laudable Practice

Jeremy Taylor's 1647 The Liberty of Prophesying has often been interpreted as an aberration in his body of works. For those who present Taylor as a straightforward 'Laudian', The Liberty of Prophesying  is to be dismissed as the unfortunate influence of Chillingworth and Great Tew, quickly forgotten by its author, who returned to conventional 'Laudian' ways. For those who praise The Liberty of Prophesying as an anticipation of the Broad Church tradition, it is a matter of regret that Taylor abandoned this spirit for conventionally harsh High Church tendencies. What both approaches overlook, however, is how central themes of The Liberty of Prophesying echo throughout Taylor's work. The place it gives to the conscience and reason, and a scepticism about excessive claims for ecclesiastical tradition, are both prominent in  Ductor Dubitantium, or the Rule of Conscience , published in 1660. Likewise, the critique of Augustine, fundamental to Taylor's 1655  Unu...

Today is the eve of the commemoration of the martyrdom of Archbishop Laud. Tomorrow, particular corners of Anglican social media will indulge in a long-standing Whiggish pursuit - condemning the martyred Archbishop. There are, of course, reasons to critique Laud. Indeed, post-1662 High Church opinion was often cautious about aspects of Laud's primacy, not least because of the shadow cast by the Personal Rule . Laud's character has also proven to be as unlikeable to historians as to his critics in the 1630s. That said, we are long overdue a favourable  interpretation of Laud, described by the Cambridge Platonist George Rust, in his sermon at Jeremy Taylor's funeral, as "the wise Prelate".  This post seeks to consider what I am describing as Archbishop Laud's legacy: a vision of popular Anglicanism, a national church embedded in culture through the liturgical rites and rhythms of the parish, an alternative account of the Christian life to that offered by the se...

A William Beveridge Whitsun sermon - from a collection of Beveridge sermons published in 1712 - makes the suggestion that when the apostolic community gathered on Pentecost, they did so to celebrate the holy Sacrament: But the great thing they did whensoever they met together, was to receive the Sacrament; so that their coming together was still upon this Account, Acts 20. 7, where by breaking of Bread we are to understand the Sacrament, as also wheresoever it occurs in the New Testament, because the principal thing in the Sacrament, even the Death of Christ, is signify'd by breaking of the Bread; and therefore saith the Apostle, 'The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ'? 1 Cor. 10 16. Neither did they content themselves with receiving the Sacrament now and then, but it was their daily, their continual Employment, Acts 2. 42, 46. And therefore we cannot doubt but that on the Day of Pentecost when they met together, they did that which was the...

Following on from last Monday's post on the ' Contours of Conformity, 1662-1833 ', I think there may perhaps be some use in a series exploring the characteristics of Conformity across the 'long 18th century'. We begin with an excerpt from Edward Welchman's 1713 commentary on the Articles of Religion .  Welchman (b.1679, d.1739) would become archdeacon of Cardigan and a prebendary of St. David's Cathedral in 1727, and chaplain to Richard Smalbroke, bishop of Lichfield, in 1737. His significance for this series of posts flows from his status as one of those Reformed theologians who Stephen Hampton has identified as the 'Anti-Arminian' tradition in the Church of England between the reigns of Charles II and George I. It is this which makes his comments on Article XVII particularly interesting: The truth of this whole Article will sufficiently appear from the texts of Scripture, which I shall here subjoin. But I would desire the reader to observe, that o...

And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid that no person shall be or be received as a Lecturer or permitted suffered or allowed to preach as a Lecturer or to preach or read any Sermon or Lecture in any Church ... within this Realme ... unlesse he be first approved and thereunto licensed by the Archbishopp of the Province or Bishopp of the Diocesse ... and shall in presence of the same ... read the nine and thirty Articles of Religion mentioned in the Statute of the Thirteenth yeare of the late Queene Elizabeth with declaration of his unfeigned assent to the same. When compared to the criticism of its other provisions, the restoration of the Articles of Religion by the 1662 Act of Uniformity is often overlooked. This is a significant mistake, both in terms of understanding how 1662 responded to "the late unhappy confusions" and how it established foundations for the unity and accord of the Church of England during the 'long 18th century'. Alongside the Act o...

Another example of an antecedent for Taylor's critique of a radical Augustinianism in Unum Necessarium is found in Peter Heylyn's examination of the theology of Dort in Historia Quinqu-Articularis: Or, a Declaration of the Judgment of the Western Churches; and more particularly of the Church of England, in the five Controverted Points (1660). Heylyn's work was, of course, published after Unum Necessarium , but it points to an aspect of the Elizabethan Settlement that provides a basis for a critique of radical Augustinianism: there was another Canon passed in this convocation [of 1571], by which all Preachers were enjoined to take special care ... that they should maintain no other doctrine in their publick Sermons to be believed of the People, but that which was agreeable to the doctrine of the Old and New Testament, and had from thence been gathered by the Catholick (or Orthodox) Fathers, and ancient Bishops of the Church.  To which rule, if they held themselves as they ...

