These benefits of God, with innumerable other, whosoever expendeth, and well pondereth in his heart, and thereby conceiveth a firm trust and feeling of God’s mercy, whereof springeth in his heart a warm love and fervent heat of zeal towards God, it is not possible but that he shall fall to work, and be ready to the performance of all such works as he knoweth to be acceptable unto God. And these works only which follow our justification, do please God; forsomuch as they proceed from an heart endued with pure faith and love to God. But the works which we do before our justification, be not allowed and accepted before God, although they appear never so good and glorious in the sight of man. For after our justification only begin we to work as the law of God requireth. Then we shall do all good works willingly, although not so exactly as the law requireth, by mean of infirmity of the flesh. Nevertheless, by the merit and benefit of Christ, we being sorry that we cannot do all things no more exquisitely and duly, all our works shall 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 mean than is above rehearsed, they go from Christ, they renounce his grace: Fvacuati estis a Christo, saith St Paul, Gal. v., quicunque in lege justificamini, a gratia excidistis. “They be not partakers of the justice that he hath procured, or the merciful benefits that be given by him. For St Paul saith a general rule for all them that will seek such by-paths to obtain justification: those, saith he, which will not knowledge the justness or righteousness which cometh by God, but go about to advance their own righteousness, shall never come to that righteousness which we have by God; which is the righteousness of Christ: by whom only all the saints in heaven, and all other that have been saved, have been reputed righteous, and justified. So that to Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer, on whose righteousness both their and our justification both depend, is to be transcribed all the glory thereof.
[questions’ and Answers Concerning the Sacraments and the Appointment and Power of Bishops and Priests.]
1. Wnar a sacrament is by the scripture?
The scripture sheweth not what a sacrament is: nevertheless, where in the Latin text we have sacramentum, there in the Greek we have mysterium; and so by the scripture sacramentum may be called mysterium, id est, res occulta sive arcana.
2. What a sacrament is by the ancient authors?
The ancient authors call a sacrament sacre rei signum, or wisibile verbum, symbolumque, atque pactio qua sumus constrict.
3. How many sacraments there be by the scriptures?
The scripture sheweth not how many sacraments there be; but incarnatio Christi and matrimonium be called in the scripture mysteria, and therefore we may call them by the scripture sacramenta. But one sacramentum, the scripture maketh mention of, which is hard to be revealed fully, (as would to God it were!) and that is, mysterium, iniquitatis, or mysterium meretricis magne et bestia.
4. How many sacraments there be by ancient authors?
By the ancient authors there be many sacraments more than seven; for all the figures which signified Christ to come, or testify that he is come, be called sacraments, as all the figures of the old law, and the new law; eucharistia, baptismus, pascha, dies Dominicus, lotio pedum, signum crucis, chrisma, matrimonium, ordo, sabbatum, impositio manuum, oleum, consecratio olei, lac, mel, aqua, vinum, sal, ignis, cineres, adapertio aurium, vestis candida, and all the parables of Christ, with the prophecies of the Apocalypse, and such other, be called by the doctors sacramenta.
5. Whether this word sacrament be, and ought to be, attributed to the seven only? And whether the seven sacraments be found in any of the old authors, or not?
I know no cause why this word sacrament” should be attributed to the seven only: for the old authors never prescribe any certain number of sacraments, nor in all their books I never read these two words joined together, viz. septem. sacramenta.
6. Whether the determinate number of seven sacraments be a doctrine, either of the scripture, or of the old authors, and so to be taught?
The determinate number of seven sacraments is no doctrine of the scripture, nor of the old authors.
7. What is found in scripture of the matter, nature, effect, and virtue of such as we call the seven sacraments; so as although the name be not there, yet whether the thing be in scripture or no? and in what wise spoken of?
I find not in the scripture, the matter, nature, and effect of all those which we
[[ The above questions and answers are printed instigated by Cranmer in the matter, which suppo-]
[verbatim as they stand in the Cott. Libr. Cleop. sition is confirmed by draughts of some of them in]
[MSS. E. v. f. 53, preserved in the British Museum. the archbishop’s handwriting being still found in]
[Another copy is found amongst the Stillingfleet the Lambeth MSS. 1108. fol. l. Vid. Burnet’s]
[MSS. in the Lambeth palace library; and they have Hist. of Reformat. Vol. I. pp. 578-82. App. Vol. I.]
[been also printed by Burnet and by Collier, An- b. iii. No. 21. pp. 314-67. Vol. III. p. 294. App.]
[swers were given to these questions by other divines, Vol. III. b. iii. No. 69, 70, 71. pp. 223-30. Ed.]
[amongst which are those of Thirlby, who is called Oxon. 1829. Collier, Eccles. Hist. Vol. V. pp. 97,]
[‘” elect of Westminster,” which fixes their date be- 8. App. No. 49. Vol. IX. pp. 175-214. Ed. Lond.]
[tween Sept. 17 and Dec. 29, 1540. “The questions, 1840-41. Strype’s Memorials of Abp. Cranmer,]
[‘believed to have been proposed to commissioners Vol. I. pp. 110, 11. and App. No. 27 and 28. Vol.]
