reformers were politically lawless. His Practyse of Prelates, 1530, made a strong indictment of the bishops, of Wolsey, and of the king, in connection with the royal divorce. In reply to SIR THOMAS MORE'S Dialoge, 1529. TYNDALE issued An Answere unto Sir Thomas More's Dialoge, which called forth other pamphlets from MORE in 1532 and 1533. The reformer also wrote A Briefe declaration of the Sacraments, 1533, a work on Marriage, and some Expositions. Few as his writings were they gave TYNDALE a place as "one of the greatest forces of the English reformation." "Rough" HUGH LATIMER, 1490-1555, having won a popular preacher's reputation under the king's protection, appealed to his patron to allow the free circulation of the Bible. In An Address "of almost unequalled grandeur" he declared that the Faith need not be defended by force. for God will not have it defended by man or man's power, but by His Word only, by which He hath evermore defended it, and that by a way far above man's power and reason. After his breach with Rome his Sermons exposed the corruptions in civil and ecclesiastical life, and they are quite invaluable for their racy sketches of social conditions and contemporary character. For if ye bryng it to passe, that the yomanry be not able to put their sonnes to schole (as in dede vniuersities do wonderously decaye all redy) and that they be not able to mary their daughters to the auoidyng of whoredome, I say ye plucke saluation from the people and vtterly distroy the realme" (Seven Sermons Preached before Edward VI, 1549; Sermon i.). Where the Deuyl is residente and hath his plough goinge: there awaye with bokes and vp with candelles, awaye wyth Bibles and vp with beades, awaye wyth the lyghte of the Gospel, and vp with the lyghte of candells, yea at noone dayes. Where the Deuyll is residente, that he maye preuaile, vp wyth al superstition and idolatrie, sensing, peintynge of ymages, candles, palmes, asshes, holye water, and newe seruice of menes inuenting. . . ." (Sermon on the Ploughers, 1549). His brother in the faith and companion in martyrdom, NICHOLAS RIDLEY, 1500-1555, left writings of excellent quality, the work of his days in prison. He criticised the doctrine of transubstantiation in a Treatise on the Lord's Supper; he defended the principles of the Reformation in The Lamentation for the Change in Religion; and in Two Farewell Addresses he unburdened his soul. With these literary warriors whose books were battles, the constructive theologians must be associated. MATTHEW PARKER, 1504-1575, was the first of a remarkable band of men of letters to whom the Anglican Church has ever since been indebted. PARKER was a pioneer, and although he wrote well on The Antiquity of the Church and edited early Chronicles, like those of Asser and Matthew Paris, his most valuable service was rendered by his collection of MSS. JOHN JEWEL, 1522-1571, began his career as a stout reformer, but modified his views on his return to England, where he became the chief apologist of Anglicanism. His classic Apology for the Anglican Church, 1562, was "the first methodical statement of the position of the Church of England against the Church of Rome." THOMAS HARDING, 1516-1572, wrote a bitter Answer to the Apology, 1564, to which JEWEL made a Reply, 1565. TO HARDING's objection that he appealed too much to negative authority he answered: This kind of argument is thought to be good, whensoever proof is taken of God's word; and is used not only by us, but also by St. Paul, and by many of the Catholic Fathers. St. Paul saith, God said not unto Abraham, 'In thy seeds all the nations of the earth shall be blessed:' but, 'In thy seed, which is Christ': and thereof he thought he made a good argument . . Such arguments Origen and other learned Fathers thought to stand for good, whatsoever misliking Master Harding hath found in them (Reply to M. Harding's Answer, Art. i. Div. 29). HARDING returned to the fray with a Confutation, 1566, to which JEWEL made answer in A Defence, 1567. The controversy gave JEWEL an assured place as a standard authority on ecclesiastical matters in the English Church. His doctrines were made authoritative by order of ARCHBISHOP BANCROFT, who commanded that a copy of the Apology should be placed in every Church. A series of Sermons on the Epistles to the Thessalonians exists with other discourses. His famous "challenge Sermon," 1559, was to the effect "that if any one could prove the essential Romanist doctrines as to the papacy, purgatory, masses, transubstantiation, .. by Scripture or by any church teacher for six hundred years after Christ, he, JEWEL, would subscribe to it and renounce Protestantism." THOMAS STERNHOLD, 1500-1549, essayed to do for England what CLEMENT MAROT had done for France to supersede "obscene ballads" with translations of the Psalter. The results of his effort should be judged as popular ballads rather than as poetry, although his work was well up to the standard of the age. The first edition is undated and bears the title, Certayne Psalmes, Chose out of the Psalter of Dauid and Drawe into Englishe Metre. It contains nineteen Psalms. The second edition, 1549, contains thirty-seven. Other writers contributed to the completion of the whole Psalter in the work now known as The Old Version, but published in 1562 with the title The Whole Book of Psalms, collected into English Metre by T. Sternhold, John Hopkins and others. Parts of his rendering still appear in the Hymn books of Christendom. O God my strength and fortitude, Thou art my castle and defence My God, my Rock, in Whom I trust, My refuge, buckler, and my shield, (Psalm 18.) CHAPTER XXXI PURITANISM The effort to reform the Church of England on conservative lines was complicated by the attitude of the thoroughgoing Protestants, commonly called Puritans, whose two outstanding principles were personal piety and full liberty in civil and religious affairs. Their history falls within the period marked by the two Acts of Uniformity, 1559 and 1662. Puritanism emerges into the history of Christian literature with the publication of The Admonitions to Parliament, 1570 and 1572. The Admonitions were the work of THOMAS CARTWRIGHT, 1535-1603, THOMAS WILCOX, 1549-1608, and THOMAS FIELD. They demanded the equal standing of all ministers of religion in the eyes of the law, the election of ministers by congregations, the appointment of elders and deacons, the use of civil authority to suppress heresy and superstition, and the abolition of prescribed prayers. The resolute language in which these demands were advanced was the expression of the Puritans' refusal to conform to the established Church. Neither is the controversy between them and us for a cap, a tippet, or a surplice, but for great matters concerning a true ministry and regiment of the Church, according to the Word. Which things once established, the others melt away of themselves. JOHN WHITGIFT, 1530-1604, published An Answer to a certain Libel Intituled An Admonition to Parliament, |