On how Francis White - who would be a strong supporter of the ecclesiastical policies of the Personal Rule - denied that "personal succession of bishops" was an "essential mark" of the Church. laudablepractice.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-...

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.30 - this, I think, is the heart of Taylor's view of the Nicene Creed. Acceptance of its truth, scepticism about Nicene arguments, dislike of the anathema, acknowledgement that this creed preserves peace:

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.27 - Taylor here walking a fine line between affirming the Nicene Creed (as "an explication" of the Apostles' Creed) and echoing a Remonstrant preference for "original simplicity":

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.26 - Taylor (again echoed in much current writing on the controversy) sees in Constantine's rebuke of both Alexander and Arius the latitude of the pre-Nicene consensus:

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.26 - Taylor's account of the controversy between Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, and Arius reads like many recent accounts of the controversy, seeing no settled orthodoxy but what Lewis Ayres calls 1/2

Francis White (Dean of Carlisle, consecrated bishop 1626) in a 1623 debate with Fisher the Jesuit: "The more learned Iesuites themselues, acknowledge, That Protestants beleeue the reall Presence of Christs Bodie and Blood, in the holy Eucharist; and our Diuines deliuer their 1/2

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.25 - Taylor turns to discussion of the Nicene Creed. Here, I think, is a favourable reference to Grotius and Remonstrant divines who were questioning the necessity of the Nicene defintion:

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.22-23 - discussing the conflict between Cyprian of Carthage and Stephen of Rome over the former re-baptising heretics, Taylor (perhaps surprisingly) suggests the matter was not an article of faith and 1/2

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.19 - on how the accusations of heresy against the Quartodecimans, who observed their Easter "modestly, quietly, and without faction", was another patristic example of misusing the term 'heresy':

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.17-19 - Taylor criticises the patristic era for using "opinions less necessary" as grounds for accusations of 'heresy'. It is worth noting that recent studies of early Christianity echo Taylor on this.

"... the great inheritance of the British Enlightenment" "Our Declaration of Rights of 1689 was ... the foundation of our constitutional Monarchy" The King rebuking the neo-Jacobite, anti-Enlightenment postliberals ...

"Chillingworth and Falkland [of the Great Tew Circle] found the writings of the Socinians extremely useful ... In 1646 Henry Hammond [the Episcopalian divine] praised Chillingworth's skill in taking 'balsome' from the Socinian Johannes Volkelius" (p.67f).

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.12 - one "may doubt lawfully" a "system of theology". Questioning such a "system" is not a basis for an accusation of heresy:

King George VI with FDR, after attending divine service at St. James Episcopal Church in Hyde Park, New York, in 1939. And Queen Elizabeth II attending divine service in Old North Church, Boston, in 1976.

On the 27th day of the month at Evening Prayer, Psalm 131: "I do not exercise myself in great matters : which are too high for me". From Jeremy Taylor's prayer accompanying this psalm, "our affections weaned from great opinions and love of our selves":

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.12 - the term 'heresy' should be deployed very sparingly, for "in some things or other" we all "may be easily deceived":

Christ Church, Lancaster County, Virginia, built 1732-35. It is described as "the most finely crafted and best preserved parish church from colonial Virginia". Divine service is still offered in the church on Sundays in Summer.

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) II.1 - on how the term 'heresy' in Scripture is used for "great errors practical ... such whose doctrines taught impiety", rather than theological error in itself:

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.12 - more than a hint of the 'Shakespeare of divines' in this passage, on how adding to the articles of Faith in the Apostles' Creed would require "infallible judgment, and an infallible prudence":

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.12 - how adding new articles of faith contradicts "the charity of the church". Interestingly, Taylor in a footnote references the French conciliarist Jacques Almain (d. 1515) who influenced Gallicanism.

Definitely recommended for anyone interested in contemporary Islam. A fantastic study of the significant diversities of modern Islamic thought. Of particular note, "scepticism towards the Islamist project is shared by contemporary Muslims of various ideological persuasions" (p.275).

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.12 - churches can make additions that are deductions from the Apostles' Creed, but these cannot be "necessary to be believed" nor do they bind those of another communion:

Peter Lake's 600 page 'On Laudianism' has convinced me - there was no such thing as 'Laudianism'. The unwieldy coalition supporting the ecclesiastical policies of the Personal Rule was not centred on or defined by Laud. laudablepractice.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-...

