A History of Britain 06.docx

A History of Britain 06.docx

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AHistoryofBritain06

AHistoryofBritain06.BurningConvictions（1of29）

Thereareghostsinthisplace.

Youdon'tnoticethemrightaway.

Atfirstglance,BinhamPrioryinNorfolklooksmuchlikeanyotherEnglishcountrychurch-plainandsimple,limestone,limewash.

Nothingfancy,really.

Butthenyoulookaroundandrealisesomethingelseisgoingonhere.

Thatgrandiose,timber-vaultedroof.

Thosemulti-storeyarcades.

Aren'ttheyalljustabittoobigforaparishchurch?

Andthenyoustarttofillinthegaps,andbitbybitalostworldremakesitself,aworldofmonksandmasses,ofcolourandplainsong.

Aworldofbrilliantimages.

TheworldofCatholicEngland.

Forcenturies,thisdidn'tsoundstrained.

CatholicEnglandwasjustanotherwayofsayingChristianEngland,really.

Andthen,inageneration,itstoppedbeingatruismandstartedbeingtreason.

ImagesoftheVirgin,theapostlesandthesaintsoncecherishedandglorified,werenowmockedandvandalised.

HereatBinham,thesaintsontheroodscreenwereexpunged,paintedoverwithversesfromanEnglishBible.

Today,they'rerestored,buttheworldoverwhichtheyoncepresidedisdeadandgone.

Wecan'tbringbackthelostworldofBinham'spaintedsaintswholeandaliveagain.

Butjustbecausethedeathofthatworldwassoshocking,soutterlyimprobable,andbecausetheReformationandthewarsofreligionittriggeredcutsodeepamarkonthebodyofourcountry,weneedtotryandreassemblethefragmentsofthatworldasbestwecan.

Onlythencanwehopetoansweroneofthemostpoignantquestionsinourhistory:

WhateverdidhappentoCatholicEngland?

Weallgrewup,evenaniceJewishboylikeme,withtheideathattheEnglishReformationwasahistoricinevitability,thecullingofanobsolete,unpopular,fundamentallyun-Englishfaith.

ButontheveryeveoftheReformation,CatholicisminEnglandwasvibrant,popularandverymuchalive.

ThisisWalsinghaminNorfolk,oncethehomeofthemiracleworkingshrineofOurLadyofWalsingham.

AlongwiththeBecketshrineatCanterbury,Walsinghamwasthemust-seeplaceforallserious16th-centurypilgrims,atraditionrevivedthiscenturybyHighChurchAnglicans.

Today,yougetonlythefaintestechoesofwhatWalsinghamoncewas,agaudy,rowdymixofhucksterismandholiness,pietyandplastersaints;

thekindofplaceyou'dexpecttofind,say,inNaplesorSeville,notinthedepthsofsoberEastAnglia.

Buteventhen,astoday,noteverybodyapproved.

Erasmus,theCatholicscholarsuperstaroftheage,camehereonamockpilgrimageandpouredscornontalesofsacredmilkandchapelsairmailedinfromtheHolyLand.

Buthiswastheminorityintellectualview,safelyexpressedinLatinandtolerated,thoughnotnecessarilyendorsed,bymembersoftherulingTudordynasty.

TheTudorswereregularanddevoutpilgrims.

HenryVIII,earlyinhisreign,walkedbarefoottotheshrine,offeringanecklaceofrubiesanddedicatingagiantcandleinthanksforthebirthofhisson,Henry,in1511.

PrinceHenrydiedwithinweeks,buttheking'scandlecontinuedtoburnattheshrineformanyyearstocome.

WhatastrangeworldthisCatholicEnglandwas.

Theurgeforrenewalandreformsidebysidewiththeancient,thehallowedandtheoccasionallyfraudulent.

ButitseemsthatallapparentcontradictionscouldbeaccommodatedunderthecapaciousskirtsoftheCatholicMotherChurch.

Andwhatamothershewas!

CometoHolyTrinityChurchatLongMelfordinSuffolk,andyou'llseejustwhatImean.

ThismagnificentbuildingwaspaidforwithSuffolkwoolmoney.

However,whatyouseetodayarejustthebarebonesofwhatitwassupposedtobe.

ButweknowwhatLongMelfordinitssplendourwasreallylikethankstoanaccountleftbyRogerMartyn,who'dbeenachurchwardenhereinthereignofEngland'slastCatholicruler,QueenMary.

WritingintheverydifferenttimesofQueenElizabeth,RogerMartyn,withamixtureofprideandregret,setouttotellfuturegenerationsexactlywhattheyweremissing.

AtthebackofthehighaltartherewasagoodlymountcarvedveryartificiallywiththestoryofChrist'sPassion,allbeingfair,giltandlivelyandbeautifullysetforth.

Andatthenorthendofthesamealtartherewasagoodlygilttabernaclereachinguptotheroofofthechancel,inwhichtherewasonefair,large,giltimageoftheHolyTrinity,besidesotherfineimages.

ButMartyn'schurchwasmorethanjustabuilding.

Hedescribesalivingworldofprocessionsandfestivals,ceremoniesandritualsinvolvingthewholecommunity.

Aboveallthispresidedthe"management",withoutwhomnoneofitmadesense.

Thepriests,guardiansofthemystery,attheheartoftraditionalChristianbelief.

Everytimethepriestcelebratedcommunion,Christcrucifiedwouldbethereinfleshandblood.

