Diarmaid MacCulloch, Ph.D.: "Thomas Cranmer," 5: Boleyn-Cromwell, 1535-1...

THE MUSHY-MISHMASH-OF-MUDDLING-MIXING ANGLICANS WITH THE STUDIED AMBIGUITY OF THE TEN ARTICLES OF 1536. PLEASING NONE AND IRRITATING ALL. Paging Tom Cranmer: "Where are ya' old boy?"

After the quickie-beheading of Anne and Henry’s quickie marriage to Jane with her coronation, the Ten Article of 1536 are crafted.  Henry wrote a long introduction to them. It was a “theology by committee” effort after discussions between the English (Foxe, Heath, Barnes) and German theologians in spring 1536. Some of the Wittenberg Articles and Augsburg Confession was channeled in this mish-mash-of-muddling. Notably, justification by Christ’s merits alone was smuggled in and was an advance. Three sacraments was an advance with Anglo-Romanist bishops being unhappy about the loss of the other four. Also, Tom and this crew was still hustling Ubiquitarianism. Invocation of saints and their heavenly prayers are still on the books. Of note, “theology by committee” was the venue for changes with no input from other members of the Convocation—private committees of self-electing and choosing bishops and theologians. It’s an imperial-jam-and-ram-job. The warrior, acerbic critic and tough-minded John Bale, often hated by some humorless critics, said in early 1537 that he, a Rector, would “not declare the articles the which were commanded by the King’s Grace, for the one half of them were naught. It was “studied ambiguity” which pleased no one and irritated everyone, including German observers. All this sequence of events run throughout Jun to early July, a mere 6 weeks after Anne gets axed and a mere 4 weeks after Jane Seymore is hitched to Henry and made Queen. No mushy-mishmashing on the speedy and definite arrangements for the Royals? But, on theology, why of course.