Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #21: A Necessary Doctrine by Thomas Cranmer ©2007

CRANMER, THOMAS. A Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christen man, sette furthe by the kynges majestie of England &c. [7 lines] TB. [Colophon:] London, Thomas Barthclet. M.D. XLIII [1543].

Archbishop Crammer, with the assistance of others arranged the "Bishop's Book" or Institutions of Christian Religion [1537] inculcating the doctrines of the Reformation. Henry VIII, to whom this book was submitted, himself inserted some corrections, from which the archbishop was bold enough to dissent. During the period between 1540 and 1543 Cranmer was also engaged at the head of a commission in the revision of the "Bishop's Book" and the preparation of the Necessary Doctrines and Erudition [1543] known as the "King's Book" because of the preface written in the king's name. It was little more than a new edition of the former work, altered in some points toward the direction of the Roman Catholic party, with alterations being attributed primarily to Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall. The clergy was hostile to this book. Cranmer at a visitation of his diocese, in submission to the king's supremacy, forbade them from preaching against any portions of it, however they or he himself might dissent from them. A summary of the doctrines of the "reforming" church in England and an important document in the history of the English Reformation.

HENRY THE EYGHT BY THE GRACE OF GOD KYNGE
Of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande defendour of the faith, and in earthe of the churche of Englande and also of Irelande supreme head, unto all his faythful and lovying subjects sendeth greetying.

Like as in the tyme of darkenes and ignorance, fyndynge our people seduced and drawen from the trueth by hypocrisy and superstition: we by the helpe of god and his worde, have travayled to purge and clense our realme from the apparant enormities of the same, wherein by openying of goddes trueth, with settying furth and publishing of the scriptures, our labours (thankes be to god) have not ben void and frustrat: So nowe perceiving, that in the tyme of knowledge, the devill (who ceasseth not in all tymes to vexe the world) hath attended to returne agayn, (as the parable in the gospel sheweth) in to the house purged and clensed, accompanied with seven worse spirites: and hypocrisy and superstition beying excluded and put away, we fynd entered in to some of our peoples hartes, an inclination to sinister understandying of scripture, presumption, arrogancy, carnal liberty and contention: we be therefore constrained for the reformation of them in time, and for avoydyng of suche diversity in opinions, as by the sayd evill spirites might be endeavoured, to set furth with the advise of our clergy suche a doctrine and declaration of the true knowledge of god an his word, with the principall articles of our religion, as wherby all men may uniformely be ledde and taught the true understandyng of that whiche is necessary for every christen man to know, for the orderyng of hym selfe in this lyfe, agrably to the will and pleasure of almighty god, which doctrine also lordes both spirituall and temporall, with the nether house of our parliament, have bothe seene, and lyke very well.

And for knowledge of the order of the matter in this boke contained, for as moche as we know not perfectly god, but by faythe, the declaration of fayth occpieth in this treatise the first place. Whereunto is next adjoined the declaration of the articles of our crede, conteinyng what we shulde beleve. And incontinently after them foloweth the explication of the seven sacraments, wherein god ordinarily worketh, and wherby he participateth unto us his special giftes and graces in this life. Whiche matters so digested and set forth with simplicity and playnesse, as the capacities and understandynges of the multitude of our people may easily receive and comprehend the same: There followeth conveniently the declaration of the x (ten) commaundments, beying by god, ordeyned the highway. Where in eche man shuld walke in this lyfe, to finish fruitfully his journey here, and after to rest eternally in joy with him. Whiche bycause we can not do of our selfe, but have nede alwaies of the grace of god, as without whom we can neyther continue in this life, born without his special grace do anything to his pleasure, wherby to atteine the lyfe to come:

We have after declaration of the commanundments, expounded the vii (7) petitions of our pater noister, (the lord's prayer) wherin be conteyned requestes and suites for all things necessary to a christen man in this present life, with declaration of the ave maria, as a prayer conteinyng a joyful rehersal, and magnifying of god in the worke of the incarnation of Christ whiche is the ground of our salvation. Wherein the blesses virgine our lady, for the abundance of grace, wherwith god enoued her, is also with this remembrance honoured and worshipped. And for as moche as the heades and senses of our people have ben imbusied, and in these dayes travalyed with the understanding of freewyll, justification, good workes, and praying for the soules departed: We have by the advise of our clergie, for the purgation of erronious doctrine, declared and set furth openly, plainly, and without ambiguity of speche, the mere and certayn truthe in them.

So as we verily truste that to know god, and how to lyve after his pleasure, to the atteinyng of everlastynge lyfe in the ende, this boke conteyneth a perfect and sufficient doctring grounded and established in holy scriptures. Wherfore we hartily exhorte our people of all degrees, willyngly and ernestly both to read and print in their hartes the doctrine of this boke, consideryng that god. (who as sainct paul saythe distributeth and divideth to his churche his graces distinctly) hath ordered some sorte of men to teache other, and some to be taught, that al thinges shuld be done semely and in order, and hath beautified and set furth by distinction of ministers and offices, the same churche: And consideringe also that for the one part which chuld teache other, is necessary not onely knowledge, but also learnyng cunnyng in the same knowledge, wherby that may be hable conveniently to dispense and distribute to their audience the trueth of god, accordyng to their cunning for the edification of other, and by true exposition of the scriptures accordyng to the apostolicall doctrine received and mainteyned from the beginnyng, and by conferrying and delcaration of them, to convince, refell and reprove, all errours and untrouthes set furth to the contrary, and finally be also hable to give an accompt.