[appointed in that year to draw up a declaration of II. pp. 744-8. Ed. Oxon. 1840. Todd’s Life of]
[the christian doctrine,” have been attributed to Cranmer, Vol. I. p. 299, et sqq. Jenkyns’ Remains]
[Henry VIII.; but Strype supposes that he was of Abp. Cranmer, Vol. II. p. 98.] Oo o]
call the seven sacraments, but only of certain of them: as of baptism, in which we be regenerated and pardoned of our sin by the blood of Christ.
Of eucharistia, in which we be concorporated unto Christ, and made lively members of his body, nourished and fed to the everlasting life, if we receive it as we ought to do; and else it is to us rather death than life.
Of penance also I find in the scripture, whereby sinners after baptism, returning wholly unto God, be accepted again unto his favour and mercy. But the scripture speaketh not of penance, as we call it a sacrament, consisting in three parts, contrition, confession, and satisfaction; but the scripture taketh penance for a pure conversion of a sinner in heart and mind from his sins unto God, making no mention of private confession of all deadly sins to a priest, nor of ecclesiastical satisfaction to be enjoined by him. Of matrimony also I find very much in scripture, and among other things, that it is a mean whereby God doth use the infirmity of our concupiscence to the setting forth of his glory, and increase of the world, thereby sanctifying the act of carnal commixtion between the man and the wife to that use; yea, although one party be an infidel: and in this matrimony is also a promise of salvation, if the parents bring up their children in the faith, love, and fear of God.
Of the matter, nature, and effect of the other three, that is to say, confirmation, order, and extreme unction, I read nothing in the scripture, as they be taken for sacraments.
8. Whether confirmation, cum chrismate, of them that be baptized, be found in scripture?
Of confirmation with chrism, without which it is counted no sacrament, there is no manner of mention in the scripture.
9. Whether the apostles lacking a higher power, as in not having a christian king among them, made bishops by that necessity, or by authority given them by God?
All christian princes have committed unto them immediately of God the whole cure of all their subjects, as well concerning the administration of God’s word for the cure of souls, as concerning the ministration of things political and civil governance. And in both these ministrations they must have sundry ministers under them, to supply that which is appointed to their several offices.
The civil ministers under the king’s majesty in this realm of England, be those whom it shall please his highness for the time to put in authority under him: as for example, the lord chancellor, lord treasurer, lord great master, lord privy seal, lord admiral, mayors, sheriffs, &c.
The ministers of God’s word under his majesty be the bishops, parsons, vicars, and such other priests as be appointed by his highness to that ministration: as for example, the bishop of Canterbury, the bishop of Duresme, the bishop of Winchester, the parson of Winwick, &c. All the said officers and ministers, as well of the one sort as of the other, be appointed, assigned, and elected in every place, by the laws and orders of kings and princes.
In the admission of many of these officers be divers comely ceremonies and solemnities used, which be not of necessity, but only for a good order and seemly fashion: for if such offices and ministrations were committed without such solemnity, they were nevertheless truly committed. And there is no more promise of God, that grace is given in the committing of the ecclesiastical office, than it is in the committing of the civil office.
In the apostles time, when there was no christian princes, by whose authority ministers of God’s word might be appointed, nor sins by the sword corrected, there was no remedy then for the correction of vice, or appointing of ministers, but only the consent of christian multitude among themselves, by an uniform consent to follow the advice and persuasion of such persons whom God had most endued with the spirit of counsel and wisdom. And at that time, forasmuch as the christian people had no sword nor governor amongst them, they were constrained of necessity to take sueh curates and priests as either they knew themselves to be meet thereunto, or else as were commended unto them by other that were so replete with the Spirit of God, with such knowledge in the profession of Christ, such wisdom, such conversation and counsel, that they ought even of very conscience to give credit unto them, and to accept such as by them were presented: and so sometime the apostles, and other, unto whom God had given abundantly his Spirit, sent or appointed ministers
of God’s word; sometime the people did choose such as they thought meet thereunto; and when any were appointed or sent by the apostles or other, the people of their own voluntary will with thanks did accept them; not for the supremity, impery, or dominion that the apostles had over them to command, as their princes or masters; but as good people, ready to obey the advice of good counsellors, and to accept any thing that was necessary for their edification and benefit.
10. Whether bishops or priests were first? and if the priests were first, then the priest made the bishop?
The bishops and priests were at one time, and were not two things, but both one office in the beginning of Christ’s religion.
11. Whether a bishop hath authority to make a priest by the scripture, or no? and whether any other, but only a bishop, may make a priest?
A bishop may make a priest by the scripture, and so may princes and governors also, and that by the authority of God committed to them, and the people also by their election: for as we read that bishops have done it, so christian emperors and princes usually have done it; and the people, before christian princes were, commonly did elect their bishops and priests.
12. Whether in the new Testament be required any consecration of a bishop and priest, or only appointing to the office be sufficient?
In the new Testament, he that is appointed to be a bishop or a priest, needeth no consecration by the scripture; for election or appointing thereto is sufficient.
13. Whether (if it befortuned a prince christian-learned to conquer certain dominions of infidels, having none but temporal-learned men with him) it be defended by God’s law, that he and they should preach and teach the word of God there, or no? and also make and constitute priests, or no?
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