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Fundamental book for the history of sixteenth-century Reformation in England

CRANMER, Thomas.
Defensio verae et Catholicae doctrinae de Sacramento corporis & sanguinis Christi servatoris nostri, & quorundam in hac causa errorum confutatio ...

(Emden, Gellius Ctematius (=Egidius (Gillis) van der Erven)), 1557. 8vo. Later three-quarter calf, red painted edges. (16), 154, (1) lvs. Collation: A-X8, Y4-1; last blank missing).

Second edition of the Latin translation of Thomas Cranmer's fundamental A defence of the true and catholike doctrine of the sacrament of the body and bloud of our Savior Christ, which was first published in London by Reginald Wolfe in 1550. The first edition of the translation in Latin, made by Sir John Cheke (1514-1557), appeared also in London with Wolfe in 1553.
As stated on the title-page Cranmer has revised and enlarged the text of this second edition during his imprisonment just before he was sentenced to death in 1556 ('ab autore in vinculis recognita & aucta'), reason why the book had to be published outside England in the protestant enclave Emden in East Frisia. There are two issues of this second Latin edition; our copy belongs to the issue without the name of the printer Egidius (Gillis) van der Erven (Gellius Ctematicus) in the imprint, and with the Bible citation on the title in four lines. The third Latin edition was printed in Zürich in 1562 by Chr. Froschauer.

Thomas Cranmer ((1489-1556) was sent to Cambridge in 1503 where he studied philosophy, logic and Latin authors including Erasmus. He received his doctorate in 1526. In 1529 a plague forced Cranmer to leave Cambridge for Essex. He came to the attention of Henry VIII, who was staying nearby. The king and his councillors found Cranmer a willing advocate for Henry's desired divorce from Catherine of Aragon. Cranmer argued the case as part of the embassy to Rome in 1530, and in 1532 became ambassador to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Cranmer was sent to Germany to learn more about Lutheranism. Here he met Margaret Osiander, the niece of a Lutheran reformer, who he married.
In 1533, Cranmer was chosen to be archbishop of Canterbury and forced (for a time) to hide his married state. Once his appointment was approved by the Pope, Cranmer declared Henry's marriage to Catherine void, and four months later married him to Anne Boleyn.
With Thomas Cromwell, he supported the translation of the bible into English. In 1545 he wrote a litany that is still used in the church. Under the reign of Edward VI, Cranmer was allowed to make the doctrinal changes he thought necessary to the church. In 1549 he helped complete the Book of Common Prayer.
After Edward VI's death, Cranmer supported Lady Jane Grey as successor. Her nine-day reign was followed by the Roman Catholic Queen Mary, who tried him for treason. After a long trial and imprisonment, he was forced to proclaim to the public his error in the support of Protestantism, an act designed to discourage followers of the religion. Despite this, Cranmer was sentenced to be burnt to death in Oxford on 21 March 1556. He dramatically stuck his right hand, with which he had signed his recantation, into the fire first.

His lectures were received to wide acclaim, both by Protestants and Papists - at least with the latter until the subject of the Eucharist arose. He had abandoned Luther's doctrine of consubstantiation and adopted the doctrine of a Real Presence conditioned by the faith of the recipient. In this sense he certainly has had astrong influence in the modifications of the Book of Common Prayer made in 1552, which leaned towards the Swiss reformers, greatly toning down the sacrificial element in the eucharist, removing prayers for the dead, and removing many ceremonies, including the admixture of water with the wine at Communion, the exorcism, the putting on of the chrysom robe and the triple immersion in baptism. All this was based on the present book, his Defence of the true and Catholic doctrine of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, which propagated the new doctrine about the Eucharist.

Very good copy, with the bookplate of the Neander Library, Rochester theological Seminary.- (Title somewhat soiled; spine repaired).

VD16 C-5686; Adams C 2869; Routh 14.12.40/1; not in Typ. Bat. (!); J. Ridley, Thomas Cranmer (1962), passim; Thomas Cranmer, Relative to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Ed. John Edmund Cox (2001).

Related Subjects: 16th Century Erasmus Reformation Religion

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