Part Two--The English Reformation & Henry Bullinger's Decades

Part Two beginneth.

Last time, we reviewed briefly Henry Bullinger’s life and work, as well as a brief connection to English Reformed history and thought.

The Decades by Henry Bullinger, ed. Parker Society Series (Cambridge: Cambridge Press 1852). This volume consists of fifty sermons divided into five decades. The volume we have under review is the last ten sermons of Bullinger.

Last time, we spoke of the Lambeth regulation of and by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. John Whitgift, with respect to the directed use of Bullinger’s Decades as well as the Scriptures for the daily. This was enjoined by the clergy, Convocation and Dr. Whitgift upon the clergy. There is no doubt as to Bullinger's importance in the Church of England.

However, there is question as to whether this was royally sanctioned. We are aware of Elizabeth’s quashing of The Lambeth Articles, 1595, over one of three aspects of her objections—the issuance without her authority. We shall leave this matter unresolved at this point. Suffice it to say that Bullinger and his Decades were widely appreciated and much used in the Elizabethan period of the national church.

The “Epistles” of Bullinger “concerning the Apparell of Ministers and other indifferent things” were added to the English edition of the Decades in 1587.[1] The Parker Society volume under review does not contain this epistle; it is copied in another Parker Society volume, Zurich Letters. This is of interest since radical Puritans were making rash and contentious comments about fashion-issues such as vestments, things which Bullinger viewed as "indifferent."

The “Fifty Sermons Divided into Five Decades” begins on page 40 of our present volume. The volume at hand is the last and fifth decade of sermons.

The frontispiece or title is “The Fifth Decade of Sermons, written by Henry Bullinger. Of the Holy Catholic Church; what it is, how far it extendeth, by what marks it is known, from whence it springeth, how it is maintained and preserved, whether it may err Also of the power and studies of the church.”

This is timely. It is always important to study ecclesiology.

Bullinger uses the title “Holy Catholic Church,” a title that should never be ceded or surrendered to any, including the Anglo-Papists.

The church is one of God’s most excellent works. God does not desire to live alone, but “to bestow and pour upon us men, his beloved creatures, all kind of blessedness; and that we should enjoy his goods by all means possible.” He chooses men for this blessed communion.

The word Ecclesia means a congregation, communion or church. Luke and Paul use the word in Acts 19, 22 and I Corinthians 15. We hear the Reformed definition of Ecclesia clearly at this point.

Bullinger says:

“For God calleth forth from all pars of the wide world, and from the whole congregation of men, all believers together with their see, that they may be his peculiar people, and he again may be their God; that is to say, that they may be the church of the living God.”[2]

Bullinger observes that the term “synagogue,” while similar in sense, was not used given the implacable hatred of genetic Jews for spiritual, Abrahamic Jews (or Christians). Bullinger speaks of the “christian church and congregation of the faithful; which the Germans do call Die kirch, alluding peradventure to the Greek word kuriakh.”

The “whole company and multitude of the faithful, partly being now in heaven and partly remaining here upon earth: where it doth plainly agree in unity of faith or true doctrine.”[3] The church has a two-fold aspect as one united Church.

The church is usually called “catholic. Her branches are throughout the world in all ages, and she comprehends all, without respect to region, nation, kindred, age, sex or other kind.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, there is neither man nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3.28)

We pause to insist that it is a large mistake for True Churchmen to abandon the word “Catholic” for themselves. The English Reformers never abandoned the term, although Anglo-Papists pride themselves—falsely, usurpatively—on “being more fully catholic” than the English Reformed Churchmen. That’s their nonsense and Anglican self-loathing of which Newman was the champion.

Further, the church can and should be distinguished by the terms Church Militant and Church Triumphant. The latter consists of that great company of holy spirits in heaven, triumphing over their victory over the world, sin and the devil, and enjoying God’s presence and engaging in continued prayer.

Both aspects of the one True Church is conceived of as in combat operations.

We can learn some things about this Triumphant Church. Regarding the Church Triumphant, St. John wrote in Revelation 7.9-13. It is noteworthy that the elder teaches John directly about the Church Triumphant.

