In all that has been discussed above, a recurring motif has been the constant appeal to scripture in the first place and to the Fathers in the second place. Whatever the political, social or economic motivation for the elements which together forged the English Reformation, once the impetus for Reform was in place, those at the helm turned to the One True Church's catholic heritage. Without question the most important helmsman was Archbishop Thomas Cranmer who gently but forcibly stamped his character on the English Reformation and used his relationship first with Henry and then with Edward to great positive effect. Cranmer's ability to draw on a wide range of sources and influences as he wove the cloth of the English Reformation demands high recognition.
Within continental Europe, groups wishing to reform were usually in direct opposition with their near neighbours. The cost of reform was high. Conflict and in some instances civil war, as in the cases of Germany and France, was the price that had to be paid. Therefore the Reformation in continental Europe had to very quickly establish an identity that stood it significantly apart from what had gone before. The Lutheran, Calvinist and Zwinglian Reformations nearly always started with a 'clean sheet' resulting in a Christianity that was starkly different from the Catholicism that it came out from. The fact that England was geographically separated and that the English Church's helmsman was both cautious and a very capable theological scholar meant that the Church in England could be more leisurely as it made sure it followed the most appropriate course of Reform as it became the Church of England. As a consequence the result was a different kind of Reformed Church - not one that embodied either extreme but confidently embraced a via media.
The lasting legacy of the period in question is immense. The Book of Common Prayer that Cranmer largely wrote, although later revised in 1662, has for more than 300 years remained the main Authorised Book of Common Prayer of the English Anglican Church. A Society to promote its use and to cultivate an appreciation of its teaching and poetic language is enjoying great support
The 1980 Prayer Book was always only an "Alternative" and existed on a 20 year license. Common Worship began rolling out in Advent 1997 and will also be only an "Alternative" although it will be an improvement on the 1980 edition, the passing of time means that it cannot hope to match the masterful poetic expression of Reformed doctrine set out in the BCP. It will be a brave Archbishop of Canterbury that presides over a Church of England that decides to do away with the 1662 BCP!
As an Anglican I really feel that I have the best of both worlds. The Episcopal oversight of the Church, apostolic succession, the vestments and symbolism, and the ancient creeds and texts are all bound up in well-rounded Reformed theology. A theology that places God at the centre and puts its trust in scripture with a ready ear to listen what the Fathers had to say about things.
For many the via media of the English Reformation is the embodiment of English ambiguity and therefore a source of continuing frustration. In the final analysis, it is in fact the embodiment of the correct balance between the Church's catholic heritage and the timely demand for doctrinal reform. The via media owes a huge debt to its chief architect - Thomas Cranmer.
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