Bray, Gerald. The Faith We Confess: An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles. London: Latimer Press, 2009.
The volume is available at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Faith-Confess-Exposition-Thirty-Nine/dp/0946307849/ref=pd_sim_b_2
"XIX. Of the Church.
"The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.
"As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred, so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith."
We get a few pages for this barn-burner! An article that raises many more questions than get answered here. The doctrine of a true and false church was integral to the Reformation. We do get a few good book recommendations.
“Congregatio” is a problem and has been seen as legitimating a “Congregationalist” approach. This refers to a national church. The "Church" or "Congregatio" of England as Cranmer envisioned it was a national Church under Henry. Cranmer knew not how to think otherwise. Every Western European nation had a “national state church.”
Prof. Bray offers an aside. Monophysites, after Chalcedon, were a majority report. (BTW, Tracto-Newman viewed the Ch. Of Eng. as “monophysitic.”) The Greeks sent bishops to replace Monophysitic bishops. Latin “patriarchs” were sent East to shore up the Greeks. They still insist on their Latin piety and doctrine in the East.
Rome, like the Greeks, have erred. But, the Article is not explicit here. Where? How? On our view, Cranmer said too little. But, with Trent roiling in the background and some issues ruled on by the Romanist, earlier Articles address those things, notably, re: salvation. Article 23 may offer further clues. And Cranmer was "Reformed" and aware of the Lutheran dissensions between the Gnesio- and Philippist-crowd, but we digress. Via media is between Gnesio-Lutherans and Geneva. The Church of England was "Reformed."
Errors not only included rites and ceremonies, but also doctrine. Go back to Articles 9-11 for amplification.
Rome believed it was “indefectible” before 1870 and Vatican 1. We would add the following: if one desires a "brief taste" of the pompous Gaslighting from Rome, see the "Regnans in Excelsis," 25 Feb 1570, the Bull-Crap excommunicating Elizabeth. Text of Regnans in Excelsis of Pope Saint Pius V at http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius05/p5regnans.htm . We could surely add others.
Hence, “Congregatio” = national church. According to Prof. Bray, there are no grounds for separating from a national church with orthodox standards (e.g. C o E). The Church of England, notwithstanding her clerics, still has the three forms of orthodox doctrine: the 1662 BCP, the Thirty-nine Articles and the Ordinal. Those are protected by law in England, unlike overseas Anglican Churches.
Prof. Bray bounces around on women’s ordination and the sodomy issues. He disagrees with it, of course. On our view, both are clearly foreclosed on Biblical grounds. Hit em’ harder, Prof. Bray. We’re dealing with Crap-faces (Mal. 2.3) and jackasses (Jer. 2.24). For those disliking the metaphors, take the issue up with Malachi and Jeremiah.
Old Prof. Bray raises the Episcopal term, “integrities.” Or, we disagree while retaining “integrity.” This is a polite, even rather English, way of saying, “We disagree while being polite.” It's also a polite way to cover for deceit, TFOs and more. Tell it to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, John the Baptist and Jesus too--especially Jeremiah who persistently raises the claim of lying and deceit.
This much, Article 6--allegedly--norms and regulates the General Synods, end of discussion. Wishful thinking. We get at least three good book recommendations from the Prof.
Avis, Paul. The Identity of Anglicanism: Essentials of Anglican Ecclesiology. London: T & T Clark, 2007. http://www.amazon.com/The-Identity-Anglicanism-Essentials-Ecclesiology/dp/0567032043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393029585&sr=8-1&keywords=avis+identity+of+anglicanism
Bradshaw, T. The Olive Branch: An Evangelical Anglican Doctrine of the Church. Carlisle: Paternoster, 1992. http://www.amazon.com/The-Olive-Branch-Evangelical-Anglican/dp/0853645124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393029735&sr=8-1&keywords=bradshaw+the+olive+branch
Clowney, E.P. The Church. Leicester: IVP, 1995. http://www.amazon.com/The-Church-Contours-Christian-Theology/dp/0830815341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393029788&sr=8-1&keywords=clowney+the+church
Locke, K.A. The Church in Anglican Theology: An Historical, Theological, and Ecumenical Exploration. Farnham: Ashgatem, 2009. The book description. “This book is the first systematic attempt to describe a coherent and comprehensive Anglican understanding of Church. Rather than focusing on one school of thought, Dr Locke unites under one ecclesiological umbrella the seemingly disparate views that have shaped Anglican reflections on Church. He does so by exploring three central historical developments: the influence of Protestantism; the Anglican defence of episcopacy; and the development of the Anglican practice of authority. Dr Locke demonstrates how the interaction of these three historical influences laid the foundations of an Anglican understanding of Church that continues to guide and shape Anglican identity; he shows how this understanding of Church has shaped recent Anglican ecumencial dialogues with Reformed, Lutheran, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Drawing on the principle that dialogue with those who are different can lead to greater self-understanding and self-realization, Dr Locke demonstrates that Anglican self-identiy rests on firmer ecclesiological foundations than is sometimes supposed.”
