IT WAS Feb. 24, 1551 and John Samford, a draper of the City of Gloucester, clutched a treasure. It was a letter. The king’s seal had given his household permission to serve meat during Lent. We don’t know why the letter was issued. It could have been because Samford was expecting guests, or because he had dietary preferences and lots of influence. In any case, the letter exempted him from obeying the new king’s proclamation. On January 16, 1551 young Edward VI (who reigned b...

IN 1954 when Cynthia Donnelly wrote a letter to C. S. Lewis asking what role faith should play in a Christian author’s work, he replied: “…we needn’t all write patently moral or theological work...