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.11 - to go beyond the Apostles' Creed in declaring what is necessary for salvation is to go beyond apostolic authority, Scripture, and reason:

Mid-April at The Middle Church, in the heart of Jeremy Taylor country.

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.8 - in his discussion of the sufficiency of the Apostles' Creed, Taylor qualifies the descent into hell clause, reflecting (as throughout his works) the hesitation of the Reformed view on this clause:

From Facebook, the Church of the Incarnation, Manhattan, Second Sunday of Easter. Morning Prayer Rite 1 is the main service on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. (I worshipped here in the Summer of 2008. From memory, it was then surplice and stole at Holy Communion.)

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.7 - the sufficiency of the Apostles' Creed means that it is not to be regarded as "general principles, in the bosom of which many more articles" necessary to salvation are found:

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.7 - introducing his central contention, that the Apostles' Creed contains that which is sufficient for salvation:

"... the Latitudinarian virtues are the virtues of what philosopher John Kekes calls ‘moderate conservatism’: 'Moderation leads prudent people to avoid extremes and to be reluctant to endanger the life they have made for themselves.'" open.substack.com/pub/latitude...

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.6 - that which can be deduced from the core saving articles of the Christian faith is not to be deemed necessary to salvation:

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) I.2 - outside of "the foundation of faith", "it is not necessary, concerning many things, to know that God hath revealed them":

Communion Cups from the Walloon Chapel in Canterbury Cathedral, 1632. Protestants from Wallonia fleeing persecution were granted refuge by Elizabeth I. The Chapel was in the crypt of the Cathedral. In 1634 the community had 900 communicants.

Cambridge Platonist George Rust, in his sermon at Jeremy Taylor's funeral: "for I am not apt to swallow down that Conceit of the Schools, that we shall spend Eternity in gazing upon the naked Deity; for certainly the happiness of man consists in having all his faculties, in 1/2

Why I like Saint Matthew's account of the Resurrection: 1. Proclaiming the Resurrection *is* an earthquake. 2. The impish character of the angel sitting on the stone. 3. We go back to Galilee, where it all started. 4. This is the first gospel written #MattheanPriority.

"Here therefore are the great Hinges of all Religion: 1. Christ is already risen from the dead. 2. We also shall rise in God's time and our order. Christ is the first fruits. But there shall be a full harvest of the Resurrection, and all shall rise." Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor, writing to a friend in January 1660: "Episcopius, whose whole works are excellent, and containe the whole body of orthodox religion". Such praise for the Remonstrant Episcopius led the presbyterian clergy of Down and Connor to accuse Taylor of 'Socinianism'.

Jeremy Taylor, in 'The Great Exemplar', on 'he descended into hell': "Our blessed Lord 'descended into hell', saith the creed of the apostles, from the sermon of St. Peter, as he from the words of David, that is, that state of separation and common receptacle of spirits, 1/2

Jeremy Taylor opening his Passion meditation - in 'The Great Exemplar' (1649) - with a reference to Origen is not without significance. It points to what Sarah Hutton has termed "an Origenist moment in English theology” in the 1650s, particularly amongst the Cambridge Platonists.

Jeremy Taylor, in 'The Great Exemplar', on the nakedness and shame of the Crucified:

Jeremy Taylor, in 'The Great Exemplar', on the institution of the Lord's Supper - on the fitting character of the symbols of Bread and Wine:

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) - on viewing diversities of opinions as "not to kindle strife, but to warm our affections":

From Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) - on how it is natural for there to be a diversity of theological opinions within Christianity:

The concluding words of the Prayer Book Gospel reading for the Monday before Easter: we are called with Peter to have "a broken and a contrite heart" as the Passion of the Lord is proclaimed throughout this week.

From the Epistle Dedicatory of Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) - on how a wise modesty in theological claims contrasts with a loud, triumphant ignorance:

Jeremy Taylor, in 'The Great Exemplar', on Palm Sunday: the reception of Christ by His disciples on this day is "expressive of all our duties".

From the Epistle Dedicatory of Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) - quoting Augustine, Taylor chooses cautious, prudent ignorance over false knowledge:

From the Epistle Dedicatory of Jeremy Taylor's 'A Discourse of the Liberty of Prophesying' (1646) - on the need for a wise, prudent agnosticism about theological issues which lack "clearest revelation":

Jeremy Taylor on the Annunciation: "Many times God is present in the still voice and private retirements of a quiet religion, and the constant spiritualities of an ordinary life; when the loud and impetuous winds, and the shining fires of more laborious and expensive 1/2