John Jewel (sometimes spelled
Jewell) (May 24, 1522 - September 23, 1571), was an English
bishop of SalisburyThe Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the Counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The see is in the City of Salisbury where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.The...
.
Life
He was the son of John Jewel of Buden,
DevonDevon is a large county in England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, although that is an unofficial name, rarely used inside of the county itself and often indicating a traditional or historical context. The county shares borders with Cornwall to the west and Dorset and Somerset to...
, was educated under his uncle John Bellamy, rector of Hampton, and other private tutors until his matriculation at
Merton College, OxfordMerton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
, in July 1535.
There he was taught by
John ParkhurstJohn Parkurst was an English Marian exile and from 1560 the Bishop of Norwich.-Life:Born about 1512, he was son of George Parkhurst of Guildford, Surrey. At an early age he entered Magdalen College School at Oxford, and subsequently joined Merton College, where he was admitted to a fellowship in...
, afterwards
bishop of NorwichThe Bishop of Norwich is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers most of the County of Norfolk and part of Suffolk...
; but on August 19, 1539 he was elected scholar of
Corpus Christi College, OxfordCorpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
. He graduated BA in 1540, and MA in 1545, having been elected fellow of his college in 1542. He made some mark as a teacher at Oxford, and became after 1547 one of the chief disciples of
Pietro Martire VermigliPietro Martire Vermigli, sometimes simply Peter Martyr , was an Italian theologian of the Reformation period.-Life:...
, known in England as Peter Martyr. He graduated BD in 1552, and was made vicar of
SunningwellSunningwell is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire in England. In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,554. The parish includes the village of Bayworth and the eastern part of Boars Hill...
, and public orator of the university, in which capacity he had to compose a congratulatory epistle to Mary on her accession. In April 1554 he acted as notary to
CranmerThomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from union with the Holy See...
and
RidleyNicholas Ridley was an English Bishop of London. During the English Reformation, he was burned at the stake. He died among the Oxford Martyrs during the Marian Persecutions for his teachings and his support of Lady Jane Grey on 16 October 1555 in Oxford...
at their disputation, but in the autumn he signed a series of Catholic articles. He was, nevertheless, suspected, fled to London, and thence to Frankfort, which he reached in March 1555. There he sided with Coxe against
KnoxJohn Knox was a Scottish clergyman and leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian denomination. He was educated at the University of St Andrews and worked as a notary-priest. Influenced by early church reformers such as George Wishart, he joined the...
, but soon joined Martyr at
StrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in north-eastern France. With 702,412 inhabitants in 2007, its metropolitan area is the ninth largest in France...
, accompanied him to
ZürichZürich or Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne...
, and then paid a visit to
PaduaPadua is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice , in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area, having a population of c...
.
Reign of Queen Elizabeth I
Under
ElizabethElizabeth I was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
's succession he returned to England, and made earnest efforts to secure what would now be called a low-church settlement of religion; he was strongly committed to the Elizabethan reforms. Indeed, his attitude was hardly distinguishable from that of the Elizabethan
PuritanA Puritan of 16th and 17th-century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and group piety. Puritans felt that the English Reformation had not gone far enough, and that the Church of England was tolerant...
s, but he gradually modified it under the stress of office and responsibility. He was one of the disputants selected to confute the Romanists at the conference of
WestminsterWestminster is an area of Central London, within the City of Westminster. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
after Easter 1559; he was select preacher at
St Paul's CrossSt Paul's Cross was a preaching cross and open air pulpit in the grounds of Old St Paul's Cathedral, City of London.-History:...
on June 15; and in the autumn was engaged as one of the royal visitors of the western counties. His
congé d'élireCongé d'Elire a licence from the Crown in England issued under the great seal to the dean and chapter of the cathedral church of the diocese, authorizing them to elect a bishop or archbishop, as the case may be, upon the vacancy of any episcopal or archi-episcopal see in England.-History and...
as
bishop of SalisburyThe Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the Counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The see is in the City of Salisbury where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary.The...
had been made out on July 27, but he was not consecrated until January 21, 1560.
