Reformed Anglicans

2. CHAPTER II. EASTERN LITURGIES, 19ff. Worship services were not committed to writing in the first ages. An apostolic model was variously adapted in different Churches. Liturgy a technical name for order of worship and the worship of the people. “These may be subdivided as follows: — I. The Eastern family included at least four groups; the Liturgies of (1) St. James. (2) St. Basil and St. Chrysostom, (3) St. Mark, (4) Eastern Syria. These are found in different forms, having been translated into various languages and adapted to the habits of various nations. Amidst much diversity there is a great resemblance between them all; and those named after St. Basil and St. Chrysostom, which are to this day in regular use in Russia and Eastern Europe, follow exactly the same plan. II. The Gallican included (1) the ancient form of French Liturgy in use before the eighth century, and (2) the Mozarabic, or ancient Spanish Liturgy, the use of which has lingered on to the present day in one chapel ...

1.      Justification, 28-41. Justification: (1) is at the “heart of all Cranmer’s thinking” (28); (2) is a doctrine Cranmer appears to have come by slowly by Scripture, the fathers and reason; (3) is summarized in “Notes on Justification;” (4) is supported by Paul, Irenaeus, Origen, Basil, Ambrose, Jerome, Theodoret, Augustine and Chrysostom; (5) is cited from Peter Lombard, Thomas Aquinas, Anselm and Bernard; (6) does not exalt faith or accompanying virtues such as love, hope or charity; (7) excludes all works—moral, judicial and ceremonial—man cannot “by his own acts, words and deeds (seem they never so good) be justified and made righteous before God” (PS 2.128); (8) emphasizes and exalts Christ’s Person and objective work—“to our Saviour Christ which was offered upon the cross for our sins, and rose for our justification” (PS 2.209); gains gradual clarifications from the Ten Articles, Bishops’ Book and, more notably, the Homily on Salvation, Of the True, Lively ...

Further evidences of Dr. Cranmer’s “humanism:” support for young scholars in the Canterbury Cathedral school including poor children, university patronages, monastic recommendations (before their closures), close monitoring of university affairs, his own household as a center of education (residential for some other than his own family, e.g. a nephew of Dantiscus), patronage of foreign students in England but also Englishmen abroad, and patronage of Erasmus until his death. Support of learning makes one a humanist? A question-begging term.  This much: the Cambridge don supports education significantly.  No surprises here. 

Cranmer as a Humanist Reformer—M. Dowling, 89-114. Prof. Dowling observes that originally Christian humanism was not concerned with doctrinal changes, but with “reform of ecclesiastical and devotional abuses” (89) as well as Biblical/classical languages, good literature and eloquence. The essay asks: how does Cranmer measure up as a humanist in terms of educational patronage, promotion of better clergy and use of monies for the poor. The ideal was a knowledge of biblical and classical languages, conversancy with the Bible, church fathers, pagan authors, and ability in other languages too. Cranmer received the BA in 1511-1512, MA in 1515, BDiv in the 1521, and DD in 1526, serving as a university preacher and examiner of those advancing in divinity degrees. Cranmer was facile with Latin, adept at Greek, but his Hebrew is questionable. He was the patron of two Hebraists—Robert and Thomas Wakefield, two brothers. The first trained at Louvain and Tubingen and introduced Hebrew to Fisher of ...

19. The Emergence of the Holy Roman Empire, 207-214. The Carolingian Empire goes into decline with weak governance and squabbling heirs and offspring. Charles the Bald of the east and Louis the German of the east, two brothers, unite against a third son, Lothair. The Treaty of Verdun of 843 allots Europe into thirds. Feudalism as a political and economic system brought further fragmentation and social stratification with little-to-no social mobility. Feudalism benefitted the church as lands were bequeathed to churches and monasteries. This, by turns, brought secularization of greater degree into the church as Churchmen became land owners and businessmen. The Vikings and Hungarian invasions also contribute to chaos along coastlines and down rivers. Dr. Cairns argues for a 10 th century revival of the fragmented Empire calling attention to the difficulties of unification, geographical barriers, tribal rivalries. Henry the Fowler and Otto, his son and successor, was able to unity the Duk...

