Ecumenical Overture or Anglicanism Redefined? The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral
Broadway extends the length of Manhattan. It begins at the foot of the island at Battery Park. It runs straight uptown to 10th Street, where it edges left and cuts a diagonal that only straightens out at 108th Street, just short of Columbia University. In 1829, the original planners located the leftward turn at 10th street to avoid damaging the orchard garden of Henry Brevoort. Since 1846, that spot has been the site of the stately Gothic structure of Grace Church in New York, designed by Brevoort's nephew, James Renwick (who later designed St. Patrick's Cathedral).
I was on the staff of Grace Church in 1988 during the centennial observance of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, a defining statement of Anglican identity. The author of the Quadrilateral was William Reed Huntington, 6th rector of Grace Church. Huntington was one of the most prominent Episcopal clergymen of his generation. Known informally as the "First presbyter of the Church," he was key figure behind the 1892 Book of Common Prayer, and he founded the Episcopal order of deaconesses.
In 1870, while serving as rector of All Saints Church in Worcester, Massachusetts; Huntington wrote a book entitled, The Church Idea, An Essay Toward Unity. He and a local Roman Catholic priest had founded an ecumenical clergy fellowship. This experience of working closely with other clergy seems to have prompted his efforts in The Church Idea to develop "a basis on which approach may be by God's blessing, made toward Home Reunion" - and thereby to recover the unity of the Church. Keep reading
2 comments:
This is a typical VirtueOnline piece. The Lambeth Quadrilateral is an attempt to undermine the English Reformation and the Protestant Reformation in general. The reduction of the five solas to the level of "adiaphora" is simply an attempt to downplay the 39 Articles as a Protestant document. The Quadrilateral has more in common with Rome's doctrine of "implicit faith" than with the Protestant principle that Scripture is THE final authority. (See Article VI).
Posting this sort of thing without any critical examination or comment indicates to your readers that you agree with it. Ecumenicalism is the direct cause of the doctrinal and moral erosion of Anglicanism as a Reformed/Calvinist denomination.
The Declaration of Principles is relevant here as well.
Charlie
Charlie,
Did you read the entire article? The author draws attention to the inadequacies of the Lambeth Quadrilateral as a doctrinal statement in the closing section of the article.
Anglicans Ablaze is more a webzine than a weblog. Consequently I post a range of articles on Anglicans Ablaze, reflecting a diversity of opinions. I endeavor to strike a balance between being too broad in my focus and being too narrow.
I do not believe that it is necessary to critique or otherwise comment on every article out of fear that readers might mistakenly conclude from the mere fact that I posted an article that I agree with its contents. This has been my policy since I launched Anglicans Ablaze in 2004--eight years ago. During that time period I have on a number of occasions pointed to the attention of readers that the opinions expressed in articles posted on Anglicans Ablaze do not necessarily represent my own opinions on a particular subject. My posting of an article is not an endorsement of the views expressed in it. I leave readers to decide for themselves whether or not they agree with the views expressed in the article.
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