He now constituted himself the literary apologist of the Elizabethan Settlement. He had on November 26, 1559, in a sermon at
St Paul's CrossSt Paul's Cross was a preaching cross and open air pulpit in the grounds of Old St Paul's Cathedral, City of London.-History:...
, challenged all comers to prove the Roman Catholic case out of the Scriptures, or the councils or Fathers for the first six hundred years after Christ. He repeated his challenge in 1560, and Dr
Henry ColeHenry Cole was an English Roman Catholic churchman and academic.-Life:...
took it up. The chief result was Jewel's
Apologia ecclesiae Anglicanae, published in 1562, which in
Bishop CreightonMandell Creighton was an English historian and bishop in the Church of England. The son of a Carlisle cabinetmaker and upholsterer, he was a gifted child who won scholarships to Durham School and Oxford University...
's words is the first methodical statement of the position of the Church of England against the
Church of RomeChurch of Rome may refer to:*The Holy See, the diocese of the city of Rome, of which the Pope is bishop*Roman Catholic Church, in post–Protestant Reformation polemics*The Latin church, which is a particular church sui generis in the Catholic Church...
, and forms the groundwork of all subsequent controversy. The work was translated into English by
Anne BaconAnne Bacon née Cooke, , was an English gentlewoman and scholar. She made a lasting contribution to English religious literature with her translation from Latin of John Jewel's Apologie of the Anglican Church...
to reach a wider audience and was a significant step in the intellectual justification of Protestantism in England.
Later years
A more formidable antagonist than Cole now entered the lists in the person of Thomas Harding, an Oxford contemporary whom Jewel had deprived of his prebend in Salisbury Cathedral for
recusancyIn the history of England, recusancy was a term used to describe the statutory offence of not complying with and conforming to the Established church or State religion, the Church of England....
. He published an elaborate and bitter
Answer in 1564, to which Jewel issued a Reply in 1565. Harding followed with a
Confutation, and Jewel with a
Defence of the Apology in 1566 and 1567; the combatants ranged over the whole field of the Anglo-Roman controversy, and Jewel's theology was officially enjoined upon the Church by
Archbishop BancroftArchbishop Richard Bancroft,
DD, BD, MA, BA , Archbishop of Canterbury and the "chief overseer" of the production of the authorized version of the Bible.-Life:...
in the reign of
James IJames VI & I was King of Scots as James VI from 1567 to 1625, and King of England and Ireland as James I from 1603 to 1625....
. Latterly Jewel had been confronted with criticism from a different quarter. The arguments that had weaned him from his
ZwinglianHuldrych Zwingli was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system, he attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, a scholarly centre of humanism...
simplicity did not
satisfySatisfy, released by Vertical Records, is Kathryn Scott's first solo album, released in 2003. Seven of the songs are penned by Scott herself, including her most famous track, "Hungry", and also "At the foot of the cross" and "Breathe on me now"....
his unpromoted brethren, and Jewel had to refuse admission to a benefice to his friend
Lawrence HumphreyLawrence Humphrey was an English theologian, who was president of Magdalen College, Oxford, and dean successively of Gloucester and Winchester.-Biography:...
, who would not wear a
surpliceA surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...
.
He was consulted a good deal by the government on such questions as England's attitude towards the
Council of TrentThe Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. Considered to be one of the Church's most important councils, it convened in Trento between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
, and political considerations made him more and more hostile to
PuritanA Puritan of 16th and 17th-century England was an associate of any number of religious groups advocating for more "purity" of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and group piety. Puritans felt that the English Reformation had not gone far enough, and that the Church of England was tolerant...
demands with which he had previously sympathized. He wrote an attack on Thomas Cartwright; which was published after his
deathDeath is the termination of the biological functions that define a living organism. It refers to both a particular event and to the condition that results thereby. The true nature of the latter has for millennia been a central concern of the world's religious traditions and of philosophical...
by
WhitgiftJohn Whitgift was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horsemen...