1.      Henry VIII, 13-20. The standard story of Henry VIII is told with some verve and succinctness by the English Professor. Henry VIII: son of Henry VII, beneficiary of Julius 11’s dispensation on 23 Dec 1503, King Henry VIII in 1509, husband to Catherine of Aragon after Arthur dies, father of several still-born children and Princess Mary, Uncle (in-law) to Charles V who sacks Rome in 1527, victim of Papal politics including Clement VII, Wolsey and Campeggio in the Black Friars debacle of 1529, and Commander of Dr. Cranmer to investigate the annulment package. What can the old boy do but follow his King’s command?

CHAPTER III. 1548. The first Primer in the reign of Edward is put forward at the end of 1547. Todd indicates it includes basic prayers for “all sorts and conditions of men.” Then, we get a chapter-long discussion of “Cranmer's Catechism,” It is published at the end of 1548. It is translated from the Latin of Justus Jonas, the elder. Justus Jonas, the junior, is at Lambeth with Gualter, Dryander, and Eusebius Menius, exiles from Germany as Charles V choses to enforce the Interim.   This Interim is what drives other exiles to England also. There are mistakes in translation. The subject of Real Presence, Luther’s view, is retained in the translation. Gardiner maintains Cranmer holds to such while denying it later. Some Papists alleged that Cranmer is insufficiently educated to write his defense, imputing authorship to Ridley, but Ridley denying authorship and asserting Cranmer’s competence. " Here was much murmuring of the rest, as though they would have given me," says Ridl...

After Dr. Cranmer’s consecration with a packed audience in Westminster Abbey, he afterwards, in due time, took the oath to the King regarding his temporalities. “I, Thomas Cranmer, renounce and utterly forsake all such clauses, words, sentences, and grants, which I have of the pope’s holiness in his bulls of the archbishopric of Canterbury, that in any manner was, is, or may be, hurtful or prejudicial to your Highness, your heirs, successors’ estates, or dignity royal; knowing myself to take and hold the said archbishopric immediately, and only, of your Highness, and of none other; most lowly beseeching the same for restitution of the temporalities of the said archbishopric; professing to be faithful, true, and obedient subject to your said Highness, your heirs and successors, during my life. So help me God, and the Holy Evangelists” (73).

CHAPTER III. 1532 to 1533, 47-73. Dr. Cranmer is recalled from Germany. How early did he know this was going down? Todd hints that he had some intel-reports. Some think Boleyn was speaking favorably of Cranmer’s service in Germany. He’s malleable, pliable, scholarly and he supports the King’s cause. Warham dies on 23 (not 22) Aug 1532 claims Todd. He is nominated Archbishop of Canterbury, but do we have an actual date for this? Some Papists claimed it was a simple “quid pro quo.” Give me the ABC and I will fix this matrimonial question. Todd wisely notes the list was long for other Bishops, Gardiner included, he would have filled the bill. He wished to decline the appointment. Others objected that he had no episcopal assignment on the resume, but there were other precedents for this—Parker, Sancroft, Tillotson. Reasons for declining it. His second marriage may have been an issue for Cranmer. Todd affirms that Henry knew of the marriage. Cranmer knows his marriage will run against the p...

Another notable event will happen in 1519—Charles V will be elected as the Holy Roman Emperor. 

The 1519 Leipzig debate unfolds. The roughly two-week debate was a stalemate with Eck scoring one huge point— “Luther, you’re a Hussite.” Luther will reminiscence on that later and aver that he’s been, unconsciously, a Hussite all along. And, instead of more conciliatory engagements, things become embittered afterwards with Eck trumpeting himself—as a self-aggrandizing provocateur—around Leipzig while Luther, Carlstadt, and Melanchthon retreated (not theologically) back to Wittenberg. Our question: what does Henry VIII, More, Warham, Fisher and Wolsey know of this game? Or, Master Cranmer? Also, Eck is not well-schooled in church history and repeats the Curial exegesis of Mt. 16.17 and Jn.21.25. Reports went to Paris, Erfurt and other academic centers. The toothpaste was out of the tube and was not going back in. Luther viewed Leipzig as a waste of time. Soon enough, Luther’s 1520 Babylonian Captivity of the Church will be gasoline on the fire. Another notable event will happen in 1519...

