Article 11 of the Thirty-nine Articles: "Of Justification." An amplification from the "Homily on Salvation." At least one writer (name eludes me now, regrettably) claims that Cranmer was called to Henry VIII's bedside as death was imminent and as Henry was in and out of consciousness. Reportedly, Cranmer rehearsed this doctrine, counseling the Tudor king to rest alone in Christ's righteousness. Unable to speak, Cranmer, allegedly, asked Henry to squeeze his hand in the affirmative. Allegedly, Henry squeezed Tom's hand. But, did Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, go forward and tell the story of his bedtime counsels? Did some attendant to Henry hear Canterbury's counsels and later report the story? We're not confident in the report. (If anyone one has a scholarly footnote or credible reasons to counter our suspicions of the story, please advise. We'll take it for review and investigation.) Romanticization of history? It reminds me of a few historians who attempt to put Cranmer inside the Whitehorse Inn, for which there is no documentary evidence. Inferential, perhaps. But, definitive history with an established factual pattern? No. It happens. Having said all that, we can say this. This is Cranmer's view on justification by faith alone by Christ alone and justification by God alone by grace alone and mercy alone. This is not Rome nor Trent. It's Wittenberg and Geneva. It's not "via media" between Rome and Geneva. It's Wittenberg and Geneva, unified on this point. Or, and rightly, put another way, it is 180 degrees the opposite of Trent and Rome's 1994 Catechism, which reaffirmed Trent. Cranmer is implacably and irretrievably against Trent. Or, in more modern parlance, "let's just drop it, shall we?" Our response, "Go ahead, drop it, but we can't, thanks to the Biblical Canon. Cheers." Here's Mr. Cranmer.
"Justification
"Justification is not the office of man, but of God: for man cannot justify himself by his own good works, neither in part, nor in whole ... So the true understanding of this doctrine, we be justified freely by faith without works, or that we be justified by faith in Christ only, is not, that this our own act to believe in Christ, or this our own faith in Christ, which is within us, doth justify us ... but the true understanding and meaning thereof is, that although we hear God’s word and believe it; although we have faith, hope, charity ... we must renounce the merit of all our said virtues....and good deeds which we either have done, shall do, or can do ... and therefore we must trust only in God’s mercy, and in that sacrifice which our High Priest and Saviour Christ Jesus, the Son of God, once offered for us upon the cross... (Homily of Salvation)"
This is the unity of Canterbury, Geneva and Wittenberg on this point. This is unity with the Lowlands Countries, the Swiss, the Gallican and the Scots Reformers. 180 degrees out and opposite to the Romanists. Entirely opposed to the Council of Trent, the 1994 Romanist Catechism (about 1000 pages), and all the recent Anti-Gospellers in the 100-acre outfit called the Vatican (reduced to 100 acres by annoyed Italians). No via media here. No purgatory here. No saints' invocations here. No merit-mongering by works of supererogation, pilgrimages, relics, or works of any kind, at any time, under any condition, by anyone, of any station. Everyone has nothing but brings wickedness, damnation and judgment to the table of divine justice. The believer receives free forgiveness, free justification, free blessings, a free future and the other related promises. Free to us, but not free to Christ. He earned our salvation.
John Calvin echoes Cranmer in the Antidote: "There is no room for the righteousness of faith until we have discovered that it is in vain that salvation is promised us by the law. But that which the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God performed by his own Son, by expiating our sins through the sacrifice of his death, so that his righteousness is fulfilled in us."
"Justification
"Justification is not the office of man, but of God: for man cannot justify himself by his own good works, neither in part, nor in whole ... So the true understanding of this doctrine, we be justified freely by faith without works, or that we be justified by faith in Christ only, is not, that this our own act to believe in Christ, or this our own faith in Christ, which is within us, doth justify us ... but the true understanding and meaning thereof is, that although we hear God’s word and believe it; although we have faith, hope, charity ... we must renounce the merit of all our said virtues....and good deeds which we either have done, shall do, or can do ... and therefore we must trust only in God’s mercy, and in that sacrifice which our High Priest and Saviour Christ Jesus, the Son of God, once offered for us upon the cross... (Homily of Salvation)"
This is the unity of Canterbury, Geneva and Wittenberg on this point. This is unity with the Lowlands Countries, the Swiss, the Gallican and the Scots Reformers. 180 degrees out and opposite to the Romanists. Entirely opposed to the Council of Trent, the 1994 Romanist Catechism (about 1000 pages), and all the recent Anti-Gospellers in the 100-acre outfit called the Vatican (reduced to 100 acres by annoyed Italians). No via media here. No purgatory here. No saints' invocations here. No merit-mongering by works of supererogation, pilgrimages, relics, or works of any kind, at any time, under any condition, by anyone, of any station. Everyone has nothing but brings wickedness, damnation and judgment to the table of divine justice. The believer receives free forgiveness, free justification, free blessings, a free future and the other related promises. Free to us, but not free to Christ. He earned our salvation.
John Calvin echoes Cranmer in the Antidote: "There is no room for the righteousness of faith until we have discovered that it is in vain that salvation is promised us by the law. But that which the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God performed by his own Son, by expiating our sins through the sacrifice of his death, so that his righteousness is fulfilled in us."
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