. Collapsing after a sermon at
LacockLacock is a village in Wiltshire, England, 3 miles from the town of Chippenham. The village is owned almost in its entirety by the National Trust, and attracts many visitors by virtue of its unspoiled appearance.-History:...
,
WiltshireWiltshire is a ceremonial county in the south west of England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers 3,485 km²...
, he was taken to the
episcopalA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
manor house of
Monkton FarleighMonkton Farleigh Manor is a Grade I listed country house built on the site of a Cluniac priory founded in 1125 in Wiltshire, situated 3 miles from Bradford-on-Avon, and 5 miles from the city of Bath.- History :...
where he died on September 23 1571. He was buried in
Salisbury CathedralSalisbury Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture.The main body was completed in only 38 years....
, where he had built a library.
Richard HookerRichard Hooker was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. Hooker's emphases on reason, tolerance and the value of tradition considerably influenced the development of Anglicanism...
, who speaks of Jewel as the "worthiest divine that Christendom bath bred for some hundreds of years," was one of the boys whom Jewel prepared in his house for the university; and his
Ecclesiastical Polity owes much to Jewel's training.
Jewel's works were published in a folio in 1609 under the direction of Bancroft, who ordered the
Apology to be placed in churches, in some of which it may still be seen chained to the lectern; other editions appeared at Oxford (1848, 8 vols) and Cambridge (Parker Soc., 4 vols). See also
GoughRichard Gough was an English antiquarian.-Life:He was born in London, where his father was a wealthy M.P. and director of the British East India Company. In 1751 he entered Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he began his work on British topography, published in 1768...
's
Index to Parker Soc. Publ.;
John StrypeJohn Strype was an English historian and biographer. He was a cousin of Robert Knox, a famous sailor.Born in Houndsditch, London, he was the son of John Strype, or van Stryp, a member of a Huguenot family whom, in order to escape religious persecution within Brabant, had settled in East London...
's
Works (General Index); Calendars of Domestic and Spanish State Papers;
DixonRichard Watson Dixon , English poet and divine, son of Dr James Dixon, a Wesleyan minister.He was educated at King Edward's school, Birmingham, and on proceeding to Pembroke College, Oxford, became one of the famous "Birmingham group" there who shared with William Morris and Burne-Jones in the...
's and Frere's
Church Histories; and
Dictionary of National BiographyThe Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
(art. by Bishop Creighton
).
A houseThe house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in ex-British colonies. Historically it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
at Bishop Wordsworth's SchoolBishop Wordsworth's School is a Church of England boys' day grammar school located in the centre of Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. In 2007 there were 858 pupils aged between 11 and 18....
in SalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. It has also been called New Sarum to distinguish it from the original site of settlement to the north of the city at Old Sarum, but this alternative name is not in common use. Similarly, a native of Salisbury may be known as a "Sarumite", but...
is named for him.
Jewel's
Apology of the Church of England
After the theological pioneering of LutherMartin Luther changed the course of Western civilization by initiating the Protestant Reformation. As a priest and theology professor, he confronted indulgence salesmen with his The Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. Luther strongly disputed their claim that freedom from God's punishment of sin could...
, Melanchthon, ZwingliHuldrych Zwingli was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system, he attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, a scholarly centre of humanism...
, CalvinJohn Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, and the other first-tier reformers, the ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a Christian reform movement in Europe which is generally deemed to have begun with Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 although a number of precursors such as Jan Hus predate that event...
became less about the theologies of individuals and more about the religion and politics of nations, kingdoms, and continents. John Jewel’s 1562 Apology of the Church of England, a document more important in its political-historical significance than its
theologicalThe term "theology" literally means the study of God, deriving from the Greek word theos, meaning 'God', and the suffix -ology from the Greek word logos meaning "discourse", "theory", or "reasoning"...
significance, represents an attempt to provide a
statement of faithA statement of faith is a statement of the core beliefs of a religious group.A typical statement of faith is said to be a non-comprehensive summary of the core beliefs of a particular faith within a tradition . Even religious organizations without affiliation will use a statement of faith for...
for the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches...
under Elizabeth I and answer challenges and accusations of the Romanists against the Protestants.