Dr. Kenneth A. Locke is Acting Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at University of the West, Rosemead, California. His specialties are Christianity, Ecclesiology, and Western Philosophy. He earned a B.A. in Theology and Biblical Studies and a Ph.D. in Theology from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. His doctoral dissertation focused on Ecclesiology. While at Trinity College, he won numerous academic awards, including the prestigious Trinity College Foundation Scholarship. His publications include the following articles on Anglicanism: "Equal Ministries: Richard Hooker and Non-episcopal Ordinations," in Anvil: An Anglican Evangelical Journal for Theology and Mission, 14: 3 (1997) and "Antiquity as a Guide to Orthodoxy? A Critical Appraisal of Newman's Via Media," in Robert Hannaford, ed., The Future of Anglicanism. Essays on Faith and Order (Leominster, Herefordshire: Gracewing, 1996). http://www.amazon.com/Church-Anglican-Theology-Kenneth-Locke/dp/0754665305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393029825&sr=8-1&keywords=locke+the+church+in+anglican+theology
Watson, D. I Believe in the Church. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1978.
Amazon contains this biography. Why is Prof. Bray patronizing a charismatic Anglican? And John Wimber? And even Lloyd-Jones, a charismatic?
“David Watson was born in 1933, educated at Wellington College school and St. John's College, Cambridge where he gave his life to Christ. He became an ordained minister in the Church of England, starting work among the dock workers of Gillingham, Kent with John Collins and David McInnes at St Marks church. David's second curacy took him to the Round Church in Cambridge, where the vicar was Mark Ruston. Around the same time, encouraged by Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones, David sought the fullness of the Holy Spirit in his life and the modern Charismatic movement in Britain had one of its most important leaders. David became Curate-in-Charge of St. Cuthbert's, York in 1965 which was attended by no more than twelve at any service, and was twelve months away from redundancy. Eight years later the congregation had out-grown St. Cuthbert's resulting in a move to the much larger St. Michael le Belfrey opposite York Minster. Subsequently the congregation grew to many hundreds, in only a few years. As his ministry progressed, David Watson was involved with missionary enterprises throughout the world and was a high profile advocate of reconciliation and ecumenism in Northern Ireland. He pioneered work with the arts, using drama and dance in church for the first time. He met the Vineyard Leader John Wimber in 1980, and was one of the first people to welcome him and the Vinyard ministry to the UK. This encouraged the connection between Wimber and Terry Virgo of Newfrontiers. He left St. Michael-le-Belfrey in 1982 for London. He died of cancer on 18 February 1984 after recording his fight with the disease in a book, Fear No Evil. John Gunstone remarked of David Watson: "It is doubtful whether any other English Christian leader has had greater influence on this side of the Atlantic since the Second World War."
“Shortly before he died David wrote the following:"The most important lesson I have learned in these past eleven months is that God loves me, is always with me - in the dark as in the light - and that I cannot trust him too much. The best is yet to be, once we have put our lives in Christ."
“'David Watson was one of the best known and loved Christian leaders of modern times...he had an impact as evangelist and teacher second only to Billy Graham.' Michael Green” http://www.amazon.com/Believe-Church-David-C-Watson/dp/0802817882/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393030062&sr=8-1&keywords=watson+i+believe+in+the+church
Woodhouse, H.F. The Doctrine of the Church in Anglican Theology, 1547-1603. London: SPCK, 1954. This looks quite good. http://www.amazon.com/doctrine-Anglican-1547-1603-Historical-Publications/dp/B0000CJ0OO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393030475&sr=8-1&keywords=woodhouse+doctrine+of+the+church+in+anglican+theology
The volume is available at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Faith-Confess-Exposition-Thirty-Nine/dp/0946307849/ref=pd_sim_b_2
"XIX. Of the Church.