The 1519 Leipzig debate unfolds. 

The story of Eck is unfolded—Professor of Theology at Ingolstadt and a canon in the Cathedral Church of Eischstadt, yet, at an early date, not an opponent of Luther or Carlstadt. Carlstadt is at Wittenberg in 1507 lecturing on Aquinas, getting his DD in 1510 and known as a learned scholastic. Carlstadt returns from Rome in 1516 finding Luther’s the dominant theological force. On 26 Apr 1517, the relics of Castle Church are on display and Carlstadt begins his own disputation on them with 152 theses. Luther is impressed. Eck is writing on Luther’s 95-Theses later for his Bishop, a private document that is found and published. Preliminary, literary, political and event-planning skirmishings occur in the lead-up to the Leipzig debate of 1519. Eck poses his own theses before Leipzig. Meanwhile, Luther is doing academics and writing.  

1.      Beard wishes to say that Melancthon the humanist and Luther the theologian cross-pollinate (our word) one another as things heat up. While the demand of recantation by Cajetan had failed, another more unctuous approach is made by another Papal legate, Sigismund von Miltitz, with varied demands which will include silence. Miltitz is 7 years Luther’s junior. Miltitz makes the political rounds and, finally, there is a meeting between Luther (and associates) and Miltitz. A weird reproachment is achieved, but it smells of bells and whistles to cajole Luther into silence. Beard makes plain that the 95 Theses are still in Luther’s system despite his unctuous mollifications and tap-dancing with Miltitz. The reproachment will not live long.

1.      The Year 1519: Friends and Foes, 259-318. In 1518, there were no chairs of Greek or Hebrew at Wittenburg. Philip Melanchthon will become the rising star. Upon arrival, Melanchthon lectured in both languages until Boschenstein and Ayrigallus took the Hebrew chair. Melanchthon, AKA Philip Schwartzerd, was born 16 Feb 1497, 14 years younger than Luther and 8 years younger than Cranmer. Melancthon had family connections to Reuchlin the humanist. Inn 1509, Melancthon matriculated to Heidelberg and, in 1511, earned the BA. A 14-year old BA? In 1512, he repaired to Tubingen where he meets Oecolampadius and a friendship arises. They work on the Greek and Latin classics together. In 1514, age 17, he earns the MA, being “first among eleven competitors for the degree” (262). In 1515, age 18, he produces an edition of Terence. Melancthon, Reuchlin’s relative, is earning his growing reputation in Germany, Beard tells us. Even Erasmus praises Melancthon although later with...

3. CHAPTER III, 37-49. Aug-late 1553. Mary’s on the throne. Dr. Cranmer strongly advises varied Professors, Bishops and other to flee the land. Dr. Cranmer will not flee, a self-consciously taken position, given his high position and willingness to defend the Edwardian reforms. Dr. Cranmer: “It would be no ways fitting for him to go away, considering the post in which he was; and to shew that he was not afraid to own all the changes that were by his means made in religion in the last reign” (36) Some 800 flee to Strasburg, Emden, Antwerp, Duisburg, Worms, Frankford, Basel, Zurich, Arrow and Geneva. Bihsops fleeing: Poynet of Winchester, Barlow of Bath and Wells, Scory of Chichester, Coverdale of Exeter, and Bale of Ossory. Deans fleeing: Richard Cox of Christ Church, Oxford and Westminster, James Haddon of Exeter, Robert Horn of Durham, William Turner of Wells, and Sampson of Chichester. Archdeacons fleeing: Edmund Cranmer of Canterbury, John Aylmer of Stow, Bullingham of Lincol, Thoma...

