GER. Sir John Check, writing to Bullinger, June 7, 1553, says :- BULLIN"The books which you have written to the King's majesty, "have been as acceptable to him as they deserved to be. A Bullinger in great "large portion of them I delivered to him myself, and am able esteem by "therefore to inform you how kindly and courteously he King "received them, and how greatly he esteems them; and I can and the Bishops. "offer you my congratulations upon the subject."* The Zurich Letters give proof of the esteem in which Bullinger was held by the English Bishops, and the importance which was attached to his opinions and approval. In various matters of difficulty, concerning the vestmental controversy, and other points, they gladly sought his advice. Edward of England Decades. The Church of England completely identified herself with The Church his teaching by the sanction given by Convocation, in 1586, to identified his Decades, consisting of fifty sermons. Ministers were re- with the quired to read over one of the sermons every week, taking notes, and showing them to a licensed preacher every quarter. Bullinger was a Calvinist on justification and election, and a Zuinglian in his views of the sacraments. He died in 1675. It were well, if his works were now generally read, as they were in Elizabethan times. SUMMARY. I.-Calvin, in letters addressed both to the Protector and the King, urged the importance of a further revision of the Prayer Book. Cranmer encouraged him to write. Calvin's views were powerfully supported by Bucer, Martyr, and other foreign divines. Collier, Heylin, and the Tracts for the Times admit the influence which Calvin exercised in the English Reformation. II.-Martyr, invited to England by Cranmer, was so closely associated with the Archbishop that on the accession of Mary to the throne, Cranmer offered with Martyr to defend the book of Common Prayer. Martyr denied the doctrine of the opus operatum, and opposed the Lutheran view of the Lord's Supper. III.-Bucer arrived in England in accordance with the repeated invitation of Cranmer, and exercised great influence. Procter and others have attempted to show that Bucer's * Original Letters, p. 141. CHAP. VII. censure of the first book was presented in 1552, when the revision was complete, and, consequently, that he exercised no influence therein. They found this opinion upon the assumption that Jan. 5, 1551, the date attached to the censure, was, according to the old style, in the year 1552. The following facts prove that Bucer's censure was presented in 1551, at least a year before the revision. (1.) Martyr's censure was made five days after Bucer's. But Martyr wrote according to the new style then used on the continent, of which instances are given. (2.) Martyr, in a letter dated 25th of April, 1551, refers to Bucer's death, but April does not come within the observation founded upon the difference of styles, for the year terminated on the 24th of March. April, 1551, given by Martyr can not be April, 1552. (3.) King Edward in his journal chronicles Bucer's death as taking place in 1551. (4.) Procter is inconsistent, for in another part he represents Bucer's censure as productive of revision. IV.-A Lasco came into England upon the invitation of Cranmer, with whom he resided on "the most intimate and friendly terms," according to Cranmer's own words, for "some months." A Lasco, though not a Conformist had great influence, and held office as a Commissioner in the "Reformatio legum ecclesiasticarum." "The Tracts for the Times" state that he was "highly trusted by Cranmer." V.-Melancthon, though invited into England, never came. No part of our liturgy owes its origin to him. Luther, in error upon other points, was singularly clear on justification, and some of the expressions of his formularies on that subject are borrowed in our articles, which, however, treat of election to which Lutheran confessions do not refer, though Luther held the doctrine of election to life. Mr. Ward in his Ideal denounced the Lutheran view of justification as soul destroying. VI.-Bullinger stood high in the estimation of the English Reformers. Cranmer was, according to Hooper, "a great admirer of him." "The Zurich Letters," and the sanction given by Convocation in 1586 to the Decades of Bullinger, evince the esteem in which he was held by the Church of England. CHAP. VIII. DOCTRINAL VIEWS OF THE REFORMERS. Docu Ir is very important, in the interpretation of the Liturgy and CHURCH the Services of the Church, to understand the views of the Re- MENTS. formers as to the doctrines of grace. Evidence on the subject is found in authorised Church documents, and in their writings. I. Authorized Church Documents. I.—“The Institution of a Christian man," published in 1537,* The Institution of a clearly maintaining the distinction between the visible and in- Christian visible Church, sets forth the doctrine of election.† This work man. was at once censured by the Romanizing Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, who had great influence with Henry VIII., and it appeared in a new form, much modified in sentiment, in the "Erudition." Cranmer objected to the modifications, still maintaining his views upon the subject of gratuitous justification. In a document entitled, "three discourses occasioned upon his review of the King's book, entitled the Erudition of a Christian man," the following passage occurs on justification. cation. "And these works only, which follow Justification, do please God, for- Cranmer asmuch as they proceed from a heart endued with pure faith and love to on JustifiGod. But the works which we do before Justification be not allowed and accepted before God, although they appear never so great and glorious in the sight of men. For after our Justification only begin we to work, as the law of God requireth: then we shal do al good works willingly, although not so exactly as the Law requireth, by means of the infirmity of the flesh, nevertheless by the merits and benefits of Christ, we being sorry, that we cannot do al things no more exquisitely and duely, al our Works shal be accepted and taken of God as most exquisite, pure, and perfect. Now they that think they may come to justification by performance of the Law, by their own deeds and merits, or by any other means than is above rehearsed they go from Christ, they renounce His grace."