specially designed, to have the ecclesiastical sentiments of the fathers of the English church drawn out a little more fully and connectedly, that it may be seen at a glance in what particulars they agreed with the reformers who preceded them in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and with those who followed them in the seventeenth century, and in what particulars these fathers differed from their children, the churchmen of a later period.

1. The Scriptures were recognized by the fathers of the church of England as an authoritative rule of faith and church order, so far at least that nothing contrary to them or not provable from them should be enforced. The publication of the Bible in the English tongue, by royal authority; the setting up of a Bible in every church; and the requisition that the clergy should read one or more chapters in connection with public worship; Archbishop Cranmer's injunctions to the clergy, in 1538, to have, and to study daily, the Bible in the English and Latin, and to encourage laymen to do the same; the proclamation of the king, November, 1539, granting the people generally, "the free use of the Bible in the English tongue," to be read in their houses, as well as in their churches; the declaration of the king: "In God's name, let it go abroad among the people," that "by reading thereof as by hearing the true explanation of the same [the people] might first learn their duties to Almighty God, and his majesty, and one another; keeping always in remem

brance that all things contained in this book were the undoubted will, law, and commandment of Almighty God";-all these things show conclusively, that those who had the direction of affairs at the period under review designed to make the Bible the standard of truth, so far as they could have any standard independent of the king's own pleasure.

*

This further appears from the fact that the king and his counsellors, in their inquiries of the bishops touching proposed reformatory measures, constantly appealed to the Scriptures for proof; and this not alone in reference to points confessedly essential to salvation, but also in reference to points of order and ceremony in the church. Thus, in the questions proposed to the bishops and doctors concerning the sacraments, they inquire, "What a sacrament is by the Scripture?" "How many there be by the Scripture?" Whether

* See Cromwell's directions to the clergy to "provide one book of the whole Bible, of the largest volume, in English, and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church that ye have care of, where your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it." — Burnet's Records, vol. 1. pt. 11. bk. III. No. 11. Cranmer's injunctions may be found in No. 12, as above; and the king's proclamation of 1539, in No. 15; and another proclamation of 1541, requiring "the curates and parishioners of every town and parish to buy and provide Bibles of the largest and greatest volume, and cause the same to be set and fixed in every one of the said parish churches," and also regulating the price of the Bibles, and giving directions how they should be used, may be found in No. 21.

confirmation, cum chrismate, [i. e. accompanied with anointing,] be found in Scripture?" "Whether a bishop hath authority to make a priest by the Scripture, or no?" etc. etc.*

*

Burnet informs us, that Lord Cromwell, sitting as vicar-general, or king's representative, in the convocation of June 9th, 1536, declared, that "it was the king's pleasure that the rites and ceremonies of the church should be reformed by the rules of Scripture, and that nothing was to be maintained which did not rest in that authority; for it was absurd, since that was acknowledged to contain the laws of religion, that recourse should rather be had to glosses, or the decrees of popes, than to these." †

It may seem a trifling matter to dwell upon the fact that the Reformers of Henry's day regarded the Scriptures as the end of controversy; but he who calls to mind the fact that in those days the ecclesiastical laws of Christendom recognized “all the decrees of the bishop of Rome as God's word, spoken by the mouth of Peter," and declared that "whosoever doth not receive them, neither availeth them the catholic faith, nor the four evangelists; but they blaspheme the Holy Ghost, and shall have no forgiveness" — whoever considers

* Burnet's Records, No. 21, ut sup.

† Burnet, vol. 1. pt. 1. bk. III. p. 429.

"A Collection of Passages out of the Canon Law, made by Cranmer, to show the necessity of Reforming it." — Burnet, Records, vol. 1. pt. 11. bk. 111. No. 27.

these facts, will perceive, at once, that to reject the pope's authority, and to appeal to the Scriptures on any point of order which his holiness had settled, was the boldest heresy, the rankest Lollardy.

The opinions of the Reformers on this head are made still more apparent, by the careful distinction which they drew between such articles of belief "as be commanded expressly by God, and be necessary to our salvation, and such things as have been of a long continuance, for a decent order and honest policy, prudently instituted and used in the churches of our realm, and be, for that same purpose and end, to be observed and kept accordingly, although they be not commanded of God, nor necessary to our salvation.” * These "rites

*Articles Devised by the Kinges Highness Majestie, published in 1536. Preface, p. xvi. I quote from the "Formularies of Faith put forth by Authority during the Reign of Henry VIII. viz. Articles about Religion, 1536; The Institution of a Christian Man, 1537; and A Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian Man, 1543. Oxford, at the Clarendon Press, M.DCCC.XXV., 8vo., pp. 388; Edited by Charles Lloyd." These three formularies are the earliest authoritative standards of faith of the reformed English church. They were issued by Henry's command, and signed and commended by the high dignitaries of that church. In this volume, there are two versions of the first formulary: one entitled, "Articles Devised by the Kinges Highness Majestie, to stablyshe Christen Quietnes and Unitie among us, and to Avoyde Contentious Opinions, which Articles be also approved by the Consent and Determination of the hole Clergie of this Realme. Anno, M.D.XXVI."; the other entitled simply, "Articles about Religion, set out by the Convocation, and published by the King's Authority." This last is probably the draught as it came from the convocation; and the other, the same work after it had passed

and ceremonies," and this "good and politic order" of the churches, they allowed not to be at

through the king's hands. The variations are somewhat numerous in the two draughts, but do not affect the sense materially. Burnet prints only the convocation copy, as found among the Cotton manuscripts, not being aware, probably, of the printed copy, by Berthelet, the king's printer, which was found by the editor of the "Three Formularies of Faith" among Bishop Tanner's valuable collection, in the Bodleian Library. See the Preface to the Formularies, p. vi.

The "Institution," or King's Book, and the "Erudition," or Bishops' Book, are very much alike, the latter being somewhat more full, and less protestant than the other. Bishop Gardiner, that cunning and " thorough-paced" papist, being more in favor at the time the Bishops' Book was issued, is supposed to have had more to do with it than with the Institution, and to have given it a Romish shading, which the "King's Book " has not. — Pref ace, ut sup. pp. vi.-ix.

In the article pertaining to the church (the ninth) there is a marked difference in the phraseology of the two works, the Erudition being much less Scriptural and protestant than the Institution. The Erudition says: "In our English tongue, by the word church we understand not only the multitude of people which be called of God to one faith, be they of the clergy or of the laymen, but also by the same word we signify the place wherein the word of God is commonly preached, and the sacraments ministered and used, and call that the church." - P. 244 of Formularies. The Institution says: "This word church in Scripture is taken sometime, generally, for the whole congregation of them that be christened and profess Christ's gospel; and sometimes it is taken for the catholic congregation, or number of them only which be chosen, called, and ordained to reign with Christ in everlasting life." P. 75 of Formularies.

Throughout the articles there is an equally marked difference in phraseology. The Institution uses the word congregation continually, as synonymous with church; whereas the Erudition avoids the use of the word entirely. It defines ecclesia, it is true, as an assembly of people called out from other, as from infidels