Wily Winchester offers a censure of Erasmus’ Paraphrase, namely, and, in a document, explicitly stating that Erasmus laid the egg and Luther hatched it. His account of his commitment and confinement—complaining of no barber, tailor, servant, chaplain or physician. Winchester writes a letter to Somerset concerning these things. Again, Winchester will get 5 years in the Fleet and Tower, 1548-1553. On another note, the archbishop appoints in all dioceses a thanksgiving for a victory over the Scots—15000 Scots dead and 2000 captured. Dr. Cranmer directs a procession, the thanksgiving for the victory, and the Te Deum--ordering the bishop of London to execute the appointment, 17-35. The pic is from a plaque affixed by Wily Winchester's tomb in the northern aisle of Winchester Cathedral, Wily's cathedral see from 1531-1547ish and from 1553-1555.

1547. WILY WINCHESTER GETS 5 YEARS IN THE BRIG--FLEET AND THE TOWER. The Homilies and Erasmus' Paraphrases are discussion. Dr. Cranmer invites Steve Gardiner, Wily Winchester, to aid in authoring the Homilies. Wily thinks it will disturb the nation and begs off. Letters go from Dr. Cranmer, Winchester, and the Lord Protector. Dr. Cranmer and others compose the 12 Homilies. Winchester will end up in the Fleet and Tower as it heats up. Gardiner censures the Homily of Salvation, to wit, that justifying faith includes charity. Wily accuses Cranmer of having no Scripture nor Doctors on his side. Cranmer and Steve tango, theologically. Cranmer is trying to get Steve onboard, but Steve’s having nothing of it. Cranmer drops the boom on of Steve: “"He [Gardiner] liked nothing, unless he did it himself, and that he disliked the homily for that reason, because he was not a counsellor” (20). A direct ad hominem that Wily is fully aware of and writes about, complaining that others besides...

Dr. Cranmer sends the king the news in those parts notably, on the conflict with the Turks to the southeast. Emperor Charles V issues a proclamation for a “general council, and a reformation to be had in Germany, for the controversies of the faith” (21). The Turks are still in Hungary and Charles wants Imperial unity. Hence, the proclamation, good news for the German Lutherans.  “That his imperial majesty declared peace throughout all Germany; enjoining, ‘that none should be molested for the cause of region, until the council should be called: or, in case there were none, until some other means should be found out by the states of the empire for healing the present divisions. And that he would use his utmost diligence, that a council should be denounced within six months, and the year after to be commenced. And that if this could not be obtained, then these matters should be referred to the imperial diets, to be handled there. That in the meantime all judicial proceedings relating ...

1.      Cranmer's Embassies. Anno 1530. Strype seems to conflate and not distinguish the 1530 and 1532 embassies clearly? He is employed in embassies. As for the 1530 trip, Cranmer, the Earl of Wiltshire, Dr. Lee (AB-elect of York), Dr. Stokesley (Bp-elect of London), Drs. (of law) Trigonel, Karn, and Benet are off to the pope to dispute the matrimonial issue. Cranmer’s arguments are two-fold: “I. That no man, jure divino, could, or ought to marry his brother's wife. and II. That the bishop of Rome by no means ought to dispense to the contrary” 16). It is to be noted that Cranmer was in Rome for several months but failed. It also should be noted that Imperial agents were also in Rome making their case for Charles V. Offers him a dispute in favor of the king's cause. Cranmer sense of it all: “That his success there at Rome was but little: and that they dared not to attempt to know any man's mind, because of the pope, who had said, that friars should not discuss his po...

Coming into the modern period, the predictable tour includes: Descartes, William Paley, Isaac Newton, Immanuel Kant, Fred Schleiermacher, Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, C.S. Lewis, Norman Malcolm, William Craig, Alvin Platinga, Timothy Keller, David Marshall, Dinesh D’Souza, and a few vitriolic and venomous loons like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris.

1.      Luther, Calvin, Charnock and post-Reformation theologians continued to posit general and special revelation. Prof. Allison enlarges on Calvin’s religious epistemology from the Institutes . Charnock also followed Aquinas’s a posteriori proofs.