For these causes, I say, we have thought fit, by this book, to give an account of our faith, and to answer truly and publicly, what hath been publicly objected against us, that the whole world may see the parts and reasons of that faith, which so many good men have valued above their lives, and that all mankind may understand what kind of men they are, and what they think of God and religion . . . . (I.10)
In this way, the Apology serves to allow everyone to
determine with themselves, whether that faith which they must needs perceive to be consonant to the words of Christ and the writings of the apostles, and the testimonies of the catholic fathers, and which is confirmed by the examples of many ages, be only the rage of a sort of madmen, and a combination or conspiracy of heretics. (I.17)
Answering accusations of
heresyHeresy is proposing some unorthodox change to an established system of belief, especially a religion, that conflicts with the previously established opinion of scholars of that belief such as canon. It is sometimes confused with apostasy which is disaffiliation from orthodoxy and blasphemy which is...
and “tumultuous defection,” among others, Jewel establishes the truth and legitimacy of the claims of not only the Church of England but the whole
protestant reformationThe Protestant Reformation was a Christian reform movement in Europe which is generally deemed to have begun with Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses in 1517 although a number of precursors such as Jan Hus predate that event...
by demonstrating the continuity between the reformers and
ScriptureScripture is that corpus of literature deemed authoritative for establishing doctrine within any of a number of specific religious traditions, especially the Abrahamic religions.Such bodies of writings are also sometimes known as the canon of scripture...
, the apostles (especially,
PaulPaul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, Paul of Tarsus, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul, or Saint Paul, ...
), the
church fathersThe Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. The term is used of writers and teachers of the Church, not necessarily saints...
(i.e.,
AugustineAugustine of Hippo , Bishop of Hippo Regius, also known as St. Augustine or St. Austin, was an Algerian Berber philosopher and theologian....
,
TertullianQuintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian, was a prolific and controversial early Christian Berber author, and the first to write Christian Latin literature. He also was a notable early Christian apologist and a polemicist against heresy...
,
AmbroseSaint Ambrose was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century. He is counted as one of the four original doctors of the Church.-Political career:...
,
JeromeSaint Jerome was a Christian priest and apologist. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Strido, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
, etc.), and church councils. Says Jewel, “Thus we have been taught by Christ, by the apostles and holy fathers; and we do faithfully teach the people of God the same things . . .” (III.2).
At the core of the Apology
is a positive statement of catholic doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings" or "instructions", taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
, which comprises the second section of the document. In tone and approach, this section is reminiscent of the Augsburg ConfessionThe Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
, a 1530 document written primarily by Philip Melanchthon throughout which he had maintained a strong emphasis that the reforming movement was no new sect or cult and had added no new or heretical doctrines: “Our churches dissent in no article of the faith from the Church Catholic, but only omit some abuses which are new, and which have been erroneously accepted by the corruption of the times.” In this spirit, the Apology
begins its statement of doctrine in its second section with an exposition and affirmation of the Nicene CreedThe Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in 325...
. Facing charges of heresy, many Protestant reformers realized that establishing their orthodoxy was paramount.
More than soteriology
Unlike the Augsburg Confession
, Jewel’s Apology
is much more interested in doctrines and issues concerning the church than in soteriologyChristian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek sōtērion + English -logy...
. Apology
never treats graceIn Christianity, grace is "unmerited favor" from God. Divine grace is a description of the character of God, which is displayed by God's gifts to humanity. Grace describes the means by which humans are granted salvation...
, predestinationPredestination is a religious concept, which involves the relationship between God and his creation. The religious character of predestination distinguishes it from other ideas about determinism and free will...
, electionAn election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the executive and...
