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YORK.
CHAPTER
XXI.
Ik Januaiy, 1547, Edward VI. ascended the throne.
He was but nine years old, and however precocious
he miglit be, it is obvious that the steps, which so
rapidly followed for carrying out the innovations
which had for a considerable time been contemplated
by Cranmer and others, were really the acts of his
uncle, the Protector Somerset. But all was done in
the kings name, and every opportunity was seized
for prompting the boy-king to
the utterance of sentiments
in unison with the views of the reforming party.
His first Parliament did not assemble until November,
1547. But the intervening time was not allowed to
pass without something being done. During this
period, Ridley attacked the old opinions in his sermons.
Certain alterations were made which were
studiously put forth as emanating solely from the
royal authority,
(i.) A book of homilies was issued.
This was not so much a formulary of faith as a
practical work, but it went a good deal beyond the
'•
Necessary Erudition,'' published in the last reign,
laying down very strongly the cardinal doctrine of the
Reformers on the subject of justification by faith.
The book was attacked by Gardiner as being inconsistent
with the " Necessary Erudition." (2.) It
was ordered that Erasmus' Paraphrase should be