Cranmer’s Bequest
The Book of Common Prayer, called "Archbishop Cranmer's Immortal Bequest," was approved by Parliament April 15, 1552. Thomas Cranmer wrote an earlier version for Anglican worship in 1549, but 1552 (which later became the 1662 Prayer Book with a few minor changes) was the best of Cranmer's theology and the crowning achievement of his ministry. Dom Gregory Dix described the 1552 Communion Service as "the only effective attempt ever made to give liturgical expression to the doctrine of 'justification by faith alone.'" G. W. Bromiley reminded us that the key to understanding Cranmer is to remember that grace always precedes faith: “Justification is not even by faith but only by grace.” For Cranmer, God always takes the initiative.
It is impossible to overestimate the contributions of Thomas Cranmer for defining the theology and worship of the newly formed Church of England. He not only wrote the Prayer Book, but he also wrote Anglican's confession (the Articles of Religion), the Ordinal (ordination services for bishops, priests and deacons), and four of the homilies in the first book of 12 Homilies. Like nearly every Reformation theologian, Cranmer grew and evolved in his sacramental theology from Roman Catholic transubstantiation, with a brief stop in Lutheranism, and ended with an essentially receptionist, reformed understanding. Cranmer believed that Christ is spiritually present in Communion, and that his real, renewing presence is not localized in the bread and wine, but in the hearts of those who receive by faith the grace offered in the sacrament. Cranmer and many other English reformers were killed for their understanding of “real presence” in the Book of Common Prayer.
Thomas Cranmer: A Life, Diarmaid MacCulloch
Luther in English: The Influences of His Theology of Law and Gospel on Early English Evangelicals (1525-35), Michael S. Whiting
Divine Allurement: Cranmer’s Comfortable Words, Ashley Null
Archbishop Cranmer’s Immortal Bequest: The Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England: An Evangelistic Liturgy, Samuel Leuenberger
Documents of the English Reformation, Ed. Gerald Bray
A History of Anglican Liturgy, G. J. Cuming