‡ * For the general character of the work, see chap. III. † Short refers to the difference between "the Institution" and "the Erudition," on the subject of election, as follows :-" In the doctrine of predestination there is a difference between the two tracts; neither of them asserts it in that distinct manner in which it is contained in this Article, but the Institution admits the principle; the Erudition teaches it not, because it is not clearly taught in Scripture and the doctors." (Qy.) History of the Church of England, No. 276, p. 128. London, Strype's Cranmer, p. 760, vol. ii. ut supra. 1855. CHAPTER II.-The Bible, commonly called "the Great Bible," or VIII. "Archbishop Cranmer's Bible," prepared in 1537, and pubThe Great lished with authority in 1539, contains the following passages from the summary of contents at the head of each Chapter : Bible. Ponet's 66 Both the Jewes and Gentyls are under synne, and are justyfied only by the grace of God in Chryst." Contents of Rom. iii. "He (Paul) declareth by the example of Abraham that fayth justyfyeth, and not the law, nor the workes thereof." Contents of Rom. iv. "Of whom all thinges proceade and without whom ther is nothyge that is ryghteous and mercyful; and also worketh all thyngs in all, after hys wyll, of whom it may not be demaunded wherefore he doth thys or that." Contents of Rom. ix. It appears that even in the reign of Henry, Cranmer, though still holding transubstantiation and other errors, was sound in his views of justification. In the year 1548, he, with others, renounced the error of consubstantiation. That III. A Catechism was sanctioned by the King, in 1553, sometimes called King Edward's and sometimes "Ponet's Catechism." Its materials were probably prepared by Cranmer, and other Reformers, though put into form by Ponet. Ridley noted some things for it, and that both he and Cranmer agreed to it is evident from the following questions and answers in the disputation at Oxford : "Ridley.-I grant that I saw the book; but I deny that I wrote it. I perused it after it was made, and I noted many things for it; so I consented to the book. I was not the author of it. "Judges.-The Catechism is so set forth as though the whole convocation house had agreed to it. Cranmer said yesterday that you made it. "Ridley. I think surely that he would not say so. "Ward.-The Catechism hath this clause, Si visibiliter et in terra, if visibly and on the earth. "Ridley. I answer that these articles were set out, I both writing and consenting to them. Mine own hand will testify the same, and Master Cranmer put his hand to them likewise, and gave them to others afterwards."* It was published with full authority, and the King commanded all schoolmasters to teach it. Wit But as many as are in this faith, stedfast, were fore-chosen, predestinated and appointed to everlasting life before the world was made. ness hereof, that they have within their hearts the spirit of Christ, the author, earnest and unfailable pledge of their faith, which faith only is * Ridley's Works, p. 227. P. S. able to perceive the mysteries of God; only brings peace unto the heart; CHURCH only taketh hold on the righteousness which is in Christ Jesus. "Master.-Doth then the Spirit alone, and faith (sleep we never so securely, or stand we never so reckless or slothful), so work all things for us, was without any help of our own, to carry us idle up to Heaven? 66 : Scholar. I use (master) as you have taught me, to make a difference between the cause and the effects. The first, principal, and most perfect cause of our justifying and salvation, is the goodness and love of God: whereby he chose us for his, before he made the world. After that, God granteth us to be called by the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, when the Spirit of the Lord is poured into us: by whose guiding and governance we be led to settle our trust in God: and hope for the performance of all his promises. With this choice is joined, as companion, the mortifying of the old man, that is of our affection and lust. From the same Spirit also cometh our sanctification: the love of God, and of our neighbour: justice and uprightness of life: finally, to say all in sum, whatsoever is in us, or may be done of us, pure, honest, true and good, that altogether springeth out of this most pleasant root, from this most plentiful fountain, the goodness, love, choice and unchangeable purpose of God. He is the cause, the rest are the fruits and effects. Yet are also the goodness, choice and Spirit of God, and Christ himself, causes conjoined and coupled each with other: which may be reckoned among the principal causes of our salvation. As oft therefore as we use to say, that we are made righteous and saved by only faith: it is meant thereby that faith, or rather trust alone, doth lay hand upon, understand and perceive, our righteous-making to be given us of God freely; that is to say, by no deserts of our own, but by the free grace of the Almighty Father. Moreover faith doth engender in us the love of our neighbour, and such works as God is pleased withal. For if it be a lively and true faith, quickened by the Holy Ghost, she is the mother of all good saying and doing. By this short tale is it evident, whence, and by what means we attain to be made righteous. For not by the worthiness of our deservings were we heretofore chosen or long ago saved: but by the only mercy of God and pure grace of Christ our Lord, whereby we were in him made to those good works, that God hath appointed for us to walk in. And although good works cannot deserve to make us righteous before God: yet do they so cleave unto faith, that neither can faith be found without them, nor good works be any where without faith."* : IV. The "Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum" was drawn up by and under the direction of Cranmer, in association with Peter Martyr and others. Short says: "The chief part of what was done seems to have been the work of Cranmer."+ It contains a beautiful comment on predestination, as follows:"But we, taught by the Holy Scriptures, lay down this doctrine in this Docu- The two Liturgies, p. 511. P. S. Hist. p. 155. Lond. 1855. |