In the final Sermon (VIII) of his  1834 Bampton Lectures ,  Archbishop of Cashel Richard Laurence considered how the teaching of Article 17 set the United Church of England and Ireland apart from a Calvinistic understanding of predestination.  He again pointed to significant similarities with the Lutheran position: So far indeed is the Article in question from sanctioning the creed of the French Reformer, that, like those already reviewed, it seems to have been framed in perfect conformity with the less abstruse , and more scriptural, opinions of the Lutherans. With them it teaches an election of Christians out of the human race, conceives abundant consolation derivable from such an election, when piously surveyed, and not perverted by a profligate fatalism; and, lastly, represents its position upon the point as consistent with God's universal promises and revealed will, expressly declared to us in the holy Scriptures. Noting the oft commented upon absence of any ref...

The doctrine of Predestination, the last subject which I proposed to consider, has been so frequently involved in metaphysical obscurity, and disgraced by enthusiastical conceit, that men of moderate principles have been averse from admitting it in any sense. So began Archbishop of Cashel Richard Laurence's Sermon VII in his  1834 Bampton Lectures ,  addressing the teaching of Article 17. Laurence gave over this and his final sermon to the subject.  The focus of Sermon VII is "Lutheran predestination", noting that Luther's views were "c ongenial also with the feelings and sentiments of Erasmus upon this point".  This provides the context for interpreting Article 17 as Erasmus was "a peculiar favourite with the Reformers of our own country", while "our Reformers, as generally on other occasions, trod in the wary steps of the Lutherans".  He quotes Erasmus regarding the need for such wary steps when considering predestination: in the holy S...

From the  1834 Bampton Lectures  of Richard Laurence (then Archbishop of Cashel), Sermon VI, addressing Justification "by Faith only".  Laurence took care to point to the Lutheran rejection of the allegation that sola fide encouraged "Enthusiasm", reducing faith to an individual experience of " an internal confidence, that his name is  written in the book of life", irrespective of repentance and good works.  After quoting Lutheran sources, he turns to Article 11: Both in their object and tendency perfectly accord; but the latter is,  if possible, more guarded than the former against the obliquities of Enthusiasm. Noting the Article's reference to the Homily of Justification, he quotes from the Homily to illustrate that "justified by Faith only" was not intended to deny the necessity of repentance and works: For when we are said, as the same  Homily remarks, to be justified by faith only, it  is not meant "that this our own act to believ...

From the  1834 Bampton Lectures  of Richard Laurence (then Archbishop of Cashel), Sermon V, addressing  Articles 10 and 13 in relation to 18, 'Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ'.  Under the subheading of 'Salvation of Heathens', Laurence insists that these Articles do not exclude those of other faiths from "the uncovenanted mercies of God", again noting (as with Article 9 ) the generous vision of salvation upheld by Zurich: But because our Church ascribes not to human virtue, contemplated as independent of Christianity, the power of conciliating divine approbation, we must not hence conclude, that she restricts the uncovenanted mercies of God, withholding salvation from Heathens, upon whom, walking in darkness and the shadow of death, the light of the blessed Gospel has never arisen. Although persuaded "that there is none other name under heaven given to man, in which, and through which, we can receive health and salvation, but onl...

From the 1834 Bampton Lectures of Richard Laurence (then Archbishop of Cashel), Sermon IV, on the meaning of Articles 10 and 13 regarding works done before and outside of Christian Faith.  Contrary to what Laurence condemns as Calvinistic readings of these Articles, in which all such works are worthy only of damnation, he emphasises what he sees as a Lutheran Christological reading in which these works have the nature of what is good and just but cannot save.  They are to be recognised as virtue but cannot do that "which the oblation of Christ alone accomplishes".  The intention of these Articles, then, is not to deny human virtues but to centre the Church on the saving work of Christ. Let us not however imagine, that the Lutherans on this occasion attempted to confuse together virtue and vice without distinction, from any absurd attachment to puerile paradox. Far was it from their intention to break down the sacred barriers of morality, and call evil good, or good evil;...

Following on from last Friday's post on Horsley placing Anglicanism in close relation to Lutheranism, words from a letter of Viscount Scudamore, English ambassador in Paris, to Archbishop Laud, in January 1638.  Scudamore was a prominent lay Laudian and was ambassador in Paris 1635-39.  He had a dialogue with Grotius, Swedish ambassador in Paris, regarding "the Union of the Churches of the Northern Kingdoms".  The relevant correspondence was published in a 1987 Historical Journal article by W.J. Tighe, in which he challenged the conventional assumption that Laud was opposed to union with continental Protestants.  The crucial question was, 'which Protestants?'.  It is clear from the correspondence that Laud encouraged the dialogue with Grotius, that Grotius did "highly love and reverence" Laud, and that there were hopes that a "Union of the Churches of the Northern Kingdoms" would encourage the "other Reformed Churches tir'd with the ...