. If Henry’s Reformation had mostly to do with power, Edward’s reign saw the cause of Reformation theology gain the most ground. The Reformers had done themselves a real service and made sure that Edward’s tutor was a card carrying Protestant. So it was that under Edward the Protestant cause advanced. The English Church was reformed even further. Yet, one serious problem emerged. Edward was sickly.

Sadly, Edward only reigned 6 years, and the fact of the matter is, that wasn’t enough time to overturn a thousand years of deterioration. A more Reformed prayer book had been published that same year but it was never put into use before Edward died. Unfortunately, no substantial changes really lasted beyond 1553. That is the year Edward died and Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary as she became known) ascended to the throne.

Mary was a staunch Roman Catholic and so she sought to systematically overturn every reform that had been accomplished under Henry and Edward. Mercifully Mary's reign was shorter than Edward's and when Elizabeth I succeeded her on the throne the Protestant cause was enabled to resume its course and firmly take root in English soil.