An English Reformer: Archbishop John Whitgift Enjoins the Bible and Henry Bullinger's Decades for Daily Review and Comment by the Nation's Clergy

The Works of Archbishop John Whitgift of Canterbury, ed. Parker Society (Cambridge: Cambridge Press, 1843).

A free downloadable version of his works are available at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=WDMJAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=john+whitgift&ei=HA1NSszUBIrEM7PX0SM

Of note and of interest is the registry by Archbishop John Whitgift (1530-1604) at Lambeth Palace, December 1586, which enjoins the daily use of the Bible and Henry Bullinger’s Decades. (Bullinger, 1504-1575.) We quote two canons below, but there are more—they enjoin the nation’s bishops and clergy to follow through with this system of improvement and accountability. This will give the reader some sense of the high importance placed on Bullinger’s writings for the Elizabethan Church. This practice could easily be embraced and employed in this electronic age.

Here’s the first two canons from the registry at Lambeth.

“Orders for the better increase of learning in the inferior ministers and for more diligent preaching and catechizing…

1. Every minister having a cure, and being under degrees of master of arts, and batchelors of law, and not licensed to be a public preacher, shall before the second day of February next provide a Bible, and Bullinger’s Decads [sic] in Latin or English, and a paper book, and shall every day read over one chapter of the holy scriptures, and note the principle contentes thereof briefly in his paper booke, and shall every week read over one sermon in the said Decads, and note likewise the chief matters therein contained in the said paper; and shall once every quarter (viz. within a fortnight before or after the end of the quarter) shewe his said note to some preacher here adjoyninge to be assigned for that purpose.

2. Item, the bishop, archdeacons, or other ordinary, being a publick preacher, shall appoint certain grave and learned preachers, who shall privately examine the diligence, and view the notes of the said ministers, assigning sixe or seaven ministers as occasion shall require, to every such preach, that shall be next adjoining to him, so as the ministers be not driven to travel for the exhibiting of their notes above sixes or seaven miles (if it may be) and the said preacher shall by letters and otherwise, truly certifie to the archdeacons, or other ordinarye of the place, themselves being publick preachers, and resiant within, or nere to their jurisdiction, and for want thereof, to the busshop himself, who do performe the said exercise, and who they have profited therein, and who do refuse or neglecte to perform the same; the archdeacons and others receiving the said certificates shall signifye the same, once in the year, to the busshop, and that about Michalmas.

There are additional canons which were authorized by Convocation and the Queen’s Majesty on 28 Nov 1584. The edition of the Decades of 1587 had on its title page, “Cum gratia et privilegio Regiae Majestatis.” Along with John Calvin’s Institutes, Bullinger’s Decades we held in high importance, as they ought today for any Anglican clerk.

We offered earlier comments on Henry Bullinger at:

http://reformationanglicanism.blogspot.com/2009/07/swiss-reformer-henry-bullinger-and.html

To be continued.