The Touchstone of Genuine Anglicanism

By Robin G. Jordan

On October 3, 2008 Dean Philip Jensen posted a short article on his web log, From the Dean. The article was appropriately titled “Why Anglican?” and drew attention to the difference between “sociological Anglicans” and “confessional Anglicans.” This is a useful distinction. In a sociological understanding of Anglicanism Dean Jensen explains:

“…whatever the Church in England does or believes is Anglican. Similarly, the descendents of the English, scattered abroad as a result of Britain's erstwhile Empire, determine what is Anglican by whatever they do or believe. Sociological Anglicanism is about belonging not believing. You belong irrespective of what you believe or what you do.”

Sociological Anglicanism is not confined to the descendents of the English. It is also found wherever any group with a connection to the Church of England has adopted this particular definition of Anglicanism. Both the Anglican Church in North America and The Episcopal Church are sociologically “Anglican.”

This distinction helps to explain why Anglo-Catholics, while adhering in a large extent to the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, consider themselves to be “Anglican.” Their beliefs reflect those of the nineteenth century Anglo-Catholic movement in the Church of England and its North American daughter church, the then Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA. It is “Anglican” by virtue of what was believed and done in these churches at a particular time in their history.

It also helps to account for why liberal Episcopalians who espouse a universalistic gospel can think of themselves as “Anglican.” Their church can trace its origins to the Church of England and is recognized as a member of the Anglican Communion by the Archbishop of Canterbury. “Sociological Anglicanism is about belonging, not believing,” Dean Jensen explains, “You belong irrespective of what you believe or what you do.” He goes on to write:

“So it is an irrelevance whether such a church departs from basic Christian teaching. Sociological Anglicanism does not even have to be Christian….”

Sociological Anglicanism further helps explains why the 4GSSE can recognize the Anglican Church in North America as being “authentically Anglican.” The ACNA is to some extent believing and doing what the churches of the 4GSSE are believing and doing. It shares a number of the beliefs of these churches and has adopted in a modified form a number of their institutions. It helps to account for why a number of these churches can regard as “Anglican” the Roman Catholic doctrines and practices that they have adopted. In a sociological understanding of Anglicanism what is Anglican is determined by whatever a church that is historically connected to the Church of England and maintains an ongoing connection with that body believes or does.

In a confessional understanding of Anglicanism, on the other hand, a church is Anglican because it upholds the Anglican beliefs of the Articles of Religion of 1571 and The Book of Common Prayer of 1662. It professes such great doctrines of the Bible and the Reformation as salvation by grace alone by faith alone in Christ alone. Dean Jensen explains:

“The Prayer Book and 39 Articles of Anglicanism come from a particular historical context - the struggle of Thomas Cranmer in the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation. The Prayer Book underwent several minor editions before taking its final form in the seventeenth century. From 1662 till today it, and the 39 Articles, stand as the one touchstone of genuine Anglicanism.”

A touchstone is a mineral, often black jasper, an opaque quartz, used in testing alloys by the color of the mark they leave when rubbed on it. By this test the purchaser of a particular alloy can determine whether it is what the seller represents it to be.

In a confessional understanding of Anglicanism to be authentic, the Anglicanism of a church must pass the test of the Articles and the Prayer Book. If its Anglicanism is not consistent with the Biblical and Reformation doctrine of the Articles and the Prayer Book, it is not genuine. It is not the real thing.

When we rub the “Anglicanism” of the Anglican Church in North America and that of The Episcopal Church on the touchstone of the Articles and the Prayer Book neither leaves the mark of the right color. They are not what these churches claim them to be.

The Articles and the Prayer Book are the touchstone of genuine Anglicanism because they are both agreeable to Scripture. Canon A2 of the Church of England’s canons states:

“The Thirty-nine Articles are agreeable to the Word of God and may be assented unto with a good conscience by all members of the Church of England.”

Canon A3 states:

“1. The doctrine contained in The Book of Common Prayer and
Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the Use of the Church of England is agreeable to the Word of God.

2. The form of God’s worship contained in the said Book, forasmuch as it is not repugnant to the Word of God, may be used by all members of the Church of England with a good conscience.”