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

This is the Word of the LORD; thanks be to God.

(1) We learn a few things here. It is imperative that we understand the Church Militant and Triumphant. Given the impact of revivalism and non-confessional thinking, this needs to be reviewed in our time.

(2) The praise is skillful and intelligent acclamation. We learn that this is in a known and united tongue. There is no linquistic discord amidst the nations and kindreds. Charismatics can deplane and depart at this point unless they show themselves teachable.

(3) Psalm 33.3.3: Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy. It is skillful. Ergo, no matter how forcefully we might sing, our hearts and timing is united.

(4) It is congregational and communal.

(5) With another refrain of the above, there is no discord above and no chaos. O come let us sing unto the Lord, let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation; let us come before his presence with a thanksgiving and show ourselves glad in Him with Psalms.

(6) Anglicans and Lutherans liturgically, unitedly, communally, and intelligently say: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. We should speak with reverence, unity, intelligence and with direction—to the Triune God.[4]

(7) Anglicans and Lutherans rightly use and follow Mary in the Magnificat: My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour (Luke 1.46). We have heard objections to the use of this Canticle for divine worship. The objection can be tossed overboard.

(8) We learn from the Church Triumphant that they are about the business of daily and congregational praise along the above lines. This is the only place where perfect joy and pleasure may be had. While we take note of heaven, we do not invoke saints in prayer or offer praise to any, but the Triune God.

(9) In worship, we praise God with Angels and Archangels and with the company of heaven…we laud and magnify Thy glorious Name, evermore praising Thee, and saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts. We know little else about heaven, but we know that we are in union with those distant songs.

William Beveridge, an old High Churchman of the Church of England, a Protestant, commenting on Psalm 92.4, observes that “often musical instruments not only help their voices, but also to revive and cheer their spirits, and so raise them to a due pitch, and put them into a right frame and disposition for so high and Heavenly a work…”[5] Mr. Beveridge was a Pastor’s Pastor and well known for catechesis and knowledge of his parishioners. We find the Pipe Organ best suited to this goal of praise. Skilled orchestras in assistance fit the model as well.

As to instrumentation as an expression of the heart and mind, we turn to Psalm 92. We are not impressed by the anti-instruments argument—what we are concerned about is skill, joy, strength, intelligence and community of praise. While we have heard and seen the guitar scene, we find it wholly unsuitable and unseemly; we find the Pipe Organ to be without rival.

This forum will continue to post some of the giddy stuff out there compared with dignified worship. We will let the listener make his own decision.

In Psalm 92, we hear of skilled instruments.

Psalm 92: It is a good thing to give thanks unto the lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing. To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

We have taken a detour from Bullinger’s Decades, but we find it important to read, mark and inwardly digest the article we openly profess in the Apostles’ Creed about the Holy Catholic Church…this is as Bullinger is wont for us to do. That is precisely what Dr. Bullinger bids us to do in this forty-first of fifty sermons.

God willing, more to come.

Here endeth Part Two.

Footnotes:

[1] Henry Bullinger. The Decades, ed. Parker Society Series (Cambridge: Cambridge Press 1852), 38.
[2] Henry Bullinger. The Decades,op.cit., 43.
[3] Henry Bullinger. The Decades,op.cit, 44.
[4] Presbyterians also sing the Gloria Patri, although this scribe finds the conservative moderns to be rather anti-liturgical and anti-Book of Common Prayer. We find their arguments old and tired. Where are the kneelers, please?
[5] Bishop William Beveridge (St. Asaph). Theological Works of William Beveridge, D.D., Volume 3. (Oxford: John Henry Parker, 1844), 143-147. Beveridge, 1637-1704, was one of the godly Caroline divines and pastors, a man much troubled by the disputes in the nation. He might be termed “High” in the sense that he opposed “comprehension” in the 1680’s, an effort to include Presbyterians in the English Church. A minibrief is available at http://anglicanhistory.org/essays/middleton/beveridge.pdf.