Thomas Cranmer, D.D.: Works of Thomas Cranmer (ed. Coxe): General Counci...

4. Collection of Tenets from Canon Law, 36-43. Cranmer notes that General Councils without Scriptural support are inadequate to establish articles of faith. He regales us with two notable failures: Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History, lib. i. cap. 8. [viii. 1.] "The head-rulers of the the church, forgetting God's commandments, were inflamed one against another with contention, zeal, envy, pride, malice, and hatred; so that they thought rather that they of meekness occupied the room of tyrants than of priests. And also, forgetting Christian humility and sincerity, they did celebrate the holy mysteries with unholy hands." Gregory Nazianzen to Procopius. "Undoubtedly I think thus, if I must needs write gently, and the truth, that all assemblies of bishops are to be eschewed. For I never saw good end of any synod, that did not rather bring in evils, than put them away; for the lusts of strife and desire and of lordship reign there" James 4.1: "From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?" Dr. Cranmer, laughably, cites varied canons of councils that no one keeps, especially the ones about the marriages of bishops, priests and deacons. He cites ancient cases of concubinage and bribes to Bishops to stay quiet. He notes that Bishops' bastards serve them at their tables. He speaks of sodomites and episcopal coverups. Then, he retails stories he’s known for thirty years past and stories told him by men his senior by 20 years. The anti-marriage demand on clergy by the Proud Man of Sin in Rome has proven a disaster. Utter hypocrisy is exposed by Dr. Cranmer (38ff.). He goes on to show that apparitions, visions, dreams, necromancy, consulting with the dead, and invoking the dead (like New Oxfordians and old Oxfordians did and do to this day in Anglican circles) is not a foundation for authority: God’s Word alone is the only rule for doctrine, faith and life. The other practices are tools of devils.