 The title page of a printed edition of Henry VIII'sAssertio septem sacramentum | |
| Author | Henry VIII,Thomas More |
|---|---|
| Translator | Louis O'Donovan |
| Language | Latin |
| Series | Theology |
| Publisher | King's College Press |
Publication date | 1521 |
| Publication place | Kingdom of England |
| Media type | |
TheDefence of the Seven Sacraments (Latin:Assertio Septem Sacramentorum) is a theologicaltreatise published in 1521, written by KingHenry VIII of England, allegedly with the assistance of SirThomas More.[1] The extent of More's involvement with this project has been a point of contention since its publication.[2][3]
Henry started to write it in 1519 while he was readingMartin Luther'sattack on indulgences.[4] By June of that year, he had shown it toThomas Wolsey, but it remained private until three years later when the earlier manuscript became the first two chapters of theAssertio, the rest consisting of new material relating to Luther'sDe Captivitate Babylonica.
AuthorJ. J. Scarisbrick describes the work as "one of the most successful pieces of Catholic polemics produced by the first generation of anti-Protestant writers".[5] It went through some twenty editions in the sixteenth century and, as early as 1522, had appeared in two different German translations.
The treatise was dedicated toPope Leo X, who rewarded Henry with the titleFidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith) in October 1521 (a title revoked following the king'sbreak with the Catholic Church in the 1530s,[6] but re-awarded to his heir by the English Parliament).[7]
Luther's reply to theAssertio (Against Henry, King of the English) was, in turn, replied to byThomas More, who was one of the leaders of the CatholicRenaissance humanists in England (Responsio ad Lutherum).[8]
The British Library still has King Henry's personal copy ofMarko Marulić'sEvangelistiarium, a book that was read in English and much admired by Thomas More. Extensive margin notes in the king's own hand prove that Marulić's book was a major source used by the king in the writing ofDefence of the Seven Sacraments.[9]