How to view the ECUSA

A word from yesterday for the would-be orthodox of today.

This reflection arises from study of Article XIX of the Anglican Formulary, The Thirty-Nine Articles of the National Church of England (1571) and later of the Province of PECUSA (USA 1801). After providing the marks or signs of the visible Church of Christ on earth in space and time, the Article speaks of error in the Church on earth. “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.”

First of all, let us note that the ancient patriarchates of East and West are not denied the status of being visible Churches but are rather accused of “having erred.” That is, not everything that they teach, confess and do is erroneous but that they have been in error in significant and important ways. Thus, at worst, these Churches are corrupt branches of the one Church of God, but, branches and jurisdictions nevertheless. And to claim the minimum for them, these Churches still baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost , and worshipped the LORD as the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and so the Reformers did not advocate the re-baptizing, only the instructing, of their members.

The Roman Church erred in that it claimed too much for itself and for its Bishop (e.g., as Vicar of Christ) and, further, it made as part of the Faith certain doctrines (e.g., of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Mass as a propitiation) and ceremonies (e.g., denial of the Chalice to laity) which were clearly contrary to the plain sense of Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Fathers of the first five centuries or so. However, within Its embrace, and despite its errors, were thousands who were united to Christ in faith and love and who had good hope of life with Christ in heaven. That is, the invisible catholic Church of God was manifested in the existence and life of those national Churches of Europe and elsewhere which were under the control of the Roman See.

Now it is certainly true that some of the rhetoric of the Reformers was such as to suggest that these Churches, under the rule of the Roman Papacy, were totally lost to the true Church of God on earth. In those days both sides, when in controversy, engaged in lively and exaggerated speech in order to make their points. Yet in their more sober and guarded language when they wrote catechisms and confessions of faith, Luther, Calvin and Cranmer and their colleagues were more reserved and careful. (Richard Hooker is extremely careful in his Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity as is Bishop Jewel before him in his Apology.) The message from the reformed Catholic Church of England about Rome seems to have been – to paraphrase – something like this: “Let Rome throw off her false additions to the Creed and Liturgy, and we will gladly communicate with her; but so long as she retains her errors, we cannot but stand aloof, lest we should be partakers of her sins.” (Remember that at this time there was no R C “denomination” in England!)

Of course, we all know that since Vatican II (1962-65), relations between Roman Catholics and the Orthodox, Anglicans and Protestants have been more open and positive than in earlier times.

This noted we ask: IS THERE ANYTHING to learn from this sixteenth-century situation about the adoption of possible attitudes towards the ECUSA by those who like Cranmer, Jewel and Hooker, are or seek to be Reformed Catholics?

We can probably agree that the ECUSA has erred in matters of faith, ceremony and living, especially since the 1960s. It has definitely encouraged immorality in sexual relations; it allows ceremonies that are wrong – e.g., ordaining and consecrating openly gay men; and it has openly and clearly set aside the received Anglican Formularies of the Faith and substituted novel ones for them (and these are in certain places and ways of doubtful orthodoxy).

But also we can probably agree that, despite all this, it is possible within the ECUSA to hear the Gospel, to receive the Sacraments, to be instructed in sound teaching and to be buried in the true Faith.

The ECUSA has erred and is in error as an institution; yet because it contains hundreds of parishes, it is possible in many of these to encounter the means of grace in such a way as to be placed in union with Christ and be made a member of His Body as a child of God the Father unto eternal life.

Therefore, it would seem that there are reasons to depart and reasons to stay; and as each person is unique and as no two situations are identical, some will believe they are guided to stay and others to depart from ECUSA. The issues are not so clear cut as to make all sincerely-intentioned Christians see things identically.

This said, it would seem prudent that those who depart should give their energy and time to the new jurisdiction they join and not waste their time bemoaning the errors of that which they have left behind!

In conclusion, it would seem that for those who have the conviction and courage to stay and minister within this Church (and be persecuted or deprived perhaps) there is still work to be done, work that can be fruitful for the kingdom of God. Yet those who remain must do so in the knowledge that this Church has erred and persists, often proudly, in its errors. So they will never be free from this pain of being part of an erring Church, and a minority that can do little or nothing in the immediate future about changing the institutional errors and sickness. Indeed to raise hopes that they can if they raise enough money and foreign support is to create false optimism! Yet, happily, they can find great encouragement and help in bearing this burden of error and sickness, while being faithful Minister or members, by taking note of and meditating on the way in which the Remnant of Israel lived and witnessed within the often apostate and erring Israel!

Let us pray one for another, for those who depart and those who stay, and let us use our energy to build up the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of God which is not confined to any of our jurisdictions but includes them all and more!

Peter Toon October 18, 2005