laudable Practice

In a recent tweet , theologian John Milbank referred to John Colet (d.1519), the humanist scholar and Dean of St Paul's, saying "We need his spirit now. Christian Platonism. So crucial to Anglican tradition".  My response was to post a picture of Benjamin Whichcote, a reminder of how the Cambridge Platonists ensured that this tradition of thought continued in the reformed Church of England.  Milbank recognised this with his reply "the candle of the Lord", a reference to the characteristic motif of the Cambridge Platonists. It was rather appropriate that the exchange occurred just prior to the Transfiguration, a feast replete with Christian Platonist themes.  In his sermon 'Our Conversation is in Heaven' (1651), Whichcote unfolds our participation in the Transfiguration. Here in this world, there is the salvation of grace, which for the substance, is the same with the salvation of glory. Spiritual life is always before eternal life ... 'At the appear...

From Discourse XXVI of Cambridge Platonist Benjamin Whichcote, 'That the Unity of the Church is carefully maintained by all those who are sincere Christians': 'Tis a great mistake in zeal for truth, to let it run out in some smaller matters, which have scarce been thought of by the whole series of Christians of all ages, but only of late. Some allege the severity of some of the ancient prophets, as Elijah, Elisha, and the Baptist. But the dispensation wherein such carriage and practice was not unusual, from extraordinary persons, is now changed into a new one, whose distinguishing character is charity. We are carefully to bridle all motions of distempered heat, the effects whereof are as unjustifiable, as itself. Christ hath made it the cognisance of his disciples, to love one another. This, of course, is characteristic of the Cambridge Platonists.  What comes next, however, is perhaps rather surprising: Archbishop Laud says, the church of England is not such a shrew to he...