Temporal and spiritual: Prolegomenon to the More - St. German controversy

In spite of recent modest interest in Christopher St. German, we have littl e to go on when contemplating the beginning of his career in controversy at about the time of the second session of the Reformation Parliament. Howeve r, a work that has gone almost unnoticed by students of St. German's role i n Cromwellian reform is a set of proposals for parliamentary authority in s piritual matters that were appended to the 1531 editions of A dyaloge in En glysshe and The Secunde dyaloge in Englysshe. These proposals, which bore t he heading "Newe Addycyons", are the earliest certain indication of St. Ger man's interest in several controversial bills and petitions that were befor e parliament in the sessions of 1529 and 1531; and they amount to persuasiv e evidence that it was not the divorce but, rather, the question of parliam ent's authority to rule in ecclesiastical matters that led him into controv ersy.