, or justificationJustification may refer to:*Theory of justification, a part of epistemology that attempts to understand the justification of propositions and beliefs*Justification , defense in a prosecution for a criminal offense...
per se. The most explicit and important statement of soteriology in the piece—and one of the few statements concerning soteriology—amounts to a basic summary of the reformers’ view of soteriology and concomitant views of man, works, the law, and
ChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed". It is a translation of the Hebrew . The term "Christ" was a title rather than a proper name. In the four gospels in the New Testament, the word "Christ" is nearly always preceded by the definite article...
.
We say that man is born in sin and leadeth his life in sin, and that no man can truly say his heart is clean; that the most holy man is an unprofitable servant; that the law of God is perfect, and requires of us a full and perfect obedience; and that we cannot in any way keep it perfectly in this life; and that there is no mortal who can be justified in the sight of God by his own deserts; and therefore our only refuge and safety is in the mercy of God the Father, by Jesus Christ, and in the assuring ourselves that he is the propitiation for our sins, by whose blood all our stains are washed out; that he has pacified all things by the blood of his cross; that he by that only sacrifice which he once offered upon the cross, hath perfected all things; and therefore, when he breathed out his soul, he said, IT IS FINISHED; as if by these words he would signify, Now the price is paid for the sins of mankind. (II.21)
In this statement, we see continuities with the early Protestant reformers and sharp discontinuity with the late medieval
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
theologians (e.g.,
Gabriel BielGabriel Biel was a German scholastic philosopher born in Speyer. In 1432 he was ordained to the priesthood and entered Heidelberg University. He succeeded academically and became an instructor in the faculty of the arts....
,
Robert HolcotRobert Holcot was an English Dominican scholastic philosopher, theologian and influential Biblical scholar. He was born in Holcot, Northamptonshire...
) of the via moderna
. This is most evident in Jewel’s doctrine of man, or anthropologyAnthropology is the study of human beings, everywhere and throughout time....
. First, we see evidence of Luther’s totus homo
anthropology and corollary view that the Christian is simul iustus et peccator. Jewel implies these views and causes a number of questions when he says that “no man can truly say his heart is clean,” that “the most holy man is an unprofitable servant,” and that “we cannot in any way keep it [the law] perfectly in this life.” Of these statements, the first two are ambiguous. In the first, Jewel is not clear on the word “man.” “Man” may refer either to the unsaved only or to both the saved and the unsaved. The second of these statements contains a similar ambiguity in the phrase “the most holy man.” This could refer either to the Christian who lives generally well or to the person who is not saved but who only acts righteous outwardly. If the latter is the case, it may represent something like the “civil righteousness” discussed in the Augsburg Confession
. Nevertheless, the third statement clearly evidences simul iustus et peccator
and thus a totus homo anthropology. In this statement, Jewel is clearly referring to Christians. This is apparent when Jewel begins using first-person pronouns and when he says that no one is able to obey the law in this life (i.e., before
glorification-In Orthodox Christianity:Glorification is the term used in the Orthodox Christian Church for the official recognition of a person as a saint of the Church. The Orthodox Christian term theosis is roughly equivalent to the theological term "glorification" used by Protestants...
, when man will become unable to sin).
Salvation treated
Second, Jewel, like the early Protestants, maintains that man, because of
original sinOriginal sin is, according to a doctrine proposed in Christian theology, humanity's state of sin resulting from the Fall of Man. This condition has been characterized in many ways, ranging from something as insignificant as a slight deficiency, or a tendency toward sin yet without collective guilt,...
and his corrupt nature, possesses no soteriological resources. Man can produce no good or meritorious works, and so “there is no trust to be put in the merits of our works and actions” (II.23). Consequently, “no mortal who can be justified in the sight of God by his own deserts,” and so man must hope and trust in Christ for his
salvationIn religion, salvation is the concept that God or other Higher Power, as part of Divine Providence, "saves" humanity from spiritual death or eternal damnation by providing for them an eternal life...
.
