Anglicanism has theological landmarks and boundaries guiding the flock and fencing in the faithful clergy less they lead their flocks in error. Unfortunately, these fences have been routinely ignored, circumvented, broken, and left in disrepair thereby leading flocks astray, ministers confused, and Christians in general questioning whether Anglicans have any standards of belief.

The saying goes, “good fences make good neighbors” and if we wish to witness to our neighbors and proclaim Christ to them then Anglicans must know what they believe. Archbishop Wood, in his sermon at the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) 2014 Assembly’s closing service preached on going back to the fundamentals, namely proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He invoked legendary Coach Vince Lombardi’s pre-season speech to his 1961 Green Bay Packers football team, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

We have arrived at a similar moment with the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) issuing a Communique after adopting a Covenantal Structure for orthodox Anglicans within the Anglican Communion. Their Communique calls Anglicans back to the basics and to remember the fundamentals of our faith as faithful Anglicans. The GSFA provinces, which includes the ACNA and signed by then-Archbishop Foley Beach, essentially stated to the world, “Gentlemen, this is Anglicanism” in paragraph 14:

To all who have decided to remain faithful to the historic biblical faith expressed in the Anglican formularies (the 39 Articles, the Book of Common Prayer, the Ordinal and the Book of Homilies), and applied to the church’s doctrine of marriage and sexuality in Lambeth Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference, Chairman Archbishop Justin Badi had these stirring words:

“Though Canterbury says “let us walk together, listen to each other and have a good disagreement”, the GSFA Primates & I say to you that “we cannot walk together in sin, … (and that) unless there is repentance by those who have gone astray, we cannot have unity at the expense of God’s life-giving truth.” ^[1]

The formularies mentioned therein include the Articles of Religion, the Book of Common Prayer, the Ordinal, and the Book of Homilies. This last inclusion may surprise some, but the Book of Homilies, also known as the two Books of Homilies as two sets were issued at separate times, are the official sermons for the Anglican Church and bear authority via Article 35. This Article upholds and commends both the original Book of Homilies, along with the second book, as “contain[ing] a godly and wholesome Doctrine” and were to be preached in parishes (Article 35, Articles of Religion). Indeed, the 1604 Canons, which governed the Church of England for three hundred years, until the mid-twentieth Century, required: (1) one of the homilies to be read at least once a month if no clergy was licensed to preach, (2) clergy seeking licensure to study the Books of Homilies, and (3) parishes have a copy of the Books of Homilies alongside the Holy Scriptures (Canons XLVI, XLIX, and LXXX, 1604 Canons, available at: https://www.anglican.net/doctrines/1604-canon-law/). Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the newly adopted GSFA Covenantal Structure cites the Homilies as an authority.^[2]

Although the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States suspended the article, it was not due to doctrinal disagreement. On the contrary, they are upheld as being “received in this Church [PECUSA], so far as it declares the Book of Homilies to be an explication of Christian doctrine, and instructive in piety and morals.” (Article 35, 1928 Book of Common Prayer). Instead, the reading of these homilies was suspended only “until a revision of them may be conveniently made, for the clearing of them, as well from obsolete words and phrases, as from the local references” related “to the constitution and laws of England” since those “are considered as inapplicable to the circumstances of this Church [PECUSA].” Alas, such an American revision was not to be, at least not as of the time of publication (I admit the temptation to engage in such a project for the ACNA’s consideration). Nevertheless, the Homilies were not rejected so much as not required to be read in American churches until the necessary revisions were made. Furthermore, the proper and clearest way to understand the Anglican doctrine of justification is to turn to the second homily, as suggested in Article 11, which has always been accepted wholeheartedly by the American Church. (“Wherefore, that we are justified by Faith only is a most wholesome Doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.” Article 11, Articles of Religion).

Now enters the Anglican Church in North America, which has professed the full Articles of Religion in her Fundamental Declaration and as attached within the 2019 Book of Common Prayer. This ressourcement along with ACNA adoption of the Covenantal Structure of the GSFA necessitates we take up, read, and learn from the Homilies.