9. Existence and Knowability of God, 187-207. God is, is knowable, and incomprehensible. A standard discussion as per competent skilled systematicians. God is known by general and special revelation including conscience, providence, His mighty deeds and His Word. The ancient church held this in varying musical keys and tempos. Origen, Aristides, Tertullian, Cyprian, Chrysostom, Augustine and others asserted the basic view of general and special revelation. Dionysius the Pseudo-Aeropagite, with his apophatic or negativing view, essentially said God is entirely unknown and nothing can be said about it (dogmatically assumed and uttered)—he’s an outlier. In the medieval period, one gets Anselm’s ontological argument and Aquinas’ five arguments—ontological, motion, efficient cause, possibility and probability, hierarchy and teleology.

16 Nov 1538. John Lambert listens to a sermon by Taylor in London, called a “reformer” by Ridley. Lambert and Taylor talk about the sacrament of the Holy Communion. Taylor informs Barnes. Taylor tells Lambert to write up his opinions. The upshot: the opinions are forwarded via Barnes to Cranmer. A preliminary investigation is held at Lambeth. An ambush and Lambert walks into it. Cranmer has read everything by Zwingli and Oecolampadius. Henry wants a trial and he presides over one at Westminster on 16 Nov 1538. 10 points are raised by Lambert. Henry handles point one brutally regarding Christ’s words. Cranmer handles point two on Christ’s humanity being locally confined to heaven. Lambert holds the day, but, standing for five hours during the trial, he falters. The bishops were on his right and the nobles on his left. He’s condemned, burned, pulled Lambert by a pike from the burning to extend the torture, and finally let him back into the fire and he dies. Dr. Cranmer is culpably and ma...

WILL THE REAL DR. CRANMER PLEASE STAND UP? The Troubles in Calais: The Case of Lambert, 166-174. Calais, 26 miles wide and 6 miles deep in northern France opposite Dover, belonged to Canterbury. Deputy Lisle was originally on good terms with Dr. Cranmer. William Peterson was Cranmer’s Commissary, a traditionalist who repressed heretical books. By 1537, the relationship between Cranmer and Lisle was deteriorating, once for refusing Lisle’s request to denounce anti-Romanist priests. Adam Damplip, once a chaplain to Fisher and former student of Pole’s in Italy, “became converted to extreme Protestant doctrines” (167) and was in Calais helping reformers. Ridley does not define “reformers” in this context. Damplip was sent to Cranmer for evaluation. On 18 Aug 1538, Cranmer writes Crumwell, “As concerning Damplip at Calais, he utterly denieth that he ever he taught of said that the very body and blood of Christ was not presently in the Sacrament of the Altar, and confesseth the same to be re...

LATE 1532. GAME ON. HENRY HAS A PLAN. Cranmer is hustled home. “Warham is said to have foretold that Cranmer would step into his shoes,  but to the new archbishop himself the nomination came as a somewhat unpleasant surprise” (52). Cranmer, on our telling, may have had intel as did Warham. Henry was gaming things. Cranmer was back in England by Jan 1533. Anne was pregnant in Nov 1532. Henry pushes for a bull allowing Dr. Cranmer to become the ABC, while using the lever of the unexecuted power of Act of Annates (in Henry’s power which Clement understood) and Restraint of Appeals. It let Clement off the hook knowing the English would settle the problem without losing England and the cash. “The Pope and the Cardinals sighed, but after all it was better that they should go without some of their perquisites for Cranmer's bulls; it was better that sentence should be given by him against Catherine of Aragon than that the Roman curia should forfeit all the wealth it drew from England” (54)...

1.      But, by summer 1529, Clement was the handmaid and servant of Charles V claiming, “I will live and die an Imperialist.” Campeggio lollygags and issues a procedural sabotage with Wolsey taking a dive. By Aug 1529, Henry is moving on Parliament as a response to the Clement-Charles V-Campeggio ambush. Henry heads out on progress to the north and west of London. Fox, Gardiner and Cranmer have dinner at the Cressy’s house and, by this crisis and coincidence (from a human angle), Cranmer will get further involved in the matter. By Nov 1529, Cranmer has written a manuscript on the matter for Henry with circulation at OXBRIDGE, suggested tribunals, while Cranmer preps for a run to the Imperial Court and Rome.

