Roman Catholicism evinces many impressive features but its fundamental distinctives from other forms of Christianity are provably spurious. At best the Roman Catholic Church is a part of the world-wide Christian Communion, afflicted with numerous defects. Its very best thinkers and theologians are repudiated at many crucial points of their overall doctrinal declaration. Essential Catholicism, in its broadest and original sense as appertaining to the universal people of God, is rooted in Holy Scripture and in a historical sense moved forward in and at the wise direction of Aurelius Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (354-430). The early church fathers may not be claimed as exclusively Roman Catholic. Such a claim is boldly anachronistic. They were the formers, organizers, and pastors of the Church of Christ in the post-apostolic era as it set out upon its mission to the world and the defining and defence of the faith that they held. The papacy in its full-blown sense moved at a slower pace than the more general congregation of faith and gradually usurped the authority of Holy Scripture and Spirit-led ministry. Many eminent devotees of Rome preserved the ancient faith and proclaimed it accurately although more or less contaminated by medieval fallacies. So-called Evangelical Christianity is much impoverished without an appreciation of the wisdom of the fathers, the ecumenical creeds, and the great doctors* of the church who laboured prior to the Reformation. Each of these worthies conserved the truths of Augustinianism and pioneered, through their longstanding influence, the way to reform. The historic Protestant movement is best described as Reformed Catholicism – the Universal Church put back on track according to Scripture, the ancient creeds and the best insights of the fathers. Heirs of the Reformers have a galaxy of forbears who acknowledged the authority of Rome but who also stood out as exceptions to its most grievous wayward trends. Champions of the doctrine of Grace and the truth of the Gospel rose up in every generation of Rome’s dark dominance over the Christian world, and even dim traces of saving truth were sufficient to draw many into union with the Saviour. He may capture souls with cords thick or thin.
The Ecclesia Anglicana was blessed with the restoration of the pure gospel in the 16th century. In its time, and as it was meant to continue, it was a beautiful expression of Reformed Catholicism. It established reform and aspired to continuing reform as more light was shed forth from the Word of God. Over the subsequent centuries, since the Archbishopric of William Laud, historical occurrences have impeded the cause of Reformational loyalty and proclamation within Anglicanism, and even reversed many of its noble Biblical gains. The Church of England and its once colonial, now Episcopalian/Anglican offspring in many overseas provinces, hardly resemble the church envisioned by Cranmer, his collaborators, and near contemporaries of the 16th and early 17th centuries. “All we like sheep have gone astray” is a fitting description of Anglicanism in a broad sense. Our Communion has wandered far from the classic Anglican Way as derived from Scripture and stated in our standards compiled in the Book of Common Prayer (1662 strongly preferred). Some of the fold have scurried back to Rome, others have strayed into the wilderness of liberalism and scepticism, and most wander about dazed and distraught “as sheep without a shepherd”. The almost daily fluctuations in fortune of Anglicanism are confusing and debilitating. After many disappointments and let-downs proposed new developments are met with increasing cynicism. The English alphabet will soon need to be enlarged to accommodate sufficient acronyms for the mushrooming movements that represent so many aspects of what is considered to be essential Anglicanism. Our inclusiveness and diversity has led to the destruction of a clear identity, so much so that we are now plagued with do-it-yourself-Anglicanism that bears little relationship to the real thing. Its origins are not understood, the authors of its Confession are not consulted or comprehended, and its characteristic aims in worship and witness are discarded for the sake of modern modes and methods designed to make the faith more palatable in slick and superficial ways that sacrifice gravitas, reverence, and the deep joy of an understanding heart tempered by substantial truth rather than trivialities that amuse.
The means for the recovery of our senses are near at hand. It is not a useless antiquarian exercise to return to our roots. Nor will a return to our roots prevent further growth. It will simply pare away all that is parasitical or diseased and guarantee good growth. The essence of our historic faith is found in a humble restoration of Sacred Scripture to the centre of our individual and corporate life, not simply as something routinely read and scarcely attended to with distracted minds, but as the speech of God deliberately heard, and the source of his wisdom into which we immerse ourselves continually. It is the Word pondered and prayed that conveys the mind of God and which creates a new heart of understanding and obedience. Original Anglicanism was soaked in Scripture, and for love of Scripture, soaked in blood also. Renewed Anglicanism must be drenched with Scripture, receive it in total submission, and discard corporate mentality and procedure in terms of leadership and the eagerness to promote itself through a “with-it” image and catchy gimmicks. These formulaic methods of functioning and growth (worldly wisdom) supplant the patience of faith in Word and Spirit as we seek to hasten and take credit for the work of God in the hearts of human beings too easily swayed by emotion, celebrity, and excitement. We live in shallow times.
The liturgy of the BCP is designed to be an instrument under God for thorough conversion and mature discipleship through what has been described as the steady triple beat of sin, grace, faith, engendering the deep earnestness of the sinful soul before a holy God. Everything that comprehensive ministry requires is found in the BCP from evangelism to the continual edification of the people of God. Mission, in every aspect, is written throughout its pages, and it affords pastoral care for every season in human life from birth to burial. It equips the soul for every major event in human experience, it serves as a springboard for every encounter in ministry, and its beautifully composed collects furnish the mind with matter for sincere prayer. The Anglican Way expressed in liturgy, ordinal, and Articles of religion, was composed to bring lost sheep home to God by way of his truth and to ensure, “that we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal”.
Anglicanism seeks to embody a true Catholicism derived from the word of God and aided by the sound reflections of the sages of God given to the church for its spiritual benefit. We must recapture our past in order to press on with integrity and effectiveness. In our rich heritage, in danger of being forsaken, we possess the divine message and the mentoring of great and godly saints. Now we must exercise the courage and candour to heed them in an hour of enormous crisis and need.
*The likes of Augustine, Prosper, Fulgentius, Gregory, Isadore, Gottschalk, especially admired by Archbishop Ussher, Ratramnus who persuaded our Reformers away from the Roman doctrine of the Mass, Anselm, Bernard, a favourite of Luther and Calvin, Peter Lombard, Bradwardine, 14th century Archbishop of Canterbury, Gregory of Rimini, Wycliffe, Huss, and many others. Evangelical doctrines are not a novelty.