Explain Why There Was Criticism of the Clergy Around 1529

Explain why there was criticism of the clergy around 1529: There was criticism of the personnel of the church both high and low, from village priests to roman cardinals; criticism of lifestyles; criticism of the clergy seen as not fully committed to or measure up to Christian ideals. All of these strands of criticism were of long standing in England and elsewhere in Europe. Anti-clericalism and antipapalism had little real threat to the English church in the 1520’s. Erastainism usually operated to uphold the church and its powers, but in the late 1520’s because of the peculiar set of circumstances, it would be the main force that brought about the reformation. An example of critisism against the clergy was brought about by Colet in his†¦show more content†¦Here the tales speak of the abuses of the church and clergy by explaining that the clergy â€Å"tell a hundred or more false stories.† Due to the printing press in the 1520’s the message read to a wider audience gaining much support from the laity who also criticised the clergy. People were then reluctant to pay money to the church such as tithes as it was not only going to a foreign power but was a popular belief in the 1520’s that the clergy were to wealthy and should be devoting their lives to God and not to their own economic wealth. Tithes were used by the Christian church whereby, lay people contributed a 10th of their income for religious purposes, often under ecclesiastical or legal obligation. The money (or its equivalent in crops, farm stock, etc.) was used to support the clergy, maintain churches, and assist the poor. Other form of money which was paid to the church was in the form of indulgences whereby people brought their salvation from a better afterlife. There is evidence to support that people criticised this such as Caxton in the Canterbury tales were one of the main charters is a counterfeit pardoner published in 1470.Another reason to criticised the clergy was due to the fact the laity began to see how unfair cannon law was becomin g as the clergy could get away with crimes or if found guilty would be let off with a lighter sentence. Although it was the clergy who were supposed to be setting a good example for the rest of society their ignorance and