2. Cranmer and the Divorce of Catherine of Aragon, 24-60. The divorce issue was the issue that was a turning point for Cranmer’s life and the history of the English Reformation. DPV—imagine the tempestuous Luther or the hot Knox in the station where Dr. Cranmer was? The questions about the marriage went back to Henry VII, Ferdinand, and Julius 11, but the matter was intensified as still-borns/miscarriages (four) mounted before Mary’s birth in 1516. Then, several more occurred afterward. Meanwhile, Lutheranism happens and Henry’s writing about the sacraments gaining a new title, Defensor Fidei. If Henry split from Rome and that was all there was to it, the English people would have quietly agreed to an autonomous patriarchate. Papal fiscal exactions were not popular. Archbishop Warham and Bishop Longland of Lincoln had doubts about the marriage, the latter, it is alleged, being the source of Henry’s doubts. We surmise them to have predated Longland? Henry had good reasons for a good res...

1.      If Cranmer thought Henry a soft reformer, he was mistaken as the Six Articles are passed. [i] Cranmer argues against it for three days, vigorously. After the Parliamentary row, Cranmer loses, must send his wife Margarete off to Germany, and Henry, knowing Cranmer needed consolation, dispatches the Lords and Councilors to Lambeth for a sumptuous meal to cheer up the Archbishop. Henry wants Cranmer’s arguments in writing. Morice takes the book on a wherry but falls overboard due to some bear-baiting event while Cranmer’s book washes ashore. Crumwell finally retrieves the book. Crumwell falls in 1540 and bets are on that Cranmer is next. The Necessary Doctrine and Erudition of a Christian Man were produced; some view it as produced by the Roman obscurantists (our words), but Mason maintains it was Cranmer’s. “For the rest, the Necessary Erudition is avowedly a reforming work. It looks back with satisfaction upon what has been accomplished in that direction, alt...

The English nation is little acquainted with Continental theological developments, although Cranmer is abreast of them as the ABC. As well as having a German wife, he maintained correspondence with foreign theologians, but not as though England would be the pupil of Wittenberg or Zurich. Henry sends Bishop Edward Foxe of Hereford and Nicholas Heath to Schmalcalden in 1535 as a league of defense. The 1530 Augsburg Confession is made a condition to receiving Henry which he rejects. In 1536, the Ten Articles are adopted, precursors to the Thirty-Nine Articles.  Crumwell and Cranmer sign them. The Institution of Christian Man, commonly known as the Bishops’ Book, was issued—a work by Cranmer and Bishop Foxe. As for signatories: “Edward Lee of York, the old antagonist of Erasmus. Stokesley and Gardiner, Tunstall, Clerk, Veysey, Longland, and Sampson, are willing to be considered its joint authors with Latimer and Shaxton, Goodrich, Foxe, Hillsey, and Barlow. Among the signatures of men ...

1.      Cranmer and the Reformation under Henry, 81-118. The charming story of the Yorkshire priest who accuses Dr. Cranmer of being ignorant is retold, to wit, that Dr. Cranmer was an “ostler” as ignorant “as the goslings on the green.” Regaled before Dr. Cranmer and humbled, he is forgiven and sent back to his Yorkshire parish with admonitions to read the Bible (81-82). Bishop Ridley avows that Dr. Cranmer’s book is Cranmer’s, again, the idea being that Cranmer could not have written it. Burbidge’s review of Cranmer’s extant library is noted—350 books and 100 manuscripts. However, Archbishop Parker is given a commission by Cecil to recover lost or dispersed volumes. The list of heavy-weight names in theology from antiquity to his own times is given—"Clement of Rome and Ignatius ; from Irenaeus and Tertullian, Origen and Cyprian; Lactantius, Hilary, Ambrose, Paulinus of Nola, Augustine, Fulgentius, Jerome, Vincent of Lerins, Cassian, Prudentius, Gelasius, Leo, Sulpi...