Thepriestwastheindispensableman,andtherewasnogettingtoHeavenbutthroughhishands.

Butelsewhereotherhandswerehardatwork.

Themiracle-workingpriestwasabouttobechallengedbythewordofGoditself,translatedintoEnglishandprintedinblackandwhite.

Hand-writtenEnglishBibleshadbeenincirculationsincethedaysoftheLollards,thatProtestantheresythatflourishedbrieflyintheearly1400s.

Butmanuscriptsrepresentedhardlabourandcostpoundstobuy.

AprintedNewTestament,ontheotherhand,couldbemass-producedandsoldforatenthoftheprice.

TheideaofaBibleinEnglish,cheapandfreelyavailabletoanyonewhocouldread,putthefearofGodintotheauthorities.

WilliamTyndale,anordainedpriest,wasthefirsttotakeonthedangeroustaskoftranslating,publishingandprintinganEnglishversionoftheNewTestament.

Tyndaleisarecognisablehistoricaltype.

Austere,steely,unswerving,evenalittlefanatical,anddisarminglyclearinhisownconvictions.

"Itwasnotpossible,"hewrote,"toestablishthelaypeopleinanytruth"excepttheScriptureswereplainlylaidbeforetheireyesintheirmothertongue."

In1524,TyndalefledLondonformainlandEurope,endingupinWormsinGermany,acitywhichhadrecentlybeenmadesafelyProtestantbyitsallegiancetothenewradicaldoctrinesofMartinLuther.

Tyndale'sEnglishNewTestamentwascompletedtherebyJanuary1526,andwithinweekscopieswereonsaleinLondon.

WhatfollowedwasanEnglishversionoftheInquisition.

Denunciations,arrests,bookburnings,showtrials.

Thosewhorecantedwereforcedtocarrybeforethemfaggotsofwood,symbolsofthebonfirethatwouldconsumethemiftheyeverlapsedagain.

Andin1530symbolismgavewaytogruesomerealitywhenapriestnamedThomasHittonconfessedtosmugglinginaNewTestament.

Condemnedasaheretic,hewasburnedatMaidstoneonthe23rdofFebruary.

TheReformationhadclaimeditsfirstvictim.

Andcheeringallthisonfromthesidelineswastheking,HenryVIII,dutifulsonoftheChurch,whosecandleatWalsinghamhadbeenburningbrightlyfornearly20years.

Inthewinterof1530,asthefirewaslitundertheunfortunateHitton,therewasnoreasontothinkthatanythingwouldeverchange.

Tounderstandwhyitdid,youhavetounderstandsomethingaboutHenry,themanwhowithouteverreallymeaningtoturnedCatholicEnglandintoaProtestantnation.

Well,forastart,hewasneversupposedtobeking.

ButwhenhisolderbrotherArthurdied,Henry,aged11,becameheirapparent.

Healsoacquiredhisbrother'swife,theSpanishCatherineofAragon.

ThemarriagealliancebetweenSpainandEnglandwasjusttooimportanttobeallowedtolapse.

In1509,KingHenryVIIdied,andhis17-year-oldsoncameintohisown.

Theyoungkingwasaspectacularsight.

Youcouldpracticallysmellthetestosterone.

Anywayandanywherehecouldflashthatburlyenergy,hedid,inthesaddle,onthedancefloororhereonthetenniscourt,whereabesottedcourtierwroteoftheking'sskin,"glowingthroughthefabricofhisfinelywovenshirt".

Thentherewasthefamousbreezycharm,dispensedliketheEnglishweather-insunnyperiods,alternatingwithcloudyspellsandsuddenburstsofheavythunder.

Thecharmwasoftherib-poking,back-slapping,punch-in-the-belly-arm-around-the-shoulderskind,which,dependingonthemoodofthemonth,couldbetokeneithersuddenpromotionorimminentarrest.

Henrywallowedinthepraisedroolinglylavishedonhimbycourtiersandambassadors.

Henrythegallant,Henrythehandsome,Henrytheclever,Henrythesuperstar.

TheonlykingtohavehisownpersonalbandhiredtogotouringwithhimandfeaturingyoungHenryhimselfasleadsinger/songwriter.

EggedonbythePope,whodangledbeforehimthetitleofDefenderoftheFaith,HenrywasdeterminedtomakeasplashydebutontheEuropeanscene.

HetriedtogethisSpanishfather-in-law,KingFerdinand,tocomeinonjointventuresagainsttheirmutualenemy,KingLouisofFrance.

Butwhenitcametosnake-pitpolitics,Ferdinandwasarealpro,shamelesslyexploitingHenry'slustforglory,butfailingtodeliveronthepromisedarmies.

Henrypushedonwithouthimand,inthesummerof1513,talkedupaskirmishwithFrenchknightsintoamajorvictorycalledtheBattleoftheSpurs.

Meanwhile,backhome,QueenCatherineandhercouncillorsmanagedamilitaryvictoryofmajorimportanceatFloddenField,whichleftthekingoftheScots,JamesIV,andadozenScottishearlsdeadonthebattlefield.

Butbehindallthisactivityathomeandabroad,keepingthearmysupplied,negotiatingthetreaties,channellingtheking'senergieswasoneofthegreatestorganisationalbrainsoftheage-ArchbishopofYork,soontobeChancellorofEngland,ThomasWolsey.

Let'sfaceit,ifwecouldfindone,wecouldalluseaWolsey,aJeeveswithanatt