The first Book of Homilies contains twelve sermons that the Rev. Dr. Gerald Bray notes, ‘the first six being more ‘doctrinal’ and the last six more ‘pastoral’ in context, though this distinction is not absolute.”^[3] These homilies are anonymous but were authored mostly by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and were ready for publication in 1543, during King Henry VIII’s reign but would be shelved until 1547, during his son’s reign. The Royal Injunctions of 1547 required clergy “to frame their sermons in accordance with the doctrine taught in the Book of Homilies” and a year later were instructed, “to read them just as they stood, without adapting them in any way.”

However, considering we do not live in the British Commonwealth, I find the original requirement to ensure clergy are teaching in accordance with the doctrine in the Books of Homilies would be more practical and helpful than a slavish and literal requirement to preach them as is. In other words, conceptualize the Books of Homilies as fenceposts that assist in anchoring and understanding aspects of the greater fence beams, the traditional formularies of the Book of Common Prayer, the Articles of Religion, and the Ordinal. This inference is logical as the Covenantal Structure of the GSFA summarizes those three as the formularies several times in the actual Covenantal Structure (as opposed to the Communique) yet the Covenantal Structure still cites the Homilies as an authority (Compare Paragraphs 1.1(a) and 1.7, which expressly invoke three formularies with Paragraph 1.1, which uses the Homilies to support a teaching from the Book of Common Prayer, GSFA Covenantal Structure).

Regardless, whereas ACNA belongs to the GSFA and professes the Articles (including Articles 11 and 35) within her own Fundamental Declaration, the first Book of Homilies is to be commended to Anglican clergy as fenceposts that are planted in greater depth and tying together the fence beams that are the traditional three formularies. Further, as the first Book of Homilies was written much earlier than the first prayer book of 1549, they reflect Cranmer’s and other English reformers’ theology and goals for the English Reformation. In fact, the first Book of Homilies was written before the end of 1543, thereby placing them firmly during the Henrician era, during what many view as a more “Roman Catholic” period of the English Reformation. However, one sees that Cranmer and other English clergy were committed to the Reformation despite King Henry’s “Roman Catholicism without a Pope.” Cranmer and the English reformers were able to achieve official sanction of the first Book of Homilies in 1547 through King Edward VI. These homilies demonstrate how Cranmer and others desired to distill and teach the people within the English realm the rich fruits of Holy Scripture anchored upon the ancient fathers.

However, the first Book of Homilies (containing twelve sermons) was naturally suspended during the reign of Roman Catholic Queen Mary I. The first Book of Homilies was so successful that Queen Mary supported Bishop Edmund Bonner of London issuing a Roman Catholic set of homilies in 1555 to counter the teaching of the first Book of Homilies. Fortunately, the English Reformation returned and matured further under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I. Her reign saw the return and reinstatement of the first Book of Homilies under “Good Queen Bess.” Nearly thirty years after they were first authored and compiled, the first Book of Homilies was incorporated by references in the Articles of Religion (edited down from Cranmer’s original forty-two) and adopted in Convocation in 1571. The Articles of Religion expressly referenced and commended a second Book of Homilies because by this point a second set of authorized Homilies were drafted in 1563 (with the last homily added in 1571) and promulgated as authoritative alongside the first Book of Homilies via the now Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion. The second Book of Homilies boasts twenty-one homilies that are much longer and go in further depth on a number of pastoral, sacramental, and doctrinal topics. These homilies in the second book, like the revised Articles of Religion, were edited and drafted in part by Archbishop Matthew Parker and Bishop John Jewel, the teacher of the renowned Anglican theologian, Richard Hooker.