Such a doctrine of man completely uproots and destroys the whole theology of the via moderna
. For, the moderni
hold that “God will not deny his grace to the man who does quod in se est
["what lies within oneself"]”; and yet, if, as Luther sees it, quod in se est is corrupt and evil, it is
'impossible' for man to earn,
or even initiate, salvation.
Jewel makes it clear that salvation comes by
faithFaith is the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. The word "faith" can refer to a religion itself or to religion in general....
in Christ. “It is our faith,” he says, “which applies the death and cross of Christ to us” (II.17). Jewel defines a true, saving faith as a “living faith” (II.23). When Jewel treats the sacraments, he emphasizes that not the sacraments themselves but the faith of the individual effects salvation. On this point, Jewel appeals to several church fathers:
‘The faith of the sacraments,’ saith St. Augustine, ‘justifies, and not the sacrament.’ And Origen saith, ‘He (Christ) is the priest and the propitiation, and the sacrifice; and that propitiation comes to every one by way of faith.’ And, therefore, agreeably hereunto, we say that the sacraments of Christ do not profit the living without faith” (II.17).
Similarly, Jewel says, “For although we do not touch Christ with our teeth and lips, yet we hold and press him by faith, mind, and spirit” (II.15).
But Jewel is no antinomian or abuser of Christian freedom, for a true and living faith “is not idle” but, as Paul says in Ephesians 2:10, is called unto
good worksGood works within Christian theology are a person's actions or deeds, contrasting with interior qualitites such as grace or faithThe New Testament exhibits a tension between two aspects of grace: the idea that grace is from God and sufficient to cover any sin, and the idea that grace does not free...
. “Christ himself dwelleth in our hearts by faith,” Jewel says, and Christians are called to
sanctificationSanctification is an ancient concept widespread among religions that refers to anything blessed or set apart for special purposes, from totem poles to temple vessels, to the change brought about in a human believer. The word sanctification refers to the act or process of making sacred or setting...
(II.23).
Much of Jewel’s Apology concerns
doctrine of the churchEcclesiology is the study of the theological understanding of the Christian church. Specific areas of concern include the church's role in salvation, its origin, its relationship to the historical Christ, its discipline, its destiny, and its leadership...
. Concerning the role of the
clergyClergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. The term ultimately comes from the Greek κλῆρος - klēros, "a lot", "that which is assigned by lot" or metaphorically, "inheritence"....
, Jewel on the one hand rails against the Roman Catholic practices of
sacerdotalismSacerdotalism is from the Latin sacerdos, priest, literally one who presents sacred offerings, sacer, sacred, and dare, to give. Sacerdotalism is the idea that a propitiatory sacrifice for sin must be offered by the intervention of an order of men separated to the priesthood...
and refutes the
popeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
's claim to be the “vicar general of Christ,” but on the other hand maintains a need for specially called clergy. Jewel lists three church offices:
deaconDeacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
,
presbyterPresbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
, and
bishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
. The pope, who is more technically the bishop of Rome, must not be regarded as the “vicar general of Christ” or in any sense the foundation of the church but as equal to the other patriarchs in the church. The pope has become too powerful, says Jewel, and “usurps a power which belongs not to him.” He should be judged only by how well he executes the function of the office of bishop—that is, instructing, admonishing, and teaching the people and administering the sacraments. Like Luther in his 1520 work
On the Babylonian Captivity of the ChurchThere are other uses of the term Babylonian Captivity----Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church was the second of the three major treatises published by Martin Luther in 1520, coming after the Address to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation and before On the Freedom of a Christian...
, Jewel says (referencing
AugustineAugustine of Hippo , Bishop of Hippo Regius, also known as St. Augustine or St. Austin, was an Algerian Berber philosopher and theologian....
) that “bishop is the name of a work or office, and not a title of honour; so that he who would usurp an unprofitable preeminence in the church is no bishop” (II.6, 304). Moreover, Jewel, like Luther, compares the pope to “Lucifer” and says the pope has “become the forerunner of antichrist” (II.6).
