Cranmer’s Attitude to the Episcopate: Bishops, Priests and Deacons

http://www.churchsociety.org/churchman/documents/Cman_109_4_Elliott.pdf

[Church Society] 5 July 2009--This is the last of four articles by Maurice Elliott concerning Cranmer’s view of authority. Itis followed by a short concluding article.

Cranmer’s attitude to the Church has been implicit in everything discussed thus far. In that the Bible, as opposed to the Pope, represented the ultimate rule of faith, it had to be at the very centre of Church life. The king was to be viewed as the supreme head of the Church as an institution, and the whole programme of reform was designed to renew its life and witness. This necessitated some radical and, at times, painful changes, but in spite of that it must be conceded that Cranmer’s goals were significantly realised.

However there remains one area which has not been elucidated, namely his attitude to the exercise of authority within the Church, and in particular his understanding of the episcopate. What were Cranmer’s reasons for retaining bishops within the Anglican denomination when the Continental Reformers had reduced the ordained structure to a twofold diaconate and presbyterate? What was their intended role and what was the basis of their ministerial authority?