Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Thursday, November 12, 2009

English Reformed: Philpott (1511-1555): Real Leadership

Part ten begins, middle of page. 163

The Examinations and Writing of John Philpott (Parker Society Series, 1842). Archdeacon of Winchester (1511-December 1555).

Free and downloadable at:

http://books.google.com/books?id=WhT67MqcFDIC&pg=PA319&dq=examinations+and+writings+of+john+philpott+parker+society&lr=&as_brr=1.
Observations:

1. Shall we grow weary of examining Rev. (archdeacon) John Philpott of Winchester? Examination after examination? Here we are with part ten with 400 more pages to go. Well, Philpott spent a year and half in prison for the Reformed faith, so any complaints on our end are purely modern, empty, childish, Australian, English, American, and Canadian. What's on offer here is a real leader, a genuinely inspiring one.

2. We do coordinate this observation with that from Archbishop Grindal, to wit, in 1566, in a letter to Henry Bullinger, explaining that he and “all the others” embraced the Helvetic Confession." The RINO’s, or Reformed in Name Only, won’t want this too loudly published. The AC/Tractors will insist they belong to historic Anglicanism. They surely won’t want consistency and theological integrity. Enough. We’ll have more to say about ABC Grindal in the days ahead, Lord willing.

3. The examination—wearisome to all and probably to Philpott—resumes with Christopherson.
Poor Bonner is at it again, whining about Rome’s supremacy. Ludicrously and laughably, he cites Romans 1.8 to support his view: “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” Philpott shreds this in a nano-second. It actually is pretty humourous, were it not so deadly. We've seen him at this in earlier exams. So it is pretty tedious, but the tedium coupled with the continuing stedfastness is quite instructive.

4. He’s standing and manfully resisting numerous leading bishops on theology. Sound like something that needs to be done from real men of the Reformed faith?

5. Philpott to Bonner and Christopherson: “It is a shame for you to wrest and writhe with the doctors as you to maintain a false religion; which be altogether against you, if you take them aright. And indeed your false packing of doctors together hath given me and others occasion to look upon them, whereby we find you shameful liars and misinterpreters of the ancient doctors.”

6. Let that one sink in. “False religion,” “false packing of doctors,” shameful liars” and “misinterpreters?” Will you hear that in the ACNA, Sydney, Packer, or the Virtual Windbag?

7. He’s chided by Chistopherson re: his use and understanding of Cyprian. Philpott replies: “I thank God, I understand them better than you: for you have the blindness of heart; so that you understand not truly what you read, nor more than the wall here, as the taking of Cyprian doth well declare. And afore God you are but deceivers of the people, for all your brag you make of learning; neither have ye scripture or ancient doctor on your side, truly taken.”

8. Again, sheer gold. “Blindness of heart?” No more understanding “than the wall here?” “Deceivers of the people?” Men who “brag?”

9. We can’t go one inch further. This is gold. Leadership. Insight. Courage. Resistance. Integrity. Principled leadership backed up with learning. Bonner’s use of Romans 1.8 for Petrine supremacy is howler! Did you catch it above? Let it sink in.

10. Philpott has expressed earlier that he knows his end: death. He's not selling anything. He's not looking for income streams from magazines, radio programs, books, conferences, net-working opportunities, or affirmation from others. "Acceptance by others" isn't Philpott's game. The bishops have repeatedly used the "numbers game," to wit, all of England is again st you (meaning the elite, not the abused sheep). Ever hear the "numbers game" played, as if St. Athanasius and St. John Philpott have nothing to teach us? He going to die. There's not one square of capitulation, accomodation, weakness, or fear in the man. Do such leaders exist today?

11. This scribe is a former Marine. We expect leadership; we're used to it; we love good leaders; when we transfer to civilian life, we'll follow them if they're good (and 95% of them were, estimating on the short end). We seen little principled consistency among Reformed leaders, including now Sydney. RINO's. "If your going to call yourself Protestant and Reformed Anglicans," then be one and be consistent. Disappointing? Yes. But, then there's Philpott. What would Philpott think of the AC/Tractarians in the ACNA? Good Lord, deliver us!

Correlation:

1. Continental Reformers. They all call Rome's Gospel false and "another Gospel."

2. Lutherans.

3. All the other English Reformers.

Interpretation:

Philpott genuinely stands the ground, yields not an inch, and provides a most respectable vision of Reformed, courageous, manly leadership.

Application:

1. Get more of this stuff out there. Tell the next generation.

2. Deal with the RINO’s, AINO’s, and LINO's (Reformed, Anglican and Lutheran in Name Only).

3. Follow good leaders like this one.

4. Continue to thank God for solid training in leadership learned from Marines. But this fella, Philpott, would inspire any U.S. Marine if told the story. Philpott apparently says little to modern American Anglicans, e.g. Romanism as a false religion, full of deceivers, braggarts, and liars.

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