Sacramental theology
Jewel’s sacramental theology follows the early Protestant reformers, such as Luther and Calvin. Jewel defines sacraments as “the sacred signs and ceremonies which Christ commanded us to use, that he might by them represent to our eyes the mysteries of our salvation, and most strongly confirm the faith we have in his blood, and seal in our hearts his grace” (II.11). This is especially close to Calvin’s own definition of a sacrament. Like the early Protestants, Jewel recognizes two sacraments,
baptismIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
and the
EucharistThe Eucharist, also called Holy Communion, Sacrament of the Table, the Blessed Sacrament, or The Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance, generally considered to be a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his...
. Baptism is a sacrament of the remission of sins, representing the Christian’s being washed in Christ’s blood (II.13). The Eucharist is a sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, representing the death and resurrection of Christ (II.14). It serves to remind Christians of Christ’s sacrifice and thereby to nourish hope of the resurrection and of eternal life. Concerning the nature of the Eucharistic elements, the Apology is slightly vague, although its position seems to be somewhere between Luther’s
consubstantiationConsubstantiation is a theological doctrine that attempts to describe the nature of the Christian Eucharist in concrete metaphysical terms. It holds that during the sacrament, the fundamental "substance" of the body and blood of Christ are present alongside the substance of the bread and wine,...
and the Catholics’
transubstantiationIn Roman Catholic theology, "transubstantiation" means the change of the substance of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before.Some Greek confessions use the term "transubstantiation" , but most Orthodox...
. Says Jewel, “The bread and wine are the holy and heavenly mysteries of the body and blood of Christ; and . . . in them Christ himself . . . is so exhibited to us as present, that we do by faith truly take his body and blood” (II.15). By at once acknowledging the presence of the body and blood of Christ but saying that these are only grasped by faith, the Apology
would appeal to both Protestants and Catholics. “We assert that Christ in his sacraments doth exhibit himself truly present. In baptism, that we may put him on; in his supper that we may eat him by faith and in the spirit; and that by his cross and blood we may have life eternal” (II.15).
Except for section II, the Apology
reads like Luther’s Babylonian Captivity
. It devotes considerable attention to criticizing the manifold abuses and corruptions in the Catholic church. Such issues include marriage of clergy, which Jewel allows (II.9); sacerdotalismSacerdotalism is from the Latin sacerdos, priest, literally one who presents sacred offerings, sacer, sacred, and dare, to give. Sacerdotalism is the idea that a propitiatory sacrifice for sin must be offered by the intervention of an order of men separated to the priesthood...
, a category of offence which would include, for example, making the massIn physics, mass commonly refers to any of three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent: inertial mass, active gravitational mass and passive gravitational mass...
a sacrifice; veneration of saints, which the Apology denounces (II.20); private
absolutionAbsolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the traditional Churches in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.-Roman Catholic Church:...
, which it denies (II.8); and the language of the mass, which Jewel says should be in the vernacular (II.19).
The Church of England has broken from Catholic church, which, Jewel says, has departed from Scripture, the church fathers, and church councils; and Jewel asserts that the Protestant churches are the revival of the true Christian church (Conclusion.1).
We have departed from that church, which they had made a den of thieves, in which they had left nothing sound or like a church, and which they themselves confessed to have erred in many things, as Lot left Sodom, or Abraham Chaldea, not out of contention, but out of obedience to God; and have sought the certain way of religion out of the sacred Scriptures, which we know cannot deceive us, and have returned to the primitive church of the ancient fathers and apostles, that is, to the beginning a first rise of the church, as to the proper fountain. (Conclusion.1)
But while Jewel’s Apology
makes clear the theological and religious reasons for the defection of the Church of England, the English ReformationThe English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
was to a greater extent driven by politics than was, for example, the German Reformation, which began in one man’s tumultuous and uncertain conscience. Jewel’s Apology of the Church of England
provides a good and valuable purview of the central issues—both religious and secular—of the English Reformation and the Reformation as a whole.
External links
The Apology of the Church of England by John Jewel at Project Canterbury.