As Being Faithful: The Shape of Historic Anglicanism Today, the GAFCON Theological Resource Group’s commentary on the Jerusalem Declaration, notes, “ the authority of the Articles come from their agreement with the teaching of Scripture.” It stresses:

“The Articles themselves insist that ‘whatsoever is not read therein [i.e. in Scripture], nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.’ (Article VI). The Article make no attempt to bind the Christian mind or conscience more tightly than Scripture does on matters of doctrine and Christian living.”

A confessional understanding of Anglicanism is apt to prompt two objections. The first objection is that it is too “narrow,” that is, it makes no allowance for other “Anglican” schools of thought that have sprung up since the sixteenth century. This objection tends to largely come from Anglo-Catholics but liberal Episcopalians and charismatics and evangelicals influenced by the Anglo-Catholic movement, the ecumenical movement, the liturgical renewal movement, the Convergence or Ancient-Future movement or a combination of these movements may also bring it up.

These groups have a sociological understanding of Anglicanism: what is Anglican is determined by whatever a church with both a past and present connection to the Church of England or to others churches with such a connection is believing or doing, or in the case of Anglo-Catholicism, has believed and done. From their perspective a confessional understanding of Anglicanism is very limiting. Confessional Anglicans do not cherish a number of the beliefs and practices to which they have become attached. They have abandoned beliefs and practices that confessional Anglicans uphold. Confessional Anglicans also refuse to accept new beliefs and practices that they themselves regard with favour because such beliefs and practices are inconsistent with the Biblical and Reformation doctrine of the Articles and the Prayer Book.

The second objection is that a confessional understanding of Anglicanism “freezes Anglicanism in time” and keeps it in the sixteenth century. Liberals frequently raise this objection but Anglo-Catholics and charismatics and evangelicals may make it too. It originated with the Oxford movement, the precursor of the Anglo-Catholic movement. Those advancing this particular objection generally have a progressive view of Anglicanism that reflects a sociological understanding of Anglicanism. Both the Anglican Church and its beliefs and practices are seen as evolving and moving forward as they evolve. Those raising the second objection also see a confessional understanding of Anglicanism as being confining in a high degree for the same reasons as those making the first objection.

Behind these objections is displeasure with confessional Anglicans’ unwillingness to look with favor on theological drift and to gratify it. Confessional Anglicans take to heart the New Testament’s warnings against the tendency to be like a ship without a rudder or a wood chip on the water, “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine…” (Ephesians 4:14 ESV). They are heedful of the caution of the author of the Letter to the Hebrews’ to not be “led away by diverse and strange teachings” (Hebrews 13:9 ESV). They recognize the danger of having itching ears and accumulating for oneself teachers to suit one’s own passions, and turning away from listening to the truth and going astray into prevalent but false beliefs (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Dean Jensen makes a very important point:

“Confessional Anglican theology rightly captures the heart of the Biblical message. It is very clear about the central truths of God and the way of salvation. It does not try to codify everything in the Bible and so it allows an appropriate level of liberty on issues of Christian freedom. Nevertheless, it clearly condemns false teaching and practice - the kind of false teaching and practice that sociological Anglicans now hold dear as genuine Anglicanism!”

Sociological Anglicanism calls a truce with false teaching and practice and even makes peace with it. This is what has happened in The Episcopal Church in the past 220 odd years. The Episcopal Church departed from genuine Anglicanism very early in its history. This is what has happened in the Reformed Episcopal Church in recent years and is happening in the Anglican Church in North America. In these churches the Articles and the Prayer Book are not treated as the touchstone of genuine Anglicanism that they are. In all three churches false doctrine and practice is welcomed and befriended. The principle difference between the three churches is one of the degree to which they embrace false teaching and practice. Only if the Reformed Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in North America restore the Articles and the Prayer Book to their rightful place as the one touchstone of genuine Anglicanism and become confessional Anglican churches can these two churches hope to escape the fate of The Episcopal Church. As God leaves the reprobate to suffer the consequences of his sin, he will, if he has not already done so, cast off The Episcopal Church to undergo what comes from her rebellion.