But in the ensuing centuries, some have taken this conviction as a mandate to abandon the departure from received orthodoxy, while others have progressed toward a rigid confessionalism that cements the Reformation itself as a final codification of truth. Between these extremes is the ongoing need of the church to be always reforming--subjecting its beliefs and practices to the renewed scrutiny of Holy Scripture and restating the truth of Scriptures in ways that faithfully communicate the gospel, advance the mission of the church and empower the people of God. This collection of essays by...

The two Books of Homilies, along with the Book of Common Prayer and the Ordinal, have long been basic documents of the Church of England, and are valuable in showing how Anglican doctrine shifted during the Reformation, as well as being of considerable historical importance. The first book, published in 1547, early in the reign of Edward VI, was partly, though not entirely, the work of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, and the inspiration appears to have been his. This was intended to raise the standards of preaching by offering model ser mons covering particular doctrinal and pastoral themes,...