As sainct peter saythe, of that they professe: It must be agreed than that for the instruction of this parte of the churche, whose offyce is to teache other, the having, reading, and studyinge of holy scripture, bothe of the olde and new testament is not so necessary for all those folkes, that of duty they ought and be bound to read it, but as the prince and the policy of the realme shal thinke convenient, so to be tollerated or taken from it. Consonant wherunto the politike law of our realme hath now restrained it from a great meyny, estemining it sufficient for those so restrained, to here and truly bere away the doctrin of scripture taught by the preachers, and so imprint the lessons of the same, that they may observe and kepe them inwardly in their hart, and as occasion serveth, expresse them in their dedes outwandly, wherby they may be partakers of that blysse, which the giver of blessednes our savioure christe spake of and promised to suche, saying. Blessed be they that here the true doctrine of god and keepe it, which is the true sense of that texte: Wherfore we exhort and desire all our lovyng subjectes, that they praying to god for the spirite of humilitie, do conforme themselves as good scolers and lerners ought to here and bere away as afore, and willyngly to observe such ordre, as is by us and our lawes prescribed, and to read and bere well away the true doctrine, lately by us and our clergie set furth for theyr erudicion, wherby presumption and arrogance shal be withstanded, malice and contention expelled, and carnall libertie refrayned and tempered and disceyne clerely removed and taken away. So as endevouryng ourselves to lyve quietly and charitably togither, eche one in his vocation, we shall be so replenished with manifolde graces and giftes of god, that after this lyfe we shall reigne in joye everlastyng with the onely heade of the universal catholike churche our saviour and redeemer Jesus christe, amen.

The Seven Sacraments

1. The Sacrament of Baptisme
2. The Sacrament of Penance
3. The Sacrament of the Aultare
4. The Sacrament of Matrimony
5. The Sacrament of Orders
6. The Sacrament of Confirmation
7. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction

7. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction Transcribed as follows:

As touchyng extreme Unction we must understande, how according to scripture, and the rule and order prescribed by ye holly apostle saint james, the catholike churche of christ, hath observed and mynistred, this sacrament to suche as have required it in theyr sickness and disease of body, to the entent that by the workynge of god, in mynistration therof, the sycke, man trough prayer of the priest, the minister, and suche as assist him, might be releved of his bodely disease, and also atteyne pardon and remission of his synnes. For saynt james sayeth: if any be sicke emonge you, let him call for the priestes of the churche and let them pray over him annoynting hym with oyle, in the name of our lorde, and the prayer of fayth, shall save the sicke man and if he be in synnes they shall be forgiven him.

By whiche wordes, lyke as the use of the sacrament is confyrmed, and proved. So that the churche maye well use the same with assuraunce that god assisteth the ministration therof: So we must also remember, that although helthe of body, which here is prayed for do the not alwayes folowe, yet we shulde not doubte but god ordereith mannes prayer therin, alwayes to the beste, as he doth of his infynite goodness, all other prayers that men make, who indede knowe not what they shuld aske ne what is best or most profytable for them. Wherfore, al be it we be taught to make all our prayers in a most certayne fayth, to atteyne our desyres, according to the generall promyse made by god through christe: Aske and you shall receyyve, which promise can not fayle, for goddes worde can not be frustrate, but taketh ever effecte: Yet may we not truste our owne determination and our jugement so precisely in our prayers and requestes, but commyttynge our selves hooly to dooges governaunce we ought to take, esteme, and judge, for the best, what so ever god shall ordre and dispose for us, al thoughe it be contrary to our prayer and desyre, which must ever have direction and submission to goddes pleasure, who knoweth our necessities, and can and wyll dispose all thynges swetely and pleasauntly, to the atteyning of everlasting comforte, whiche all good men, chefely desyre and praye for.

And, where as saint james speaketh of remission of synne, to be obteyned in this sacrament, in as moche as the remission of synne, is a necessary petition to be made of and for all men, consyderynge the fraltie of mannes nature, whiche continually synneth, and therfore continually synneth and therfore continually is taught to say: Lord forgyve us our trespaces: We ought assuredly to truste that god workyng in the ministration of his sacrament, doth by the prayer of the minister, and of such as assiste him forgive these sinnes of the sycke man, which by the frailnes of his nature, in sodain motions and vehemente agonies, he dothe committe and fall in to.

And yet ne oughte not therupon, to conceyve a bayne false hope of the effecte of this sacrament, that lyvyng in fylthy and abhominable synne, and not caryng to be delivered from it by true penance, we shulde by the ministration of extreme unction. Have all our synnes forgiven: For this sacrament is ministred fruitefully, onely to those, that be membres of christes churche, and suche as being fallen out of the state of grace by deadly synne, have ben by penaunce restored to the same, whiche men by this sacrament, be strengthned and comforted in their agonye and fight against the devyll, who in the tyme of syckeness and vexation of the bodye, is very busye to assulte them.

And where it is called the extreme unction, that is to saye the last unction. We must not so understande it as though this sacrament myght never be minystred but once, that is to saye in extreme peryll of deathe, when men be without hope of lyfe: For it shuld rather be ministred, in the entrie of sycknes, and so oftener, when so ever any great and perylloos sickeness, and malady shal come to any man. But the fathers of the churche dyd cal it by the sayd name of extreme unction, bycause it is the last, in respecte of the other unctions whiche be ministred before in the other sacraments of baptisme, confirmation, and order in which sacraments christen men be also annoynted.