The English Reformers

Why Their Legacy Still Shapes Our Life Together

When we speak about being a Classical Anglican church, we stand in a long and rich story—one that stretches back to the 16th-century English Reformers. These men and women helped shape the faith we profess, the Scriptures we cherish, and the Prayer Book liturgy we use week by week. Their commitment to Christ and His gospel still encourages and challenges us today in the Parish of Holy Trinity Launceston.

A Return to the Bible

The central aim of the English Reformation was not innovation but restoration. Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer, William Tyndale and many others believed the church needed to return to the authority and clarity of God’s Word. They put the Bible back into the hands of ordinary people. Tyndale famously declared that he wanted a ploughboy to know the Scriptures better than the clergy of his day—and he gave his life for that mission.

Their work reminds us that the living Word of God stands at the centre of the church’s life. This is why we value expository preaching, careful Bible study, and gospel-shaped worship.

A Clearer Gospel

Before the Reformation, the gospel had often been obscured by layers of ritual, superstition, and works-righteousness. Cranmer and his fellow Reformers worked tirelessly to proclaim the simple, life-giving truth recovered so clearly by the Reformers across Europe:

Christ alone saves sinners

By grace alone, not by our merit

Through faith alone, not through our works

According to Scripture alone

All for the glory of God alone

These Five Solas are not slogans from the past—they remain the heartbeat of our ministry today as we seek to make disciples of Jesus throughout Launceston and our wider region.

Prayer and Worship - Shaped by the Gospel

One of Cranmer’s great gifts was the reshaping of English worship in the Book of Common Prayer. His liturgies brought the gospel to the forefront: sin confessed honestly, grace announced clearly, Scripture read widely, and the Lord’s Supper celebrated with reverence and thanksgiving.

In the Parish of Holy Trinity, our commitment to warm, historic, liturgy flows from the same desire: that every person might hear, believe, and rejoice in the good news of Christ crucified and risen.

Courage Under Fire

Many Reformers paid the ultimate price for their convictions. Latimer and Ridley were burned at the stake, Cranmer shortly after them. Their courage reminds us that the Christian life is sometimes costly—but always worth it.

They teach us to remain faithful in a world that often misunderstands or opposes the gospel. As Latimer said to Ridley as the flames rose:

“Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England as I trust shall never be put out.”

That candle still burns today—including here in our parish.

Why This Matters for Us Today

The English Reformers call us to be:

Rooted in Scripture

Centred on Christ

Anchored in grace

Committed to clear gospel proclamation

Courageous in faith

Their legacy helps shape our identity as a biblically faithful, mission-minded, Classical Anglican church—joyfully committed to the Diocese of Tasmania’s vision of “a church for Tasmania, making disciples of Jesus.”

May God strengthen us to continue the work they began, not out of nostalgia, but for the glory of Christ in our city and beyond. 

Yours in Christ,
Lee Shirvill

Senior Minister
Parish of Hoy Trinity
Four Centres - All One in Christ Jesus

20 November 2025