The two Books of Homilies speak to a number of topics, ranging from the Anglican view of justification, the necessity for good works demonstrating a true and “lively faith,” to practical ethics governing how Christians are not called to fight but to love, and what faithful civil obedience involves as a following of the true King of the Universe. Christians who are new to the faith can learn much from these homilies and those who are new to ancient liturgical and sacramental Christianity will profit from the homilies on Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost to the homilies on the right reception of the blessed sacrament of holy communion. Fortunately, both sets of Homilies can be found for free online and are sold together as one book (except a modernized text of the First Book of Homilies from Church Society).

The teachings in the Articles of Religion and Book of Common Prayer are further elucidated and more fully taught in the Homilies and therefore serve as useful references on the teaching of the Anglican Church. Several homilies are dedicated to practices where every Christian needs encouragement, namely fasting, almsgiving, repentance, and prayer. Furthermore, clergy and laity alike will profit from the bruised egos we will receive after digesting the homilies against gluttony and drunkenness, wearing excess apparel, idleness, swearing and lying. Several homilies steer us towards our sanctification and demonstrating our “lively faith” through good works, serving God, and how we glorify God in our marriage.

Clergy should view the Homilies as ready tools to deploy. For example, when one uses the Exhortation from the Book of Common Prayer before the Lord’s Supper, if questions arise, then in addition to the Scriptures the Homily on the Worthy Receiving of the Body and the Blood should be consulted and perhaps discussed together. When a parishioner or inquirer is curious how Anglicans receive the Apocrypha, besides Article 6, one can point to how the Apocryphal books are cited and quoted throughout the Books of Homilies. Additionally, in a world where marriage is devalued, abused, and attacked, Anglicans can point to the homilies and note that while it is not a Gospel sacrament necessary for salvation, it is nevertheless considered a sacrament. Finally, the quoting, citing, and use of the church fathers and ancient councils, including even reworking and reusing St. Cyprian for much of the homily on almsgiving and acts of mercy and John Chrysostom in the homily on marriage demonstrates the English Reformers were reforming the English-speaking church in order to be Catholic. Therefore, regardless of churchmanship and church party, these Homilies should speak and inform our reformed Catholicism that we call Anglicanism. Where we seek to know and understand common prayer and the Articles more fully, drive deep into the soil with the fencepost that the relevant Homily takes us.

The Homilies should be read and received, not because they are inerrant, but because they steer us to our first love, the Scriptures. They elucidate doctrine and endeavor us to read the ancient councils and church fathers for upon those giants we stand and they in turn rest firmly upon the rock of faith, Christ Jesus the Word. These works remind us we are reformed because we are Catholic and we are Catholic because we are reformed. Ultimately, the Books of Homilies are fenceposts interlinking the formulary fence beams of the Book of Common Prayer, the Articles of Religion, and the Ordinal. Together, these theological tools anchor us to stand firm in the faith once delivered. May we heed their boundaries, reestablish the fallen fenceposts, remember the forgotten fences, move not the ancient boundaries, and yield not the faith of our fathers to any intruder as we seek to live as faithful members of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church amidst a confused and evil age.

Suggested Resources on The Books of Homilies

The First Book of Homilies (Modernization), The Church Society, available here.

The Books of Homilies (Edited by Griffiths), available here.

The Books of Homilies: A Critical Edition (Edited by Gerald Bray), available here.

The Books of Homilies (original older English spellings), available free here.

The Books of Homilies (modern spellings), available free here.

A Fruitful Exhortation: A Guide to the Homilies, available here.

Notes

1. Communique from the First Assembly of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches, June 11-15, 2024, (available at: https://anglicanchurch.net/communique-from-the-global-south-fellowship-of-anglican-churches/) ↑
2. Paragraph 1.4, GSFA Covenantal Structure, available at: https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/64c7520a09b851adae283880/64f6cf1ea4f7e1c49c0619c3_GSFA%20Covenantal%20Structure%20(adopted%20on%2015%20Oct%202021).pdf). ↑
3. Bray, Gerald. A Fruitful Exhortation: A Guide to the Homilies, p. 5, The Latimer Trust (2014). ↑