A Learned Discourse of Justification

by Richard Hooker

Richard Hooker (March 1554 – 3 November 1600) was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. Hooker's emphases on reason, tolerance and the value of tradition considerably influenced the development of Anglicanism. He was the co-founder (with Thomas Cranmer and Matthew Parker) of Anglican theological thought.

Genres: Theology

Nook

First published June 30, 2010

About the author

Richard Hooker (March 1554 – 3 November 1600) was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. Hooker's emphases on reason, tolerance and the value of tradition considerably influenced the development of Anglicanism. He was the co-founder (with Thomas Cranmer and Matthew Parker) of Anglican theological thought. Hooker's great Elizabethan guide to Church Government and Discipline is both a masterpiece of English prose and one of the bulwarks of the Established Church in England. Hooker projected eight books for the great work. The first four books of Ecclesiastical Polity appeared in 1593, Book V in 1597. Hooker died in 1600 at the age of forty-six and the remaining three books were completed, though not revised, before his death. The manuscripts fell into careless or unscrupulous hands and were not published until long afterwards (1648 to 1662), and then only in mutilated form. Samuel Pepys makes mention of Hooker's Polity three times in his Diary, first in 1661, "Mr. Chetwind fell commending of 'Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity,' as the best book, and the only one that made him a Christian, which puts me upon the buying of it, which I will do shortly." In 1667 Pepys bought the new edition that had been printed in 1666, the first to include the life of Hooker by Izaak Walton.

Reviews

[Adam Lam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than expected!

This book is written in near 1600, leading to 2 observations. The first is that the language is in very old English, which made it tenuous to understand. The second and more important observation is that it was very ecumenical! Seeing that the all traditions of Christianity have made meaningful progress in discussions about Justification since 1600, this reiterates the unity possible in Christianity.

Hooker provides a sort of logical foundation that deals with what is and isn't heresy. He makes it clear that there needs to be a direct, conscious denial of the foundation of Christianity to be a heretic and not within God's mercy. Simply erring, being deceived, or sincerely believing incorrect doctrine does not count. He makes an example that even though the Church Fathers may have erred, God was still merciful. He provides discourse on the Roman Catholic Church, and how they were different from the Galatians. Ultimately, he includes the RCC inside of God's mercy, for the foundation of Christianity - salvation by Jesus Christ - remains in tact.

Overall, the book emphasizes that the reach of God's mercy is great!

"Surely, I must confess unto you, if it be an error to think that God may be merciful to save men even when they err, my greatest comfort is my error: were it not for the love I bear unto this error, I would neither wish to speak nor to live."

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Surely, I must confess unto you, if it be an error to think that God may be merciful to save men even when they err, my greatest comfort is my error: were it not for the love I bear unto this error, I would neither wish to speak nor to live."

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkably kind discussion. I have read a good bit of the justification by faith ALONE from Luther and Calvin and many more modern authors, but it is nice to get the other side of it. Hooker was compassionate:

"The hour may come when we shall think it a blessed thing to hear that if our sins were as the sins of the pope and cardinals the bowels of the mercy of God are larger."

"Surely, I must confess unto you, if it be an error to think that God may be merciful to save men even when they err, my greatest comfort is my error: were it not for the love I bear unto this error, I would neither wish to speak nor to live."

Okay, I'm hooked.