"The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.
"As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred, so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith."
We get a few pages for this barn-burner! An article that raises many more questions than get answered here. The doctrine of a true and false church was integral to the Reformation. We do get a few good book recommendations.
“Congregatio” is a problem and has been seen as legitimating a “Congregationalist” approach. This refers to a national church. The "Church" or "Congregatio" of England as Cranmer envisioned it was a national Church under Henry. Cranmer knew not how to think otherwise. Every Western European nation had a “national state church.”
Prof. Bray offers an aside. Monophysites, after Chalcedon, were a majority report. (BTW, Tracto-Newman viewed the Ch. Of Eng. as “monophysitic.”) The Greeks sent bishops to replace Monophysitic bishops. Latin “patriarchs” were sent East to shore up the Greeks. They still insist on their Latin piety and doctrine in the East.
Rome, like the Greeks, have erred. But, the Article is not explicit here. Where? How? On our view, Cranmer said too little. But, with Trent roiling in the background and some issues ruled on by the Romanist, earlier Articles address those things, notably, re: salvation. Article 23 may offer further clues. And Cranmer was "Reformed" and aware of the Lutheran dissensions between the Gnesio- and Philippist-crowd, but we digress. Via media is between Gnesio-Lutherans and Geneva. The Church of England was "Reformed."
Errors not only included rites and ceremonies, but also doctrine. Go back to Articles 9-11 for amplification.
Rome believed it was “indefectible” before 1870 and Vatican 1. We would add the following: if one desires a "brief taste" of the pompous Gaslighting from Rome, see the "Regnans in Excelsis," 25 Feb 1570, the Bull-Crap excommunicating Elizabeth. Text of Regnans in Excelsis of Pope Saint Pius V at http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius05/p5regnans.htm . We could surely add others.
Hence, “Congregatio” = national church. According to Prof. Bray, there are no grounds for separating from a national church with orthodox standards (e.g. C o E). The Church of England, notwithstanding her clerics, still has the three forms of orthodox doctrine: the 1662 BCP, the Thirty-nine Articles and the Ordinal. Those are protected by law in England, unlike overseas Anglican Churches.
Prof. Bray bounces around on women’s ordination and the sodomy issues. He disagrees with it, of course. On our view, both are clearly foreclosed on Biblical grounds. Hit em’ harder, Prof. Bray. We’re dealing with Crap-faces (Mal. 2.3) and jackasses (Jer. 2.24). For those disliking the metaphors, take the issue up with Malachi and Jeremiah.
Old Prof. Bray raises the Episcopal term, “integrities.” Or, we disagree while retaining “integrity.” This is a polite, even rather English, way of saying, “We disagree while being polite.” It's also a polite way to cover for deceit, TFOs and more. Tell it to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, John the Baptist and Jesus too--especially Jeremiah who persistently raises the claim of lying and deceit.
This much, Article 6--allegedly--norms and regulates the General Synods, end of discussion. Wishful thinking. We get at least three good book recommendations from the Prof.
Avis, Paul. The Identity of Anglicanism: Essentials of Anglican Ecclesiology. London: T & T Clark, 2007. http://www.amazon.com/The-Identity-Anglicanism-Essentials-Ecclesiology/dp/0567032043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393029585&sr=8-1&keywords=avis+identity+of+anglicanism
Bradshaw, T. The Olive Branch: An Evangelical Anglican Doctrine of the Church. Carlisle: Paternoster, 1992. http://www.amazon.com/The-Olive-Branch-Evangelical-Anglican/dp/0853645124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393029735&sr=8-1&keywords=bradshaw+the+olive+branch
Clowney, E.P. The Church. Leicester: IVP, 1995. http://www.amazon.com/The-Church-Contours-Christian-Theology/dp/0830815341/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393029788&sr=8-1&keywords=clowney+the+church
Locke, K.A. The Church in Anglican Theology: An Historical, Theological, and Ecumenical Exploration. Farnham: Ashgatem, 2009. The book description. “This book is the first systematic attempt to describe a coherent and comprehensive Anglican understanding of Church. Rather than focusing on one school of thought, Dr Locke unites under one ecclesiological umbrella the seemingly disparate views that have shaped Anglican reflections on Church. He does so by exploring three central historical developments: the influence of Protestantism; the Anglican defence of episcopacy; and the development of the Anglican practice of authority. Dr Locke demonstrates how the interaction of these three historical influences laid the foundations of an Anglican understanding of Church that continues to guide and shape Anglican identity; he shows how this understanding of Church has shaped recent Anglican ecumencial dialogues with Reformed, Lutheran, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. Drawing on the principle that dialogue with those who are different can lead to greater self-understanding and self-realization, Dr Locke demonstrates that Anglican self-identiy rests on firmer ecclesiological foundations than is sometimes supposed.”
