St Jude's In The Mountains
Anglican Church - Tehachapi CA
Anglican Church - Tehachapi CA
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or on the other hand become so enamored with Rome that we would be little than a sect under the Papacy. As Queen Elizabeth had discerned, there is a "middle way", and starting with her, Andrewes supported such conviction in service to three monarchs, beginning with Elizabeth.
Lancelot Andrewes was born in 1555, the son of a scholar, Thomas, a master of Trinity House. Lancelot graduated with a BA from Pembroke Hall, Cambridge in 1575 and completed his MA in 1578. He was ordained in 1580 and soon discovered his gift in preaching as he read sermons on the Decalogue, managing to hold eager attention of the students in his catechism classes by the way he read. By 1588 he became Vicar of St. Giles' in Cripplegate, where he preached powerfully on the validity of the English Reformation. The following year he was assigned to St. Paul's in London, where he became master of Pembroke College and chaplain to Archbishop Whitgift. In 1590 he preached before Queen Elizabeth as one of her chaplains, and he developed a reputation as a bold preacher. Andrewes assisted in the coronation of James I in 1601, and was one of the first appointed scholars to assist in the King James Bible. After twice declining the opportunity to become a bishop, he was finally consecrated Bishop of Chichester in 1605. Thirteen years later he became Bishop of Winchester, where he served until his death in 1626. Andrewes was deeply loved by his peers, but his full influence was yet to come.
While several books of Lancelot Andrewes had been published in the course of his life, many of his sermons became known generations later, as were his books. His best known book was called "A Manual of Private Devotions." His most well-known defense of the Anglican Reformation was a work entitled "First Answer to Cardinal Peron." Andrewes was as much concerned by Roman influence over the Church of England as Richard Hooker had been of Puritan influence. Andrewes' preaching was a marvel of fine rhetoric. In an Easter sermon, he once said of Mary Magdalene, "…She was last at His cross, and first at His grave; stayed longest there, was soonest there; could not rest till she were up to seek Him; sought Him while it was yet dark, before she had light to seek Him by…" Lancelot Andrewes became noticed by the likes of Jeremy Taylor, George Herbert and Richard Crashaw as the 1662 Book of Common Prayer was being crafted. His influence ensured an emphasis on the Sacraments as well as Holy Scripture in the new Prayer Book, yet in language that clearly articulated Justification by Faith. This balance of Catholic worship and Reformed theology continues to define the faith of Anglican Christians at their best to this day, giving us a unique niche in reaching out to those thirsty for God's Word, even as they yearn for the traditions of the Church Fathers.
Lancelot Andrewes was born in 1555, the son of a scholar, Thomas, a master of Trinity House. Lancelot graduated with a BA from Pembroke Hall, Cambridge in 1575 and completed his MA in 1578. He was ordained in 1580 and soon discovered his gift in preaching as he read sermons on the Decalogue, managing to hold eager attention of the students in his catechism classes by the way he read. By 1588 he became Vicar of St. Giles' in Cripplegate, where he preached powerfully on the validity of the English Reformation. The following year he was assigned to St. Paul's in London, where he became master of Pembroke College and chaplain to Archbishop Whitgift. In 1590 he preached before Queen Elizabeth as one of her chaplains, and he developed a reputation as a bold preacher. Andrewes assisted in the coronation of James I in 1601, and was one of the first appointed scholars to assist in the King James Bible. After twice declining the opportunity to become a bishop, he was finally consecrated Bishop of Chichester in 1605. Thirteen years later he became Bishop of Winchester, where he served until his death in 1626. Andrewes was deeply loved by his peers, but his full influence was yet to come.
While several books of Lancelot Andrewes had been published in the course of his life, many of his sermons became known generations later, as were his books. His best known book was called "A Manual of Private Devotions." His most well-known defense of the Anglican Reformation was a work entitled "First Answer to Cardinal Peron." Andrewes was as much concerned by Roman influence over the Church of England as Richard Hooker had been of Puritan influence. Andrewes' preaching was a marvel of fine rhetoric. In an Easter sermon, he once said of Mary Magdalene, "…She was last at His cross, and first at His grave; stayed longest there, was soonest there; could not rest till she were up to seek Him; sought Him while it was yet dark, before she had light to seek Him by…" Lancelot Andrewes became noticed by the likes of Jeremy Taylor, George Herbert and Richard Crashaw as the 1662 Book of Common Prayer was being crafted. His influence ensured an emphasis on the Sacraments as well as Holy Scripture in the new Prayer Book, yet in language that clearly articulated Justification by Faith. This balance of Catholic worship and Reformed theology continues to define the faith of Anglican Christians at their best to this day, giving us a unique niche in reaching out to those thirsty for God's Word, even as they yearn for the traditions of the Church Fathers.
One occasion through history, God graces our lives with someone whose influence is phenomenal, but not until generations after his passing. In classical music we saw this with J.S. Bach and Mozart, each of whom died in poverty but left an indelible mark in the world of music. In the Anglican world we have the prominent figure of Lancelot Andrewes, whose rhetorical mastery echoes from many pages of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. He died over 40 years before that prayer book was written, but his Godly influence over that work is unquestionable. Were it not for him, Anglicans would be little more than your typical "non-denominational" evangelicals but with fancier clothes for the clergy,
