The Convocation of 1563 was a significant gathering of English and Welsh clerics that consolidated the Elizabethan religious settlement, and brought the Thirty-Nine Articles close to their final form (which dates from 1571). It was, more accurately, the Convocation of 1562/3 of the province of Canterbury, beginning in January 1562 (Old Style).
Summary Matthew Parker who was Archbishop of Canterbury had prepared documents outlining further reform in the Church of England, as had other bishops. A more thorough-going reform agenda was supported by over 30 of the participants. A compromise version, the "six articles", was narrowly defeated on a vote. The result was that the momentum for reform of the Church by its constitutional procedures was halted. Parker steered the outcome towards the via media. "Swiss-inspired reformists" were headed off.
The Convocation restored the position of the Thirty-Nine Articles in the Church of England. More accurately said, the Forty-Two Articles of Edward VI were reduced to a draft at this point, which was widely supported, and eventually enforced after 1571. There were further proposals from reformers, in particular on canon law and liturgy, some of which originated from a group among the bishops. These, however, proved contentious, and did not pass. Subsequent contestation of the same issues made some of them a matter of authority.
Collinson comments that
Moves to improve the settlement in the convocation of 1563 were led by the bishops rather than by 'Puritans' in the lower house [...]
Dawley writes that probably the surprise of the Convocation
[...] was not the amount of support given to the Precisians but the unexpected extent of loyalty to the existing regulations,
"Precisian" being the term used by Parker for his opponents on the issue of clerical dress.
Participants Bishops Of 20 bishops of the time (the see of Oxford being vacant), there were 12 who had left the Kingdom of England under Mary Tudor: the "Marian exiles". Of those who had remained, some had done so covertly. NameExile?SeeCommentsGilbert BerkeleyFrankfurtBath and WellsRichard CheyneyNoBristol, GloucesterDid not subscribe the 39 articles (ODNB)Matthew ParkerNoCanterbury William BarlowGermany, Poland, EmdenChichesterThomas BenthamZurich, BasleCoventry and Lichfield Richard CoxFrankfurt ElyProbably a reforming bishopWilliam AlleyNoExeter draftsJohn ScoryEmdenHerefordNicholas BullinghamEmden LincolnEdmund GrindalFrankfurt LondonReformer, supported attempts to revise the Prayer Book rubrics.John ParkhurstZurichNorwich Edmund ScamblerLondonPeterborough Edmund GheastNo Rochester drafting of article XXIXJohn JewelStrasbourg, Zürich, PaduaSalisbury Robert HorneZurich, Frankfurt, StrasburgWinchesterEdwin SandysFrankfurt, Augsburg, Strasbourg, ZürichWorcesterDraft on the sign of the cross in baptism (ODNB)Rowland MeyrickNo Bangor Hugh Jones, as proxyNoLlandaff Thomas DaviesNoSt. Asaph Richard DaviesGenevaSt. David's
Of these bishops, 19 attended at the start—not Jones, who was acting as proxy for the aged Anthony Kitchin.
Lower House There were 27 in the Lower House of Convocation who had been émigrés of Queen Mary's time. An estimate of over 50 who had conformed in Mary's reign has also been given. Carlson argues for a definite group of 34 Puritan reformers in the Lower House.
Deans NameExile?Standing in convocationCommentsJohn BaleBaselPrebendary of Canterbury.William BradbridgeNoChancellor of ChichesterVoted for the six articles.William Day Provost of Eton CollegeSupporter of the six articles.Gabriel Goodman Dean of Westminster (ODNB)Against further reform.Francis Mallett Dean of LincolnVoted by proxy.Alexander Nowell Dean of St Paul'sProlocutor on the nomination of Matthew Parker, reformer, drafted catechismLaurence NowellDean of LichfieldBrother of Alexander; voted to change ceremonies (ODNB)John PedderFrankfurtDean of WorcesterSupported 21 requests, voted for six articles, subscribed the 39 articles.John SalisburyDean of NorwichSubscribed to the 39 articles, signed the petition for discipline.Thomas SampsonFrankfurt, Zürich, Geneva, Lausanne (ODNB)Dean of Christ Church, OxfordRadical, opponent of ceremonial
Nicholas Wotton, Dean of Canterbury, did not attend.(ODNB)
Archdeacons NameExile?Standing in convocationCommentsJohn AylmerSwitzerlandArchdeacon of LincolnHeld back in debate,(ODNB) subscribed to the 39 articles.Robert BeaumontGeneva.Archdeacon of HuntingdonAmong the 33 signatories.(ODNB) Supported the six articles.John Bridgewater NoArchdeacon of RochesterVoted against the six articles. (ODNB)Thomas ColeFrankfurtArchdeacon of EssexOne of the 34 proposing the seven articles; abstained on the six articles.Robert CrowleyArchdeacon of Hereford?. Canon of Hereford.(ODNB)Thomas Lever Archdeacon of Coventryreformer.John MullinsArchdeacon of LondonSupported seven articles, abstained on six articles.John PullainGenevaArchdeacon of ColchesterAdvocate of Calvinism.Nicholas RobinsonArchdeacon of MerionethRichard Rogers FrankfurtArchdeacon of St AsaphReformer.Thomas SpencerZürichArchdeacon of ChichesterJohn WatsonArchdeacon of SurreyConservative.(ODNB)Thomas WattsFrankfurt (ODNB)Archdeacon of MiddlesexReformer.Robert WisdomFrankfurt, Heidelberg (ODNB)Archdeacon of ElyVoted for six articles.
Proctors NameExile?Standing in convocationCommentsThomas BickleyFranceProctor for Coventry and Lichfield,Reformer.Walter BowerProctor for the clergy of SomersetJames Calfhill Three votes; proctor for the London clergy and Oxford chapterOne of the 34 signing the seven articles. (ODNB)Thomas Godwin Proctor for Lincoln chapter (ODNB)Voted for further reform.Thomas HuetNo??; precentor of St David's Cathedral (ODNB)Signed the 39 articles.Thomas Lancaster??Voted for six articles. (58/59 ODNB)Robert LougherProctor for the clergy of the diocese of Exeter (ODNB)Opposed six articles.Stephen Nevinson Proctor for the clergy of the diocese of Canterbury (ODNB)ReformerAndrew PeersonProctor for Llandaff (ODNB)Voted against six articles.Michael RennigerProctor for Winchester chapter (ODNB)Reformer.Arthur SaulProctor for Gloucester chapter (ODNB)Reformer.John WalkerNot known (ODNB)Proctor for the Suffolk clergyRobert WestonProctor for the Lichfield clergyPercival WiburnProctor for Rochester chapter (ODNB)
Procedure The Convocation was called simultaneously with a Parliament, and took place in London, in St Paul's Cathedral.s:The Cambridge Modern History/Volume II/Chapter XVI Its sessions took place from 11 January to 14 April 1563 (N.S.). Robert Weston opened the Convocation on 12 January, formally, with a prorogation to the following day. The actual proceedings of Convocation opened on 13 January, when the Litany was sung, and a Latin sermon by William Day preached.
The 39 Articles, to 1571 The subsequent passage of the 39 Articles into the orthodoxy of the Church of England was tortuous. There are various versions of the Articles: manuscript from the Convocation, printed in Latin (Reyner Wolfe) and English by John Cawood and Richard Jugge (1563); printed later. A bill in the Parliament of 1566 to confirm the articles from the Convocation was halted in the House of Lords, by pressure from the Queen.
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