Dr. Kenneth A. Locke is Acting Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at University of the West, Rosemead, California. His specialties are Christianity, Ecclesiology, and Western Philosophy. He earned a B.A. in Theology and Biblical Studies and a Ph.D. in Theology from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. His doctoral dissertation focused on Ecclesiology. While at Trinity College, he won numerous academic awards, including the prestigious Trinity College Foundation Scholarship. His publications include the following articles on Anglicanism: "Equal Ministries: Richard Hooker and Non-episcopal Ordinations," in Anvil: An Anglican Evangelical Journal for Theology and Mission, 14: 3 (1997) and "Antiquity as a Guide to Orthodoxy? A Critical Appraisal of Newman's Via Media," in Robert Hannaford, ed., The Future of Anglicanism. Essays on Faith and Order (Leominster, Herefordshire: Gracewing, 1996). http://www.amazon.com/Church-Anglican-Theology-Kenneth-Locke/dp/0754665305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393029825&sr=8-1&keywords=locke+the+church+in+anglican+theology
Watson, D. I Believe in the Church. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1978.
Amazon contains this biography. Why is Prof. Bray patronizing a charismatic Anglican? And John Wimber? And even Lloyd-Jones, a charismatic?
“David Watson was born in 1933, educated at Wellington College school and St. John's College, Cambridge where he gave his life to Christ. He became an ordained minister in the Church of England, starting work among the dock workers of Gillingham, Kent with John Collins and David McInnes at St Marks church. David's second curacy took him to the Round Church in Cambridge, where the vicar was Mark Ruston. Around the same time, encouraged by Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones, David sought the fullness of the Holy Spirit in his life and the modern Charismatic movement in Britain had one of its most important leaders. David became Curate-in-Charge of St. Cuthbert's, York in 1965 which was attended by no more than twelve at any service, and was twelve months away from redundancy. Eight years later the congregation had out-grown St. Cuthbert's resulting in a move to the much larger St. Michael le Belfrey opposite York Minster. Subsequently the congregation grew to many hundreds, in only a few years. As his ministry progressed, David Watson was involved with missionary enterprises throughout the world and was a high profile advocate of reconciliation and ecumenism in Northern Ireland. He pioneered work with the arts, using drama and dance in church for the first time. He met the Vineyard Leader John Wimber in 1980, and was one of the first people to welcome him and the Vinyard ministry to the UK. This encouraged the connection between Wimber and Terry Virgo of Newfrontiers. He left St. Michael-le-Belfrey in 1982 for London. He died of cancer on 18 February 1984 after recording his fight with the disease in a book, Fear No Evil. John Gunstone remarked of David Watson: "It is doubtful whether any other English Christian leader has had greater influence on this side of the Atlantic since the Second World War."
“Shortly before he died David wrote the following:"The most important lesson I have learned in these past eleven months is that God loves me, is always with me - in the dark as in the light - and that I cannot trust him too much. The best is yet to be, once we have put our lives in Christ."
“'David Watson was one of the best known and loved Christian leaders of modern times...he had an impact as evangelist and teacher second only to Billy Graham.' Michael Green” http://www.amazon.com/Believe-Church-David-C-Watson/dp/0802817882/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393030062&sr=8-1&keywords=watson+i+believe+in+the+church
Woodhouse, H.F. The Doctrine of the Church in Anglican Theology, 1547-1603. London: SPCK, 1954. This looks quite good. http://www.amazon.com/doctrine-Anglican-1547-1603-Historical-Publications/dp/B0000CJ0OO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393030475&sr=8-1&keywords=woodhouse+doctrine+of+the+church+in+anglican+theology
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