Canadian Navy, WW2: The English Bible Goes to Sea

A Canadian Frigate, WW2

The English Bible went to sea in Elizabeth's day with Drake and Raleigh.  Two Sabbath services per day aboard Her Majesty's ships.  It also went to sea in WW2 with the Canadian Navy.  But first, some background.

Throughout the nation in the pre-Reformation period in England, the parishioner would hear a priest “murmuring in Latin at a distant altar [DPV: throw in a rood screen to keep the raffish swine enthralled and fenced out] with his back to the people” (121).

By contrast, in post-Reformation England, the minister faced the congregation, addressed them in English, read 3ish lessons from the English Bible, said or sang English Psalms, and, in their close midst, delivered an English sermon about the Bible—while the people prayed together in the English Collects, the English Lord’s Prayer, the English versicles and canticles, and confessed their common faith in the English Creeds. Oh yes, none of the 1928 (American) Tractated stuff with the "altar" and priests with backs to the people. Cranmer would have none of that. The Table replaced an altar and was placed amongst the people. Imagine the simplicity and sincerity of that, to use two words that Paul used with the super-apostles [think Tractoes] of Corinth. Quite a contrast.

Or, the poor chaps in the 9000 parishes of pre-Reformation England would hear their cleric say, Petite, et dabitur vobis; querite et invenetis; pulsate et aperiteur vobis.   

(By way of brief digression, 150 Latin plays were done at Cambridge and Oxford between 1550 and 1650.  Latin was certainly allowed, including Latin services for the collegiate and Cathedral churches.  But, this was for scholars, not the rank-and-file who were Latin-illiterate. Rather, 9000 English parishes got the English Bible. ) 

By contast, the 9000 parishes in post-Reformation England heard in a ringing, loud and clear voice: “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you.” Significant on a national, or, macroscopic, level. England would be awash with English Bibles. After Tyndale squeezed the toothpaste from the tube with his 1526 NT, Mary (1553-1558, mercifully short) and all her Queen's men including the murderous Archbishop of Canterbury couldn't put the toothpaste back in the tube.

Even more remotely, but indicatively, ships in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy (Elizabeth's for Americans not knowing English history), during Raleigh’s and Drake’s travels would have two divine services per Sabbath—with the old English BCP, English Bible lections and English Psalm-singing. Yet, many modern historians appear to not be concerned about these matters. What’s up with that?

Causes me to reflect on Dad's service with His Majesty's Royal Canadian Navy, WW2, 42-46,' fighting German U-boats in the North Atlantic between Halifax, NS and Liverpool, UK. "I went to sea as a boy and came back a man." HMCS New Waterford and HMCS ______, a corvette and frigate. Can't remember the name of the frigate. Dad, as well as other men, thought very highly of their Anglican Chaplain. Again, all the divine services for the Canadians were in English and were in good, orderly and sober Anglican fashion. Furthermore, individuals possessed English Bibles. Imagine that!  The English Bibles went to sea.

NO MINOR ISSUE, BUT A MAJOR ONE although neglected and denied by revisionists. English Bibles, not Latin mumblings. 

While Romanists continued to mutter Latin to their (generally) Latin-illiterate parishioners until 1965ish and after, the English Bible went to sea with the Canadians in WW2.  Ditto for the Sailors of the Royal Navy too. Come to think of it and to be inclusive, ditto for U.S. Marines and Sailors in WW2 not under the imperialistic thumb of an Italian bishop in Rome.

Lest we forget!