The Church	37
been made plain by Zeeveld^204 and Elton.^205 However, a sort
of counter-attack has been launched by Hurstfield, though it
is not apparent that he has either found new matter to advance
or convincing arguments for discrediting the views he attacks.^206
A last point worth mentioning touches the 'imperial' preten-
sions of the monarchy, a problem so far more opened up than
solved; in addition to the specific contribution made by Koeb-
ner,^207 the thoughtful discussion in Scarisbrick's Henry VIII
(n. 152) is relevant here.
(D)  THE   CHURCH
Bowker has called in doubt a great many familiar notions about
the declining state of the pre-Reformation clergy.^208 Such
novelties have not yet reached the general accounts of the Refor-
mation, of which several have appeared. The weightiest is that
by Philip Hughes, in three volumes; the first volume rests on
sound labours and is important, but the other two surrender to
Roman Catholic prejudices.^209 Parker's short book is plain and
a trifle old-fashioned in its reluctance to admit religion and
spiritual force among the official promoters of the Reforma-
tion.^210 Both these are relegated to the shadows by Dickens
^204	W. Gordon Zeeveld, Foundations of Tudor Policy.  C   (Mass.):
Harvard UP: 1948. Pp. vii, 291. Rev: AHR 54, 578fF. See also
nn. 1099, 1101, 1166.
^205	G. R. Elton, 'The political creed of Thomas Cromwell^9, TRHS
(1956), 69-92; 'King or minister? The man behind the Henrician
Reformation', Hist 39 (1956 for 1954), 216-32.
^206	Joel Hurstfield, 'Was there a Tudor despotism after all?' TRHS
(1967), 83-108.
^207	Richard Koebner, * "The Imperial Crown of the Realm^55: Henry
VIII, Constantine the Great, and Polydore Vergil', BIHR 26
(iQ53)_5 29-52.
^208	Margaret Bowker, The Secular Clergy in the Diocese of Lincoln 1495 -
7520. GUP: 1968. Pp. xii, 253. Rev: EHR 84, 712; HJ 12, 367!^
^209	Philip Hughes, The Reformation in England, 3 vols. L: HoUis &
Garter: 1950, 1953, 1954. Pp. xxi, 404; xxvi, 366; xxix, 457. Rev:
EHR 66, 586fF.
^210	Thomas M. Parker, The English Reformation to 1558. L: OUP: 1950.
Pp. viii, 200. The 2nd ed. of 1966 is almost unchanged.